As much as I tried to do things differently this pregnancy, I still got the same result — a sudden onset of high blood pressure, protein in my urine, indicating pre-eclampsia, and a bed rest order. Sigh. But there are some differences this time around, especially since I know what to expect.
First off, at my last ultrasound (I’ve had a bunch this pregnancy, partly because of doctor changes, but also to closely monitor the baby’s growth), the doctor calculated that the baby is weighing in at 4 pounds, 4 ounces. That was just last week, 34 weeks. The baby’s a little smaller than usual, but he’s bigger than Michael was at this point, so to me, that’s good news.
Secondly, having been on bed rest already, I know what to expect and how to manage my time so I’m not so bored. I’ve been told not to do housework or cook, so….I’ll have to let the dirty laundry pile up and let Trinity get to the dishes. Luckily, I’ve already been scheduling folks to come over on Saturdays to help me with getting the house ready for the baby’s arrival. I just won’t be able to help this Saturday.
Third, my doctor’s order this time wasn’t as strict as last time, and Trinity didn’t go into hyper protective mode. That’s largely due to the fact that we’ve got Mikey. I did get the concession from the doctor that I do need to drive at least once a day to bring Mikey to daycare, because I won’t get any rest with him underfoot. Of course, the doctor doesn’t know that Mikey’s daycare is in Encino, but you know what? I need to get out of the house every so often, just to keep from going stir-crazy. I consider it a true health issue.
Luckily, the baby’s still active, so the problem seems to be largely with me. Its a bit of a shock that my blood pressure went up so high from one week to the next, but that is what it is. Last week, my doctor was considering giving me a note so that I could work from home, but I guess when the protein showed up in my urine, that thought went out the window. The main guideline he wanted me to follow was that I lay on my left or right side as much as possible. Heheh, he also advised I try swimming, to take the pressure off my uterus and improve blood flow. I’m going to try to lie down as much as possible, but I gotta eat too, and I’ve been having trouble digesting if I lie down too soon after eating. Which is why I’m taking the opportunity to blog right now, with my feet up on a pillow on the couch.
What concerns me most at this point is that my hope for a VBAC is quickly dwindling. I think the only way I can avoid another C-section is to go into labor on my own, but since I’m at 35 weeks still, I don’t want to mess around with the timing. I’m also in the middle of another 24-hour urine test. I didn’t do well with this test last time, so hopefully history won’t repeat itself this time, or else I’ll be having an August baby. My goal now? For this baby to hold off on being born till at least September, when he’ll be 37 weeks and considered full term.
Hi! I found your blog because I am in the exact same insurance situation that you were in and I was desperately trying to figure a way out of it. I had a PPO, and switched to a UHC lakeside HMO. I can’t see Vangeem, can’t deliver at Los Robles and, like you, I’ve resigned to finding a doctor in my group that delivers out of Simi. I sure do miss my previous OBs and good old Los Robles! So sorry you are on bed rest. What a pain! You’re almost there! I hope your little one is able to cook a little longer.
Ohhh, Rachel, you’re in for a treat (and yes, I’m being sarcastic). Van Geem’s office took care of everything — I didn’t have to go anywhere else for ultrasounds, his office took care of paperwork, and ohhhhh how I miss that kind of competence. You can’t imagine the hoops I’ve had to jump this pregnancy. My husband was joking (or was he?) that maybe it was the insurance company’s way of tricking more women into C-sections — stress the pregnant women out so much as they go here and there for the slightest thing so that they have complications and end up needing a C-section.