Trip to OB ER

I wasn't feeling well yesterday.

I was so unwell, in fact, that I went to the OB ER at a local hospital. My doctors at CFMFC advised me to go because I had a nasty case of gastroenteritis and hadn't been able to keep any food or liquids in for half a day.

When I arrived, I was so dehydrated that I had to have 4 bags of fluids! They also gave me some Zofran and Phinergan, which are anti-nausea medicines for cancer patients. The other blood and urine test they ran confirmed a case of dehydration and a potassium deficiency. It did rule of diabetes, which is great news.

On days like this, I feel like baby h is making me fall apart! Vomiting and nausea are ever present, as are extreme fatigue and grumpiness. Luckily my husband is a patient partner, ready to step up and take care of me.

Clearer Week 9.5 Picture

Strong heart beat.

Wiggling arms.

Healthy, normal development.

Resembles a teddy bear.

Next appointment: January 5

First Baby Toys

From Grandma Becky and Aunt Amy.

Breaking the News and Latest Photo

Christmas Eve and Christmas morning we told our parents about the pregnancy. We gave a photo like this one:

The photo says "Merry Christmas!" on the bottom.

And now we'll open the blog for public viewing. And I updated my fb picture to this latest ultrasound, too. So, the news is out there... at least in central mo and the world wide web!

Little Gummy Bear

In this picture, baby h looks like a gummy bear. His or her tiny arm and leg buds are developing, and the next time we might spot elbows and knees!

The heart rate has strengthened to 165 bpm, and the measurement is slightly larger than a grape.

The doctor said he or she is developing "perfectly".

"The baby is developing perfectly."

Dan: Can you reassure her, doctor? She is still feeling so nervous.

Doctor Grant: The yolk sac is perfect. The ovaries are perfect. The cyst on the ovary is perfect. The baby's heart rate is perfect. The baby's size is perfect. The baby is perfect.

Me: big exhale.

Email to a select group of friends:

I wanted to let you know how things have been going in our lives.

I found out I was pregnant on November 14, and since then I've gotten an amazing doctor who specializes in high risk pregnancies. I am seen at this wonderful facility called the Center for Maternal and Fetal Care. I've had several appointments with them already, and have learned really important things about my fertility and about this baby!

First- I have a genetic disorder called MFTHR. Its a condition that prevents my body from getting most of the folic acid I take. It interferes with cell division on the fetus and can cause many complications, including placental clots, placenta previa, neural tube defects, spinal bifida, anacephaly, etc. It also makes me more prone to strokes and heart disease. I've begun to take a very high dose of folic acid and aspirin as a blood thinner to compensate for this genetic disorder.

Secondly, I was diagnosed with pregnancy induced hypothyroidism, and given a synthetic thyroid hormone to deal with this.

Thirdly, I have the obligation/luxury of frequent OB appointments and ultrasounds. I have a sonogram every week. This week we heard the heartbeat - a low/normal 127 bpm. We also received the photo that is attached! Currently, the baby's length is around half a centimeter, so larger than a grain of rice! Dan and I are cautiously optimistic. The doctor thinks the medications will be very helpful, and we will be able to identify any defects or miscarriage signs each week with the scans.

Last week I was so sick! I actually had a virus and was admitted to the hospital to get IV fluids. I have gradually gotten stronger this week, and I was able to eat school lunch today! Yay! Hopefully the morning sickness, or the worst of it, was coupled with my flu and I"ll feel much better.

127 bpm!

That's Baby H's heart reate. We heard it at 7:46 am, and the doctor said it was in the normal range.

I said, "Whooohooo!" and felt my husband squeeze my hand.

High Beta Counts!

On Friday, November 28, I went to the hospital to get fluids as a result of a terrible flu. The doctor did several tests, and one was a Beta count. She announced that it was 4700! I've never had a Beta count higher than 600. What good news! The baby is strong and growing!

Pregnancy Test

First message to the little one:

Your father told me, "Before you took the test, I was 100% sure that you were pregnant. Now, I think you probably aren't."



How could a positive test make him say that? Well, the test didn't seem positive. There was one dark pink line and then a second, faint shadow of a line. Three tests later with the same result, I decided to buy a digital test. Yes, you were conceived in a digital age! Everything is digital - from the reading of the gas tank in my Jeep, to our alarm clock, to our camera, to the pregnancy test.



It said only one word:

I repeated this word over and over for two days, getting acclimated to its sound.

First Doctor Appointment

11/18/08 - Center for Maternal & Fetal Care

First Entry: 5 weeks, 3 days