36 Weeks pregnant and the stitch is out!

I am so pleased to say that the removal of the stitch was over and done with so quickly and painlessly I was shocked. I expected to feel at least some tugging but not a thing. I only felt the speculum going in as it does when you have a pap smear but that was all. Yay!!!

The stitch itself was a surprise, it was just like fishing line but blue. I should have taken a photo but didn't think of it until later. So thank you all for your prayers and best wishes, it all worked so well, no pain relief needed and no bleeding or cramping afterwards. This stitch was removed this morning and nothing has happened, it will be interesting to see how long it takes to go into labour :-)

I also had an ultrasound this afternoon to check on bub, the good news is that he is still growing well and measuring ahead in size at 37 weeks 4 days and 3.088kgs. The not so good news is that he has decided to flip over and is in a breech position. Any suggestions you have for flipping him back around would be great. I would really love to try for a vaginal birth but we can only wait and see.

xx

Happy 2013 and ALMOST 36 weeks pregnant

I am so thankful to say that bub is still inside and all is still going really well. It was such a relief to make it through Christmas and New Year and I must confess that once we were past both I gave up on bed rest. That may sound rather drastic but in reality I have been on bed rest for 3 months and I am now many kilo's heavier so giving up bed rest doesn't mean I  have been running around lots either. Unfortunately my stamina and fitness just isn't what it once was and I still need to sit and put my feet up a lot and truthfully there are just some jobs I really prefer not to do so I continue to let the boys do them ;-)

34 weeks

However the need to nest did kick in and I have spent a few days rearranging the shed with all my stock, washing all the baby clothes my sister dropped off, wiping down the bassinet, change table etc. I have cleared out some books, magazines, clothes etc and taken them to our church in preparation for next weeks op shop sale. I am feeling ready for baby to arrive any time he likes now.

I had a Doctors appointment today in preparation for the removal of the suture on Monday, I am excited about getting the stitch removed, it means a lot of restrictions will be gone and I can have a swim or go for a long walk :-) I am also a little apprehensive, I have read a lot of stories from other women who have had cervical sutures and some of them had a lot of pain when removing the stitch, a few have even said it was worse than labour. I am going to be brave and attempt to have the stitch removed in the labour ward, my doctor assures me that the worst discomfort is caused by the speculum but if we have any problems we will head to theatre and remove the stitch under general anaesthetic.

34 +5 weeks

I will go in to hospital on Monday morning to remove the stitch and should be home by lunchtime, it is not common to go straight into labour (only about 5% of women) once the stitch is removed so I will pack a bag just in case but most likely leave it at home so Nick can grab it if needed and bring it in.

I am starting to get very excited about the arrival of our new little boy, it is all starting to feel real and I am quite happy for him to come any time now. He is still growing well but this week I have started to feel uncomfortable, the heat hasn't helped but even without that my sleep is not as sound as it was. I am starting to get aching thighs and hips so I have to switch sides more often and that isn't as easy as it once was, bub shifts from one side to the other when I do and that can be a little painful. I also have finally started to get up to go to the toilet through the night, I know I am much more fortunate than most and am so thankful I have a big bladder but I can't seem to make it through any more and find I need to get up early in the morning or I am just too uncomfortable to sleep. I figure now that I am not resting as well as I could be than bub may as well come :-)

just for fun on the left 32 weeks pregnant and on the right today at 35 + 4 weeks (today my tummy measured at 37 weeks and I put on a kilo this week, Nick thinks it may have something to do with the 1kg tin of toffees that I have had out each night after dinner)

I hope the start of the New Year has been wonderful for you so far, I really enjoy this time of the year as everything seems to slow down and it is a wonderful time to just relax and enjoy life at a nicer pace.

I just love this handbag so much I have decided to use it as my nappy bag, it is a perfect size and all I did was buy a Isoki Change Mat Clutch that fits easily inside, perfect!

Have a great weekend and if you are in Orange please pop into the Church of Christ on Burrendong Way next week (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm) we are having a big Opportunity Shop sale and when I stopped in today I saw lots of fantastic bargains.

xx

31 Weeks Pregnant

The last week has flown past since I have been home, yes that's right just in case you didn't know I am home :-) Yay!!!!!!

My last ultrasound in hospital was Wednesday week ago and the Professor came in to see how it was all going and gave me permission to head home. 

Bub and I are both doing really well and I have had another ultrasound here at Orange hospital last Thursday, confirming that the stitch is still holding up well and that bub is growing well. Last approximate weight was 1.85kgs or just over 4 pounds with big feet and long legs (measuring in the 95th percentile). 

 31 weeks

It's not not just big feet over here, my belly is pretty big too. It expanded quite rapidly and noticeably, thanks to all of those people who mentioned it ;-) Unfortunately with all the bed rest my belly isn't the only thing that has expanded so looks like I will have to hit the pavement once bub arrives, to not only get back my fitness back but to fit into my normal clothes again.

30 +3 weeks

My first week back home was fantastic, hubby had already decorated the house for Christmas but when we had news that I was coming home he set the tree up but waited till we were all together to decorate it. we've had carols playing all week and I am feeling super organised with all the presents wrapped and already under the tree. Hospital bed rest does give one lots of time to shop on line and it is so convenient to have it all shipped straight to your house. 

Speaking of online shopping, just in case you missed it I have a big 30% off store wide sale happening over at my store - 

McCarthy Designs & Occasions

grab a cuppa or a glass of wine (have one for me too) then sit back and finish off your Christmas shopping, my couriers are fantastic and they will get your goodies to you asap, unfortunately they're not miracle workers so don't leave it to the last minute ;-)

Hope you are all having a great festive season, I confess this year is the quietest lead up to Christmas ever for us but I am enjoying it and I am sure we will make up for it next year.

xx

28 Weeks Pregnant

I have been in hospital for over two weeks now and life has settled into a routine, rather boring but comforting at the same time.

Each day we have shift change at 6am, breakfast at 8am, doctors rounds at 8.30 - 9.30am, morning tea at 10.30am, obs and fetal hearts or CTG's also get completed at some stage during the morning rounds.

Lunch arrives at 12.30pm, shift change at 2pm, afternoon tea at 3.30pm, dinner at 6pm, shift change at 10pm and then it all starts again in the morning.

I have found that the days are passing by much quicker than expected, I have read lots and have now ordered some cross stitch as well to give me something a little different to do. I have been able to work on my laptop and play games or complete crosswords etc. My sister in law has provided me with a dvd player, some dvds and also a cute snail cushion kit. I am going to start on my cushion today so hopefully I can share my completed cushion with you soon :-)

Today I have reached 28 weeks, yay! another milestone in pregnancy with the risk associated with premature birth reducing and the survival rate increasing to between 80 - 90%

28 weeks 

If bub was born now the average hospital stay for a baby born at 28 weeks gestation in Australia is 10 weeks 4 days. 

26 + 3 weeks

Taking belly shots has proven a little difficult in hospital, first I have to find a mirror that is big enough then try and get an angle that hides the toilet, emergency buttons, urine collection devices etc. Such a glamorous life ;-)

27 + 5 weeks

Each week I get to have a little excursion across the road to the clinic to have my ultrasound and I get to bring back cute little 3D photos of bub. The one below is from my 26 week scan because last week (27 weeks) he was rather uncooperative and kept waving his hands around in front of his face so the pictures are not great :-(

Every second week the ultrasound is a growth scan where they measure bub to check that all is developing as it should be. Last week he weighed 1151 g or 2 pounds 9 ounces and my cervix is still measuring 2 cm closed.

I have a room of my own at the moment that I'm really enjoying. I like having my own space to rest and relax without feeling rude if I don't want to talk to the person next to me. I can close my door and forget that I am in hospital most of the time. My boys came to visit me yesterday and I was allowed out on a gate pass for 4 hours. While we were out hubby bought me some of my favourite flowers, they are now sitting on my table helping create a more homely feel.

At this stage provided all goes well I may go home sometime between 30 - 34 weeks. We're praying that it will be at 32 - 33 weeks so I can be home for Christmas. 

Thank you again for all of the lovely comments, emails, msgs etc. Reading them all really does help boost my mood and encourages me greatly. 

Hope you have a great week.

xx

Hospital Bed Rest

I haven't had a great deal to blog about these last couple of weeks while I was on modified bed rest at home. I spent a lot of time researching incompetent cervix, reading many stories from ladies who have suffered from this condition and not doing much else. Now that I have progressed to hospital bed rest I am not sure that you will be hearing from me much at all over the next few weeks :-) 

 I had my full assessment at the clinic yesterday in Penrith and was admitted to the Nepean Hospital that afternoon. Bub and I are both doing well and my cervix length is holding up at 2cm yesterday so I am here as a precaution. Unfortunately Orange Hospital is not equipped to deal with premature babies born prior to 34 weeks gestation so it is routine to send women here for bed rest at least until past the critical stage of 28 weeks. At 28 weeks a baby is developed a bit more and at a better stage to cope with the travel to the nearest NICU after birth. 

I am by no means the only one here on bed rest and I share my room with 3 other ladies who have been here for varying lengths of time, the longest being 6 weeks already with another 5 to go if her bub stays put.

I am being monitored and will be assessed on a daily/weekly basis. At this stage I am definitely here until I reach 28 weeks (currently 25 + 4). I am not on any medication, I am being monitored for infections will only have antibiotics if required and at this stage I won't have any steroids unless I have signs of labour, contractions, shortening cervix, bleeding etc.

I am actually a really boring patient, I just have my blood pressure, temperature, pulse and baby's heartbeat checked regularly. 

I will have an ultrasound weekly, this will be a little outing for me, I will get wheeled across the road for this one so I am sure I will be looking forward to it, not just so I can see bub but it will be the furthest I get to venture all week :-)

This is my little corner for the next few weeks

and my excitement today consisted of new stockings to wear ALL the time (apart from showering)

a hot lunch

and these gorgeous flowers and yummy chocolates from my wonderful in laws

So no promises that I will blog often, I will try and update regularly but I don't want to bore you all with my exciting life :-) 

However I might surprise you all (as well as myself) and find interesting things to share, you just never know what can happen. 

Have a great weekend

xx

24 weeks pregnant

I am so pleased to be at this stage in pregnancy, the last few weeks have been more than a little exciting and filled with lots and lots of prayer from us as well as many of our friends and family.

This is the second week that I have been on modified bed rest and over the last week and a half that I have been home we have had 5 hospital/doctors visits including 2 ultrasounds and a few calls back and forth to the doctors and midwives.

This week the ultrasound showed that the stitch is still doing it's job and my cervix still has a closed portion of 24mm (26mm last week and 13mm prior to the stitch)

I have what they call funnelling of the cervix as per the diagram below, the funnelling is on the baby's side of the cervix.

This week the funnelling has widened which is not alarming but not great either, so I am putting my feet up as much as possible :-)

We have been very blessed with the team of doctors and specialists that have been working with us throughout this pregnancy and have only praise for all of the staff that we have encountered both through this pregnancy and our previous ones.

Unfortunately our local hospital is not equipped to look after premature babies and therefore it is likely that I will be heading off in the next week or two, to the Nepean Hospital in Sydney to stay there on bed rest until the baby is born as they have a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 

At this stage it is a matter of when. I have just spoken to the Nepean Clinic and now have an appointment with the Specialist next week for an assessment and I say that we will know more then. 

It really is a waiting game for us now and we are thankful for every extra day that bub stays put and when the days add up to a week we are thrilled, hopefully the weeks will continue to add up so we can give our precious baby the best start possible.

At baby born at 24 weeks is considered viable and has a 40 -50% chance of survival however the average hospital stay for babies this premature seems to be around 23.5 weeks. 

I am feeling great physically which I find slightly ironic since I have to spend most of my time lying around. I have no unpleasant pregnancy symptoms, no heartburn, no continuous aches or pains and I am still sleeping comfortably. 

I have started wearing maternity clothes and I have found new ways to wear my existing clothes, luckily I have a few baby doll tops and dresses as well as stretchy clothes that still work well.

I don't have any bleeding, increased discharge or cramping at this stage but find that I am always looking for any unusual signs and have to keep myself from overreacting.

Thanks for your continued support and prayers, I will aim to keep my pregnancy story updated regularly as I have found reading the stories of other people who have been in this situation really helpful, sometimes sad and other times very encouraging but all of them have been empowering me with knowledge and that is a great thing.

xx

A pregnancy update

Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes it is such a comfort to us knowing that we have so many people surrounding  us in prayer.

The procedure went well yesterday and bub is looking good too. I am going home today and will be monitored closely over the next few weeks to make sure the stitch is doing it's job and the cervix remains closed.

Once again thank you, reading all of your messages really helped keep me positive and at peace throughout the whole thing.

Nellie

xx