High Risk Check In 6/25

gingerbride26

It's been about a month so thought I'd start a new one - in theory we high risk seem to be going first due to complications - hang in there mamas

How far along are you?

Why are you considered high-risk?

Any additional monitoring or testing this week?

Any questions/concerns/news?

What positives are you seeing with your pregnancy today/this week?

GTKY: What's the one thing you would tell non high risk or newly high risk pregnant ladies - like lay some mommy wisdom on ya moment

gingerbride26

How far along are you? 34+6
Why are you considered high-risk? connective tissue disease and weird heart rate issues
Any additional monitoring or testing this week? follow up with cardio post hospitalization (god I hate my cardiologist and will be shopping for a new one post pregnancy) and now have weekly OB checkups from now til CS 7/24
Any questions/concerns/news? Anyone else have a special OB nurse call you from your health insurance? I got a call from the CareFirst OB Nurse to check in and ask how I was doing and said she'd check in every two weeks or call any time I have questions - seemed to be triggered by my hospitalization the other week.
What positives are you seeing with your pregnancy today/this week? Baby is still cooking, still struggling with not being able to help much with all the house stuff, but trying to enjoy the forced relaxation since I won't get much of that for a few years :-)
GTKY: What's the one thing you would tell non high risk or newly high risk pregnant ladies - like lay some mommy wisdom on ya moment It's not as scary as it sounds - just means more monitoring, and more monitoring means high chance of catching something before it can get bad and more chances to check on little one, and free-pass to make DH do the dishes!

zande2016

Alrighttttt I'll finally join this thread and accept the fact that I'm high risk. 

How far along are you?
37+3

Why are you considered high-risk?
Gestational diabetes, controlled by metformin and now insulin too. Borderline BP issues that seem to have calmed down for now but still keeping an eye. Have failed a couple NSTs now but additional monitoring showed things looking good. 

Any additional monitoring or testing this week?
Just my regular twice weekly NSTs, and keeping in touch with my MFM re my insulin dosage since the low dose he started me on isn't working at all. 

Any questions/concerns/news?
Just hoping doubling my insulin dose tonight gets my fasting under control. MFM thinks it will and doesn't seem concerned, but its not been over a week since I've had a fasting number in range so I can't help but worry about my baby. I also assume if insulin doesn't work then my induction could be moved up but there's been no talk of that yet. Hoping my NST is normal tomorrow since the last two have been abnormal. 

What positives are you seeing with your pregnancy today/this week?
Hmmmm well I'm happy my baby gets to keep cooking but at the same time kind of hoping all these BH I'm getting mean my body is getting ready for labor. Knowing I'll be induced during the 39th week makes me want to go into labor next week during my 38th week. 

GTKY: What's the one thing you would tell non high risk or newly high risk pregnant ladies - like lay some mommy wisdom on ya moment
I guess that it kinda sucks (not sugaring coating it) but in the end it'll all be worth it. 

zande2016

@gingerbride26 my insurance sent me a welcome to pregnancy packet, but besides that, all they seem interested in is denying my claims and charging me lots of money! I'd probably be kind of annoyed if my insurance company started calling me every couple weeks to ask how I'm doing, but then again, I generally just really hate phone calls. 

gingerbride26

@zande2016 I mean...I pay them like $8K a year in premiums for "platinum" coverage so nice to see some concierge service I guess? but yea I don't like talking on the phone either, don't trust anyone, and she didn't even have the most accurate information about why I was in the hospital which was weird then asked me about breastfeeding and did I have a pump.... they implied they do this for all high risk moms....

zande2016

@gingerbride26 my premium is more than that and it’s not even considered a “platinum” plan, gotta love working for a tiny ass company! Maybe they want to keep tabs on how much of a hospital bill you’re going to be racking up. I clearly am not a fan of the insurance system in this country lol. It’s all about the $$$ 

gingerbride26

@zande2016 oh man - there are not too many advantages to selling your soul to corporate america, but I'm grateful for the amazing healthcare my fortune 500 company offers - I pay over $800 a month just me on top of my company but it's for a $0 deductible family PPO plan with even a hospitalization co-pay with no cap.  I was constantly ragey about cigna but BCBS has done right by me.

zombiehoohaa

How far along are you? 36+1

Why are you considered high-risk?
hypothyroidism, insulin resistant, bipolar II medication management

Any additional monitoring or testing this week? 36 week appointment tomorrow. Was informed I will not have to have nst testing however OB wants to discuss this further at tomorrow's appointment

Any questions/concerns/news? Just scared of pending labor. I've been experiencing Braxton hicks and contractions on and off since last week. I cry every time they happen. How did stm+ get through these? Any advice to better ease my mind?

What positives are you seeing with your pregnancy today/this week? I'm sleeping a little bit better. 

GTKY: What's the one thing you would tell non high risk or newly high risk pregnant ladies - like lay some mommy wisdom on ya moment
Take it day by day. Embrace your emotions and dont be afraid to talk about it all. Having a support system (family, friends, bmb, ob, etc) in place is crucial. Also, listen to your body. If you question it, call your ob and/or nurse line. 

busymommy23

I havent been posting but have been stalking and just wanted to say i have been thinking about a lot of you ladies on this board  especially you other high risk moms. Hard to believe time is almost here for all of us! Wishing you all easy deliveries and healthy babies!

TalesOfASocialIntrovert

@zombiehoohaa I found that breathing through contractions (BH or actual ones) and allowing the pain to wash over me helped them to seemingly pass more quickly. Similar to anxiety attacks and accepting and letting those wash over you. I don't have any specific breathing tips beyond breathing deep and slow, while closing your eyes. Tensing up will definitely make them more painful. I also tend to accidently hold my breath and when I was on labor with DD for my first pregnancy, the nurses had to keep telling me to breath.

gingerbride26

@TalesOfASocialIntrovert that is a really good analogy to anxiety attack! Hadn't thought of it that way but you are 100% correct.  @zombiehoohaa I'm a small goals person - when I run i psych myself up to just get to the next light post and then when i get there, it's good job now one more you got this.  Same thing with contractions - I take them one at a time, breathe or go to a happy place, and then remind myself at the next one I've already done this.  I had latent labor for over a month with DD which was a bitch - all those contractions and getting no where - I ended up just ignoring them, which I don't really recommend because i would have ended up delivering in the car if i wasn't already in the hospital when I hit active labor. My nurse suggested moaning low - i thought it sounded like a cow - over panting or higher pitched sounds, and I liked moving through the contraction on a yoga ball or more dancing (I've also been known to sing through bad GI cramps/contractions).  So, sorry no great advice on surviving a long early/latent labor but, at least for me, when it came to active labor and transition my body went on autopilot and the contractions really weren't as bad because your body just sends your brain somewhere else and then you get these awesome hormones that make you forget it all anyway!

zombiehoohaa

Thank you ladies!!! This helps A LOT!!! I'm super nervous about this...

babybakie

How far along are you? 36w 3d today
Why are you considered high-risk? Ama - 43yo,  and gestational low platelet count which idk if that's high risk, just something they need to watch.  119 as of last week. Steadily dropping. 

Any additional monitoring this week, just more blood work to watch platelets

Any questions/concerns/news? Tuesday i was just told I would be induced at 39 weeks if not in labor before then. My initial reaction was that she should stay inside as close to 40 weeks as possible so we comprised at induction at 39w 3days. Now that I read about induction... I think I realize 39 weeks may be best and just feeling over all scared about the whole thing. Any opinions or  experience with induction or induction at 39weeks due to ama? 
What positives are you seeing with your pregnancy today/this week? I love feeling her move. I always had trouble feeling her due to anterior placenta but now that she is so big, I feel more.   

GTKY: What's the one thing you would tell non high risk or newly high risk pregnant ladies - like lay some mommy wisdom on ya moment
I agree with @gingerbride26. It means extra care and monitoring which is a good thing. 

zande2016

@babybakie I was induced at 39 weeks (actually started the night before at 38+6) due to high blood pressure with my first. In terms of the baby, 39 weeks is totally fine, they say between 39 - 40+6 is the best outcome for baby. When I went in I was only 1 cm, not sure about effacement, and they used the balloon overnight, which got me to 3 cm, and started pitocin in the morning. Baby was born just past midnight Friday night/Saturday morning. It was about 16 hours from the start of pitocin. This time I may have to be induced between 39 and 40 (hoping to push it to 39+6) due to gestational diabetes but I am hoping to go on my own before then. The thing I want to avoid is having to be on pitocin because then you need constant monitoring and are stuck in/next to bed. But they can try to induce you without pitocin first if your doctor is willing to try some things and be patient. Some things I plan to try are cervadil or cytotec is my cervix isn't ripe yet, as that alone can get contractions going without needing pitocin, and if I am a few cm dilated and have a good bishop's score they may just break my water and give me 12 hours at the hospital to see if contractions start on their own. I don't want to be induced but I am comforted knowing it worked for me last time so it will likely work again this time, and that there are a couple things we can try before going to pitocin. I think 39+3 sounds like a good compromise for you and my advice would be to try some things to get your bishop score moving before then - sex, lots of walking, bouncing on an exercise ball. You got this! 

gingerbride26

@babybakie +1 on what zande said - I was induced at 41 weeks with DD but I had a very positive induction experience with only cervadil and no manual breaking of water or pitocin.  I would talk with OB to learn options and stress you want a more gentle, staged induction like zande is describing if you are worried about pitocin.  Personally - and this is an UO - I prefer induction to idea spontaneous labor because i'm super type A with anxiety - so having the date scheduled, knowing roughly what to expect was awesome.  Plus DH and I got to go out for 1 last dinner pre-baby on the way to the hospital.

michelle_bird

How far along are you?  38 + 2.  I think.  The Bump app keeps telling me daily things like "Only 1 week 5 days left" and I'm like STFU!  You know nothing and that's not helping!  LOL

Why are you considered high-risk? Previous history of hypertension and AMA

Any additional monitoring or testing this week? Weekly NST was yesterday and everything looked good, other than no progress from the week prior.

Any questions/concerns/news? My DD keeps telling me that she had her baby brother are going "up there" and pointing to the ceiling.  It's been freaking me out.  Last night I questioned her more and she told me they were going on the chandelier in her room.  So.....hopefully she's just being crazy?!

What positives are you seeing with your pregnancy today/this week? Compared to my last pregnancy I have MUCH less swelling this time and my BP has been normal the entire time.  So that's really nice!  

GTKY: What's the one thing you would tell non high risk or newly high risk pregnant ladies - like lay some mommy wisdom on ya moment I agree with @gingerbride26, I find it comforting to get to see him more often and know that my doctors are taking the health of both me and my baby seriously. 

zombiehoohaa

@MichelleAG05 "The Bump app keeps telling me daily things like "Only 1 week 5 days left" and I'm like STFU!  You know nothing and that's not helping!  LOL"

I totally laughed hard at this...

gingerbride26

+1 for LOL @MichelleAG05

am I the only HR mama not getting regular NSTs and fluid checks? Even the mamas in the non HR threads seem to be having them...I mean i guess it makes sense since i'm not HR for obstetric reasons but for them worrying about the rest of me falling apart during this pregnancy (to which kid has said CHALLENGE ACCEPTED and watch what else I can break! lol). They even took me off monitoring at the hospital because kid's heart rate is always perfect, it's just mine that's a mess.

zombiehoohaa

@gingerbride26 I am not getting nst or fluid checks either. My ob said she had to consult with the high risk team about nst testing for me and they decided i didnt need them. Fluid check was only done at my growth scan at 34 weeks. OB told me everything looked good on that so I wouldn't need further fluid checks.

babybakie

@gingerbride26 @zande2016 thank you so much for the feedback. I like feeling scheduled too because when wouldn't be a surprise.  You guys gave me a lot of good info to go over with my Dr. Now i feel equipped to review more details at my next appointment regarding the process. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. I'm still nervous but really feeling better overall. I can't wait for my appointment now to discuss.