24 weeks!

We had our 20 week ultrasound on March 25. We got to bring Rebecca, Lauren and Nick and they got to watch Allyson on a big screen TV!  We were all very excited to see her moving around, even though I really had to pee!  My Doctor was performing an emergency C-section and was a bit late, so Aaron and the kids went out to get a few more things from the apartment. I had finally gained some sort of weight- a whole 5 pounds!  BP was fine too.  Dr came in and started off with, "Baby is measuring small, in the 7th percentile.  So at this point I am referring you to Maternal-Fetal Health for further ultrasound testing".  Ok... well that's a little bit of a shock, thanks for easing into that one! She then said that baby could just be a small baby, or that because of the Asherman's scarring- the placenta could have attached to that area and may not be giving Allyson everything she needs.  This would be called Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction (IUGR). She also said starting at 28 weeks we would have to come in for non-stress tests to make sure Allyson wasn't in any distress. And no work, oh, and bed rest!   "Ok, we got this" I thought.  So why was I in tears before I even walked out the door?!   That was not a great way to start out the week!

So I had my appt with the specialist, and Allyson had grown, just not enough to really catch up.  He decided he'd just change my due date and "that would help".  My regular OB does not agree with changing the due date because all of our previous ultrasounds have been right on target for a due date of 8/9. Specialist says with the new due date, she is now within the norm, just at the low end.  Her amniotic fluid levels were at the low end of normal at 7.3- norm is 8-18 for that age.  So, while the specialist said I could return to work, the regular OB says, nope. And we will now do weekly ultrasounds to check fluid levels and cord blood flow.

First weekly ultrasound came and I was excited to see my baby girl again! I have never had so many ultrasounds in my life, and I've had 3 kids previously! Fluid levels that day were normal, 12.6.  This past week they were back down to 8.1, with normal now being 10-18.  I am sitting pretty at almost a gallon of fluids a day already, and all they can say is keep up with your fluids!  So another ultrasound and regular appt with the OB on this coming Monday. Then a growth ultrasound on the 29th with the specialist.

IUGR isn't AS serious as some of the other issues that can happen in pregnancy, but for someone who has breezed through 3 other pregnancies with no issues, it's a little bit scary.  Her fluid levels are fluctuating in and out of normal range and she's small.  So what does this mean?  Amniotic fluid is her cushion, it helps develop muscle tone and she breathes/swallows this in preparation for life outside. If there's not enough in there, how do these reflexes grow?  There is a possibility that she could stop thriving in-utero before she is classified full term, and that has a whole other bunch of problems and obstacles.  Today marks 24 weeks, and doctors technically call her "viable".  So before this week, this baby that has been moving in my belly, has been playing with her umbilical cord at ultrasounds and waving, who gets the hiccups- wasn't "viable"?  She has all of her organs, they are functioning although not mature, but not worth trying everything to save?!  This makes me angry for some reason, even though we are on that cusp of what the doctors call "viable".

Allyson's crib is ready to go, and her dresser is in, we just have to go pick it up and hind help taking it upstairs.  I was bored the other day and decided I'd put her car seat together... It was already together in the box! I am quickly running out of things to do at home to keep me occupied, so now I wonder what I can learn to do that's new and doesn't break my order to "pretend you're a couch potato".

Before I let you go, here's a picture of our sweet girl: