the next steps

hi everyone.  happy friday.

don't know about you but i am happy that it is friday.  loads of exciting things are happening this weekend.  our second baby shower is tomorrow and i can't wait to see all of our friends.  a few close friends are throwing the shower/ bbq for boys and girls alike and i am so excited.  i promise to share more on that later.

also JD's mom is flying in tonight for the festivities this weekend.  so we will get to do some fun seattle stuff as well.

so after our visit to the hospital yesterday we have some more answers and plenty of questions.  the good news is that my high blood pressure hasn't developed into pre-eclampsia.  they cautioned that at some point it might but it hasn't yet and that buys us time.

so currently they are going to watch the bean and i closely.  we will be at the hospital 2 times a week for non-stress tests.  for those they hook us up to a monitor that monitors my heart beat and blood pressure, and the baby's heart beat, and movements.  from what they said yesterday he will let us know first thing if there is a problem.  they did a sonogram yesterday as well and everything looks good there... those too are going to become part of our weekly or bi-weekly routine until he is out here with us.

the news that was a bit harder to swallow is that we will be tracking my blood pressure week by week and will be making decisions based on how we are doing... which might mean induction as early as 37 weeks (umm yeah 2 weeks away) and no later than 39 weeks.  i figured i was going to at least make it to 40 weeks if not the full 42.

i'm sort of panicking.  i don't feel at all prepared... or ready.  i feel like i don't know what to do.. ahhhh. the time difference between 37 weeks and 42 is huge and i was counting on that time to somehow prepare.

anyway we will be filling the next few weeks with plenty of doctor's visits, preparations, and nesting.... seriously let the nesting begin.

i am so thankful that we are the lowest of the "high risk" patients.  i just pray i can maintain my blood pressure for at least the next two weeks... keep us in your thoughts.

happy weekend.
xoxo
wren

an unexpected turn

i don't know if i posted about it before but JD and i have been planning a home birth since we found out we were expecting this little man.

we decided on a home birth for many reasons (most of which i won't get into here because this post isn't about the hospital vs. home birth debate)... to some of you i imagine this sounds crazy but to us it was the most comforting and least scary of options.  we did our research, were well informed, and were looking forward to bringing our new little baby into this world in our home, where we feel most comfortable.  there was going to be no rushing to the hospital, no forms, no staff, and yes, no drugs.  we have been attending a home birth class with the mother of all doulas Penny Simkin and have been preparing for our chosen path.

that was until this week... my blood pressure is still up which puts us at a place where we are more than likely going to risk out of our home birth option... we will have to deliver in a hospital.  for us this is a major game changer and a dramatic switch to our thinking.  i have been pretty upset about it for the past few days and am trying to come to terms with this new picture in which our baby will be born.

we are headed to the hospital tomorrow morning for some more testing to see if we are dealing with anything more critical than hypertension.  i pray that all the tests come back negative and that we are only dealing with a minor health problem.  they will make sure that the little bean is doing well... (as i type right now he has the hiccups.!)

i know that home birth might not be "the option" for all of you.... and i am only happy to do anything that will keep my little boy safe and happy.  but i too need a bit of time to grieve for the labor and delivery we wanted to have and now won't.  i'm not good at radical changes so finding out that we will now be doing a hospital birth weeks in advance is probably for the best.  this way i'll be able to put my thoughts to how i want our hospital labor and birth to go.

i'll let you know how things go... in the mean time keep us in your thoughts.

xoxo,
wren

the 34th week of pregnancy

i am finding that with almost every week, or every two weeks in pregnancy something new comes up.  sometimes it is amazingly awesome, like feeling the baby move for the first time... other times not so much fun.

this week is more along the lines of not so much fun.  above and beyond feeling quite big and immobile, my blood pressure was high at my last mid-wife appointment.  (insert not good news here).  so they did a blood draw which came back fine but i now have to go have my blood pressure taken every 2-3 days.  they are worried about pre-eclampsia.... urgh.  so keep your fingers crossed... prayers are welcome.

i am just trying to stay relaxed and calm and not get stressed out.  (something i'm not very good at)  this weekend JD and i are just going to take it easy and hang out around the house.  i would like to take a drive, maybe up into the mountains to enjoy a little nature this 4th of July weekend, but we will see.

a cool thing that happened at the end of last week is the little bean started getting hiccups.  at first i thought he was just moving at a very constant rhythm... but nope hiccups.  how cute huh?  i guess he is practicing for the big first breath he will take in a little while.

i'm not good with the pictures lately huh?  oh well.  happy 4th everyone.  hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend.

xoxo
wren