The countdown... Snowflake babies update thread

[kathijo1970]

Hi all! Seems like Cooties are running rapid everywhere. We are finally cootie free for now. After that Hand Foot Mouth, I think we should never have cooties again. That was BAD!!!!

Looking-So glad to hear your dh will be home through the holidays and after delivery!! That is awesome!

Jillian-How scary!! Procardia is also a calcium channel blocker. It was on my list of heart meds to try. I am on Verapamil which is also used to prevent preterm labor but I'm using it to regulate my heart. Only took two doses since I just got it yesterday. The cardiologist told me it takes 2-3 days to notice a difference. I know I don't notice anything today yet because my heart was 134 cutting Ty's hair and was up to 160 when I was halfway up the stairs. I couldn't sleep most of the night and then had a headache. I don't know if it was the Verapamil or something else.

Carla-That is awesome you had vag deliveries with your twins!!

Besides being on meds now because my heart has been so bad, I've been miserable, I think I might have mentioned that I'm now working from home full time. That means I won't go back to work till mid April if Jude comes around the time I think he will. I get a sono every 4 weeks with the maternal fetal doctors. They are $709 each but my insurance is suppose to pay for it except for a $15 co-pay. They better pay!! : ) I see either the maternal fetal doctors or my midwives every 2 weeks. Tuesday is my water birth class. I'm looking forward to it!! Wednesday morning is the Sesame Street Live, Elmo's Healthy Heroes at the Assembly Hall. We get to Meet and Greet with Elmo and Abby before hand. I'm pretty sure Ty will be scared of them that close up but he'll love the show.

Holidays-I usually cook for 2 Thanksgivings and 2 Christmas'. One for my side of family and one for dh's side. We told everyone we will not be hosting any holidays this year as I need to take it easy. So for Thanksgiving, we are ordering food from Cracker Barrel. I also am not having the families over. Just our Mom's. For Thanksgiving, my dh's Aunt, 2 uncles, and cousin said they were coming down. They were not invited. So dh's mom told them they can buy one Thanksgiving Dinner meal pack from Cracker Barrel and we'll order one. They are $50 a piece and serve 6. It's totally against everything I believe it to do that but I am making an exception this year. For the health of my baby and I, I will sacrifice the traditions.

The best news is that my MIL finally bought a car. She said she wasn't going to a few months ago which had us pretty mad. We are the ones stuck taking her everywhere. Dr. Appts, church, grocery shopping, and etc... It was a lot of stress on us. She finally realized how inconvenient it is to expect everyone else to do that. She hasn't had a car since her tragic accident in May from her other son having the seizure while driving her car with her in it.
That's pretty much it from me.

[J&FM2005]

Kathi - Sorry about the meds, but I hope they provide some relief. I still have heart palps on the the procardia, but they aren't as bad.

I think you deserve a medal or something - 2 meals each holiday? Girl, I couldn't do it! Cracker Barrel sounds yummy - one of my fav places to eat, but they lines are always so long down here, so we don't get to often. We are doing Turkey day here, but my mom and aunt are coming to help and DH LOVES cooking for Thanksgiving, so he is excited.

I am happy for your MIL. I didn't know the circumstances of her accident - how scary!

AFM - pre-term contractions continue to get worse. Last night, they were 4-5 minutes apart and painful before the procardia kicked in. I guess I am in shock because this is the earliest they have been this bad. With DD 1, I went into PTL at 30w2d, and spent 4 days in the hospital and 6 weeks on bed rest. DH and I are trying to get a plan together for the girls in case things get worse. I just want to make it 6 more weeks.

[carebears2]

Hello everyone!

Kathi-Sorry you have not been feeling well. Wow! 2 Thanksgiving Dinners, you rock!!

Jillian-Yes I was very lucky being able to deliver the twins vaginally. One twin was head down and the other was transverse. I still signed for a c-section just in case of any complications but I did not need it...thank goodness. I am sure you already know this but one more thing to remember 37 weeks is consider full-term so if you can make it that far that is still good. On the other hand if your baby did come now the risk of complications is very low. My twins were born at 34 weeks and they did not need any oxygen. They just need to learn how to suck, swallow and breath all the same time. So for the first week they were both had feeding tubes. Now you could never tell they were born premature. (((Hugs)))

AFM- I am having alot of pain down below. Maybe ligments or maybe the baby pushing on my pelvic bone. I have another OB appt next week. I am just making a small Thanksgiving dinner at home again this year for us. My aunt wants everyone to come to her house and my SIL wants everyone to come to her house, so they decided my aunt will cook for Thanksgiving and my SIL will cook for the day after. It is a long story but both of them love drama and this is just why I don't do family events with them. Well, anyway hope everyone is well!

Hugs!
Carla

[SC-emk808]

Miss_caramel - Why is your C-Section scheduled so early (before 37 weeks)?

AFM - Not much going on here. Baby is growing, my family was in town this weekend and the twins are being your average toddlers. We had a little bout with the cooties today and my daughter had to come home from day care early with a little fever. But she's feeling much better now since she has some Tylenol in her system.

The little one is moving around a lot...I feel her all of the time. I'm pretty sure she's still head down and will stay that way, especially since I'm planning for a VBAC. I have another appointment with the midwife this week and also with my doula. I can't believe we're getting this close!! In a few weeks I'll be passing the gestation I gave birth to the twins. That is such a huge milestone, and I am totally psyched for it.

[Miss_caramel]

Ladies: i really respect that you are pregnant and already have children. It is beyond me how you manage. Im just about coping with dh, dog and house :-)
The doctors calculated that i would have finished my 37 week by then
I had ICSI done on 23.4
Still makes no sense to me but i trust them and they brought me this far ....
Any lightshed on the matter would be appreciated.

[SC-emk808]

With ICSI done on 4/23 your due date is 1/14. That means that you are 37 weeks on 12/24.... I think you might want to consider asking your doctors to wait until at least 38 weeks (if not later) to schedule a C-Section, which would put you at 12/31 or after. Delivering a baby at less than 37 weeks for no medical reason can have some not so good side effects, and I'm not sure how on earth they calculated that date for you. I just want to make sure that your baby is delivered safely and many doctors won't schedule C-Sections even until you're 39 weeks, just to be sure the baby is "fully cooked". You do not want them to take the baby on the 23rd and have him spending Christmas in the NICU because it was too early... Good luck!!

[jilltine]

I recently found out for myself that here in Pennsylvania the new hospital policy is no c-section before you actual due date. They have found it much safer for the baby. I think a lot of it has to do with the maturity of the lungs and when you deliver c-section I guess the baby doesn't push out the fluid in their lungs like they would do in a vaginal delivery. At first I was disappointed, but after I thought about it, I want to do what is best for the baby. Hopefully you can get peace of mind by talking more with your Dr. 3 weeks seems pretty early.

[lookingforluck]

I am having a c-sect at 39 wks 1 day. They won't consider it before 39 weeks unless there is some dangerous medical situation, like the other gals have said its done for baby's safety and lung development. It use to be 38 wks and now minimally it's 39 wks according to standards. You may want to ask your OB why they are choosing to deliver you so early. You are the biggest advocate for your little bean!

[SC-emk808]

I think it's great that PA has a policy of no scheduled C-Sections before due date. If the baby is ready, you'll go into labor and then can have the C-Section at that point. If not, then your baby should definitely be ready on or after your due date. I would say that 39 weeks is the absolute earliest that a C-Section should be scheduled for (unless there are medical complications which require an earlier delivery, of course). My mom had a scheduled C-Section for me for around 39 weeks, but she went into labor around 38 weeks--so obviously I was ready! In either case, I would tell your OB that you want to confirm your C-Section date and then make sure to bring up the fact that you won't even be 37 weeks yet (not full term). Then let them know you think it would be better to schedule it for 39 or 40 weeks. If you go into labor before then, fine, but if not then at least you know you did everything you could to make sure your baby was born full term and healthy.

[J&FM2005]

My OB, peri and I have discussed this at length. Here is what I have been told:

Abundant research has shown that scheduled c-sections should not be performed before the 39th week without an amnio to prove lung maturity. With every week of gestation, the outcomes are improved for the baby by waiting until the 39th week. However, there is no difference between waiting after the 39th week, and outcomes actually begin to decline.

In October, I had a friend who had a c-section at 36w3d and her son spent 12 days in the NICU for lung immaturity and suck/swallow problems.

Miss Carmel - I know you are not in the US and that may be the cause of the difference, but I am with the other girls. Your doctor should have a medical reason for 1) performing a c-section and 2) performing it before 39 weeks, given what medical evidence has shown on the matter.

Hugs everyone!