March 12, 2009
Baby Talk
It feels like ages ago that I wrote a post. I’ve recovered from the flu, Dawson is slowly returning to his normal self (he has a lingering cough, but hopefully he’ll shake it soon), and Doug has avoided sickness yet again.
I had my first prenatal appointment on Tuesday afternoon. It was an hour long appointment with the nurse, the one in which she asks 100 questions about my medical and family histories and tells me things I already know, and a few things I didn’t know.
My blood pressure was sky high because I stopped taking the labetalol when I discovered I was pregnant (it’s not safe for pregnancy, and I didn’t wait around for my family practice doctor to tell me what to do). The nurse was very concerned about this and made a note to discuss it with my OB, Dr. F. She also reviewed my charts from my first pregnancy and noted that I had pre-eclampsia resulting in induction two weeks early.
Later that afternoon the nurse called back and told me that Dr. F reviewed my current and past pregnancy charts and he ordered an ultrasound to check the due date and to rule out twins (I used Clomid this cycle to boost the release of high quality eggs and there’s a higher chance for multiples). Dr. F also sent my chart down to Dr. A (my family practice doctor) to give him an update on my blood pressure. Dr. F advised a medication switch.
So, this morning was my ultrasound. The baby looks like a blob somewhat resembling a kidney bean, but when I saw her (or his) beating heart, tears began to well up. It was at that moment that I really felt pregnant. This is for real, I thought. I loved having that reassurance.
But even through the happiness, there was some not so great news, too. The ultrasound technician was taking pictures of my ovaries and found follicles on both. It also appears that I ovulated from both ovaries, but only one egg was fertilized. The right ovary looked normal, but the left ovary had several large cysts. One of them was 50% bigger than my ovary and there was some fluid around it. That sort of freaked me out.
After the ultrasound I waited for the nurse to give me the details and she said she’d have Dr. F take a look and they’d give me a call later.
I got the call about an hour ago, and the nurse told me follicles (or cysts) are normal — the follicle results from the release of an egg, and that follicle releases the hormone progesterone which sustains the pregnancy until the placenta can take over — and they usually shrink up on their own. Dr. F is concerned about the size of the larger cyst and wants to monitor my condition. They want to make sure it goes away (Side Note: Clomid causes enlarged ovaries and cysts) and if it doesn’t, they’ll need to make sure it does not rupture which could cause problems in my pregnancy.
Needless to say, all of this made me nervous, but it does explain the pains I’ve had on the left side of my lower abdomen. I honestly thought it was just bloating, or gas pains, but now I realize it’s either the cyst getting larger or shrinking. Let’s hope for the latter, shall we?
I’m not going to dwell on it. My doctor is amazing and I trust him completely. Just knowing he’s monitoring this condition, and doing everything he can to make sure my pregnancy goes smoothly is very comforting. This doctor is the first doctor I’ve had that truly cares about my well being. He listens to me, he answers my questions and he works with me to make sure all is well. I wish more doctors were like him.
When I got home today, I showed Dawson the pictures of his new sister (or brother) and he was so excited. The baby’s heartbeat was 144, and I laughed because I remembered that old wives tale about heartbeats less than 140 = boy, over 140 = girl. So, I think it’s a girl. Doug thinks it’s a boy. Either way we’ll be happy. We’ve waited for this little one for a long time. Soon enough he or she will be here. Only 32 weeks to go!
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March 12th, 2009 at 5:46 PM, Write From Karen Says:
You’re in my thoughts, Dana. Take care of yourself and thank you for keeping us updated.
March 14th, 2009 at 9:39 PM, Haley-O Says:
Congratulations, Dana! And, yes, just let the doctor take care of it and try not to worry about a thing — just enjoy. How exciting!
March 15th, 2009 at 8:43 AM, Dana Says:
Thanks, Haley-O!
I’m truly excited. And exhausted. But more excited than anything else!
Thanks, Karen! That means a lot to me.
March 15th, 2009 at 2:24 PM, Amy Says:
Don’t be so sure that there’s only one baby in there. I had an ultrasound at 6 and 1/2 weeks and they saw only one blob with a beating heart. At 8 and 1/2 weeks they saw two blobs with beating hearts. (Just something to think about:)) By the way I also had a cyst the size of an orange on my right ovary in the begining of my pregnancy. It cleared up all on it’s own. I wouldn’t sweat it too much.
Take care
Amy
March 15th, 2009 at 11:47 PM, Headless Mom Says:
Thanks for the update, Love. Keep resting when you can. And I’m glad you trust your doctor-that’s a blessing!
May 16th, 2009 at 5:59 AM, Flüge Bangkok Says:
Congratulations
I’m also expecting my first baby in 7 monthes. That was a wonderful feeling when I saw her beating heart, tears alsobegan to well up.
It’s very important to have a doctor who cares about your well being, for that reason I changed my doctor. In fact the old doctor got annoyed when I asked him a lot of questions, which is normal for a woman pregnant for the first time.