9lbs 3 oz - NICU

Maya was born by c-section this morning weighing in at 9 pounds, 3 ounces, 22 1/2 inches long...at 36 weeks! Yes she is our lil chunky baby with huge cheeks and chubby legs. I couldn't be more in love. The surgery went fine, and I was able to hold her in recovery for about 20 minutes before she was taken to the NICU for low blood sugar. It was very disappointing, I had hoped she could just stay with Mommy.

Just 3 hours after my c-section I was in a wheelchair going to see my baby girl. It was well worth it and I was able to hold her again. That was about 3PM, and I just called to check on her (about 9pm here) and learned she had a lil scare after choking on her spit and was unable to catch her breathe for a minute. She is fine and her oxygen sat's are in the 90's and doing good. But because of this they are watching her more closely and she will be in the NICU atleast another day so they can make sure when she starts feeding tomorrow she has no problems. Plus side her sugars are doing so much better!

Please say a prayer that Maya gets through this smoothly. I am so blessed, and am thankful there is nothing life threatening going on. I have faith she will be fine, I just want her back here in my arms!

Borderline Preeclampsia

Today I started out with contractions! Nothing major, just tightening enough I could feel. I was put on the monitor for an hour and then taken over to labor and delivery. Of course the minute I got there the contractions stopped! So I just visited there for a couple hours and was brought back to my room.

The results of my 24 hour urine test show my protein levels at 302. Doc say's that preeclampsia is 300. So I am borderline (I'm including the description of preeclampsia from preeclampsia.org below for anyone who wants to know more!). I am seeing the high risk doc assigned to this hospital tomorrow sometime who will decide when we are going to deliver Miss. Maya. No matter what doc say's I will be here for awhile.

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What is Preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum period and affects both the mother and the unborn baby. Affecting at least 5-8% of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. Swelling, sudden weight gain, headaches and changes in vision are important symptoms; however, some women with rapidly advancing disease report few symptoms.

Typically, preeclampsia occurs after 20 weeks gestation (in the late 2nd or 3rd trimesters or middle to late pregnancy), though it can occur earlier. Proper prenatal care is essential to diagnose and manage preeclampsia. Preeclampsia, Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) and toxemia are closely related conditions. HELLP Syndrome and eclampsia are other manifestations of the same syndrome. It is important to note that research shows that more women die from preeclampsia than eclampsia and one is not necessarily more serious than the other.

Globally, preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death. By conservative estimates, these disorders are responsible for 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths each year.

In Hospital...

Today we went to the high risk doc for our weekly ultrasound. First off Maya looks PERFECT! She is big (35 weeks and over 8 pounds), which is mainly from my diabetes we are sure of. But in the last couple of days her movement has been down and worrying me. Through the whole ultrasound she slept no matter how much the tech tried to move her, shake her, and use the baby taser on her (no, not a real one hehe, but it makes a noise and vibrates).

We sat and talked with the doc who told us because of the decreased movement she is concerned. At this point there is really no reason we can't deliver her. She told us that yes, she might be in the NICU, but that would be if her lungs aren't mature (a problem in diabetic momma's) and that would be something we can fix and work through. She said we have been through too much to now risk the complications that diabetes can bring (stillbirth). In a round about kind of way she was telling me to be ready, and that she was sending me to the hospital to be monitored. I told her I am more than willing to accept Maya might need NICU care, and I would actually prefer that to all the anxiety and panic attacks I've been having about her just being okay until I deliver. Doc said that there will be people here who will try and send me home.

Finally after some kinda round about talk I asked her, "So I should fight them to deliver her early?" and she said yes. She said there is no reason to risk Maya coming home with me to wait another week or so, that her not moving as much is a big sign to her that she needs to be delivered. Doc doesn't work at this hospital, and I'm sure she isn't really allowed to tell patients to insist on delivering prematurely, but she got the idea out to me and I understood.

So I'm admitted in the hospital. We are doing a 24 hour urine (checking blood pressure), and monitoring Maya every 4 hours. I WILL NOT go home until they deliver her. And I am hoping that will be in the next few days. I thanked the doc over and over for being so honest with me, and letting me know that I can fight to make sure this precious baby girl is born NOW and HEALTHY!

Please pray for us, pray for Maya's continued health, pray that I find the right doctor's here who agree that there is no reason to risk my baby to make it another week or two because the text book says so. Thank you friends :)

32 weeks

So the doctor's appointment went fine, blood pressure was a lil high...but it was also after about 5 attempts to even get the machine to read. The most outrageous news of all? THEY SAID I GAINED 16 POUNDS IN A WEEK!!!! Hahaha, I know for sure that is not possible. They have a small floor scale, the old kind with a round dial and I am so sure it was off :)

The only thing I didn't like was having to argue with the doc about frequent ultrasounds (it's been 6 weeks since I've had one). I told him the genetic counselors told me it was vital in pregnancy for frequent and detailed ultrasounds to watch the baby's growth. He told me, "If there is a problem there is nothing to intervene."

WHAT!?!?!?! If there is a problem I NEED TO KNOW SO WE CAN PREPARE THE BEST OPTIONS!!! I wasn't happy, and it made me miss my old doctor's in Kansas City even more. I do have an ultrasound scheduled for Friday morning!

And I think I fixed it so you can leave comments now, so sorry!

Doc in Morning...

So the last two Monday's, I have been sent from the doctor's office to the hospital for high blood pressure. But guess what? As soon as I get to the hospital it seems my blood pressure is fine. I mentioned it to the nurse at the office and she said "I hear that a lot from mommy's, that once at the hospital they are fine!"

Does this sound funny?!?!?! Maybe there is something wrong with the machine in the doc's office? So I've decided that when I go into the doctor, if my blood pressure is high...I have my own solution. He can write me a prescription for a home pressure monitor and I can check it at home, and call in results to him. It is TOO HARD for me to be in the hospital one day a week and it seems to turn out to be nothing!

Now for my freak out moment of the week...I looked down in the car today and the diamond from my wedding ring was GONE. I cannot explain the pure terror that ran through my body I couldn't even think of the words to tell Chris what was wrong I just sobbed. He told me he would buy me another one, but that didn't help. This is my wedding ring, I don't want another one! It was horrible, I'm pretty sure I would have had a nervous breakdown (if I wasn't already) until about 5 minutes into my crying Nadine found the diamond in the back seat! Thank you God!

Baby Shower Pic's

Maya Loyal-Marie

Is scheduled for c-section on July 13th, as long as everything goes as planned!