Appointments week of 10/17

NiceyMeany

It's getting real for some of us by now - who's drinking the orange drink, getting all kinds of shots, or celebrating viability day this week??

sunshine2417

I had the Glucose test today! Surprisingly mine actually was not neaaaaarly as bad as I thought it would be! Mine was a clear 10 oz of 'fruit punch' flavored stuff. No artificial dyes and it wasn't a thick syrup or anything, maybe just a little thicker than water. Drinking a can of Coke or Hawaiian Punch would have been waaaay worse for me! By about 5-6 ounces I was starting to get a little sick of it, but I had to finish all 10 oz. in 5 minutes and they drew blood 1 hour later. FX for good results this week! 

leprechaunlady

I had a midwife appointment today - all good, tho my blood pressure was a little high. Not too worried about it though as i had been stressed rushing to get out of work to make the appointment & not calmed down by the time i got there. She said to get my husband to check it again this evening just to be sure & if hes concerned to come back to her next week again.
Also got my flu shot.

madamerwin

I have my MW appointment this afternoon, but that's it. @Janefelicity out of curiosity, what is "high" BP for you? I have been checking mine multiple times/week at the pharmacy, and it's always pretty low (yesterday it was 103/66). BUT - when I go to the MW appointments, it's always higher. I take my BP right when I get there and it's usually 130/85, but then I re-take it 20 minutes later and it's usually about 120/75. I swear, knowing I have to take my BP makes me nervous and raises my BP. It's annoying, because I know that in general it's good, but it's always high at my appointments.

CAndrada

We're viable! Appt today. I'm sure we'll schedule the nasty drink today no shots needed over here. 

leprechaunlady

@madamerwin the midwife recorded it at 140/82 today but that was the 3rd reading at the end of my appointment, the 2 before that were both higher & it had come down. My husband is a dr so ill get him to check it again when he gets home. Im not too concerned as i know i was in a flap getting tidied up leaving work & only just got to my appointment on time (i hate being late for anything). Plus i had my flu shot just before seeing the mw so all contributing factors. Ill see what my husband says later & take it from there.

madamerwin

@Janefelicity it sounds like your MW wasn't too concerned though - which is always reassuring! Mine pointed out that BP changes from one minute to the next, and stress/anxiety DOES contribute a lot. I have also heard that the bottom number (diastolic?) is actually more important of the two, and 82 isn't too bad. Maybe that, combined with the fact that it was coming down, is why the MW wasn't too worried?

Like you, I hate being late, and appointments make me nervous - so my BP is always a little higher than usual at my appointments. Plus, being nervous that it will be high makes it higher for me. Fun.

That's awesome that your H is a doctor - makes checking at home easy! We have one of the automated BP cuffs at home (where you just push a button and it does everything for you). My MIL is a nurse and taught H to check it using a manual cuff and stethoscope, and as much as he tries, he just can't do it right. 

leprechaunlady

madamerwin said:

That's awesome that your H is a doctor

Sometimes, sometimes not! lol he tends to worry about every little thing as he knows what can go wrong & sometimes its a little much & overbearing despite it coming from a good place but maybe makes me worry unneccesarily too. Id happily be oblivious to most stuff!
Also he tends not to give out sympathy when im having a whinge about not feeling well, all im looking for is a hug & to be told its ok but i get the "i deal with real sick people all day".
to be fair tho, hes great & it is very reassuring

madamerwin

Janefelicity said:

madamerwin said:

That's awesome that your H is a doctor

Sometimes, sometimes not! lol he tends to worry about every little thing as he knows what can go wrong & sometimes its a little much & overbearing despite it coming from a good place but maybe makes me worry unneccesarily too. Id happily be oblivious to most stuff!
Also he tends not to give out sympathy when im having a whinge about not feeling well, all im looking for is a hug & to be told its ok but i get the "i deal with real sick people all day".
to be fair tho, hes great & it is very reassuring

Haha! MIL is a nurse, and H grew up in an environment of "you're not that sick, get over it." Unless he had a super high fever or was bleeding uncontrollably, she basically told him it wasn't serious enough to whine about.

I am a hypochondriac, but luckily my H is the opposite of yours in that aspect - I tend to think the worst when I have a weird pain, or a bruise that came out of nowhere, and H always tells me I am being silly, and to stop worrying. He is pretty much always right that nothing is wrong. I would be a mess if we were both hypochondriacs.

leprechaunlady

@madamerwin just did a bp check & it was 112/65 so all good

lct2008

Regular ob/midwife appt for me on Wednesday. I think the only thing "special" is that they'll review my a/s

becks13-2

Appoinment with the midwife tomorrow afternoon, getting the results of my a/s. I'm guessing at this appointment I'll be booking my glucose test too, it's close to that time. I also get to ask her one more thing, a letter clearing me to travel. Aparently my DH's boss told him that I should get one before we go to the States in November; said he was traveling to Disneyland with his family one year and a woman who was six months pregnant got turned away at the US border O.O Also yes, it was for being pregnant, apparently they're rather strict when it comes to women traveling and being further along in their pregnancies, and I'll JUST be hitting six months on November 7th.

BlondePeanut

Check up and repeat A/S scheduled for 10/21. Last appt was the first A/S and the dr wasn't able to see her face or heart clearly due to her positioning so we are doing a repeat. Can't wait to see how big she has gotten  

varimama

@BeckS13 yes get that doctors note! I almost couldn't get back into the US once after going to Ireland because I didn't have a doctors note. It wasn't for being pregnant though, I was still radioactive from my radiation treatments that I'd had earlier that month for cancer and it was quite obvious from looking at me that I'd just undergone major medical issues but that didn't seem to matter to them. Bottom line is I learned that US border people are sticklers to the rules all because I forgot to bring my doctors note. All my stuff was taken from me and I was traveling with my bf at the time who was immediately separated from me and I was taken into a back room for questioning. They did finally get some radiation experts in to scan me with different instruments and determined I was not a safety threat to the US but it took a few hours. Luckily we had a long layover and didn't miss our flight! 

I have my regular 4 week appointment with my OB tomorrow. I believe last appointment he said he'd be giving me my drink for the glucose test that way I can drink it before my next appointment and not have to sit in the office for an hour. I hope he can give us some more insight into the A/S and of course I love hearing my little guy's heartbeat!

catmommac

I had a 24 week appt yesterday. Nothing crazy, everything is good. I loved hearing his heartbeat on the Doppler. I got a flu shot so now my arm is a bit sore.

edit because the bump ate my post

Fun pregnancy brain moment? I had to give a urine sample at my appt and about halfway through I realized I still needed to collect the sample! I was still on autopilot from going 10x a day!

AliJorgensen29

I had a follow-up ultrasound today to look at baby boy's heart. The radiologist found lesions in baby's heart. I have to schedule with perinatology or perinatal for a follow-up ultrasound and to talk with the doctor. The nurse wouldn't say much other than I needed to talk with the perinatal doctor to answer my questions. I'm trying not to lose my shit and freak out. I hate not knowing what this means and definitely not googling it. 

Gretchypoo

@AliJorgensen29 Sending good vibes your way. Keep us updated. *hugs* hope you and your litte boy are ok.  

If it helps, some other folks on here have seen some heart issues with babies. You might use the search bar to get some info. Sorry I can't remember who it was.

birdiejo

@AliJorgensen29 That sounds super stressful and scary. I hope everything is okay, please keep us posted. Thinking of you.

Rachelbd

Had  my A/S yesterday, as well as a monthly Dr appt.

The A/S was great, it is so reassuring to see baby boy moving around in there.  However it revealed that my placenta is very close to the front of my body so that explains why I haven't been feeling too much movement yet, but also  the bigger deal is that I apparently have a "low lying placenta" which means it may be too close to the cervix, and this means  1. No intercourse until at least the next apt to see if it resolves itself. (poor hubby is pretty sad about that one) and 2. If it does not resolve, I will have no choice but to deliver via C-Section, which is a bummer, as I was planning to try for a VBAC. Dr said it could very possibly resolve itself as it grows, so fingers crossed. However, he did confirm that the practice/hospital I normally go to does not allow VBACs under any circumstance, so if I am able to go that route, I will have to be referred to a whole new practice with unknown Drs and a different hospital. So boo for that.

AliJorgensen29

@Gretchypoo @homemake thanks ladies!

After talking to perinatal this morning, and crying hysterically on the phone, they got me in today. Everything checked out fine and baby is healthy, and his heart is clear. 

***TW***
I was so freaked out since my nephew was born with a heartdefect and passed away at 10 days old after having surgery to fix the defect. When I heard the news with my baby, it was my worst nightmare. That had just happened 2 years ago, so it's still fresh in my mind. 
***end of TW***

I'm so relieved that everything checked out fine. I hope the other mamas get good news too with their fetal echocardiograms. 

Gretchypoo

@AliJorgensen29 omg yay!! im so happy for you and your little boy. Glad you are both safe and healthy!

Patience7150

@AliJorgensen29 So glad to hear!! 

HeatSparks

@AliJorgensen29 yay!! So glad. Thanks for the update. 

HeatSparks

Appt was today. The ladies (so weird to say, still) are excellent. I'm 23 weeks, measuring 26 weeks (if it were just one) and they are both head up, constantly pushing each other around. All good news, including getting the ok to take something for this asshole of a cough I've got. 

Next appointment is in 4 weeks and they'll do the glucose test. I chose orange  instead of the tropical punch. Anyone have a preference over the two evils? 

HeatSparks

@Rachelbd bummer about your placenta and no sex -- but glad to hear your a/s went well overall! I always get so nervous that day. 

LaurenAshley04

No appointments this week but I'm testing my BS at home all week. So far my numbers look great! Really hoping to avoid gestational diabetes this pregnancy. So far we are looking good.

If I pass this round of testing- I can hopefully wait until 35 or so weeks and test again (my numbers went from boarder line to concerning at 36 or weeks last pregnancy)

Gretchypoo

Went in for our midwife appt this week. Baby is doing great, anatomy scan looked good, nothing abnormal. I do have an anterior placenta so that explains why I haven't felt more movement.

I got in a little trouble bc I've lost 7 lbs. But I explained (and H backed me up) that I eat all the time, I'm just trying to eat healthy stuff. So I snack on hummus and veg and we've been cooking a lot. When we go out it is for buddah bowls or something with real-ish food like Chipotle. I've also been trying to walk the dog a lot bc it helps keep my back pain low. They then told me I needed to eat more protein and less carbs so I guess I'm gonna lose more weight...

expandcontract

I just had my glucose screening this morning.  I didn't get a choice in the flavor i wanted,  they gave me orange.  But it was actually not that awful. The only part I had trouble with was chugging it within 5 minutes because I kept getting a brain freeze. 

ColeBug89

@AfKash I had mine this morning as well! Mine wasn't bad at all, it tasted like Hawaiian Punch. I chugged mine in like a minute and had slight brain freeze too.

expandcontract

@ColeBug89 lol. How the hell did you drink it so fast?!
For me,  the nurse was literally sitting right in front of me waiting for me to finish.  It was the most awkward tense 4 minutes,  ever. She wasn't even doing something else.  She was sitting and watching and telling me to drink it faster. Lol

ColeBug89

@AfKash After the horror stories I heard about how awful the stuff tastes, I thought my best game plan was to just chug as quickly as I could to get it over with! It was super busy at the lab (OB sends everyone to the medical blood lab instead of in-office), so the nurse actually brought the drink out to me in the waiting room, which was nice because I didn't have to get out of my seat until my hour was up lol. 

NiceyMeany

Serious question about the glucose screening, though: are you allowed to pee while you wait?  Because I am on an every-20-minutes pee schedule right now, and I cannot wait an entire hour.

expandcontract

NiceyMeany said:

Serious question about the glucose screening, though: are you allowed to pee while you wait?  Because I am on an every-20-minutes pee schedule right now, and I cannot wait an entire hour.

Yes,  you may pee.

sunshine2417

@Niceymeany my doctor said I could pee and sip water while I waited too, just nothing other than water. 

Gretchypoo

@NiceyMeany I was able to pee but couldn't drink water.

momousekee

Viability day is Friday!

I don't get to see the doctor for another week or two, though. My appointments are about 5 minutes long. Doppler, measure, "Keep making it look easy. See you in 4 weeks!" and then he's out the door. 

I see my PT next week, and can say "My SI joint goes out everytime I sleep. The exercises make it happy again, but what can I do differently?" I'm so very happy that I screwed up my back early in this pregnancy. Regular PT means that I have far fewer aches and pains. "I kind of hurt here" gets diagnosed and fixed well before I'd whine about it, let alone go see a professional. 

jlellis603

Had my 4 week check up this morning. Everything was as normal. The heart rate was the highest I've seen it at 160 bpm! Makes sense since I've felt him move this last week.

Decided to go to do my 1 hour glucose this afternoon since my insurance changes on Monday and I don't want the headache of dealing with "oh we charged your old insurance" or "yeah we don't have any on record so we are charging you". Wish me luck!

@momousekee I know someone talked about this briefly a little while ago but what exactly is viability day? I have a general idea but want to confirm. and when is it usually? I know some doctors give different time frames.

NiceyMeany

@jlellis603 so, the answer on this is actually not all that clear-cut.  The standard that a baby has a 50% chance of survival if born between 24-25 weeks is pretty misleading.  With medical advances in neonatal care happening at an astounding rate, the threshold for survival is always improving.  The chances of survival also vary from one baby to the next based on weight, development, and the complications that induced early labor - one baby at 23 weeks could, theoretically, be healthier than another born at 25 weeks.  The only practical reason for labeling a baby born prematurely as "viable" or not comes down to whether a hospital will treat a baby born that prematurely or not.  Most hospitals will perform life-saving measures for a baby born after 24 weeks, which is why most people celebrate viability somewhere after 24 weeks.

jlellis603

NiceyMeany said:

@jlellis603 so, the answer on this is actually not all that clear-cut.  The standard that a baby has a 50% chance of survival if born between 24-25 weeks is pretty misleading.  With medical advances in neonatal care happening at an astounding rate, the threshold for survival is always improving.  The chances of survival also vary from one baby to the next based on weight, development, and the complications that induced early labor - one baby at 23 weeks could, theoretically, be healthier than another born at 25 weeks.  The only practical reason for labeling a baby born prematurely as "viable" or not comes down to whether a hospital will treat a baby born that prematurely or not.  Most hospitals will perform life-saving measures for a baby born after 24 weeks, which is why most people celebrate viability somewhere after 24 weeks.

Ohhh gottcha. Thank you! I thought it was something like that where the lines were pretty blurred and it was a more case-by-case basis. But the gist is that most hospitals will perform life-saving measures after 24 weeks and in most cases will not if before? That is really scary to think about though, going into labor that early. Someone on the Jan17 board just gave birth at 29 weeks, ah!