Week 31 Begins With...
...Wonderful News!
Greetings to you all.
Take out a handkerchief, wave it around and yell "Hallelujah!"
Today began with neither Rebecca nor me getting a decent night's sleep; neither of us could get the correct sleeping temperature. it's the time of season where you want the furnace on at times and the house fan at others. About 2:00 AM Rebecca got up, took half her normal dose of Ambien, then headed to the cooler part of the house. Neither of us thought to open a window.
I was concerned Rebecca was too drugged to drive to her 9:00 AM NST but she assured me she would do well. Leaving Rebecca to sleep another hour, and after setting an alarm to ensure she did not sleep through her appointment, I left for work.
Rebecca, adamant she would not spend another five or more hours in the L&D ward today, armed herself for bear! She guzzled down a large glass of orange juice, then chased that with a small mocha. Little Xavier would be awake this morning for his NST! Also, Rebecca determined last Friday that she feels Xavier move better when she lays flatter on her back. All of her NSTs to date she has been sitting upright. This morning, she lay back and leaned to her left.
Hopped up and sweets, Xavier was active, and he kicked it into high gear. He had his best NST to date (and by far!). He baselined at 140 bpm, he had wonderfully perfect accelerations reaching 150 bpm and he moved, moved, moved!
Dr. Donnelley, Rebecca's OBGYN today and one we have worked with since Rebecca was admitted to University Hospital, was happy with the results. I am disappointed at not being there because Dr. Donnelley's excitement is infectious! She told Rebecca she was excited to see her still pregnant; she confessed she did not think Rebecca would carry Xavier this far.
Rebecca asked about her sugar-loading this morning, wanting to know if that was cheating the test (this test, after all, does not tell us anything if we pass by cheating). Dr. Donnelley explained that if Xavier was having problems, he would respond to orange juice, or sugar bombs very little or not at all. The doctor wrote Rebecca an oral prescription for orange juice and a mocha before all her NSTs!
One of the things Dr. Donnelley learned this morning, because Rebecca pressed about being sent to L&D twice last week, was that Rebecca has been taking Ambien (10mg) every night. As both Rebecca and I suspected, Ambien does affect the baby. Dr. Donnelley said "I wish I had known you were taking it;" she would not have sent us to L&D last week (that would have saved us at least one trip there). Ambien does no harm to the baby and the doctor said it is better Rebecca be getting good sleep.
While reading the diagnosis details on the paperwork we got last Friday, I noted one of the items listed was obesity interfering with delivery. We had not heard that from any of the doctors. Rebecca asked about this today. Dr. Donnelley laughed and said not to mind that. The computer system automatically lists that for all women beyond a certain indiscriminate weight. The doctor also explained one of the abbreviated terms on the diagnosis meant elderly mother, then told us of a 48 year old woman who was told she could never get pregnant, but she (at 48) got pregnant naturally, surprising everyone.
Rebecca said Xavier only slipped away from his heart monitor twice this morning, and that is something unusual. He often manages to move in such ways as to lose the monitor for a few seconds. Dr. Donnelley's explanation was that Xavier may have grown enough that he has less room to move around. This is also something Diana (the midwife we met Friday) mentioned we should expect.
I should mention that Rebecca's BP this morning was 128/77. Dr. Donnelley also told Rebecca she did not need the OBGYN exam every week, but every other until week 34. We are keeping the weekly appointments because we have them scheduled already and they are difficult to come by as the doctors are busy with so many.
Great and mighty is our God, and above all He is good! Today we got a wonderful glimpse of his awesome hand. I am excited for Friday's growth exam! I'm pulling for two and a half pounds, but (not-so-secretly) hoping for three.
Always, thank you for your prayers. They make days like today possible!