Why, oh why?!

[doodledoo]

Why oh why did I agree to see the OB again?

After a fab week away with DH & DD last week & being so pleased that the BP was down, protein was trace/ nothing & babe had moved from breech to heads down, this week has been hell.

Had a bump in the car on Monday, nothing serious. Midwife checked babe with doppler etc and all was well, but it seemed to have started up a little cramping.

The midwife had asked me to see the OB one last time Thurs so that she was comfortable with an attempted HBAC. Well, what a nightmare! According to the scan babe has not put on any weight in 3 weeks & my bp was really high before the appt even began (no protein, thankfully).

So now I'm really stressed, BP was unsurprisingly high this morning so midwife sent me in to be monitored again.

I feel really torn, babe is moving lots & the CTG looks good, they did dopplers on the cord yesterday and said it was fine & the placenta is a grade 0-1 (which according to the OB is great for this stage). So now I'm a wreck. Part of me wants to kind of pretend I never went & proceed as planned but the majority of me is so scared that there may be something really wrong & that I can't ignore it. My midwife is going to check me daily & at the mo I have to go back in to OB Monday to repeat the scans, check dopplers, fluid etc.

The OB hasn't mentioned induction yet, but the midwife thinks that they will want to do it soonish if things don't look any better on the scans. And I'm guessing that as I have a previous section, she will be pushing for a repeat section instead of induction.

I am so stressed, did I say that already - LOL!

I know the scan wt estimates can be way out, but is it worth the risk? (they are estimating babes wt to be 5lb 4 at this stage). How likely is it that there is something wrong with babe? I guess I'm not really asking anyone for answers, just some reassurance or info, oh I don't know what. We have waited so long for this LO & it breaks my heart that something could go wrong now, but in the back of my mind I just keep thinking that I am maybe just getting caught up in the whole medical/OB led opinion.

Ahhhh, sorry to have gone on & on - just needed to get it out. I am honestly trying not to stress as it's not helping me or babe, but I'm finding it really difficult.

Thanks for reading & letting me come to bawl here. DH is being great but I think he's as exhausted with the tears as I am.

[marmo]

*HUGS* I hope all works out for you and baby to deliver at home!! Take this weekend to indulge in baths, mani-pedis, walks, anything that might make you feel better and less stressed!

[JamieCatheryn]

Gosh it sounds like this OB stuff is raising your blood pressure and giving you false signs of trouble to me. You don't need this mess. Late ultrasounds are so off about size I'd ignore all of that, especially since the cord and placenta seemed fine. I guess midwifery is under direct doctor oversight there so she has the say so about whether your mw can attend you at home? For that I guess you have to keep submitting to tests. You don't have to go ahead with an induction or section if you don't want it though. And you don't have to let their concerns be your concerns, if you feel all is well then focus on that. Maybe before and during your bp checks you can do relaxation exercises to bring it down and tune out the medical mess.

[j_p_i]

I was going to say the exact same thing - it sounds like being at the OB raised your bp. I'm sorry you're dealing with this, how stressful! And stress certainly doesn't help your situation. Try to rest and relax, hydrate LOTS and get the bp down.... also really focus on slow deep breathing while they are checking your bp, that helps too. Best wishes mama

[Undercover Mama]

My first baby they said was small, about 5 lbs was their astimate at term, and I wondered what was wrong and why, but she was 7 lbs 10 oz! They messed up big on my third too. I don't put much stock in their measurements anymore.

Wishing you the best!

[SunCB]

Hugs. Hope all works out well. I know how going to an OB can raise your BP bc mine is higher than I would like when I now have to go for OB appts (I check the grocery stores and my BP is lower).

Hope all the scans are good if you go through with them and you can get them not to think induction.

[Smithie]

If the cord and placenta are looking good, I's put WAY more stock in that than in their measurements. Measurements are the least precise thing of anything they do IMO.

I really hope that the Scan Fairy (who I'm convinced affects the readings with her Magic Fairy Dust) is in a better mood during your next set of scans. Then you can watch the mw and OB's concerns magically vanish.

[Asher]

Originally Posted by Smithie

If the cord and placenta are looking good, I's put WAY more stock in that than in their measurements. Measurements are the least precise thing of anything they do IMO.

I really hope that the Scan Fairy (who I'm convinced affects the readings with her Magic Fairy Dust) is in a better mood during your next set of scans. Then you can watch the mw and OB's concerns magically vanish.

I agree completely. My BP raised around a similar experience and we went through 4 weeks of scans, nst's, etc. simply to find out 4 weeks later that he was growing just as he should be. *sigh*

IMO, as long as placenta looks good, babe looks good, etc. there's nothing to be gained by evicting them since the only thing they are doing the last month or so is growing. If they are indeed small and placenta is good, but it's not IUGR, it seems stupid to induce. At least, that's how I've been feeling, personally.

Good luck!

[trauerweidchen]

I don't have any advice other than to follow your instincts and try not to worry.

[Full Heart]

I think 5.4 for 36 weeks sounds decent (babies typically gain .5 lb a week so at 40 weeks you could have a 7.4 lb baby) and the stage of your placenta is awesome. Baby is moving, blood flow is good, I wouldn't be worried at all. Of course this is someone who is coming from the total opposite end of the spectrum. My baby was estimated on Monday to weigh 9 lbs 9 oz, I have a grade 3 placenta and my baby did not move, not even once during the u/s. Talk about a heart attack! So to me you sound great! I am keeping track of movements, I am taking it day by day and if anything changes I will make decisions then as to what to do. Thats about all you can do.

[doodledoo]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I have been reading but have spent the weekend with a cripling headache & vomiting. I suspect likely due to the stress of all this. Anyway, DH is more stressed than I am, so I am going in this morning to have the weight guestimate etc redone. My plan is that I will argue with them etc, I don't want to be induced early to find that LO is in fact fine but would have liked a couple more weeks cooking.

Just wanted to say thanks & I will update later. Please keep positive thoughts for me & also that I can manage to keep strong when they start to try to push me for interventions!

[CultivatingMyRoots]

POSITIVE THOUGHTS!!!!:


I'm in the camp of small baby = KEEP THEM COOKING AS LONG AS POSSIBLE! And babies can gain MORE than half a pound a week, and ven then, five pounds is a perfectly acceptable birth weight for a small mama. It's the low end of normal, but who cares?

If there's no protien in urine, the high bp is likely due to worry and stress. Which, with interventions being threatened, is pretty normal!

I know you know this, but remember to stick to your guns, an induction is the WORST thing if baby is indeed still small and needing some time to fatten up, and of course a section would just be ridiculous. You have a happy, healthy baby inside of you! Maybe he wants to be in there a few weeks more! Can you blame him?

Oh, and I hope the OB is reasonable, although it sounded like your mw was the one saying 'induction,' which I think is weird....

[Full Heart]

Do you feel like the baby has gotten bigger? Has your fundal height increased? Have you gained weight? I would think that taking EVERYTHING into consideration rather than just u/s weight estimates would be prudent.

Have you done any monitoring at home of your bp? Mine has been all over the place the last 2 mos. Normally I am 96/60, its been as high as 120/80. I never have protein in my urine, my reflexes are fine, no spots or visual disturbances, no pain on my side, no headaches. So I know I am fine. So I would take EVERYTHING into consideration.

I would def think positive. You have a lot going for you. Your placenta looks great, Mine was a grade 2 at 32 weeks! Your baby is moving well and thats reassuring.

Can't wait to hear about your latest us. Don't stress momma!