Almost 30 Week Baby Hanken Update!

A post from Kelli–

A while back, I was able to share with you that I was pregnant….and all of the work and tears that have gone with it.  If you missed the post, you can find it here–https://www.joscountryjunction.com/baby-update-and-a-little-backstory-actually-quite-a-backstory/

Since then I’ve told you a few times how I’ve been sick quite a bit too.  For a few weeks in December, I was going to the hospital twice a week to get anti-nausea meds and fluids.  It did help me feel some better, but I was still pretty nauseous.  At one point, I quit puking for about 2 weeks, but it just got to the point where I didn’t feel that it made me so much better that I could justify the time that I kept having to go up there.  I still felt nauseous all day, but just didn’t puke like I had been.  I ended up stopping going and was good for an extra week, but soon enough, the puking came back.  I has however lessened to 2 to 3 times per week rather than 5 to 6, so I’ll take that as a win.  I also haven’t been getting as horrible headaches as I had been, so I’ll count that as a win too!  I still have quite a bit of nausea, especially in the morning, but it could always be much worse.

Since I’ve been so sick, we did schedule another ultrasound at 28 weeks, last Wednesday.  I was a little nervous going in because I have been so sick, but excited all at the same time.  Jason came with too, so it was nice to be able to spend some time with him.  At the ultrasound, we were able to see our little one’s hearbeat so that was a relief of course.  I was quite proud of myself as I had predicted that the baby was head down with it’s butt up my right side and then its legs and arms stretched towards my left because I feel the sharpest movement on my left upper quadrant and smaller movements on my left lower quadrant.  I also have a harder spot on my righ upper quadrant and usually feel more of a rubbing rather than a jab on that side….and I was right.

We also found out that baby has hair!  It was one of the first things that the ultrasound tech told us.  Those little white spikes are hair.

Baby also cooperated enough so that we were able to get a good picture of their face!

At our previous ultrasound, we couldn’t get the little stinker to cooperate long enough to get a good face picture.  Here, we got a good one for sure!  Other highlights included finding out that the baby is an active little thing and has lots of room to grow and move around.  My fluid levels are looking good too.  We also found out that the little squirt is measuring 3 pounds 10 ounces, which I know is just an estimate and is measuring about 2 weeks large based on dates.

After a little bit of research, worrying and failing my 1 hour gestational diabetes test, I was pretty sure that I would probably end up with gestational diabetes.

I got the lovely privilege of drinking this lovely drink last Thursday morning.  It worked out pretty good as I had worked the overnight.  I drank it about an hour before I was done with my shift and was able to run down to lab and get drawn right away.  Initially they told me I had passed as I was under 180, but after a bit of research and talking with Kalissa and the OB coordinator, I found out I hadn’t passed and was one of the lucky ones to do the 3 hour test.

Since I had plenty of time over the weekend to wait and worry, I had pretty much convinced myself I had it.  I had all of the risk factors except that I was not of Pacific Islander decent and hadn’t had a large child before.  But as I found out this morning, I passed!!!  I was very excited for that mostly because all I’ve been able to eat and keep down is carbs.  There have been multiple times that I’ve been cooking supper for Jason and had to take a break to go puke because the sight, smell, and thought of raw meat has done me in.  I talked to my doctor today and she said that I likely have some insulin resistance, so I’m going to try to start walking more than I currently do and hope that helps also.

The other issue that I discussed with the OB coordinator on Monday is that my Hemoglobin continues to go down.  Prepregnancy, I was 13.5…a month ago was 11.2….and most recently was 10 something.  I have now earned myselft the need to start an additional Iron supplement which is notorious for causing constipation which I have already fallen victim to as well.  I’m taking 2 stool softeners now and am going to work on increasing my fiber and then taking Metamucil too.  Hopefully that works….

My other happy news started as not so happy news.  Since I’ve been 20 weeks along, I’ve started taking Zofran.  It has the potential to contribute to heart defects and cleft lip/palate, so once I had my first ultrasound to confirm those weren’t an issue, I started taking it.  I started with 2 per day and started to actually be able to eat and gain a bit of weight back.  I still was puking regularly, but being able to eat was glorious.  Before long though, my insurance started to get a bit bucky and only wanted to cover 24 tablets every 30 days.  If you can do math, you can tell that there is a little problem there.  I discovered though that I didn’t need an oral dose the day I got fluids because I got it in my IV.  I also tried not taking it a couple days that I didn’t work and that ended very poorly.  I always ended up puking and usually felt terrible throughout the day.  Finally, I found that if I just take one in the morning, I can get through work and can muddle through the afternoon feeling super nauseous, but without puking…usually.

Then I had an amazing idea!  The medication I am taking comes in 2 forms.  One you swallow like a pill, the other dissolves under your tongue.  I talked to my provider today and got her to write me a script for the dissolving one in addition to the swallowing one I already have in hopes that insurance would approve it as a new prescription and help pay for it.  And I was right!  I got a call that they didn’t have enought to fill the script until tomorrow and when I asked if they knew my balance after insurance, they told me it was $3.90!  I was so excited!

Lots of people ask if we have names picked out.  I always joke that I have a list and Jason has a list but “we” don’t have a list.  I keep reminding Jason he named the dog Puppycat and should have his naming priviledges revoked and he keeps telling me that Bob and Steve are great names for either a boy or a girl.  We have kind of agreed on a boy first name and a girl first name, but I kind of pulled the “I’m pregnant with the baby” card and told him he had to choose one of my preferred girl name combos.  He finally chose one.  It wasn’t my one I wish he would have chosen, but I do really like the other one too.  I’m kind of sappy and always want names after family members…and this one accomplishes that too!

So that’s the update on my little one!  We decided not to find out if it’s a boy or girl.  I think it’s a girl, so does Connie.  Everyone else seems to think it’s a boy.  Mom and Jason don’t really have a thought either way.  Jason will say he hopes for a dinosaur.  Mom says she’s just thrilled that I was able to get pregnant.  So what are your thoughts?  The only reason I think it’s a girl is because I had a dream that it was.  I’ve looked into some old wives tales and they tell me either way–heartbeat has ranged from 135 to 160 early on and was 150 today, I’ve been super sick, I’ve been slow to show, carrying high, haven’t noticed to many changes in my hair or complexion (but I usually don’t really pay attention to it)….So what are your thoughts???