27 weeks 3 days

Not much to report. Zack has decided to call the baby both Luke and Stitch. First name Luke, middle name Skywalker.... The Star Wars obsession has begun... Oh boy. Stitch/LS is moving a lot. I can tell he is getting bigger as my whole stomach shakes when he gives a particularly big kick. I'm starting to feel him move around more as well, not just kicking. It feels like he is sliding around my uterus like its a water slide. I'm sure he's starting to get a little crowded. I feel as big as the side of a barn. I've been a lot better watching what I'm eating.. No more snickers from the machine at work...Well FEWER Snickers would be more accurate.

Now that I'm off the prednisone I worry (imagine that!) that my body is going to start attacking him like it did the last baby. My Dr. assures me that once I was past a certain point that it's no longer necessary and the baby will be fine. In fact the side effects of the prednisone become more dangerous (especially premature rupture of membranes) than the benefits of continuing. I trust her, I really do. But after losing our baby at 16 weeks, how devastating that was, I worry about everything. From talking to all of the moms I know who have lost a baby, I know this is normal....I just have to go forward with faith that he will be OK. That's all I can do at this point. I did start to do kick counts this week (Recording how it takes for him to move 10 times) just so I have a baseline to go by. I didn't really do this with Zack like I was supposed to, I was a bit preoccupied with other things at that time and highly medicated. When I think back it's a real miracle that he was induced when he was. I credit my wonderful OB for her careful management of the situation, so I will trust she knows what she is doing.

Next week is our 28 week check. We'll be getting an ultrasound to check his growth as well.

We have *about* 2 1/2 months left until Stitch/LS is here. I hope he will have a real name by then. Stitch would be a hard name to have on the playground... I'm just saying...

25 Weeks 3 day --Stitch update

Miracles do happen!! I passed my 3 hour glucose tolerance test and DO NOT have gestational diabetes. I was fully prepared to be test positive so this was a huge relief. I was even on the Internet last night trying to find sample diets that I could use. Amazing!

Everything is going well and we are looking forward to seeing baby Stitch via ultrasound on October 2nd!

Zack Update

I recently "discovered" that Brian had two issues that contributed to his death. One was the severe CHD (Coronary Heart Disease) that that Medical Examiner's office informed me about when they called to give me the results of his autopsy. The other was listed on his death certificate. Specifically he had a Bicuspid Aortic value. Until recently I didn't know what that meant or that it even meant anything. They way they had the cause of death listed made it sound like the heart disease was in the aortic valve... I recently read that a Bicuspid Aortic valve is actually a congenital heart defect. I could not believe that for the last 5 years I have had no idea!! After doing some research, I read that it there is a about a 10-17% chance that the defect will be found in the 1st level relative (child, sibling) of someone who has the defect. It is the most common congenital heart defect, any not usually diagnosed until later in life and in many cases cause no problems. However, for those that have have risk factors (obese, smoking, inactive etc.) it can accelerate the damage done. It's pretty well known that Brian had about all of the risk factors for heart disease, it was just so puzzling that they would be severe enough to kill him at 33. The Bicuspid Aortic valve "discovery" is the missing piece of the puzzle. Here is a pretty good summary that I found on e-medicine:

http://www.emedicine.com/PED/topic2486.htm

Needless to say I called Zack's pediatrician. She said she had never noted a murmur or had any reason to believe that there would be an issue, but suggested that we get an echo cardiogram to make sure. Erik, Zack and I went to the Children's Heart Clinic in St. Paul today. After 30 minutes on the table getting his "heart movie" made and watching Star Wars on the DVD player he was done. The Tech had us wait in the room while he got the Cardiologist. She came in and told us there was no need to keep the second part of the appointment. Zack heart was normal and his aortic values are NORMAL.

I think I had convinced myself that he did have the defect because I was a little surprised by the overwhelming relief I felt. Erik was relieved too, but I think his practical approach to things helps him from worry too much until there is an actual reason to worry. As for Zack, his response was "I told you my heart wasn't sick!" I guess he told us!

I think part of the reason for my response is that since he was born I have had the nagging worry that what happened to Brian would happen to Zack too. Brian's death seem like such a freakish event and I had no idea how to protect my baby from the same thing happening to him. Well I now know that while there are never any guarantees in life, he now has the same shot as any other kid and somehow that cloud has lifted a bit.

YEA ZACK!!!!

I'm off to "study" for my 3 hour glucose test tomorrow. I'll update when I get the chance.

24 Weeks 4 day

I failed!!! The blood glucose test was today and I bombed. My blood sugar was supposed to be under 150 after 1 hour post sugary orange drink... Mine was 171. So it's off to the three hour test. I had the same issue with Zack but passed the three hour. I go back in next Wednesday. I'll drink the same orange stuff and they'll check my blood sugar once an hour for 3 hours. I guess I'll get to catch up on some reading. I'm not too concerned either way. If I fail the 3 hour and have gestational diabetes, then I'll deal with it. Basically it's just keeping carbs and sugar restricted and monitoring blood sugar....I can do that, no problem. My weight was bad too. She mentioned it, but was not too hard on me about it. She just reminded me that I don't want to be having a 10 pound baby... No I do not. She said that Zack was a tiny baby, but this is a different pregnancy with very different circumstances so I should try to watch it from this point forward.

At our next appointment they will be doing another ultrasound to measure his growth to make sure he is on target. I have 2 weeks left of the prednisone and after that the only meds I'll be on is for blood pressure. My Blood pressure has been great, by the way, 120/74 at this visit.

She also told me that starting at 32 weeks I will be getting weekly biophysical profiles. They are basically a non stress test and fetal ultrasound that measure for specific things. For the non stress test they put a belt over your belly to monitor the heart rate and you have to push a button everything time the baby moves. If I remember correctly form the hundreds that I had with Zack, it's about 20-30 minutes of monitoring. After that they give an ultrasound and they check to see if the baby is practice breathing, accelerating heartbeat with movement and amount of amniotic fluid and a few other things. There is some sort of point system and if you pass, baby gets to gestate another week. If you fail, you get a trip to Labor& Delivery for another evaluation. Zack was induced at 38 weeks due to a failed biophysical profile....

This high risk pregnancy stuff is a blast, no? All kidding aside, I'm so greatful that I have such a cautious and wonderful Doc and I am willing to do whatever it takes to get Stitch here safe and sound. We are getting there.

Next Appointments:
September 10th - 3 hour Gestational Diabetes test
October 2nd 28 weeks - Growth Check Ultrasound
October 16th 30 weeks
October 30 32 weeks - 1st Bio-physical profile