WonderPup

This is long, sorry, but writing about it de-stressed and makes me fill better.

*sigh* I have a sneaky suspicion my labs weren't good though nobody has come right out and said that and I didn't ask. I was supposed to pop by the hospital early afternoon today to drop off my sample that I collected at home in the past 24 hours. Well that turned into a phone call from hubby before I left the house telling me the doctor was trying to get in touch with me about sending me back to L&D to get a shot and she had just called down to his office and gotten my cell phone number from him since I had been working I hadn't heard the phone in the house.
Anyway so I called the office right back to get the details on what they wanted me to do and go get a shot turned into drop your sample off at the lab and get more blood drawn, then go to the birthing center and get the shot which you will have to repeat in 24 hours. I can't remember the name of the drug but it is for speeding up lung maturity in the baby, they didn't explain why so I can assume A) they are doing it as a "just in case" type measure, or B) They have some reason to think they will indeed need to deliver much earlier than expected. I vote for reason A personally since as of yet the birthing center STILL cannot get as high BP reading on me as the nurse in the OB's office and they so far have not restricted any of my activities for the most part, (read no bedrest), which they would do if there was a real serious problem.

Poor hubby couldn't get away from working for any real length of time so he just helped me drop my sample and get me signed in at the lab. Normally he is by my side the whole time. I felt like a big girl today (lol) and told him not to worry about me, go back to work and I'll send him a text when I ready to go to the birthing center if he wants in case he is able to walk with me since he knows all the shortcuts which is handy.
O. M. G. was that EVER a big mistake... Let me tell him to go on and leave me alone with the vampires in the lab the ONE time they are training a NEW vampire... who proceeded to poke me 6 count them 6 times before deciding she couldn't get it and called the more experienced tech who is training her to help, who suggested switching arms. I have never met either of these two ladies so naturally I was freaking out. Thank god the other tech got it, but it took her two tries. Shaky legs carried me back to the waiting room with the first tech who was soooo nice I couldn't be angry with her I mean everyone has to start somewhere. I plopped into a chair outside of the lab and started sobbing, the guard recognized me and called John's office. Such a nice guy, grandfatherly type who came and sat with me until John came to get me.
when we got to the birthing center everyone was much easier going and by then I wasn't crying anymore, the fresh air between building helped a lot. John left me again because they were busy and we weren't sure how long it was going to take to get my shot to me, which I assumed would be no big deal (never assume). Of course, surprise, they decided not to just give me a shot and let me go home they hooked me up to the monitors again and told me to hang tight they wanted to get a good 20 or 30 minute strip on the baby, just because. Never hurts to check when you have the chance she said. Nice but uhhh I can think of better things to do haha. Blood pressure was good though... figure that out... :P

The only major hang up i had was yesterday I was one of only two people on the L&D floor and the other person was there for exactly the same reason as I was. Today, there were at least two other people in active labor one who was on meds and one who was not. Take a wild guess who's room I was right next door to.... I fainted. That's exactly what happened the last time I was within earshot of a woman in labor, only that time I was on a field trip with my child development class and wasn't lying in a bed, give me a dog any day!!
I survived though and got to skip the humiliation of letting my husband watch me get a shot in the butt which was surprisingly enough amazingly painful. That stuff stings, lol, just like the nurse said it would. I'm still a bit sore ROFL. She said if I insisted she would give it in the arm but it would hurt a lot worse and talked me into the rear entry option. How nice of her. It definitely twinges!!

I now look like I am a drug addict with multi needle sticks and bruising on both hands, both arms, and now one cheek. How luck I am, I'm told I get to add a matching bruise to the other cheek Wednesday. Hahaha.

Needless to say, I'm really not looking forward to whatever new torture Wednesday afternoon brings though I am looking forward to lunch out with a friend of mine before my doc appt. Finger's crossed for no additional surprises.

Oh and on a side note *puffs up proudly* I am now the owner of my very first set of swollen ankles. I feel like this is some sort of pregnancy milestone even though I was warned to be on the lookout for excessive swelling. Mine were only swollen a little bit and probably have something to do with the fact that for the first time in weeks I spent pretty much all day on my feet with shoes and shocks on. I hope they aren't swollen at the OB's office though, that way I won't feel obligated to tell her.

There, that wasn't so bad. I feel much better now except for the heartburn lol.

KPoos

Okay have you come right out and asked your OB doctor what this is all about? You really should. I wouldn't just start taking shots without knowing for sure and there's no one forcing you to do anything you don't want without telling you why first. I've had 5 kids so I know what's important, normal, and not so if you ever want to PM me, just do it and I'll let you know what my experience was. If your BP is normal there is no reason for concern right? My question to you is WHY are they giving you steroids for the baby's lungs? That's a big thing so I'd find out. They don't just hand them out unless there is a reason. I don't want to come off sounding harsh, I want you to go at this knowing what your options are.

WonderPup

I don't think you sound harsh Kpoos I'm the kind of person who won't even take asprin unless I'm practically dying. My OB understand this because she asks me about taking tylenol for the headaches and got the "are you crazy?? Why??" from me more than once.

I was aware of what the shot was for as soon as my husband said it I watch way to much Baby Story on TLC for my own good. I was kind of anal about choosing my doctor. I wanted somebody I would feel comfortable in trusting their judgement. No I haven't yet asked the why question (but I will today when I see the doctor) for reasons that have little to do with actual trust I'm afraid. It had more to do with the fact that it was raining, traffic was bad, and I was in hurry to be off my cell phone so didn't want to hold and try speak to the doctor but didn't want to hear it from the nurse either. I'm really an in person type of person anyway. I get a lot out of watching body lingo and seeing the other person's reactions. Like furious note taking is usualy a cause for concern to me, which she was doing Monday. Normaly she jots one or two things down.

I am definitly going to raise some questions about the differeing BP's between the birthing center and her office as well. I am more stressed at the birthing center because it was a new place, with new people than I am in her office. That really miffs me and I don't understand why it would be so differernt. I think I am going to have my husband take it in his office before I go up to my OB's and see if it changes between the two places. I am also wondering if the blood draws which were both done before the birthing center's BP's were taken were affecting the result. I get really light headed, queezy, and faint, a result that can be caused by your BP dropping in response to something, it's why I sometimes get sick in the shower too. Im not deluding myself into thinking that one or two or even 10 little viles of blood taken contain enough blood to affect your blood pressure, they don't. But the act itself making me sick might have an affect. pre eclampsia is usualy noted with a BP of 140/90 or greater. Mine in the OB's office was 140/80-somthing. I'd have to look at the paper again, but in the birthing center one of the reading was 112/? (I can't recall the number) I completely dont know what the last one was b/c I forgot to look at the monitor, I missed having John there he's like a prenatal personal asstant and remebers all the facts and number better than I do which is handy. Each reading in the birth center on Monday was higher than the last which makes me wonder about the blood draws and makes me wonder if I had been made to stay there an additional hour or two or overnight would the result have eventually been closer or the same as the OB's office? High BP could also be a response to dehydration, I would swear I read that somewhere???, which on Monday was a real issue. By the time I got to the birthing center I had consumed half of a big jug of water because I realized I had the problem before they even told me about it and started to try and correct it since it was my fault for not drinking enough. I wonder if that had something to do with it too. I have never been so dehydrated for a visit before I don't think.

Mandycasey'smom

ah hun sorry you are having issues. Just be glad your docs are being extra careful and take that if they were more concerned you would be told to have bed rest.
Thinking of you watching for updates.
Remember us with teens never had the internet to go and read and freak ourselves out we just had the few books there were. ( what to expect when your expecting)
Ask questions of the doc and ask what you should be watching for.
Reading internet stories could scare anyones blood pressure racing

gwtwmum2

I had a shot for the babies lungs as well. I would assume it is the same one. I also had another shot to stop contractions and that one made me feel like I was running a marathon (out of breath, shaky, hyped up). The nurse didn't tell me the side effects and left me alone so I started getting nervous as to whether these were normal side effects or a bad reaction. Thankfully, they were normal. What I've learned from that is to definitely ask ANYTHING you want to at anytime. I'd also say that with all the trouble you have with blood draws, I would specifically say you don't want anyone in training to take yours. You definitely have good reason for it and you've been through enough without that extra joy! I'm can relate in that I can't take the sight of blood - makes me pass out. So I always tell the techs - I'm looking away, Please don't comment until the needle is IN! I had one girl who couldn't get it and I started bleeding, (I could feel it run down my arm but would NOT look) she went on to tell me all about it and finally my cousin (who was with me) told her to STOP! Another lesson I've learned the hard way... Isn't this fun? Congrats on the swollen ankles.lol

WonderPup

Hehehe, that my FAVORITE book right now I have a copy right by the bed or the bathtub whichever I am closest too since I read alot at night and in the bath. I also have what to expect the first year and have been reading through that which is fun but I don't care for the way it was laid out. I was looking for more of a "ok, you had a baby... DON'T freak out, here's what you can do" type of book and this one really isn't about parenting exactly it's more about what to expect each month with your child, kind of like the first book is month by month.

Mandycasey'smom

Well you posted so assume your home and all is OK for now.
Let us know what happens and ask John to post for you if something happens that you cant.
Merry Christmas I know you must be busy at work but try to take it easy and just say NO sorry can't do him/her
Most of us forget how to say NO after 3 years old ( I am the worst I feel so guilty)

WonderPup

ROFL, you forget I own the business Saying no is easier when you have the ability to follow it up with the phrase " I'm so sorry, Doctor's orders" I only have four regular clients that I;m working on right now anyway and am only allowed a couple of appointments a week so I'm actually not busy at all, though I'd like to be. I was afraid this was going to happen when I realized I would be for the christmas holiday. It's the best time of year for groomers cash wise but not this year for me :( Thats frustrating for a work-a-holic type like me.

That said I'll add that I have one REALLY inconsiderate client that I think I am going to flush as soon as I can afford to do so. She's been calling and texting me all week hoping to get her dog in, after blowing off her last two appointments. When I told her I had been admited to L&D and I didn't know when I could come home she got upset and said I she hoped it was really soon because puppy was a mess and they were leaving next week for christmas. Then she told me to have a good time at the doctors.. what?? I'm sorry that I have a possibly life threatening condition (which is what they thought at the time and why I admited) and my doctor is on the phone trying to decided if I can go to the main hospital branch via car or do they need to call air heart? Shame on me for doing this now when your puppy so desperately needs to be groomed because YOU didn't bring her in. I was sooo upset, John took my phone away from me. On the other hand I had a client set up for Monday afternoon because non of that was supposed to happen of course and John had to call her for me and tell her I was very sorry but I would have to call her hopefuly in a couple of hours to see when we could get her terrier done. She got all upset and worried too, BUT, she was upset and worried about me and Nicholas and John. She said if I couldn't get to the dog no big deal he wasn't going anywhere but do please call her and let her know that we are ok. I was able to groom him the next day and while I was grooming she went to the outlets and freaking cleaned out the baby deparements of a couple of the stores. She shows up at the hospital where to pick the dog up with this HUGE baby gift bag that John had to lift, FULL of expensive name brand baby clothes. Then she tipped me 100 bucks in addition to her groom and gave me a gift card to lowes to rent a carpet cleaner since her dog had pee'd on my floor (just a tiny bit and I told her NO WORRIES and laughed it off b/c I clean the carpet myself so often anyway). She even wanted to drive back down to my house with the cleaner and clean the whole carpet for free.... now THATS an awesome client!