Surgery went well

The surgery went well this morning. Like we thought, I will be staying overnight for observation purposes only.

I got into OR at about 8:10 and was in recovery by 9:15. The IV had to be done over in my other hand but that was pretty much the only complication. The spinal was not so bad (I didn't even feel the spinal part, just the needle to numb the area). My lower body numbed pretty quickly. During the surgery, a nurse chatted with me which helped distract me and the noise of the machines helped mute what was going on "down there" so I didn't have to hear what was happening. My doctor said everything went great and she got a good stitch in there. She said she was going to have me admitted for 23 hour observation.

Once I got to recovery, the feeling in my legs started slowly returning. Around 10:00 I got to drink some apple juice and eat some crackers. I started to feel some discomfort in my lower abdomen about this time. By 10:30 I felt like I needed to pee, so the nurses helped me up to see if I could go to the bathroom. I was surprisingly able to walk with assistance to the toilet bit unfortunately the spinal had not warn off enough to let me go. So I got to have a catheter put in. By the time it was put in, I was feeling quite a bit of discomfort. Once the catheter was in and working, I started to feel quite a bit better as my bladder emptied. Phew! The good thing was that the spinal had not yet warn off in my lower body so I didn't even feel the catheter go in! Another bullet dodged!!

At about 11:30, I was taken up to a room in High Risk Perinatal which is my location for the night. I am in a double room but the 2nd bed is empty so in essence it is a private room. Ryan was able to meet me up there, but only could stay for about 30 minutes as he needed to go pick up the Keira Bear as she was very sleepy from waking up at 5:30 this morning. He will be home taking care of her overnight so I won't see him or Keira until tomorrow when I get released.

I just got lunch at about 1:30 and it was delicious. I was starving as I was unale to eat after midnight last night other than the juice and crackers I got in recovery. Now I am just settled in for the afternoon, watching TV and surfing on my iPhone. This afternoon, the catheter will be taken out so that I can go potty on my own.

The baby has been doing well today. They checked his heartrate before surgery, after surgery while still in the OR, once in recovery, and once here in HRP. His heartrate has consistently been between 150-155 bpm which is exactly what it has been this past week at my various dr. appointments. Also after being in recovery for about an hour, I felt him kick with my hand. That was the first time that I have felt movement outside the womb! It was reassuring to feel him. He let me know that he is doing okay in there.

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and prayers!

Sent from my iPhone

Cerclage surgery tomorrow

Well I just figured out how to post a blog entry from my iPhone by sending an email. Hoping this works so that I don't have to get on the laptop to post.

I had some minor spotting on Saturday so we made a short trip to the hospital to make sure everything was still okay. I was released to home bedrest and did not have any further spotting. I started feeling much better on Sunday night so I spent all day Monday on bedrest to make sure.

The rest of this week I have been on modified bedrest with some activities like feeding Keira snacks and lunch, putting her to bed for naptime, changing her diaper on the floor. After just five days on bedrest, I am definitely feeling the effects and get tired after just a short while on my feet.

On Monday I got the call that my cerclage surgery was scheduled for this Friday, Oct. 23rd at The hospital. It should be an outpatient procedure with me being released within several hours, but my OB has said twice now that she reserves the right to keep me overnight for monitoring. Ryan and I both think that means I will be staying the night. Time will tell won't it?!

My surgery is at 8:00 am in the morning but I need to be at the hospital at 6:30 for check-in and prep. This means we get to leave the house around 5:40 am to drop Keira off at a friend's house. She will spend the morning there and Ryan wi pick her up between 11:00 and 12:30 depending on how I am doing.

Speaking of our early morning, I had better get up to bed! If this post works, then I will be able to post an update from the hospital tomorrow morning. Otherwise I will post over the weekend!

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ABCs of Pregnancy

A is for Appointments...
B is for Bedrest...
C is for Cerclage.

This is what my future holds, hopefully for the next 19 weeks at least.

On Wednesday, I was 18 weeks along and I had a cervical length check (transvaginal ultrasound) at the antenatal testing center of the hospital.  This was my second check of the pregnancy.  My cervix measured 3.2-3.4 cm which is a little up from 2 weeks ago when it measured 2.9-3.1 cm.  That is good news that it is not getting shorter. I told the Dr. at the testing center that I was feeling some pressure "down there" so she did a manual cervix check to make sure my cervix is closed. It is, but the exam caused me to spot pretty heavily all day long and I was feeling crampy that night. When I woke up Thursday morning I was no longer spotting which is good, but after being on my feet for less than 30 minutes I started feeling a constant pain in the lower left side of my uterine area. I called my OB's office and my doctor wanted me to come in for a checkup and to discuss my two ultrasounds.

My OB checked my cervix to see from where the bleeding was coming.  It looked like the bleeding had stopped and was likely coming from the cervix as it looked all swollen and irritated. Based on my cervix length at this point in this pregnancy, my previous history with pre-term labor and shortened cervix of 0.9 cm at 33 weeks and delivering Keira at 35 weeks, and this bleeding and cramping, my OB recommends that a cerclage be placed late next week or early the next.  A cerclage is a pursestring stitch through the cervix that helps to keep it from prematurely opening and is removed at around 36 weeks.  The cerclage cannot be placed until bleeding has stopped for 1 week. In the meantime, I am on bedrest at home until the cramping has stopped for 24 hours. If bleeding starts again or pressure increases I am to call her office and I will be admitted to hospital for monitoring.

Also yesterday afternoon I had my 2nd 17P shot which felt slot less painful than the first one.  This shot is given weekly and I go into my OB's office to get these as Ryan is not too keen on the idea of needles.  I don't blame him!  The shot is supposed to help reduce contractions throughout pregnancy which in turn helps reduce the incidence of pre-term delivery.

Next Wednesday I go back in for my 3rd 17P shot and get my cervix checked to make sure no bleeding. The cerclage procedure will be scheduled within the next few days after that appointment.  The procedure will take place at the hospital and I will be admitted for the surgery, given an epidural for anesthesia, and released within 3 to 24 hours after the procedure, depending on how my cervix is doing after the procedure.  The thing I am most upset about is that I avoided an epidural during the delivery of Keira only to have to get one now!  Ugh.  I will no longer be able to claim that I have never had an epidural.  LOL
 
Ryan and I are both in agreement that this is the best course of action so that we don't get a few weeks down the road and my cervix starts shortening. At that point, bedrest would be our only hope.

Of course, having the cerclage put in place does not mean that I will have an uneventful pregnancy from there on out. Immediately after the cerclage is placed, there will be a limitation placed on some of my activities.  I will likely continue to get cervical length checks every few weeks and may see my OB more often than every 4 weeks.  Additionally, my OB prepared me by saying that bedrest will be in my future.  Possibly modified bedrest starting at 24 weeks (Wednesday before Thanksgiving) and full bedrest starting at 28 weeks (Wednesday before Christmas).  My OB does not want this baby coming before 32 weeks and would prefer after 37 weeks so she will be doing what she can to help ensure that happens.

So here is to hoping that the next 19 weeks go smoothly and as uneventful as possible.  I will continue to keep you posted!

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

On Thursday, October 1st, Ryan and I went to the hospital for a 16-week ultrasound to get my cervical length checked.  I was 16w1d along.

Cool news first: After checking my cervical length (more on that below) and checking out how the baby was doing (heartbeating 150bpm), the technician asked us if we were interested in finding out the gender.  I said that we would love to find out.  So she started checking things out down there.  At first it didn't look promising, she said that the umbilical cord was in between the baby's legs.  After a minute of looking, she says that it's a girl but with some uncertainty.  So she continues to look some more, trying to get a better look.  Then she says it's a boy and spends at least 5 minutes getting a better look so she can point out the boy parts to us.  She gave us a picture to take home which I think shows pretty well that the little bean is indeed a boy.

So, until we are told otherwise, IT'S A BOY!  I'm really excited to find out this soon!  Of course, we'll be having this looked at again at our 20-wk u/s to confirm, but until then we are looking forward to the birth of our son :)

Not so cool news: My cervix length is 2.9 to 3.1 cm which is normal not short.  However, given what we know it is on the low side of normal (average cervix length at 16 to 24 weeks is 4.0 to 4.5 cm).  The technician told us this is normal, but the doctor may want to monitor us.  The tech said that at 30 weeks that length would be good, but at 16 weeks, only the doctor could say whether it was good or not.  Indeed, the doctor wants us back for another u/s in two weeks to again check my cervix length.  There is the chance that it could lengthen which would be good, but only time will tell what is in my future for this pregnancy (cerclage, bedrest, etc.).

Next ultrasound was scheduled for Wednesday, October 14th.

Ryan and I both think that in two weeks my cervix will have shortened, not lengthened.  At least, we're preparing ourselves for the worst case scenario (cerclage and bedrest).

Anyway, on the upside, we get to see the baby via ultrasound three times this month! (1st, 14th, and 30th).

Fork and spoon!

Keira is eating all of her meals with a fork and a spoon and does quite well manuevering the food into her mouth.  It is not acceptable to give her a meal without providing either a fork or a spoon.  In fact, she will open the silverware drawer herself and get a fork or spoon out if Daddy or I do not get one for her.  She is becoming quite self sufficient.

Look at how proud of herself she is!

Fall Festival fun

Daddy, Keira and I met friends at Cox Farms on opening weekend.  We got in free as members!  It was a beautiful day weather-wise and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We had a lot of fun seeing the animals (piglets were being born at that moment!),

...going down the slides (Daddy and Keira did anyway),

(with almost some bad results!)

...and eating snacks with friends.

Keira thought she wanted to go on a pony ride, but when it came time to get on the pony, it turned out she did not!  We got a refund.

Keira had much more fun in the toddler play area!

I think she was asleep in the car before we even left the parking lot!

Keira has a secret to share

Keira has a secret that she's been ready to share now for a while!

She's been busting at the seams to share the news, but Daddy and I said she couldn't share the news until today.

Can you keep a secret?


Keira is due to become a big sister in about 6 months! Baby McDowell is due to arrive March 17th, 2010.

Currently, I am 13 weeks along (out of 40 total) and all is going well thus far. I am feeling good and the baby is developing on schedule.