I got the itch!

I hate that I haven't updated this the way that I wanted to, especially since I have been off work now for three weeks, but there are a ton of things I haven't been able to get around to and I am working hard to just be flexible and let the small stuff slide these days. This will be long, but there have been a lot of things to happen!

I've had some itching for the past couple of weeks, but didn't think anything about it until last week when I was literally clawing sores into my skin. The on call doc sent me to L&D for blood work which came back elevated and pointed to Cholestasis, a problem where my liver does not break down bile. It is very scary for the baby with an increased risk of still birth, jaundice, meconium aspiration, and breathing complications at birth. 

I had an NST on Christmas Eve and the on call doctor had me come in to see him as soon as the office opened after the holiday because my doctor who happens to be his partner is out of town. At the appointment we discussed additional blood work that we had been waiting on. It came back normal. Still, my symptoms were severe and I did have elevated labs already with a family history. The doctor was certain I had cholestasis and that further tests would show the normal readings climbing, but the risk in waiting for them wasn't worth it. 

He did an in depth ultrasound on the baby to determine how ready he seemed to be. We saw him practicing breathing on the screen which made the doctor very happy. I was dilated to a 2, more than 50% effaced, still dealing with contractions, and the baby was in position. He went to call my doctor to discuss what to do. They decided it would be best to go on and induce Monday morning at 38 weeks as soon as my doctor returned. In the meantime I was to go for another NST and I was to report straight to L&D if I noticed any further decrease in movement. The baby didn't want to move again for the NST, so I was told at the hospital to eat sugary snacks or drink soda often to try and wake him up. 

I was admitted in the middle of everything on Christmas Eve for contractions that got out of control. They were a minute apart, lasted a minute, and were very strong. The doctor that night was concerned about uterine rupture and after two doses of terbutaline sent my heart rate and baby's through the roof, they knocked me out with Stadol to try and calm things down. Thankfully it worked and we were sent home Christmas morning, although I've been pretty miserable since. 

I feel nauseous most of the time, and I'm fatigued like I have the flu almost. The itching is relentless although I do think the medication is starting to help a little with that. I cannot sleep more than an hour at a time and even then hubs says I toss and turn and scratch a lot. I have no appetite and I can't take antacids with the medication I am on, so I spend most of my time piled up on the couch just waiting for the next stretch of sleep. 

I really want to get the house back in order before we leave Monday morning, but just loading the dishwasher had me throwing up earlier today. I guess the baby won't notice if the house is a mess right? I'm excited about finally getting to hold my baby boy, but I am very anxious about possible complications. My ideal birth has changed drastically over the past few days. I originally was adamant about a natural birth with very little intervention, but now I just want him here safely. I plan on doing whatever it takes to get him out. Hopefully I will have an amazing update next week for you with our little miracle safe and sound in our arms! 

Prodromal

It's been a while. We've been in a whirlwind of baby prep. We got all new furniture for our living room and had to move hubs out of his office and turn it into a suitable nursery. Our parents were amazing, helping us set things, move things out, paint, and buy furniture. I never imagined we would have such a wonderful setup to bring our little fella home to!

In addition to all the moving and setting up, I have been working and trying to get ready for the holidays, which has been hard to focus on with my one track mind lately. This past weekend, we were finally completely set up minus the car seat which my parents decided to take care of. My dad took it upon himself as "grandpa" to research and pick out the car seat in a very serious manner; something we just put in his hands.

I've been having a lot of braxton hicks contractions. They were rarely painful, just annoying mostly, but they were almost daily. My doctor assured me that even in regular intervals, they were normal and not to worry. Monday I had a regular appointment after work and I had scheduled an appointment for my grandmother that day too to save an extra trip. My mom came with me to help get us both where we needed to be on time.

Monday morning I felt bad and left work half an hour after I got there. I was having contractions, but they were intense and I had a hard time standing through them. I waited for my appointment, but on the half hour drive there the contractions got much worse. I managed to make it to the office in tears and lots of pain. My doc checked me quickly, announced I was only a fingertip dilated, but extremely soft and obviously having regular contractions. He sent me to be monitored at L&D with a shot of terbutaline to stop the contractions since I was only 35 weeks. They stopped by the time hubs got to the hospital and we decided to take advantage of the lull on the way home to grab some last minute things at the store.

On the way home the contractions hit me like a truck once again and became very strong and regular at three minutes apart and lasting a minute. We waited three hours with lots of water and rest, but ice was moving in and we decided it would be safer to head on back to the hospital. Again I was hooked up to monitors and given terbutaline to stop the contractions, but this time it didn't work. I was given a second dose, but my heart rate wouldn't regulate enough for a third dose. They decided to try fluids and pain meds instead, which finally lowered the intensity although they were coming every minute or so and lasting 40 seconds. They decided since I wasn't dilated, that I could go on home and just wait it out. I was warned that the contractions probably would not stop until delivery, but that until I reached 37 weeks, there was nothing anyone would do anymore to stop or speed them up.

I have been at home since. I am on my fourth day of prodromal labor, although my contractions are not the typical type with irregular patterns. I go through bouts of 5-8 hours with extremely intense and painful contractions that always last two to three minutes apart and a minute long. I rest or sleep in the few hours without contractions, but my body is very sore and tired already and I almost always wake up from a new stretch of contractions starting. Last night things changed. The baby is very very low now and there is tons of pressure and pain in my back and pelvis. The contractions feel different now too. There is a lot more pain with them, but they feel like they are actually doing something. I haven't had any timeable contractions today though. I feel like once they start up in a regular pattern again, we will have a baby. I don't want to wish him here too early, but the pain and stress on my body is really starting to take its toll. It's worth every single moment though. For now, we just wait and pray.