Another week down and another week closer to meeting Flicker...
Results from Tuesday's appointment:
BP: 110/60 (Thanks to the Nifedipine ~ one of the side effects is lowering blood pressure)
Fundal height: 31 ~ lovely, not "shrinking yet"
AFI (Amniotic Fluid Index): 15 ~ nicely in the normal range, but looks as though we have had our peak already, it has dropped 6cm since my 28 weeks appointment, so she will keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't keep dropping
Dopplers : we are well below the 5th%ile, but we still have a good uprise in the flow which is keeping Flicker tucked up safely, but the drop in the pressure and any notching (which is what Dopplers Pick up) the current plan will change.
She didn't do a growth scan as I had one done last week at the High Risk Clinic, and she'd already done one the week before @ 28 weeks, but another one will be on the cards for next weeks appointment. Growth was slowing based on the difference between last two, but Flicker has started out at a good weight so that will be a big advantage!
She didn't do a cervix length either as we want to keep things as settled as possible.
The dosage of Nifedipine has gone up again, we are going to try this for another week and if things don't settle will go the Progesterone, I am squeezing an extra dosage in during the day so now 100mg daily, plus boosters as needed - generally only 2-3 a day, the limit is 120mg plus 40mg of boosters (160mg in total).
Flicker is still breech ~ oh well, and we went through breech delivery in more detail today, need to still get a few more weeks of good growth for Flicker to be big enough. I've also a form to go in for a CT Pelvimetry to check the size of my pelvis because we need to make sure that it will open up enough so the baby literally falls out. Breech delivery is a hands off form of delivery, you have to literally let the baby descend, then once the legs, body and shoulders are out the baby bascially peddles backwards, tilts their head and the head is then delivered. It is this point that is critical to a safe breech delivery. There are some fabulous videos of breech deliveries on Homebirth : A Midwife Mutiny... turning a ripple into a wave just look on the right hand side for the links. I also had a look on Google, but was horrified to find one where from the start the care provider was constantly tugging on the baby trying to pull it out, I had to stop the video and couldn't watch it to the end. I spoke with my OB about it and she was just as horrified, reiterating that it wasn't the right thing to do at all, which gave me extra comfort.
But another spanner in the works is the length of Flickers umbilical cord, looking at the scans it is short, which may also explain why Flicker has made some attemps at turning the last few days and been unsucessful. If this is the case we couldn't see much extra cord today and based on the small placenta it is possible the cord is short as well, breech may not be an option
But we would know quite early in delivery if the cord isn't going to be long enough as we will see signs of fetal distress.
For my OB to deliver I need to have bubs before the 30th of September, 35 weeks or hold on to 39 weeks even she laughed at the thought of that ~ as she is on leave for the month of October and flying out of the country During that time a breech delivery won't be performed, her back up OB isn't as well versed in them as she is, and to be honest I would only want to do it if my OB or someone jsut as experienced was there as I know that she has done quite a few of them, she did a lot when she started in obstetrics, where as the other OB started when CS were the way to go.
So a bit of a mixed bag as such, but in the end the way in which Flicker arrives needs to be the safest and I won't risk his/her life for my own desires for another traditional birth.
Either way I feel comfortable with where we are and how things are tracking, it's not perfect but we never expected that and every day/week Flickers gets to stay inside is a bonus.
The rest at home is driving me a bit batty though, day in and day out of pretty much the same thing, sitting on the same spot on the couch or taking rest times on the bed, on on my "low days" it makes all that much more difficult, but at least I know that not every day is a "low day" and there are better days so to focus and enjoy those, and keep focussed on the bigger picture. A few visitors this week has made a huge difference and breaks up the day. At least I can still work and earn some money, I am at home everynight to give my hasband and kiss and cuddle and spend precious time with my daughter, I get really excited when it gets to 5pm knowing that they aren't too much further away!
We are three weeks away exactly from passing Nakita's gestation, what an amazing milestone to achieve, lets hope we can pass it with flying colours! Till later on... I will be back... xxoo
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