I struggle with fear. One particular fear of mine this pregnancy has been preterm delivery. I rejoiced when I hit viability at 24 weeks.
The news my cervix was prematurely shortening wasn't extremely alarming, in and of itself. However, I had a friend just deliver at 27 weeks. And then I overdid things on Thursday and had a lot of pelvic pressure Friday, a sign of preterm labor.
And my mind, which had been doing a decent job of keeping fear at bay, completely succumbed to it.
There is no local hospital that can handle micro-preemies. My closest hospital, only five minutes away, only has a Level 1 nursery. They send all premature deliveries, regardless of gestational age, to Austin. There are other hospitals nearby that have Level 2 NICU's but I don't know details.
I feel kind of helpless. I am not having preterm labor symptoms now. But I am still on self-prescribed bed rest through the weekend. Unfortunately, this gives my hypersensitive brain ample time to analyze EVERYTHING.
The baby is moving like normal, alternating periods of high activity with sleeping. Of course, in my hypersensitive state, I don't like those periods of "sleeping baby" even though I know they are totally normal.
Can you please send up some prayers for me and Violet? For peace, health, and wisdom to know when to act, if needed?
St. Gerard, pray for us. St. Anne, pray for us. St. Gianna, pray for us.
EDIT: I want to add that, should I deliver now (26w3d), I'd be sent to Austin as baby would need the Level 3 NICU. My interest in a Level 2 NICU is what if I deliver in the early-mid 30 weeks of gestation? What's my best move then?
I have my follow up perinatal appt Tuesday and will be going in with a list of questions!
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
A little health update
I am 25w6d and am regularly bombarded by kicks, jabs, and an all round intense pummeling. Mac got kicked in the face last night by "Violet" and was ever so pleased. Literally, he was beaming!
Today was my regular once a month perinatologist visit and the baby looked great. Estimated size of 1 pound 15 ounces, I think.
I asked the tech to check my cervix too while she was taking measurements. It was around this point in my pregnancy with the twins that my cervix issues were noted. I just wanted to cross that issue (premature cervical shortening and funneling) off my list.
Apparently my cervix is acting up again. Sigh. Guess I am glad I pushed to have the cervical checks done!
I did a little digging and found my cervical measurements from my twins: 2.1 at 24 weeks and 1.5 at 28 weeks. I measured at about a 2 today at almost 26 weeks. A little online digging told me I should be anywhere from 3.5 to a 4.0 from weeks 24 to 28.
Cervical shortening and funneling is a sign of premature labor. It never amounted to anything with the twins, though I was put on "house arrest" for five or six weeks as a precaution and an attempt to slow the funneling.
Right now my protocol is a week of "take it easy" and progesterone suppositories at bedtime. Between my minimal internet research and chat with the perinatologist, I can assume progesterone slows preterm labor symptoms. And then I'll be remeasured next Tuesday. I can realistically expect any of three scenarios next week: cervix is shorter (bad), cervix is the same (good), cervix is longer (best case scenario). And so I'm in wait and see mode for a few days.
Bryan and I had a wonderful few days last week in St. Augustine, Florida on our "babymoon". We did a lot of walking, so I can't help but wonder if that exacerbated my cervical shortening. Who knows? In the meanwhile, the kids have been "pampering" me with fresh flowers aka flowering weeds picked from the backyard.
Today was my regular once a month perinatologist visit and the baby looked great. Estimated size of 1 pound 15 ounces, I think.
I asked the tech to check my cervix too while she was taking measurements. It was around this point in my pregnancy with the twins that my cervix issues were noted. I just wanted to cross that issue (premature cervical shortening and funneling) off my list.
Apparently my cervix is acting up again. Sigh. Guess I am glad I pushed to have the cervical checks done!
I did a little digging and found my cervical measurements from my twins: 2.1 at 24 weeks and 1.5 at 28 weeks. I measured at about a 2 today at almost 26 weeks. A little online digging told me I should be anywhere from 3.5 to a 4.0 from weeks 24 to 28.
Cervical shortening and funneling is a sign of premature labor. It never amounted to anything with the twins, though I was put on "house arrest" for five or six weeks as a precaution and an attempt to slow the funneling.
Right now my protocol is a week of "take it easy" and progesterone suppositories at bedtime. Between my minimal internet research and chat with the perinatologist, I can assume progesterone slows preterm labor symptoms. And then I'll be remeasured next Tuesday. I can realistically expect any of three scenarios next week: cervix is shorter (bad), cervix is the same (good), cervix is longer (best case scenario). And so I'm in wait and see mode for a few days.
Bryan and I had a wonderful few days last week in St. Augustine, Florida on our "babymoon". We did a lot of walking, so I can't help but wonder if that exacerbated my cervical shortening. Who knows? In the meanwhile, the kids have been "pampering" me with fresh flowers aka flowering weeds picked from the backyard.
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