16w5d

This will be a quick update since I'm at work and have a lot to do before it's time to leave at 5.

Today's ultrasound was fine. Baby is still growing at the same rate as is normal for him (~5 days behind GA). The SCH (blood clot) is still there and about the same size as before, maybe slightly smaller. It's just going to take awhile to work itself out. There are still no signs of preterm labor or any of the other complications that can arise with this, so that's good. Dr. P. also did a thorough look at the baby's anatomy and everything is looking normal. The only oddity is that the amniotic sac is still smaller than it should be and the fluid levels are on the low side. However the placenta looks very healthy. At the moment all we can do is keep an eye on everything and cross our fingers.

My colitis is being annoying and came back as soon as I started tapering off the prednisone, so I'm back on it for awhile. I apologize if I'm not very responsive to inquiries right now as my mental state isn't so great while on this medication. I'll let you know if there's anything serious going on, so if you don't hear from me, it's safe to assume that we're doing okay.

Stats:
GA: 16w5d
Baby's weight: 5 oz
Size Comparison: Turnip
Feeling movement: maybe sometimes? Placenta is in the front so it absorbs most movement right now.
HR: 150 bpm

Showin' some skull

Quick Update

This is just a quick update since I've been getting a few inquiries as to how I'm doing. I apologize for not writing sooner, but with all the craziness lately I just haven't had the time. I also owe you a post completely dedicated to Eli, who just turned 2 on Monday! I'll try to get to that very soon. =)

For those who aren't aware of what's been happening with me, here's the recap:
- The week before Tracy's wedding, I had a couple of major bleeding episodes while at work.
- I had an emergency ultrasound to ensure the baby was still ok and then was put on strict bed rest.
- I spent the remainder of the week watching everyone prepare for the wedding while I laid (uselessly) on the couch.
- Since I didn't have any additional bleeding, I was able to go to the wedding. I was in a wheelchair for the ceremony and laid on a chaise lounge during the reception. It was gorgeous and I'm so glad I got to be there!
- I've remained stable and have been going to work. However I'm still not permitted to lift Eli, do childcare, or household chores for at least another couple of weeks.
- My never ending ulcerative colitis flare has been decimated by high dose prednisone. Side effect: now I'm even more of a moody b*tch than normal. Sorry!
- Eli has gotten REALLY good at climbing into and out of his carseat, the bathtub, his crib, etc. The evening routine has had to change some, but we are managing.
- Poor Cairo really misses our nightly walks. :-(

NT Scan

We went in for my NT (Nuchal Translucency) scan this morning since the baby wasn't big enough last week. Last week Dr. P eyeballed it and thought it looked normal, and today she confirmed that it is great at 1.2mm. We also possibly identified the source of the spotting I've been experiencing this week; a 1 inch section of the amniotic sac has separated from my uterus. However this is considered very small and not worrisome at this point.

You can see the sac separation at the top of the picture

Also this week we received the results of the MaterniT21 test and Eli is going to have a little brother! The baby is also negative for trisomies, so that result combined with the normal NT measurement makes the likelihood of a false negative very low. As you can imagine, we are very relieved!

Even though I will be in the second trimester within a couple of days, my nausea has gotten worse this week and I lost another two pounds. So, I will be starting Zofran, an anti-nausea medication. Hopefully that helps me start feeling better soon.

Stats:
Gestational Age: 12w5d
Measurements: 5.6cm (12w1d)
HR: 164 bpm
Gender: boy

First OB Appointment

Chad and I had an appointment with my perinatologist this afternoon. It was good to see her and her staff again after a 2 year break. I got to know them pretty well with Eli since I was there every other week for most of the pregnancy.

Anyway, everything still looks good today. I'm finally far enough along for an abdominal ultrasound, which is a nice change from the dildo cam! The baby was very active, although still measuring a bit small at 11w1d (although it was curled up so measurements can be off by a week at this stage). It was slightly too small for an official NT measurement to check for Down Syndrome, but Dr. P. eyeballed the baby's neck and said it looks normal to her. We will do the official measurement next friday. The heartrate came in at 178 bpm.

Tiny alien baby

 According to the Ramzi method of gender prediction, we are having another boy since the placenta is on the right. He reviewed records of 5000 women and found that 97% of boys have a placenta on the right. Similarly, 97% of girls have a placenta on the left. That said, his study has not been peer reviewed nor have his results been replicated. We will know the gender for sure next week most likely when we get my blood test results back! Here's a link to the study if you're interested in reading it: The Relationship Between Placental Position and Fetal Gender

And here's a cute Eli picture just because. =)

This is a cool way to eat peas, mom!

Looking Good!

After a VERY anxious night, I went in for this morning's ultrasound with more than a little trepidation. This is the point at which we previously had two pregnancies fail after seeing a heartbeat, so I'm sure you can understand why I'd be nervous! Even though I knew that more than likely everything would be fine, it's still so scary to face the possibility that it might be bad news... I doubt I'll ever go into an ultrasound room without at least a few butterflies.

Fortunately my fears were completely unfounded and everything was fine! More than fine! The fetus was moving around and waving its little arms and legs and looking perfectly normal in every way. It had a nice strong heartbeat of 170 bpm and had grown significantly since last time. It's now measuring 9w5d which is much closer to the expected gestational age of 10w3d. And since I know I ovulate 3 days later than is typical, it's barely off at all now. The gestational sac also looked much larger and normal sized.

Starting to look like a baby!

Dr. A was very pleased with my progress and released me to my perinatologist. I am going to stay on the progesterone in oil injections for 2 more weeks until the placenta is fully able to take over however. And of course I'll be on blood thinner injections for the entire pregnancy.

We also did bloodwork for the MaterniT21 test, which is a new screening test to check for Trisomy 13, 18, and 21. It also reveals the baby's gender. So we should have a better idea of whether or not we need more invasive testing within the next couple of weeks. Hopefully everything comes back normal and we can plan on a less risky amniocentesis at 16 weeks instead of a CVS within the next two weeks.

Anyway, I'll update with the bloodwork results when I get them or my next ultrasound on July 16, whichever comes first!