Tuesday, June 10, 2014

9 weeks (and a scary OB appointment)

This is very long, skip to the bottom for a TL;DR and weekly info/pictures.

Yesterday was my first OB appointment.  It was just an introductory meeting to go over medical history and do a physical so I told Dave he didn't need to come with.  I worked from home in the morning then headed to the appointment just before noon.  Now I had experienced some bleeding the day before and passed two very small clots right before leaving for the appointment.  I was worried, but had experienced no cramping or pain.

After being called back and having blood pressure and weight done I was put in a small room.  Nurse A came in and we went through medical and family history.  She discussed all the different testing we could have done, vaccines we should get, restrictions during pregnancy, and I got a nice big packet of forms to look through and sign.  Nurse A wished me luck and brought me to an exam room to wait for Nurse D.

I had just missed the cut off for having a current PAP on file so I got into the little pink gown and waited for Nurse D.  I had seen Nurse D twice before and she was very nice.  When she came in we went over the appointments I would have over the course of the pregnancy.  With the UU I'm considered high risk so we'll start cervical checks at 16 weeks and have extra growth scans to check on baby girl.  They also do the glucose fasting test at 16 weeks for patients with PCOS, hooray.  I was impressed with how much they recognized the risk factors with my uterus, no need to go looking for a separate MFM.

It was time to get down to business and Nurse D started the physical.  My boobs hurt so much, but she finished the breast exam very quickly.  It was time for the evil speculum.  I had explained about the bleeding and small clots so she looked closely at the cervix.  She said it was only old blood in there and my cervix was closed tight.  Once everything was done she explained that I may have some bleeding from the PAP.  After having a few vials of blood drawn I was sent on my way.  Our next appointment would be the NT scan on July 3rd.

It is only a five minute drive from the OB to home.  As soon as I got out of the car I felt a gush.  Freaking out I double timed it up to the condo and felt a few more gushes.  Got to the bathroom and my underwear was soaked through with blood.  Then I felt the clots pass.  I stared down at them, they were enormous.  My heart fell and I started sobbing, positive that I had just miscarried.  Two of the cats were sitting with me in the bathroom, staring up at me with concern.  After pulling myself together I called the OB office and the receptionist said a nurse would call me back ASAP.  Less than a minute later a nurse called and told me come back right away.

Cleaned up as best I could and headed back.  In the waiting room I texted Dave and my IDOB girls.  It felt like the world was crashing down around me.  I was called back and brought to an exam room.  Nurse D came in and tried to calm me down.  She checked me again and said that it was much more than the usual amount of blood expected after a PAP.  She found some small clots, but my cervix was still closed.  I had not and was not having any cramping or pain.  I was sent for an ultrasound to check on baby girl.

In the ultrasound/blood work waiting room I had multiple messages and a missed call from Dave.  I was getting almost no service so I texted him back saying that I was going in for an ultrasound.  He was leaving work and heading home and wanted updates as soon as possible.  The tech called me back and I got set up in the ultrasound room.  Their machine is very fancy and they have a separate screen mounted on the wall so I could see what the tech was looking at.  As soon as she put the dildo cam in, there was butterfly.

I held back the tears and the tech told me to breathe.  She started taking measurements and I was amazed by how much baby girl had grown in a week and half.  Her heart was beating very strong at 173bpm.  The tech said everything looked fine, handed me a printout of butterfly, and said one of the OBs would discuss the results with me.  Back to the big waiting room I went and immediately called Dave.  He was still driving and sounded so scared when answering the phone.  When I told him she was okay his voice cracked and I could tell he was crying.  This in turn made me start crying.  We decided to meet at home and I was called back to see the OB.

I go to a large practice with six OBs on staff.  They want you to have an appointment with each one during pregnancy since any one of them could be on call the day butterfly is born.  The OB I was seeing today was Dr. B.  He was a very kind man and calmed me down a lot.  He said everything looked fine with baby and they didn't think the bleeding was from the uterus.  I likely have an incredibly sensitive cervix.  To be safe I was put on pelvic rest and told to just take it easy, no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise.

My next appointment is July 3rd for the NT scan.  I'll be seeing Dr. B again for an OB check as well.  After such a crazy day I was very happy with how the office handled everything.  It's easy to feel like just another name on a chart in a large practice, but everyone was very caring.  I headed home tired and hungry.  All in all I had spent over four hours at the OB office.

Upon arriving home Dave grabbed me into a hug and through tears said that I would never be going to an appointment alone again.  We cried together for a few minutes.  He had ordered dinner, my favorite chicken and broccoli stromboli, and we ate together while watching a movie.  I spent the rest of the night on the couch with a big bottle of water.  Hikaru refused to get off my lap until bedtime.

TL;DR: Had first OB appt.  PAP was done.  Got home and bled profusely and passed massive clots.  Back to the office for ultrasound.  Baby girl is fine, cervix is closed, bleeding likely came from cervix or vagina.

Here's a picture of our little trouble maker from yesterday.
8w6d beautiful butterfly


9 week blump
How far along? 9 weeks
Total weight gain/loss? +.8 lbs
Stretch marks? Nothing new
Maternity clothes? Going out either this weekend or next to pick up some shorts and a new dress for Dave's cousin's wedding.
Sleep? Have a bit more energy these days, but finding it difficult to find a good position to sleep in.
Gender? Girl
Best moment this week? Seeing butterfly after thinking I had miscarried
Movement? None
Food cravings? Ice cream
Belly button in/out? In
What I miss: Sex.  Likely won't be getting any until at least second tri
What I am looking forward to: Our NT scan on July 3rd!
Milestones: Butterfly is an olive!

 

2 comments:

  1. So glad to hear that little one is ok! That must have been terrifying! Your husband is just the sweetest, glad that he's taking good care of you!

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  2. Hi from a fellow former TTGPer (I recognized you from your Grad Check-In!! and found your blog...)
    After what I'm sure was a terrifying wait for the ultrasound, I'm so glad to see that Baby Butterfly is A-OK!

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