Appointments and Updates 7/29

middleschoolmommy

When is your appointment?

How far along will you be?

What is being addressed?

Comments/Questions/Concerns:

lurvleybunchococonuts

When is your appointment?
WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY  
How far along will you be?
24+3
What is being addressed?
24 week appt also making a list of questions so I can actually remember to ask this time.
Comments/Questions/Concerns:
Not really.  Just excited to check on baby girl again Had a bit of spotting with small clots yesterday which is always freaky, but it was about the same as it has been in the past, was associated with constipation, ended quickly, and LO has been a squirmy wormy since so I'm not too terribly concerned about it.  Experienced some rib punches/kicks today which was a new one

tessiesmom26

When is your appointment?
It was this morning.

How far along will you be?
26w3d

What is being addressed?
Just my normal monthly appt. 

Comments/Questions/Concerns:
When I walked in, the receptionist asked if I would be doing my glucose test today. I told him I have to do a special one and he told me to schedule it before I left. The nurse called me in to do my weight and BP and asked if I was doing the test. I said I can't because I am a bypass patient and have to do a special one. She was like "Okay, the fasting one. When can you do it?" I said whenever and she goes "Okay, tomorrow!" so now I am scheduled for that. I have to fast tomorrow morning, go get blood drawn, go out to breakfast and come back two hours later to have a repeat draw. We shall see how that goes.

Baby's HB was 145 bpm and baby kicked the doppler twice when the Dr was counting, it was so cute! Dr also said "It's getting to the point where you are going to get bigger. First time babies always look bigger than 2nd or 3rd time babies. People are going to make comments like 'are you sure there is only one?' 'are you sure you're not farther along' and other stupid comments.. but ignore all them. Your baby is measuring textbook perfect and that is all we care about!" I thought that was really nice for him to say/acknowledge. 

pelorunningmama

@tessiesmom26 that is really nice that your doctor mentioned that. I've never heard of a doctor making any commentary like that, but it is so true. This is the "rapid growth" time period and our bodes can change fast. Sometimes I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and it catches me off guard! Although, I have to disagree with the first time babies looking bigger comment. I would give my right arm to look like I did with my first baby. Ha! Good luck tomorrow with your test!

middleschoolmommy

@tessiesmom26 love your doctor for saying that! Good luck with your test! Are they making you drink anything? I've heard of some bypass patients eating jelly beans instead. Hopefully you don't have any adverse reactions to all the sugar =/

@lurvleybunchococonuts glad you aren't too worried with the bleeding. I wouldn't be in that case either. It's amazing though how any small amount of blood will instantly trigger some anxiety, no matter how short lived. I bled my entire first trimester with DS and have only bled once this time, due to constipation, and it's still a little unnerving to see.

tessiesmom26

@lurvleybunchococonuts Glad you're not too concerned and things seem to be going well! 

@wannaflickone I had heard differently about first time babies being smaller, especially with STM+ showing earlier, so I agree with you, but overall it was a nice thing to say and I was pleased with it.

@middleschoolmommy They didn't say anything about jelly beans. I asked if I had to eat anything specific at breakfast and they said just a normal breakfast I would go for. The Dr did say "it's not an ideal test, but there is only so much we can do for that surgery." 

lurvleybunchococonuts

Blegh... I messaged my OB this AM to keep her updated on the spotting situation (at my 20 week appt she had said to keep her posted).  Just got a message from her, now I gotta have a pelvic exam at my appt on Wednesday gah... Obviously... do what needs to be done and make sure everything is alright but damnit all! Lmao.  

ginny_203

@lurvleybunchococonuts ugh I hope your spotting situation gets better! Pelvic exams aren't my favorite either but hopefully they can isolate the reason for the spotting. Necessary evil? 

@tessiesmom26 I love your doctor's feedback, sounds like a keeper!

When is your appointment? Wednesday, 8AM and 2:30PM 

How far along will you be? 23w1d

What is being addressed? First appointment is the glucose tolerance test and OBGYN appointment, second appointment is anatomy scan follow up since they couldn't see her feet last time. I kind of feel like the second appointment is a reward for the first  

MojieJo

When is your appointment?

This morning.

How far along will you be?

24 + 4

What is being addressed?

Routine fetal echocardiogram because baby was conceived via IVF.

Comments/Questions/Concerns:

They couldn't get a good shot of part of the septum of baby's heart even after I rolled all over the place trying to get him in good position, so the doctor said there's a chance there could be a hole in his heart that we can't see.  He doesn't think there is and that everything will "probably be fine," but they're going to do an echo after he's born to check.

My anatomy scan was fine and the doctor said everything was functioning well and that he didn't hear a murmur, so I'm guessing everything's fine, but now I get to spend the rest of my pregnancy worrying.

There was no reason for the echo to start with other than the IVF, but I was afraid that they'd just happen to find something by chance and now I'm afraid that's what's happening.  I think I'm probably worrying too much and overthinking things, but that's anxiety for you.  I just don't want him to need open heart surgery (I know a lot of babies are born with holes that heal on their own).

offtoneverland

@MojieJo Hugs, friend. I'm sorry for the added stress. I know nothing I can say will ease your worries, but I'll be thinking of you and hope you can find a way to cope with the extra stress and worries. 

herewegoagain3rd

When is your appointment?

My appointment was yesterday, 7/31

How far along will you be?

I am/was 23+1

What is being addressed?

They wanted me to come in early so they could look at my blood pressure again. 

Comments/Questions/Concerns:

The doctor said it was too high for her liking and has increased my dosage for my medication. I am having another ultrasound today just to make sure the baby is growing and developing on track, but his heartbeat was nice and strong yesterday. So that makes me feel good.

oh a side note, since starting the GD diet I haven't gained any weight. I was the same weight 2 weeks ago that I was yesterday. So I guess I am actually losing weight because the baby and liquid is still increasing. 

highsteaks

@MojieJo is this the same butthead mfm doc? were there any other indications that there could possibly be a hole?

afm (sorry this is long and somewhat rambling. tldr version at the bottom)-
my appointment was yesterday, at mfm for my 23w5d fetal echocardiogram, growth, and ttts screening. i am BEYOND relieved to report that the babies hearts looked typical, as did everything else (except baby b’s kidney, which i already knew about). i was such an anxious mess during the whole thing, and i had the same ultrasound tech that i had the time i found out about the kidney issue so memories and all that. plus i knew she wouldn’t tell me if something was concerning at the moment and i had to wait until after for the doctor to explain everything; everytime she looked at something extra long or wanted to try to get extra shots of something, and the time that she measured some black mass-looking thing in one of the brains— i was internally freaking out she found something. thankfully, nothing new was reported. so so so SO relieved.

at the same appointment, i spoke with an actual genetic counselor about my options, and an amniocentesis (if anyone remembers my frustration and confusion about all that). while i appreciated a much better explaination, she didn’t really try to guide me one way or the other... which she apologized for and said that it’s actually a good thing because it’s obvious things are not looking so serious that she’s pushing for one. she did say that as medical professionals, the docs want to know as much as they can just in case, but she told me what the difference in care would be in knowing vs not knowing (based on all the factors currently known in my case) about a genetic issue, and i had mostly concluded that it was probably ok and maybe safer to wait until after baby b was born for genetic testing if the pediatrician pushes for it. but she did actively try to make me feel better about pursuing an amnio. i was going to wait to make a decision until after i spoke with dh. then, at the consultation with the mfm doc, he explicitly stated that he thought an amniocentesis was completely unnecessary (in my case). i don’t know if he’s 100% right, but it was nice to have someone explicitly state their advice. after speaking with dh last night, we’re not going to do an amnio procedure and prenatal genetic testing.

tldr: babies are looking good (except what i already knew about b’s kidney). i am so relieved. also, made a decision to not pursue an amniocentesis after speaking to a couple more doctors.

lurvleybunchococonuts

@MojieJo Ugh... I'm so sorry for the added stress!  That's good that sound wise baby's heart should be okay, but I know that doesn't necessarily relieve any worries.  Having to do an echo simply because it's an IVF baby seems weird.  Is that typical?  Or more of the wackadoo awful MFM?  When's your appt with the new guy?  Thinking of you and LO

@highsteaks I'm so glad you're more at peace with a decision regarding what to do!  Hooray for healthy babies/no new problems

MojieJo

@highsteaks @lurvleybunchococonuts It was the MFM who ordered it, but it was reviewed by a pediatric cardiologist, who said we needed to do another once baby's here to check again.

No other signs whatsoever of a hole in his heart.  Just the inability to see that part of the septum well enough to make sure, as far as I know.  I guess it's possible the cardiologist saw something else, but he didn't mention it at all if he did.  He just said everything is functioning well and he's "pretty sure" that there's no hole.

I have no idea if it's standard for an IVF pregnancy (I don't understand why it would be, honestly, but who knows).  I didn't have one done with my twins (also IVF), but I also didn't see an MFM with them, so a lot of things were different.

I swear everyone's treating me and baby like ticking time bombs for what seems like no reason.  Everything is a big deal.  Sure, there could be a hole in the part of his heart they couldn't see, but I don't know that it's likely.  Just the thought of it is stuck in my head now.

Honestly, I'm dreading seeing my OB again because I know he's going to make a big deal about this whole Schrodinger's hole thing.  Every time we cross off one problem he's obsessively checking for, he obsesses over something new (or keeps obsessing over how no test is 100% conclusive and that thing could still be a problem) and I'm sure this will just add fuel to the fire of his over-cautiousness.

I don't have an appointment scheduled with the new guy yet.  It's still up in the air about whether he's calling me or I'm calling him (OB didn't tell me or give me a phone number, just his name).  Trying to get that done since I need to see him in a couple of weeks so I don't have to go back to Dr. Wackadoodle.  I think if I can't get in to see him before my next appointment with the old guy, I'm cancelling that appointment anyway and just waiting.  I don't want to see him again.

tessiesmom26

@MojieJo I'm so sorry that the test is causing more stress for you. I know nothing we say will make the worries go away, but I am really crossing my fingers that you get all this stuff with your insane Drs squared away soon and have a peaceful rest of your pregnancy.

@highsteaks Glad you got more information and feel like you were better equipped to make a decision with your H. 

lurvleybunchococonuts

OBs office just called, they're moving my appt from 10:15AM to 1:45PM.  Still not ideal but hey, at least I don't have to drive back to work after my appt now!

pelorunningmama

@highsteaks I'm so glad you got more information and feel more comfortable with decisions you will have to make. 

@mojiejo I'm sorry for all they keep putting you through. It just seems like so much added stress that you really don't need. Hoping they can find a way to relax a bit and treat you with a bit more compassion.

MojieJo

Another roadblock.

Called the new MFM to set up an appointment (finally got the number) and they never got a referral from my OB, so they can't set up an appointment or see me until they do.

So now it's time to try to call my OB and see when they're planning on sending paperwork over.  They did this last time, too, (honestly I think they completely forgot and may have done the same again) and it delayed me being seen by over a month.

I'm so over this crap.

lurvleybunchococonuts

@mojiejo OMG... I know it's late in the game but I'd soooo DONE with this ish.  New OB, new MFM...    I hope they get the paperwork sent over ASAP.  

MojieJo

@lurvleybunchococonuts I'm so close to cutting ties with my OB at this point.  I keep cutting him slack and I'm realizing that that approach is getting me nowhere fast.

My husband thinks I'm being a little unreasonable with a lot of my complaints and that it doesn't hurt for my OB to be so cautious.  It doesn't excuse the other idiocy I'm dealing with, though, even if he's right (which I don't think he is).

I'm especially pissed because I switched to a new OB with this pregnancy because I didn't like my last ones (I saw a team of three doctors and didn't like two of them at all) and the one who did my C-section (my least favorite of the three because of course that's how it turned out) caused complications that meant I had to be taken back to the operating room and put under general to fix a pretty bad internal bleed when my boys were only a few hours old.

I really thought this would be a better experience this time around because this guy came highly recommended by someone in my fertility specialist's office who had him as her personal OB more than once.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm just cursed.

lurvleybunchococonuts

@mojiejo that's so frustrating. I hope things start going smoother soon!!!

Appt update: all good! Cervix looks fine, tightly closed 4-5" in length. Baby was a crazy girl bouncing between my bladder and cervix as OB tried to measure. Got to see her butt She also wiggled away from the HB monitor repeatedly. 150bpm today. BP good! Weight the same as last month! And got my GTT instructions/drink for the end of the month.

middleschoolmommy

@lurvleybunchococonuts glad to see such a positive update! 

@MojieJo I'm so sorry you are dealing with so much from your doctors! I'd probably be looking for another OB now. With each pregnancy I started with an OB recommend by different coworkers and had terrible experiences. 

CopperBoom86

When is your appointment? It was today, 8/01.

Just came here to happy dance cause I passed my glucose test!

tessiesmom26

Came here to join @CopperBoom86 in a happy dance, because I passed too!!

smulrich16

@CopperBoom86 & @tessiesmom26 Those are great!! I'm hoping your good glucose ju ju will spread to me when I have my test in 2 weeks. 

ginny_203

@MojieJo that's so frustrating, I'm sorry to hear you're having such a difficult time with your OB.

Forgot to post an update after our appointments on Wednesday but everything was great (or better than great). She was facing the camera for a little while and we got to see her smiling, talking and hiccuping. I've loved her since I knew she existed but I absolutely fell so in love with her that day Will post pics in the ultrasound thread.

CopperBoom86

@smulrich16

 

middleschoolmommy

When is your appointment?

Today

How far along will you be?

24+5

What is being addressed?

Normal OB appointment 

Comments/Questions/Concerns:
My little fire cracker surprised the OB with a huge kick! I told my OB about how baby girl was going crazy on Wednesday, even waking me from sleep with strong kicks. Well, after baby girl kicked the doppler OUT OF HER HAND she said "wow you weren't joking! I wouldn't expect a kick like that for another month!" Dear lord... What am I in for? Haha. 

mockingjay1

@MojieJo - I'd be looking for a new OB. Being cautious is one thing if you have reason/research behind it, but he seems way over the top and seems to cause you more anxiety. 

Yay for those who passed their glucose screens! 

MojieJo

@mockingjay1 You make a good point, but there's only one more practice around here I could try and I'm feeling a bit like the devil I know it's better than the devil I don't, given my history with the OB's over tried (even though this last one might be amazing).

I've decided to wait for my next appointment with my OB before dealing with the MFM thing because I'm not making 20 phone calls between the two of them trying to figure out who dropped the ball and how to get things moving.  There's no urgent need to see an MFM right now, so since it can wait I'm going to give myself a break from the stress and insanity and enjoy not dealing with anyone for a while.

Those may not be the best decisions.  I'm not sure, honestly, but they feel right to me (at least right now).

Short of finding an amazing OB and MFM (can't judge the new guy yet), I'm doing about as well as I can be, stress-wise, right at the moment, having a break from dealing with either of them.