9 month stats and Dr appointment

One Month Dr Appointment

We saw Dr Jen today for our one month checkup.  All seems to be improving. Keegan's belly is less upset- and though he still is having some trouble with gas, spit up and choking because of my excess milk supply things are much better than they were two weeks ago as he is not suffering pain or having any bloody poops. Dr Jen assures me that if I just keep doing what I am doing most of this should resolve by 6- 8 weeks- which in theory means we are halfway there and since this last month has FLOWN by I think we can make it.
Keegan weighs 12 pounds, 6.5 oz so while he is still gaining rapidly- his weight gain has actually slowed slightly which is a good thing. His physical exam went well and we got some advice about bottle feeding since I start part time work in just two short weeks.  Assuming all continues to go well Keegan's next appointment is at two months- I hope things keep just improving and we don't have to go anywhere before then :)

I Just Can't Win

With Grayson I thought I had suffered every bit of breastfeeding drama possible- low supply, cracked nipples, breast trauma, mastitis, crying and hungry baby, dairy sensitivity, and more..... I really thought we had gone through it all and survived- G is still nursing at 24 months and I thought we had figured it out.
Then Keegan was born and it all seemed to be going so very well- he latched well, was gaining weight, nursing frequently but then sleeping nice long stretches. At least for two weeks and two days- and then it all changed...
Then our sweet sleepy baby was replaced with a fiery, cranky, gassy baby with nasty green poop with little bits of blood in it... and then mommy cried- and then we went to our new pediatrician and then there was an answer!
Turns out I have too much milk- REALLY?!?! too much milk- who would EVER have thought that was possible. But because I have too much milk Keegan is really only getting the sugary foremilk and not the fatty hindmilk- so his tummy is upset from too much sugar, he always feels hungry, is gassy, has icky poop and in general feels crappy all because I have too much milk (I still am having a hard time wrapping my head around this.)
The plan is now to feed Keegan only from one side for a three to four hour stretch and try to get him to get all the milk out, use breast compressions to get the nice fatty stuff out of the deep part of the breast and pump the opposite side if I need to in order to try to avoid clogged ducts and mastitis. Hopefully this will get more fat in Keegan's diet meaning his belly will be less upset and he might actually sleep again someday which means I might sleep again someday :)
Hopefully the solution really is this simple, that all I have to do is switch breasts less frequently and within a few weeks my body will regulate so that we can go back to some sort of normal.
Wish us luck- darn boobs just can't seem to get this deal right.

Two week Dr Appointment

Keegan had his two week check up today. Dr Jen Thomas is our new pediatrician and so this was our first appointment with her as a family- and it went really well.
Keegan's physical exam was unremarkable- nothing of note as all is well :) He weighed in at exactly 11 pounds (!!!) far surpassing the goal of regaining his birthweight by two weeks of age.
Dr Jen helped us a bit with our latch too- on the left side right at the beginning of nursing I feel a bit of pain that lasts only about 5 seconds but it really hurts. Dr Jen showed us a few different ways to adjust Keegan's head and body position to try to decrease the odds of a bad latch or pain for me that could impact our nursing relationship.
Dr Jen also advised us to avoid giving Keegan anything other than breastmilk at this point (and for the next six months) - no gripe water, no vitamins (apparently if I take 4000-6000 IUs of Vitamin D a day enough of that will pass to him that he doesn't need supplementation himself), nothing.  Mom and Ryan had already dosed him with gripe water once and I have given him about 4 doses of Vitamin D- so we can't go back and undo those doses but we can avoid giving him anything else for the next 5.5 months.
His next appointment with Dr Jen is in two weeks, and then a month after that.

No more heel sticks

Keegan's bilirubin level when we left the hospital was 9.1, on Thursday it was 15.3, by Friday it was up to 16.2....which meant that Saturday we had to take poor sweet boy to Children's Hospital for yet another heel stick to measure the bilirubin level again.  I really struggled with taking him, but Dr Esser felt it was important so I caved and did.  Everything I had read indicated that his levels were nowhere near concerning and that since he is nursing so well and having lots of wet and poopy diapers AND is already gaining weight, is alert, active, crying, etc there really are no signs of jaundice impacting him.  But Ryan said if Dr Esser is our doctor and we have chosen him for our children's care then we should trust him and go- so go we did.
On the drive home with a crying baby who must just be so sick of having his heels pricked and his blood taken Dr Esser called and let us know that the bilirubin level had stabilized and was exactly 16.2. Therefore there is no need for any more testing! No more heel sticks! No more blood samples! No more trips to hospitals or labs! Now we can all just settle in and snuggle. We are so lucky that we only had to make those trips for 3 days- seriously we recognize how blessed we are to have such healthy children and we hope they stay that way!

Keegan's first Dr Appointment

When Keegan left the hospital his bilirubin level was a wee bit high at 9.1.  Yesterday we took Grayson to his two year check up and Keegan tagged along- and Dr Esser drew some blood then to reveal a bilirubin level of 15.3. So today at Keegan's first official Dr appointment they took more blood to see what his level is today- hopefully it is under 17 and we can avoid phototherapy.  Hopefully his good nursing, the fact that my milk has come in and the fact that his already gaining weight all mean his bilirubin levels will stabilize and we won't have to do anything else.
When Keegan left the hospital on 9-28 he weighed 9 lbs 5 oz, today on 9-30 he weighed 9 lbs 7.5 oz so he is already gaining weight! Dr Esser thought everything else looked good too (other than the slight yellow tinge to his skin of course).  He thought maybe he felt a little click by his clavicle- that just maybe he had dislocated or fractured something on his way into the world- but he was unable to reproduce the sensation so he is unsure and I am unwilling to have Keegan exposed to radiation for nothing so we will just wait and see. Dr Esser recommended that we be a little careful in how we pick Keegan up- not picking him up under the arm pits- for at least a few weeks just in case his clavicle is out of wack.
We wait now for Dr Esser to call us with the bilirubin test results this evening and find out if we have to do anything.  Then Keegan goes back in three weeks for a weight check and then for a regular two month appointment as long as all continues to be well.
Feeling lucky to have such healthy boys!

40 weeks...

So technically Thursday the 22nd is 40 weeks and our due date with Baby B.... the reality of course being that he can join us anytime :) and I am getting anxious to meet him.  I cannot wait to see if he looks like Grayson, or Daddy, or maybe even me (crazy talk I know since Grayson looks EXACTLY like his daddy). I am also super curious as to when he will arrive.  Grayson was intially due on September 23rd but I always thought he would be later and then an ultrasound told us he would come around September 26ish- he chose to join us on September 28th.  This sweet boy's due date is September 22nd- and the ultrasound confirmed that timing to be pretty accurate within a day or two so I am wondering when he will arrive.  I am hoping to meet him before the weekend is over :)
At my 40 week appointment with Grayson (which was on a Thursday and then he was born the following Monday) I had a cervical check which revealed I was 3-4 cm dilated, 75% effaced and at a +1 station. So that was 3-4 days before his birth.  On Tuesday the 20th (two days before Baby B's due date) at my 40 week appointment Cheri checked me and this time around I am 3 cm dilated, 60% effaced and at a -1 station...... so who knows.  If things follow the same trajectory Baby B should be here within the next 4 days, maybe :)
Oh and stats- Baby B's heartbeat was in the 140s today, I have gained a total of 13 pounds all pregnancy and Cheri measured me at 41 cm- all nice and lovely and reasonable measurments :)

39 weeks

We got to see Alli this week for our weekly appointment- and really didn't ahve much to say or do because everything is totally fine which is awesome.
Baby B's heartbeat was in the 130s, I have gained a total of 12 pounds, my blood pressure was a lovely 112/74 and Alli measured me at 41 cm this week.  Baby seems good, momma seems good, all is well.

38 weeks

Today we saw Cheri for our 38 week check up- and again today we were blessed to be told that all is well!
BP is good (118/64), weight gain is good (9 pounds total so far), measurements are good (38 cm) and Baby B is head down, butt up - though he is not engaged yet and still kind of floating around in his mommy pool for now.
Baby B is full term for sure now so if he decides he is ready to be born he should be healthy and fully cooked- which is reassuring for sure.  His nursery is ready, the newborn size clothes have been washed, his coming home outfit is ready to be packed.... now Mommy needs to get cracking on the next part of the to do list: pack a hospital bag for mom and dad, find the carseat so Ry can install it when the time is right, finish my schedule for my speech kids at work, finish up the last of my classroom set up at the school, and make an address list for sending out Baby B's birth announcements.  Which sounds like a lot- but honestly none of it is mandatory all just preferred.
Not much else to report- Cheri is out of town on and off until next Sunday the 18th but Alli is certain she would take great care of us so I guess things really are ready to go if he is ready.
I am kind of hoping he keeps cooking for at least one more week and would be totally fine if he wanted to stay in there for two more weeks- each week he stays in mommy's tummy is another week that I can work which obviously delays my return to full time work further into the school year....
I was rereading my journal from Grayson's pregnancy and noted that at this time when I was pregnant with him I was already so puffy that I couldn't wear my wedding rings anymore- that hasn't happened yet which is nice. I am also not as swollen or uncomfortable as I was this time last time around- which is also nice.  Though I am still hoping for a very similiar delivery experience so I don't want things to veer too differently :)

37 week appointment

37 weeks (or will be on Thursday) means technically this baby is 'full term' and if he was born now he should be just fine.... hopefully he will stay in there and keep cooking as I just am not ready quite yet... I have some things at work I would *really* like to take care of before Baby B arrives so I can really relax and focus on him when he is here. But if he decides to show up he should be cooked enough to be healthy and in the long run that is all that matters.
We saw Alli this week, Grayson was an angel boy (a sucker during and after the appointment certainly helped).  My weight went up by another pound or so- no biggie, blood pressure is nice and steady (112/64), Baby B's hear rate is slowing down a bit (131 this week) which is apparently normal.  Alli didn't have any great advice to get rid of my restless legs other than doing what I am already doing- but I didn't really expect anything new or fantastic so I am not too disappointed.
Results of the Group B Strep Test are.... Negative!!! Yippee!! That means no fluids or antibiotics during delivery- and makes me so very, very happy.  I do have to have an IV put in but they will cap it and will not make me have any fluids at all :)
Not much else to report- we have our appointment with Cheri next week, and Alli the week after.  Between appointments with the midwife, the chiropractor, back to school meetings, and more things are getting remarkably busy and I suspect that I am going to be shocked at how fast the rest of this pregnancy goes by (and I have been surprised at how fast it has gone so far) and it will seem like no time at all from now that Baby B arrives.

36 Weeks

36 weeks....9 months pregnant.... only one month to go until Baby B is here!
We saw Cheri again this week and Grayson was not as happy and cheerful during the visit- but with Daddy's intervention and a little help from a sucker things rapidly improved for our sweet toddler.
This week I was once again measuring at 36 cm, gained back the two pounds I had lost ;), heard a nice strong Baby B heartbeat and was poked and prodded a lot in an attempt to figure out which way Baby B is pointing.  Cheri is *pretty* sure that Baby B is head down- which I am good with for now.  She did say that if we aren't certain by next week she would happily do a quick little ultrasound herself (but our next appointment is with Alli so who knows if she would do the same).  Cheri also mentioned that I am already one to two cm dilated- interesting- but that probably doesn't mean a whole lot and I have nothing to compare it to as I haven't been checked before this week.  I had to get tested for Group B Strep again and am praying super hard that it comes back negative as I *really* don't want an IV again during delivery.  I hate IVs, I have read recently that IV fluids during delivery can negatively impact breastfeeding after birth (makes me wonder if that hurt G and I when we were starting) and that it can also make it 'seem' like a baby has lost too much of their birthweight after birth (turns out fluid weighs a lot and when the baby establishes a normal fluid balance they can seem like they lost a bunch of weight).  I took probiotics fairly consistently this pregnancy so I am hopeful, but only time and my next appointment (which is already next week!!) will tell.
We denied the fetal growth ultrasound, which I don't think anyone who knows us (Cheri included) was surprised by, so the next time we are most likely going to see our darling Baby B will be at birth (unless one of our midwives does decide to take a really quick peek to see if his head is down).  We decided that since nothing would be done other than start talking about induction or abnormal findings or benign incidental findings that could cause all kinds of hoopla there is no need to have another ultrasound.
Not much else to report- appointment with Alli next week and then Cheri the week after that, only one week until Baby B is considered full term which is pretty exciting.

34 weeks

Ryan and Grayson and I all headed to the midwife for my 34 week appointment.  Grayson did MUCH much better this week (as Cheri predicted he would) and not only didn't cry a single time but also blew kisses at the end.  My blood pressure remains wonderful (110/64), my weight is good (actually lost 2 pounds in the last two weeks) and the baby's heartbeat sounds wonderful and strong.  Cheri is still not 100% certain that little man is head down, but is more sure that he is appropriately positioned than she was last week.  Little Baby B is still measuring a bit big though- 36 cm this week- BUT that measurement has only gone up 3 cm in the last 4 weeks which is in the range of normal.  When I measured 33 cm at 31 weeks it was a little concerning as that is a good bit ahead, but now that I measure 36 cm at 34 weeks it doesn't seem as big of a deal as the growth is constant.

So now we have to decide- do we go ahead and have the ultrasound next appointment at 36 weeks or not?  The pros: we could be certain of Baby B's position so if he isn't nicely head down we could try to move him, we could check his weight and size, we could see him again soon (and since we really didn't get any good pics of him at his 20 week ultrasound we could snag some new pictures of our boy in utero).  The cons: exposing Baby B to another ultrasound, the possiblity that they may find "something" that may make them think they need to induce, the possiblity that they may find "something" that means nothing (a la Grayson's pregnancy) that causes a whole bunch of hoopla for nothing, they may tell me that the baby is too big or too small, that I have too much or too little amniotic fluid.....but they may also be wrong of about any of that.

Point being I am leaning toward no u/s.... but I still have a week to decide

32 weeks

Grayson came with Mommy to the midwife this week. It was quite the adventure!
Grayson doesn't like it when other people touch "his" mom and gets pretty upset- so Cheri and I have been planning some practice runs at midwife appointments and dr visits to try to prep him for when mommy is in the hospital with the new baby.
Grayson got to help take my blood pressure (still well within normal range), push the buttons while I stood on the scale (still gained about 6 pounds this pregnancy), hold the doppler while we listened to Baby B (solid heartrate of about 143) and play with cars on the floor while Cheri and I talked. All in all G did much better than I expected- he will come along with Ry as well to the next appointment and hopefully there will be even less crying and moments of general distress.
Cheri can't tell which way Baby B is pointed this time around, and I am measuring a little bigger this pregnancy than I was at this time last pregnancy yet haven't gained any more weight (though I honestly haven't worked out as much either so...) Cheri said that if she cannot tell what position Baby B is in at the next appointment she would like to do an ultrasound to see where he is and how big he is getting. We have tentatively scheduled that ulatrasound for my 36 week appointment but can move it up if need be.
Good appointment, good news, good days and already 8 months pregnant :)

30 weeks

Nearly 8 months pregnant and so far all is pretty good. At my appointment with Cheri this week she officially told me I do not have gestational diabetes (which I suspected since no one called me last week to tell me that I did). I am holding steady at my 6 pounds of weight gained over my starting weight- which is good. Baby B's heart rate sounds great- I seriously will never get over how awesome that sounds.
Only thing is that I am measuring a little big- 33 cm at 30 weeks (about 3 cm bigger than I was this time when I was pregnant with Grayson) and so Cheri wants to make sure everything is growing okay and not too fast or big. We might have an ultrasound in a couple of weeks if baby keeps measuring large- or we might not.... we will decide at some point in the 34-36 week range of time.

Stupid Glucose

I failed my glucose tolerance screening/ diabetes screening at 28 weeks by two dumb points (a pass is 140 or below and I got a 142). That means I had to do the long three hour glucose tolerance test to be sure that I don't have gestational diabetes.  This shouldn't be shocking to me as when I was pregnant with Grayson I only passed that same screening by one point with a 139, but somehow I am shocked and sad about it.  I also shouldn't be shocked since I have possibly, just maybe been indulging in ice cream on a nightly basis as well, and yet I was. Shocked that is.
So today I took the three hour test. I had to fast for 12-14 hours before the test so I didn't have anything to eat this morning before I went in.  The lab tech took my blood when I arrived at the office and then I had to drink a whole lot of a very, very sweet drink. And then wait. And wait. And wait....for an hour until the lab tech came back to take my blood again.  Then I waited for another hour until the lab lady took another vial of blood and then waited another hour before she took the final blood sample.
My elbows are bandaged and I was one hungry, grumpy lady by the time the whole thing was over.  Then I went to get something to eat and all that food combined with all that time of not eating made for a really nauseated and shaky feeling- so I had to lie down and nap while Grayson napped for about an hour or two.  After that I felt much better and life seems to have resumed at its normal and hectic pace.
I am really hoping I passed this test- I really don't want a super sized baby, I don't want to end up diabetic later in life, I don't want a c-section delivery, I don't want to increase the risks of anything bad happening to me or baby B --- and Gestational Diabetes increases all of those risks.  So perhaps nightly ice cream should be done and daily walking should begin....perhaps.
Here's hoping I don't get a phone call from Cheri or a diabetic counselor anytime soon- which means I would be in the clear!

28 weeks

28 weeks already!
Midwife appointments every two weeks already!
Seriously this pregnancy is flying right by- we are so very busy between me working multiple part time jobs to save up enough money to stay home as long as possible with Baby B and chasing a very active toddler around.
Midwife appointment this week was with Ali again. Baby seems to be fine, good heartbeat, good size.  I didn't gain any more weight (phew) so I am standing at 6 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight.  I did however fail my glucose tolerance screening- which means I *may* have gestational diabetes and now have to undergo the long three hour glucose tolerance testing and hope I pass.
In the meantime- I am planning some nice long walks, a bit less ice cream and a more balanced diet.
Not much else to report- I finally have some maternity scrub tops and so I can comfortably sit down to chart at work which is very nice.  Baby B is moving and shaking and generally seems awesome- though so far less active than his big brother was at this time.

24 weeks

At my 24 week appointment this week I discovered that I have gained 9 pounds in 4 weeks! Whoops....is about all I can say.  Ali kept telling me that because it has been SO blessed hot and therefore I could be retaining water or maybe not moving as much due to the heat that the weight gain may not be 'real.' But I also need to be careful. Since I lost 3 pounds in the beginning of this pregnancy this weight gain puts me at only 6 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight- which is not awful.  However no one should really gain 9 pounds in just their fifth month of pregnancy so I better keep things in check from here on out.
It has been SO hot and miserable and we have been so busy that I haven't been able to walk or work out much at all this pregnancy.  It makes me kind of nervous because I worked hard during my pregnancy with Grayson to walk daily and work out frequently to try to support an easy and safe delivery- and I haven't been able to do that this time at all.  I would LOVE to experience a similar delivery as I was blessed with last time but that also means I should probably try to find the time and energy to get moving, walking, doing Bradley exercises, being treated by the chiropractor..... and yet it seems that there just isn't enough time.  Hopefully things will slow down a little bit and I can make taking care of myself and supporting a good delivery a little more of a priority.