A Big Update

So... the baby is coming sooner rather than later. I visited the antenatal testing unit this past Friday for another nonstress test. The baby did great (as usual)... but my blood pressure was a little high when they took it. It was "on the high side of the median range" so they took it again. In a shocking turn of events, it was even higher the second time (stressed out about high blood pressure, maybe?), which put me in the low end of the high range... and meant that I needed to go to the main office to get my blood pressure checked again.

In a shocking turn of events, after waiting nearly an hour to see a nurse (and being worried about my high blood pressure), the next 2 tests resulted in even higher numbers. Fortunately, the protein test came back fine and I wasn't exhibiting any other symptoms of pre-eclampsia (other than the high blood pressure and the previously mentioned giant swollen ankles). Dr. Harrison let me go home on Friday (after 3 total hours there!), told me to watch for other symptoms, and said that I should come back in on Tuesday, instead of waiting another week.

He called me Sunday morning to check in on me, which I thought was nice (aside from the fact that I was still sleeping at 8:30 am when he called).

So yesterday I go in to see Dr. Harrison. It was a crazy day in the office and I had yet another long wait. (I also had someone totally jump in front of me in line for the bathroom with no acknowledgement that I was even there waiting. But I said nothing and chose not to get fired up. I was there for a blood pressure check, after all.) They took my blood pressure and the first one was high, again (150 over 92).... then on my left arm, it was lower (138 over 91).... but when Dr. Harrison came in he said that based on the fact that my BP has been consistently high, my ankles have been swollen on a regular basis for months, and this baby is huge and ready, we needed to talk about options.

Option 1: Bed rest, and semiweekly visits to antenatal testing for nonstress tests.
Option 2: We schedule a date to induce.

I am not interested in bed rest, nor into more appointments which stretch longer and longer each time my numbers aren't good. I asked him what he would recommend, and he said induction. That sounded right to me!

So on Thursday at 4:30, Shaun and I are to report to Labor & Delivery to get this show on the road!

Have I mentioned yet how I despise our childbirth classes? We went last night because it included a labor & delivery tour and I wanted to make sure that we both saw everything. However, we were treated to a lovely grilling as to why the Doctor would tell us we need to induce. Are we aware that heat can cause high blood pressure? Do you know that when you're induced, labor is longer and more painful? Listen, lady. I'm going with the advice of the MEDICAL DOCTOR who has seen me and checked me regularly for the past 9 months, and is the head of OB/GYN for the hospital, not the musings of someone who makes up data to encourage all natural births all the time and has only her own experience giving birth to her own children. Everyone is different, and this is what the doctor has determined is safest for me. She is quite vehement about how we need to construct a list of "birth values" so the nurses and doctors know if I don't want any males doing internal exams. (This woman is VERY anti-nurse, anti-doctor and anti-male. I for one have almost always seen male doctors so have no problem with this... but that is always her example of something that women should ask for. Whatever.) Well, it emerges that she will be working tomorrow. Guess what my #1 birth value is going to be? She is not allowed anywhere near me.

So tomorrow afternoon, Shaun and I will head over to labor & delivery, and we'll get to meet our baby sometime before the end of the weekend! It's scary and overwhelming and exciting all at once. Today is my last day of work - I am very grateful to know that it's the last day and be able to wrap things up. It's weird to be here and know that I won't be back for 12 weeks.... but I also know that time will fly.

We get to meet the baby soon!