Sorry I am late with an update from hospital appointment yesterday, baby is still tucked up!
We went to the hospital on Monday as I was very sore again and my tummy was extremely tight. I was concerned as this is what happened the last time when they decided to remove the balloon 2 days early as they thought labour was very likely. I was in a lot of pain at night and was having trouble sleeping again so thought it best to get checked out.
My fluid had increased to 27cm but my cervix had remained stable. Thankfully the consultant was able to witness the tightenings I was having and she said they were contractions. As they were contractions she decided not to drain the fluid as my body appeared to be coping well enough and the only reason to drain would have been because I was so uncomfortable. They did not want to drain for this reason incase it caused me to go in to labour and they ideally wanted me to get to 37 weeks. They were happy for me to go "home" and come back again on Thursday to reassess my fluid, have a talk with the surgeon who would be operating on the baby and to discuss a date for induction!
At my appointment yesterday my fluid and cervix have remained the same which is good. The baby is now weighing 6llb 12 oz! We then discussed induction, if I don't go myself before then. The main consideration with induction is that there is a bed for the baby in intensive care. For this reason I had to wait for a phone call from the neonatal nurse to confirm. She called last night and they have provisionally booked me in for Tuesday 4th August!!! I really really cannot believe that I may end up being induced after being so high risk of prematurelabour throughout the pregnancy. I will be 37 weeks and 3 days so full term, again unbelievable! I have to call on Tuesday morning to confirm that a cot is available, if not it will be pushed back to Wednesday, then Thursday etc. I am trying to keep an open mind as I dont want to be dissapointed if I dont go in on Tuesday.
We also met with the surgeon yesterday and both found it really helpful. He explained exactly what will happen with the baby. They will have a team of doctors in the room and once the baby is born it will be immediately ventilated before it can take its first breath. The aim for the next week or so is to stabalise the baby for surgery. This is the main struggle as the baby needs to have enough lung function of its own to be able to pass oxygen and carbon dioxide through its lungs. He explained that if the baby makes it to the surgery then it has a good chance of survival so we really do have a rocky road ahead.
Obviously, I will not be able to update once the baby is born but I will ensure someone updates as soon as the baby arrives.....hopefully by this day next week at the latest.
Kerri x
Friday 31 July 2009
Wednesday 22 July 2009
Uneventful Hospital Visit
Hi
I am pleased to say that todays appointment was rather uneventful. As none of the consultants from the foetal medicine team were there we were scanned by a sonographer who didn't appear to be very familiar with abnormalities. This became apparant when Phillip and I both realised he was trying to work out the lung to head ratio by measuring the bowel in the chest!!! As a result I do not have much to report other than the fact that the baby appeared happy and although my fluid is slightly increased it is only measuring 20cms, 13cms less than before the balloon removal.
Although they did emphasize that they cannot predict when I will go into labour they did not seem as concerned that it was likely to happen immediatey so fingers crossed I get a bit further!!!!
On a personal note I am feeling so much better. Now the tenderness from the procedure is away I feel almost normal again. I still cannot walk too far but feel more up to getting out and about.
We are back at the hospital next Thursday so I will post an update after that, if not before if ............
Kerri and Phillip x
I am pleased to say that todays appointment was rather uneventful. As none of the consultants from the foetal medicine team were there we were scanned by a sonographer who didn't appear to be very familiar with abnormalities. This became apparant when Phillip and I both realised he was trying to work out the lung to head ratio by measuring the bowel in the chest!!! As a result I do not have much to report other than the fact that the baby appeared happy and although my fluid is slightly increased it is only measuring 20cms, 13cms less than before the balloon removal.
Although they did emphasize that they cannot predict when I will go into labour they did not seem as concerned that it was likely to happen immediatey so fingers crossed I get a bit further!!!!
On a personal note I am feeling so much better. Now the tenderness from the procedure is away I feel almost normal again. I still cannot walk too far but feel more up to getting out and about.
We are back at the hospital next Thursday so I will post an update after that, if not before if ............
Kerri and Phillip x
Sunday 19 July 2009
Update
Just a quick post to let you all know that the baby is still hanging in there! I really really cant believe it, I have made it to 35 weeks.
Phillip has just left to drop Gayle, Philip and Alex to the airport so we are feeling a bit down at the minute. From we arrived 3 weeks ago we have had lots of visitors and this has given us something to look forward to, now its just us! As we are expecting the baby anyday now it seems silly for anyone to book flights in advance as they are all intending on returning as soon as the baby is born. It is very hard being away from family when we are so close to them all, especially the wee man in my life!
Anyway, on a more cheerful note, I am over the moon to have made it this far and just hoping and praying that the baby will sit tight for another few days or so. We are back at the hospital on Wednesday and I will let you know how we get on.
Phillip has just left to drop Gayle, Philip and Alex to the airport so we are feeling a bit down at the minute. From we arrived 3 weeks ago we have had lots of visitors and this has given us something to look forward to, now its just us! As we are expecting the baby anyday now it seems silly for anyone to book flights in advance as they are all intending on returning as soon as the baby is born. It is very hard being away from family when we are so close to them all, especially the wee man in my life!
Anyway, on a more cheerful note, I am over the moon to have made it this far and just hoping and praying that the baby will sit tight for another few days or so. We are back at the hospital on Wednesday and I will let you know how we get on.
Wednesday 15 July 2009
Balloon is out - 2 days early!!
Well we have had an eventful few days!! I had a routine midwife appointment on Monday to check my blood pressure etc which turned into a trip to the labour ward! As you all know my fluid levels were very high and for the last few days my tummy has been constantly tight. The midwife was not at all happy about this so sent me straight over to Maternity A&E. Having a balloon in means I get VIP treatment so we were sent from there to the labour ward were I was hooked up to a machine to measure for contractions! I knew I was not in labour so was not too worried, I was a bit concerned as to why the midwives and consultants were puzzled over the constant tightness. I was then sent to the fetal clinic for a scan. They were also unhappy and this together with the fact that my cervix had now shortened to 18mm meant I was highly likely to go into early labour so they chose to remove the balloon on Tuesday instead of Thursday.
Balloon Removal
Well I am pleased to report that the procedure itself for the removal of the balloon was not as painful as getting it inserted. The day as a whole was a lot more relaxed as a result of us living nearby. We went to the hospital at 9.30am to give blood, get IV antibiotics and a patch for contractions and we were home again by 10am! I was to go back round at 3pm to get the balloon removed . However, Danielli rang to say they would be ready for me at 1.45pm. This was not the case and we were not taken until 4.30pm! Although it was very uncomfortable waiting around for 3 hours it meant that I was not as nervous by the time we were actually called and I just wanted to get it over with and get home! Things seemed to go our way from this point on. The one thing I was really worried about was having the baby turned as this was extremely painful the last time. However, the baby was lying face up with its lips pouted and the professor was able to get to the trachea. The baby also went to sleep first time which spared me the proking and proding! The professor got the balloon out easily and they then drained 2.5 litres of fluid!! My bump is easily 1/3 of the size it was. I had contractions for a few hours after the procudure which Danielli explained is normal as they have punctured the womb and also drastically reduced it in size by draining the fluid. The contractions have stopped now and apart from being very tender I am feeling much better, it really is a relief to have the fluid drained and I know I will really notice the benefit once the tenderness has passed.
Balloon Removal
Well I am pleased to report that the procedure itself for the removal of the balloon was not as painful as getting it inserted. The day as a whole was a lot more relaxed as a result of us living nearby. We went to the hospital at 9.30am to give blood, get IV antibiotics and a patch for contractions and we were home again by 10am! I was to go back round at 3pm to get the balloon removed . However, Danielli rang to say they would be ready for me at 1.45pm. This was not the case and we were not taken until 4.30pm! Although it was very uncomfortable waiting around for 3 hours it meant that I was not as nervous by the time we were actually called and I just wanted to get it over with and get home! Things seemed to go our way from this point on. The one thing I was really worried about was having the baby turned as this was extremely painful the last time. However, the baby was lying face up with its lips pouted and the professor was able to get to the trachea. The baby also went to sleep first time which spared me the proking and proding! The professor got the balloon out easily and they then drained 2.5 litres of fluid!! My bump is easily 1/3 of the size it was. I had contractions for a few hours after the procudure which Danielli explained is normal as they have punctured the womb and also drastically reduced it in size by draining the fluid. The contractions have stopped now and apart from being very tender I am feeling much better, it really is a relief to have the fluid drained and I know I will really notice the benefit once the tenderness has passed.
This is the balloon that was in the baby's trachea. I have taken it against a one pence piece to try to show how tiny it is!! Now all I can do is sit tight and hope that I will last as long as I can. The baby is now weighing 5lb 15oz which is a good thing. I know I am always pushing my luck but I would love to get to Saturday which would make me 35 weeks. Based on what the professionals are saying thought I dont know if this is very likely. The 72 hours after the procedure are critical and the two ladies I know who had the procedure went into labour within a few days. However, we have went against the odds a few times over the last 8 weeks so you never know!
Thank you for all your texts, comments and phone calls, they are very much appreciated and help to break up the monotony of being in the apartment all day. It really is nice to know that people are thinking about us all.
Will keep you updated.........
Kerri and Phillip xoxo
Tuesday 7 July 2009
Update from hospital appointment
Back from King's College and I'm pleased to report that it went well. My fluid has remained the same at 33cms and my cervix has not shortened any further. Although my fluid levels are very high this means my body is coping with it very well as the cervix is managing the excess weight. This would imply that I am not going to go into labour within the next few days. Although this is only an indicator Danielli did say she was hopeful I would make it to next Thursday for the removal of the balloon.
They also assessed the lungs again and got a LHR of 2.5! As most of you know it was 0.5 at the beginning and at our appointment 3 weeks ago it was 1.89. I really was not expecting an increase as I know the balloon usually shows most improvement during the first 2 weeks and I was expecting the change between weeks 4 and 7 to be mimimal. They commented that the lung was a good size and that they could see good blood flow through the lung which is excellent.
I am so relieved that we got good news again, it is hard at times to remain grounded though as we still have a long rough road ahead of us.
Will be really glad to get to next Thursday as I am in quite a lot of pain now because of the excess fluid, it is especially bad at night when I am trying to sleep so will be lovely to have it drained. I am really not complaining though as I will be so happy to get to Thursday I can put up with anything!!!!
We have quite a few people coming over to visit over the next few weeks which should put the days in. Phillips mum and dad have been here from Sunday which has been good and passed a few days, Dad and Chris are coming this weekend and Gayle, Philip and Alex are coming next week. We are really looking forward to seeing them all as we are really missing them. I am sure we won't know what has hit us when Mr Alex flies into the room! Can't wait to see him though!
Will post again after balloon removal next Thursday unless we have a new arrival before that!
Kerri xoxo
They also assessed the lungs again and got a LHR of 2.5! As most of you know it was 0.5 at the beginning and at our appointment 3 weeks ago it was 1.89. I really was not expecting an increase as I know the balloon usually shows most improvement during the first 2 weeks and I was expecting the change between weeks 4 and 7 to be mimimal. They commented that the lung was a good size and that they could see good blood flow through the lung which is excellent.
I am so relieved that we got good news again, it is hard at times to remain grounded though as we still have a long rough road ahead of us.
Will be really glad to get to next Thursday as I am in quite a lot of pain now because of the excess fluid, it is especially bad at night when I am trying to sleep so will be lovely to have it drained. I am really not complaining though as I will be so happy to get to Thursday I can put up with anything!!!!
We have quite a few people coming over to visit over the next few weeks which should put the days in. Phillips mum and dad have been here from Sunday which has been good and passed a few days, Dad and Chris are coming this weekend and Gayle, Philip and Alex are coming next week. We are really looking forward to seeing them all as we are really missing them. I am sure we won't know what has hit us when Mr Alex flies into the room! Can't wait to see him though!
Will post again after balloon removal next Thursday unless we have a new arrival before that!
Kerri xoxo
Saturday 4 July 2009
Update from london
We have been in London a week and I have made it to 33 weeks which we am very happy about!
Arrived in London last Saturday and so far so good. We are really pleased with apartment, it is a 5 min drive to the hospital but is also very handy to Sainsburys and East Dulwich shops and restaurants. There has been a heat wave from we arrived with temperatures in the 30's a few days, seems to be cooling down a bit today though which I am glad about.
We are going to Kings College on Tuesday for another scan and to monitor my fluid levels. I havent been checked from last Thursday so am really keen to hear what they have to say. If my fluid is up they may drain me there and then and if so they may also take the balloon out. Although I would love to be drained as I am in quite a bit of pain now I would rather hold on the 16th as we would be past 34 weeks and I know this is another mile stone with regards to lung development. I guess the decision will be made for me though!
Going a bit stir crazy as I am sore now and cant walk more than a few steps so have been confined to the apartment from Wednesday. Phillip had gone home for a few days for his brothers wedding so I was scared to move incase something happened! Phillips mum and dad are bringing our car over tomorrow which will be really good as we will be able to get out for lunch, go for a drive etc. Mum and Chris have gone into London today to do a bit of shopping, I think this will be good for mum as she has been confined to the house with me!
Will post again after appointment on Tuesday and hopefully not before it!
Kerri x
Arrived in London last Saturday and so far so good. We are really pleased with apartment, it is a 5 min drive to the hospital but is also very handy to Sainsburys and East Dulwich shops and restaurants. There has been a heat wave from we arrived with temperatures in the 30's a few days, seems to be cooling down a bit today though which I am glad about.
We are going to Kings College on Tuesday for another scan and to monitor my fluid levels. I havent been checked from last Thursday so am really keen to hear what they have to say. If my fluid is up they may drain me there and then and if so they may also take the balloon out. Although I would love to be drained as I am in quite a bit of pain now I would rather hold on the 16th as we would be past 34 weeks and I know this is another mile stone with regards to lung development. I guess the decision will be made for me though!
Going a bit stir crazy as I am sore now and cant walk more than a few steps so have been confined to the apartment from Wednesday. Phillip had gone home for a few days for his brothers wedding so I was scared to move incase something happened! Phillips mum and dad are bringing our car over tomorrow which will be really good as we will be able to get out for lunch, go for a drive etc. Mum and Chris have gone into London today to do a bit of shopping, I think this will be good for mum as she has been confined to the house with me!
Will post again after appointment on Tuesday and hopefully not before it!
Kerri x
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