Thursday, June 5, 2014

The end of my Third (and final) Pregnancy...


To say I was ready to not be pregnant anymore would be an understatement.  A LOT has happened since my last bump-date!! I ended up getting the surgery to remove the big kidney stone from my left side.  Surgery was successful and after a night in the hospital, I was discharged with a stent in me.  That damn stent was so uncomfortable and I could not wait to get it removed the following week.  Thankfully, after the stent was removed I started to feel much better.  I was so happy to not be in pain, but I was still itching – and not just minor itching – my entire body and mainly at night.  Annoying!  I mentioned the itching to the maternal fetal specialist, so she had some blood drawn.  Sure enough, I was diagnosed with Cholestasis – which is a liver disease while you’re pregnant.  I was put on antibiotics to help my acid levels and the medicine ended up working off and on.  I had to get ultrasounds, blood work, and stress tests done weekly to make sure baby girl was doing well.  She was perfect the entire time thankfully!  Having cholestasis is considered high risk, so we scheduled my C-section at 37 weeks. 
                     
Itching continued to get worse, which was a little alarming to the doctors.  On May 1st, they decided to do amniocentesis to see how mature baby girl was.  If the fluid showed she had mature lungs, they were going to immediately deliver me.  Also, if she had meconium showing in the fluid they would have delivered me as well.  The test came back that she was mature, but it was border line.  Doctors made the decision to let her grow a little longer in me than risk her having some breathing issues.


The following Monday (May 5th), I went back to the doctor to have my normal tests done and baby girls bowels showed full.  Since this was a change from the last week they were going to start monitoring me twice a week.  No big deal.  The next morning (May 6th) I got a call to come in for an ultrasound and to not eat.  This was a little alarming, so I knew to bring my packed hospital bag…just in case.  The maternal fetal specialist was concerned about her bowels being full, me still itching, and the fact that I had to pump (and got 4 ounces) even though I was still pregnant.  She made the decision to go ahead and deliver me – even with risk of potential NICU stay.  The meconium, cholestasis, and still birth risks were higher than keeping her inside of me any longer.  We were going to be parents of THREE little girls by the end of the day!

Last belly picture taken - 36 weeks

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