1 Week Old

Yesterday, Friday 9/27/13, Ethan turned 1 week old! We are so happy and very proud of him.

We are still in the NICU, but he is steadily improving and meeting the daily goals they set for him.

He does have a diagnosis of SVT or Superior Ventricle Tachycardia. This is an electrical heart problem, not an anatomical one, that is reasonably common. It causes his heart to race to over 200 beats per minute when he is at rest and without warning. For some babies it can last for minutes to hours, but Ethan's have been for less than 30 seconds each. It is sometimes diagnosed as a fetus, but Ethan's was not. We feel fortunate that he was born in a hospital that could and did detect and treat it. He had his first episode on Saturday, then another on Wednesday, Friday and again this morning. They are trying to figure out what dose of meds will best manage it.

We will go home with a stethoscope not a heart monitor. We have to learn infant CPR before we can be released. He is supposed to go 72 hours without an episode to be discharged, but the plan is for a Monday release.

It is expected that he may grow out o this by 6 months to a year old, if not there is a heart procedure that can be done to remedy it.

We are hopeful to leave soon and plan to make our way home in our rental car. Without a baby it would be a 12 hour drive, traveling with a premie, who knows!

Pictures

It's almost impossible to type out the birth story on my phone. Just wanted to say that little E is still in the NICU but is doing reasonably well even though he can't come home yet. I'm still healing, but doing well also. Hubby is here too, and we are all just trying to make it through this rough time in one piece.  

Here are some pics to tide you over.

First is my favorite from right after birth

The second is from today

Sent from my iPhone

He's here!!!

Etha.n Marti.n Canno.n is here!

He arrived yesterday 9/20/2013, 6 weeks early (34 weeks 1 day) at 3:57 pm PST.

5 lbs, 0.5 oz and 18 inches long.

Everything came full circle, he was born while I was on a business trip in Las Vegas, NV, just miles from where we traveled to to do IVF.

Full birth story and pictures to come, when I don't have to type it on my phone.

NST, AFI and 33 weeks and 4 days

I had my first round of testing done today. It looks like I signed up for bi-weekly tests due to the fun that is gestational diabetes.

First thing this morning was a non-stress test. I really had no idea what to expect. I've read about women having this done before, but no one ever posted about what is involved. For some reason I had it pictured that I would be on a treadmill hooked up to all of these wires and walking/running with my belly bouncing up and down, but alas, it does not involve really any physical activity.

For the non-stress test (NST), I was placed on a table, on my back (oh how comfortable) for about 20-30 minutes. They monitor the baby's heart rate with one probe and monitor for contractions with another probe. Both of which are strapped tightly to your belly. Then they give you a clicker button (finally the situation is reversed! I'm always giving my patients the clicker for their hearing testing), which you are to press when you feel the baby move/kick. They like to see that the baby's heart rate rises and falls with movement and does not drop too low with contractions (which are much easier to feel when you can see them on the screen).

All was apparently ok with the NST.

Then I had an amniotic fluid index (AFI). Basically it is an ultrasound where they measure the fluid around the baby by dividing the uterus into 4 quadrants. They want to make sure there is enough fluid to be certain that the baby is swallowing and excreting fluid as he should. This meant that we got to see the baby and got a few pictures from it. They have been added to the ultrasound tab at the top. We also got confirmation of boy parts (and no tail, per the husband's request). She also checked for practice breathing which she said she saw right away and that sometimes she has to wait 10 minutes or more to see it.

There was a good amount of fluid around the baby per the AFI.

We then met with the doctor and he confirmed that I had the due date right and that it had in fact been entered into my chart wrong. However, he said that there is no way to fix this at this point. We will just have to be careful in the case of an induction. Officially back to an October 31, Halloween due date.

I also requested a letter that clears me to fly. I'm headed to Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon, but not before another round of testing. This time it will be a true bio-physical profile (NST, AFI and weight/size measurements)

The bump

 In deference to those who are still trying, rather than blindsiding you with a bump picture, I'm just posting to let those who wish to see know that I have a new tab at the top where I have posted my (nearly) weekly bump pictures. I think the last pic I posted before now was at week 12 and my how the bump has grown since then. I personally felt like I really "popped" right around week 25 and the pic from week 26 does make it look that way.

32 weeks...the final stretch

Although my Dr. may disagree (I swear it was written in my chart wrong) my due date is still October 31st. That makes me 32 weeks as of yesterday. I'm still just as excited as ever to meet this little boy, this little monster who must be doing leg presses in there trying to impress his father the personal trainer.

Things have been going very well thus far and we are just holding out until he makes his debut.

I've gained about 25 pounds, am experiencing some minor heartburn, had some significant round ligament pain and I have loose hips that I see a chiropractor for, and some of it does suck, but in general no major or problematic pregnancy symptoms. 

Actually, maybe not all is as smooth and perfect as it seems, just inconvenient. 

I failed my 28 week gestational diabetes screen with blood glucose at 160 when it should be less than 130. Then I failed the 3 hour test, I don't have the numbers but fasting, 1 hour and 3 hour draws were reasonable if not normal, but my 2 hour draw was at 209.

I was prescribed a blood glucose monitor and asked to stick myself (what's new after IVF!!!) 4 times a day and keep track of my numbers. My fasting glucose (first thing out of bed) is to be less than 90, and my 2 hours after each meal draws are to be at less than 120.

It turns out that although I screen and test positive for it, I don't really have trouble controlling it with my normal diet. Now if I have a large cheeseburger with ketchup and tomato (amongst regular toppings that do not contain sugar/carbs) I do tend to measure a little high. In general, I'm fearful for eating out, but in eating at home has not been a problem. Although I did change back from skim milk to unsweetened almond milk which I have willingly done previously, and I also eat no sugar added ice cream bars if I need a sweet treat.

I did ask my endocrinologist about it and why I have it. I thought that really it was more of a problem relative to obesity, or at least being overweight. He told me that it is more complicated than that and primarily hormone related. It is a relief to hear that there is really nothing that I did to cause this. He also said that professionals do not agree about what constitutes as diabetes during pregnancy. That standard cut-offs would diagnose about 50% of all pregnant women with 

I'll consider all of this a mild inconvenience compared to what we had to do to get here in the first place.

I am grateful for this pregnancy, but it turns out that I don't love being pregnant like I thought I would. That's part of the reason I've had trouble blogging. Even though there have been no major problems I just thought it would be something else, somehow different. I want the child, the baby, the family and it turns out that the pregnancy is just so small of a part of that it seems less significant, even now while I'm going through it. I know it is a miracle what is doing on inside of me, I am amazed and impressed at what my body is able to do. But it really feels like it's taking forever! I do, however, love preparing our home for this little monster and reading up on what to do and what to expect for labor and birth as well as infancy.

I've got the nursery prepped and it's just waiting on some final touches. I'll make a point of posting some pictures this weekend.