Photos have been updated in the photo album--enjoy!
FYI: There are a few from the OR, so those with squimish stomaches beware!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
BG's here!!
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| From Baby Pruett |
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| From Baby Pruett |
And going home:
We went in on Friday October 24th in the morning to be induced. By 5pm I was still not progressing well, had my water broken sometime that evening. As the day/evening/night wore on it was more obvious I had pre-eclampsia and was getting worse by the hour. I was put on Magnesium Sulfate to prevent me from having seizures. Around 8am on the 25th I was fully dilated, but they wanted me to let baby’s head drop without pushing b/c my blood pressure was too high. By 11am I tried pushing to move BG’s head down b/c my body was already pushing on it’s own and she was having fetal heartrate decelerations that were not coming back up. By 11:30 it was obvious her head was stuck and there was no way she was coming out. 12 noon on Oct. 25 we went into the operating room. And BG was here:
Ryleigh Grace Pruett
October 25, 2008
12:14pm
7lbs, 13oz
19” long
Apgars were 9 and 9
Since I was on Magnesium Sulfate I had to continue to be on it for 24 hours to prevent any seizures that may occur as a result of my high blood pressure. This drug makes you very very weak, and totally loopy almost like you’re drunk. So because of this Ryleigh had to be in the newborn nursery so I could rest and get better. There’s nothing wrong with her, no side effects, she’s perfect.
So I’m still weak and sore. Finally getting some food has been nice. My blood pressure is still borderline high, but if I sit in the right position, the numbers look good. Just need to rest.
The whole story and updates with pictures are to come when I have a more energy. We're finally home and have internet connection, so check back in a few days for the full update.
Monday, October 20, 2008
NST update
Just got back from another NST today. Everything looks good. The baby's heartrate was 135-140 the whole time. She had some good movements too... she'd had a quiet weekend so I was wondering how much she'd move during the test. Fluid level looks good. I had some smaller cramp-like contractions during the test, but nothing serious. My blood pressure was stellar 120/70... don't know where the number came from, but I'll take it! It was high yesterday (130's/90's) all day despite laying in bed most of yesterday, go figure.
Sleep has been crazy lately. I can't sleep from midnight to 4am. It takes a while to get comfy, then I have to get up to pee.... then it takes forever to get comfy again, and once again have to pee and next thing I know 4 hours has passed. From 4-9ish I can get at least an hour to hour and half of sleep before I wake up. Last night was a good night. Slept anywhere from 2-4 hours before waking up which was heaven! I'm so thankful for those nights. Guess my body is preparing me for a newborn.
I have my good days and bad days. Last week had more bad days where I was just completely uncomfortable and wanted baby out now. Especially when she gets both of her feet together and pushes so hard against my ribs/liver. I end up with a bruise that just aches and is tender to touch. Since I got sleep last night, today is a good day. Baby can stay in for a while, despite having horrid lower back pain and pelvic pressure. So in the end, yes I'm ready to meet her. I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore. I'm ready to sleep on my stomach. But I'm happy letting her take her time for now. I still like feeling my little buddy kick my hand when I stick it on my tummy. I like feeling her dance parties that stop as soon as Chris puts his hand on my tummy.
Next doctor appointment is Wednesday with my OB...
Sleep has been crazy lately. I can't sleep from midnight to 4am. It takes a while to get comfy, then I have to get up to pee.... then it takes forever to get comfy again, and once again have to pee and next thing I know 4 hours has passed. From 4-9ish I can get at least an hour to hour and half of sleep before I wake up. Last night was a good night. Slept anywhere from 2-4 hours before waking up which was heaven! I'm so thankful for those nights. Guess my body is preparing me for a newborn.
I have my good days and bad days. Last week had more bad days where I was just completely uncomfortable and wanted baby out now. Especially when she gets both of her feet together and pushes so hard against my ribs/liver. I end up with a bruise that just aches and is tender to touch. Since I got sleep last night, today is a good day. Baby can stay in for a while, despite having horrid lower back pain and pelvic pressure. So in the end, yes I'm ready to meet her. I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore. I'm ready to sleep on my stomach. But I'm happy letting her take her time for now. I still like feeling my little buddy kick my hand when I stick it on my tummy. I like feeling her dance parties that stop as soon as Chris puts his hand on my tummy.
Next doctor appointment is Wednesday with my OB...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Fetal non-stress test
Had my first NST (fetal non-stress test) today. Basically you go in and a nurse hooks you up to a fetal monitor. They monitor the baby's heart rate and baby movement. They watch the baby's heart rate in response to it's movement. They also monitor contractions. It lasts about 20-30 minutes. BG was very active. Heartrate was very good. Didn't have any contractions, but the nurse said I had one building toward the end of her monitoring, although I didn't feel it. Then they did an ultrasound real quick to check fluid levels. Fluid levels are "fantastic". She also took my blood pressure. 130/75... for once it was decent! I have another one on Monday.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Doctor appointment update
I had a doctor appointment yesterday. Trace protein in urine again. Blood pressure consistent to what it's been at home. Appx 130's/85-95. Doctor didn't seem too concerned as it wasn't TOO high yet. My Group-B Strep culture came back negative. My liver enzymes test came back normal like he told me over the phone. He looked at my swelling more closely. Kinda seemed like he was trying to decide if I've crossed over the line to something that's not "normal". He checked the baby. Still head down. Still practicing breathing. He found a cool ultrasound shot showing the nostrils and top of the lip, so BG doesn't have a cleft palate. He offered to do a cervical check. I agreed b/c I'm curious. I know that numbers mean nothing, but at least it gives me hope that there's something going on in the way of progress. I'm 1-2cm dilated and 60% effaced. He also stripped my membranes in hopes it would help kick start labor. So we'll see what happens. He also wants me to do fetal non-stress tests (NSTs) between OB visits due to my borderline pre-eclampsia, so they can watch me closer. So I have one Friday. My doctor is on call this Saturday and again next Friday. He says he's inclined to induce me next Friday if something doesn't happen before that due to my dancing on the edge of pre-eclampsia.
Looks like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I really don't want to be induced, so I'm hoping something happens between now and next Friday.
Updated belly pictures from yesterday and the finished BG nursery are up in the photo album.
Looks like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I really don't want to be induced, so I'm hoping something happens between now and next Friday.
Updated belly pictures from yesterday and the finished BG nursery are up in the photo album.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Blood Pressure
This week's theme is hypertension and questionable pre-eclampsia.
After my last doctor appointment 2 weeks ago, when I had a higher than normal blood pressure reading, my doctor told me to take my blood pressure every day at work. Well that's not easy to do considering the blood pressure cuffs are on patients at work. I was bad the first week about doing so. Then I had one day of really bad day of swollen ankles that had me curious. So I started taking it more often at home. Here's some of the readings from this week:
Monday:
13:53 - Taken when I just got home from work. My middle finger on my right hand was numb all day despite being in a brace all day. Ankles were very swollen despite wearing TED hose all day long. 126/91*
18:16 - Rested in bed with feet elevated from 14:00-17:30, taking a 1.5 hour nap. 124/78
20:23 - Repeated after a bath, right before bed. 118/80
Tuesday:
16:48 - Taken after returning home from work and running errands. 142/85*
20:20 - Taken after eating dinner and doing dishes and watching tv. 128/92*
21:02 - Taken after a bath spent reading a book. 128/77
Wednesday:
06:57 - Taken right before leaving for work. 109/79
09:41 - Taken after getting sent home from work. Had a dull headache, may be sinus related though (post nasal drip and nasal congestion). 123/80
Wednesday at work I asked my boss about how high is high and when I should mention it to my doctor. Would it be too late to wait until my appointment on Friday? My boss sent me home from work with instructions to rest and call my doctor. I emailed and put a call in to my doctor. He told me to rest as much as possible, take it easy at work and keep track of my numbers and we'd talk about it on Friday.
Thursday's numbers were pretty all day. I didn't work that day though due to Yom Kippur.
Friday:
06:28 - Taken right before I left for work. 123/87*
15:01 - Taken right before leaving for the doctor. 123/87*
At the doctor: 135/87* (repeated twice)
At the doctor appointment I had trace amounts of protein in my urine. Coupled with my edema, and high blood pressure, the doctor said I am at risk for pre-eclampsia. So I had to get a blood test done which tests platelet count, and liver enzymes. If the platelet count is low and liver enzymes high, along with my other symptoms, it would lead to an induction relatively soon. BUT, I got a call from my doctor today with the results of my blood tests and they were okay. I still need to rest as much as possible and keep track of my blood pressure readings for my next appointment.
I had a group b strep culture done and a cervical check too. The doctor said BG's head is still high, but my cervix is open and starting to dilate. No specific numbers or % effacement or anything, but it's a step in the right direction. Next appointment is this Wednesday.
I'm starting to get into that uncomfortable state. Walking hurts due to swollen feet, hurting pelvis, baby on the cervix... Sleeping sucks with a gremlin kicking every part of my belly that touches the matress/pillow and a bladder the size of a thimble. Getting up to pee sucks with edema that pools in my achilles tendons and makes flexing the foot down right painful. Sitting in a chair or with my feet up hurts b/c BG attacks my ribs. Laying down hurts my back. A few more weeks and then I'll get a lovely dose of that mommy amnesia hormone. I can't wait!
After my last doctor appointment 2 weeks ago, when I had a higher than normal blood pressure reading, my doctor told me to take my blood pressure every day at work. Well that's not easy to do considering the blood pressure cuffs are on patients at work. I was bad the first week about doing so. Then I had one day of really bad day of swollen ankles that had me curious. So I started taking it more often at home. Here's some of the readings from this week:
Monday:
13:53 - Taken when I just got home from work. My middle finger on my right hand was numb all day despite being in a brace all day. Ankles were very swollen despite wearing TED hose all day long. 126/91*
18:16 - Rested in bed with feet elevated from 14:00-17:30, taking a 1.5 hour nap. 124/78
20:23 - Repeated after a bath, right before bed. 118/80
Tuesday:
16:48 - Taken after returning home from work and running errands. 142/85*
20:20 - Taken after eating dinner and doing dishes and watching tv. 128/92*
21:02 - Taken after a bath spent reading a book. 128/77
Wednesday:
06:57 - Taken right before leaving for work. 109/79
09:41 - Taken after getting sent home from work. Had a dull headache, may be sinus related though (post nasal drip and nasal congestion). 123/80
Wednesday at work I asked my boss about how high is high and when I should mention it to my doctor. Would it be too late to wait until my appointment on Friday? My boss sent me home from work with instructions to rest and call my doctor. I emailed and put a call in to my doctor. He told me to rest as much as possible, take it easy at work and keep track of my numbers and we'd talk about it on Friday.
Thursday's numbers were pretty all day. I didn't work that day though due to Yom Kippur.
Friday:
06:28 - Taken right before I left for work. 123/87*
15:01 - Taken right before leaving for the doctor. 123/87*
At the doctor: 135/87* (repeated twice)
At the doctor appointment I had trace amounts of protein in my urine. Coupled with my edema, and high blood pressure, the doctor said I am at risk for pre-eclampsia. So I had to get a blood test done which tests platelet count, and liver enzymes. If the platelet count is low and liver enzymes high, along with my other symptoms, it would lead to an induction relatively soon. BUT, I got a call from my doctor today with the results of my blood tests and they were okay. I still need to rest as much as possible and keep track of my blood pressure readings for my next appointment.
I had a group b strep culture done and a cervical check too. The doctor said BG's head is still high, but my cervix is open and starting to dilate. No specific numbers or % effacement or anything, but it's a step in the right direction. Next appointment is this Wednesday.
I'm starting to get into that uncomfortable state. Walking hurts due to swollen feet, hurting pelvis, baby on the cervix... Sleeping sucks with a gremlin kicking every part of my belly that touches the matress/pillow and a bladder the size of a thimble. Getting up to pee sucks with edema that pools in my achilles tendons and makes flexing the foot down right painful. Sitting in a chair or with my feet up hurts b/c BG attacks my ribs. Laying down hurts my back. A few more weeks and then I'll get a lovely dose of that mommy amnesia hormone. I can't wait!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Shower time
Yesterday we had our baby shower. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful presents! BG is definitely spoiled! My mom, my grandma, and aunt Teri threw a great shower. We decorated with a pink theme because It's a girl! In the photo album are a few from the shower and a picture of all the goodies BG received.
I'm working. Finally decided that October 10th will be my last day of work. I'm starting to get swollen ankles pretty much anytime I'm out of bed. Some days are worse than others. Carpal tunnel is still around, and the fluid retention is more noticible now in my hands. BG is running out of room, her movements are becoming painful some days, especially in my rib area. Some days I think she's dropped a little with lots of pelvic pressure and other days she's burying her feet in my lungs. She just can't make up her mind. Doctor said she weighed about 5 pounds last Monday.
We did the maternity tour last week as well as post-partum care class. Kinda feel like I know a little more to expect when the big day arrives. The maternity wing of the hospital is brand new. Apparently it was rebuilt after the Northridge Earthquake and just opened not too long ago. The entire 4th floor of the new wing is maternity. There's a triage/observation room you visit and chill in first to make sure you're in labor. Then you get moved to this ginormous (well in comparision to the other rooms) labor and delivery room. They've got everything they need for delivery in there, including a warmer, sink, etc. to clean up the baby afterwards. Then after chilling in there for few hours, you get moved to a postpartum room which is way smaller. All rooms are private and baby stays with you the entire time unless there's a medical reason for separation. The OR for a c-section has direct access from the labor and delivery rooms in case an emergency c-section were required, and the post op recovery rooms are all in the same area as well. Overall, very impressed with the hospital. I'd venture to say that it's MUCH nicer than Cedars.
Now we're just counting down the weeks/days til BGer decides to make her appearance.
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| From Baby Pruett |
 |
| From Baby Pruett |
I'm working. Finally decided that October 10th will be my last day of work. I'm starting to get swollen ankles pretty much anytime I'm out of bed. Some days are worse than others. Carpal tunnel is still around, and the fluid retention is more noticible now in my hands. BG is running out of room, her movements are becoming painful some days, especially in my rib area. Some days I think she's dropped a little with lots of pelvic pressure and other days she's burying her feet in my lungs. She just can't make up her mind. Doctor said she weighed about 5 pounds last Monday.
We did the maternity tour last week as well as post-partum care class. Kinda feel like I know a little more to expect when the big day arrives. The maternity wing of the hospital is brand new. Apparently it was rebuilt after the Northridge Earthquake and just opened not too long ago. The entire 4th floor of the new wing is maternity. There's a triage/observation room you visit and chill in first to make sure you're in labor. Then you get moved to this ginormous (well in comparision to the other rooms) labor and delivery room. They've got everything they need for delivery in there, including a warmer, sink, etc. to clean up the baby afterwards. Then after chilling in there for few hours, you get moved to a postpartum room which is way smaller. All rooms are private and baby stays with you the entire time unless there's a medical reason for separation. The OR for a c-section has direct access from the labor and delivery rooms in case an emergency c-section were required, and the post op recovery rooms are all in the same area as well. Overall, very impressed with the hospital. I'd venture to say that it's MUCH nicer than Cedars.
Now we're just counting down the weeks/days til BGer decides to make her appearance.
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