Almost had a baby tonight.
I had a doctor appointment today, and the doctor wanted to induce me. Caden is not growing as much as he should be, so she's concerned about leaving him in. But at the same time, she called the perinatal clinic and they discussed the risk of that versus the risk of his heart condition--the cardiologist wants Caden in as long as possible in the hopes that he'll be as big as possible when born since that will give him better odds with his heart condition.
So they settled on inducing me at 39 weeks at the latest (June 16-17), with extra monitoring until then. I'd already been having nonstress tests and biophysical profiles (ultrasounds looking for certain things) weekly for more than a month. Now I need to have BPPs twice a week and NSTs once a week still. If things don't look good, I'll have to be induced.
And even more awareness of his movements. If I haven't felt him move in awhile and can't get three movements in an hour, to the hospital.
So I'm really excited in some ways (we're for sure having a baby by Father's Day! Only two more weeks left to work! There's an actual "end date" to count down to!), and concerned in other ways. I'm more worried he'll be going straight to the NICU if he's already measuring small--will he have trouble breathing or get jaundice right away? And breastfeeding...already harder because of the Down syndrome diagnosis--will he even be able to do it at all?
Just taking things one day at a time, hoping Caden will show all the doctors how strong he is when he's born. The odds may be against him, but he's our fighter. He's already reached so many milestones: surviving in utero to second trimester, reaching 37 weeks and thus "full term," getting the approval from the cardiologist to have a vaginal birth and not expect a NICU stay for his heart, and being head down when his mama was born butt first!
Also, really hoping I'll go into labor before having to be induced. So far, 20% effaced and 2 centimeters dilated, which isn't much, but these things can change both really slowly and really quickly; never know which it'll be for me.
So they settled on inducing me at 39 weeks at the latest (June 16-17), with extra monitoring until then. I'd already been having nonstress tests and biophysical profiles (ultrasounds looking for certain things) weekly for more than a month. Now I need to have BPPs twice a week and NSTs once a week still. If things don't look good, I'll have to be induced.
And even more awareness of his movements. If I haven't felt him move in awhile and can't get three movements in an hour, to the hospital.
So I'm really excited in some ways (we're for sure having a baby by Father's Day! Only two more weeks left to work! There's an actual "end date" to count down to!), and concerned in other ways. I'm more worried he'll be going straight to the NICU if he's already measuring small--will he have trouble breathing or get jaundice right away? And breastfeeding...already harder because of the Down syndrome diagnosis--will he even be able to do it at all?
Just taking things one day at a time, hoping Caden will show all the doctors how strong he is when he's born. The odds may be against him, but he's our fighter. He's already reached so many milestones: surviving in utero to second trimester, reaching 37 weeks and thus "full term," getting the approval from the cardiologist to have a vaginal birth and not expect a NICU stay for his heart, and being head down when his mama was born butt first!
Also, really hoping I'll go into labor before having to be induced. So far, 20% effaced and 2 centimeters dilated, which isn't much, but these things can change both really slowly and really quickly; never know which it'll be for me.