27 Weeks 4 Days - Ultrasound Check

Today was the ultrasound re-checking for the placenta previa.  It has moved some in the last 8 weeks, and is no longer fully covering the cervix, but is still only about 1 cm away from the cervix.  The docs want it to be at least 2 cm away in order to attempt a vaginal delivery, otherwise they would recommend a scheduled c-section.  So we will have another ultrasound at 32 weeks and hopefully by then it will have moved up another cm or more, and we'll be in the clear.  If not, they will schedule another ultrasound to check one last time, and then proceed with scheduling her birthday for her if need be.  My goal is to do whatever is safest for both of us.  While I would prefer (for various and sundry reasons, I'm sure to be detailed in a future post) not to have a c-section, I would be 100% on board if that meant she would be delivered safely and the risk of complications to me and my uterus were minimal.  But I'm still hoping for it to move enough that we can safely attempt a vaginal delivery. If they feel it's on the cusp and might not be a good idea, then so be it.  We'll just have to see, I guess. More waiting, yay!

She, however, looks great.  They estimate that she weighs about 2lb 7oz! Her heart rate was normal and in the 130s, and we clearly saw a beautiful, typically formed 4 chamber heart just beating away!  Her kidneys look normal and all of her measurements that were taken seemed to be great.  As far as the measurement that was abnormal at 20 weeks, there isn't much they can do to re-check that at this point. The nuchal fold measurement is invalid after about 21 weeks, so we'll just have to sit and wait with the prospect that it was an abnormal finding that probably means nothing.

They turned on the 3D imaging for us, and she wasn't in a great position for full face photos, but we did get a few that are pretty neat! Nevermind the blobbiness in some parts of the shot - there were just things like placenta/cord/etc floating about that were kind of in the way. That, and her head was all jammed down and NOT movin'! But look at the CHEEKS! And, I suspect someone was pouting a little bit in the last pic... apparently we were interrupting her regularly scheduled programming for the morning.

 Showin off her little she-guns!

Pouting - look at that frown! 

So today was a good day :) I also drop my hours this week, and it looks like everything is going to work out just fine with my benefits and everything as planned, so I feel relieved about the situation and happy to take some time to rest! 

20 Weeks - Halfway to a baby

While I hate to start a post with an apology, I do have to say I'm sorry for the delay in getting this updated this week...of all weeks! Big News! Last Thursday was the halfway point for me in the pregnancy, 20 weeks, and we had a midwife appointment that went well that day.  My blood pressure remains normal, baby's heart rate is hovering in the mid-150s, and my weight gain has been modest so far, which is all good news.  Not much else to add there, things just keep rolling along normally.

Then on Friday we had our much awaited ultrasound.  Baby is growing right on track and weight is estimated to be about 13 ounces right now.  Our sonographer spent plenty of time checking out each part of baby's development, head to toe.  Every major organ system is looking normal, all structures and bones are growing normally, all fingers and toes seem accounted for.  Femur, humerus, feet and hands are measuring right on track.  There seems to be no evidence of a cleft lip or palate.  Brain development appears normal so far.  The heart appears to be perfect from every angle they could get (which was a lot!).  Little one is stubborn and would.not.move for the longest time for them to get a good peek at the profile, so I was asked to get up and pee, and do a few jumping jacks to get it going! We asked the tech not to tell us the baby's sex, but write it down and we would open it together after the appointment.  After all the measurements were taken, a perinatologist looked them over and then met with us to discuss everything.  By and large, baby looks like a healthy, fabulous little 20 week fetus.  There was one particular measurement which was slightly "abnormal", but they discussed what this might mean, and also that it can be off in the spectrum of typical babies very often as well.  Without getting into too much detail, I will say that although it was a surprise to both of us that we didn't walk away with a "perfect" assessment, there seems to be no real need for concern regarding baby's health or development at this point.  On that note, here are some cute pictures of our little one!

Right Foot 

Left Foot 

I like to call this shot "skeletor" - front view of baby's skull, with a creepish looking hand curled up

Profile, with arm across the top

However, they did discover that I have a total placenta previa, grade 1.  Basically, a little bit of the placenta is implanted covering the cervix.  They felt that this would likely resolve over the next part of the pregnancy, but they want to repeat an ultrasound at 28 weeks to check it again.  If it hasn't moved, we will start discussing what this might mean for the remainder of pregnancy as far as restrictions (i.e bed rest! ugh!) and for delivery.  If it is still there at 32 weeks, they will most likely plan for a c-section.  Not much else to say about that at this point, but hopefully it resolves itself and we won't have to discuss it further!

So, for those of you who haven't already heard, we did find out the sex of the baby. DISCLAIMER - Mark if you are reading this, stop now!!! And for any of you who know Matt's father, please do not tell him! He doesn't want to know, and we will do our best to honor that wish for him.  Anyway, the tech was quite sure he saw what he needed to see (I'm pretty sure I saw it when he did too).  He wrote the sex down and we decided to go to the Michigan Theater and open the envelope on the landing where we got married.  It was really sweet, and totally Matt's idea.  It was a perfect way to find out that we are going to have a daughter! It's a girl :) Neither of us were surprised to see that word written on the paper, but it was so wonderful to know that we can now start calling baby "her" and thinking of names.  No, we don't have any front runners yet, and I think we might keep that little part a secret until the end when we do!


I know this post is getting super long, but I wanted to end with a belly pic from 20 weeks.  Halfway - think it's half as big as it's going to get? Haha, yeah right! I look like I could use a good nap here. Hope 21 weeks photographs better.  I'm wishing I was a bit more creative with my weekly shots, but I guess there's still some time left.  

  

12w4d

Short post tonight, as I'm post-zumba and still pre-shower, but I wanted to get these scanned in for your viewing pleasure! We had our "First Trimester Screening" today, and got some wonderful ultrasound photos of baby! The tech said baby was cooperative and we hope it's going to stay that way :) So cool - it was flipping around and bicycle kicking its* little legs like ca-ray-zay!

Baby's profile - look at the little button nose (and my mom says those cheekbones)!

Profile - baby flipped sides and has a hand up by its* forehead

Foot - labeled as such. Toes pointing left, heel on the right

Baby showing its* leg moves - kicking! Also looks like the hand is in its* little mouth!

So there you have it :) Next pictures of Wee Smith will not be until 18-20 weeks (right around Thanksgiving) when we can hopefully find out the sex...but guesses welcome as always! I still have no feeling, and am even more confused after looking at these - thought I'd totally know after seeing it's profile, but no. Oh, and the heartbeat was 159 bpm today, right where it should be she said. Not only could we hear it, but we could see it beating away in there too!

Belly pics of me to come...not tonight, I'm just too sweaty and gross for ya'll to see :)

All the love,

T, M and baby S

*edited from the incorrect it's meaning "it is" or "it has" to the correct its, a possesive pronoun meaning "belonging to it". Blame the unforgiveable grammatical lapse on the baby...it doesn't know proper English yet. :)

First Ultrasound!!

We had our first ultrasound today, as the title suggests :) According to the measurements (and my own calculations which I assume to be quite accurate if I do say so myself...) she determined we are at 8 weeks today actually. Baby has a strong fast heartbeat, and everything looked great! So the new due date is 4/21/11. I like it! Here are some pics of our offspring :)

Top pic: Head on the right, limbs all out

Bottom pic: head to the left

So anyway, that's the main update for today! Not feeling super ambitious about the writing tonight, so this is what there is! She wants me back in 3 weeks, so we'll get to listen for the heartbeat again then!