So we aren't calling IUGR, we are calling it Small Gestational Age.
My OB called me Friday night, this is the first time in my life that an actual doctor called me. Ellie's growth at our scan on Tuesday was a little slower and she is now in the 5th percentile. She's still growing but we will need to bring our c-section date sooner and she will be a September baby.
Another thing my doctor suggested was NSTs every 2 days, this is a test where they hook up a monitor to my belly and track her heart rate and movements for 20-40 minutes and just make sure she is doing well. There is a program in Calgary where a nurse will come to my house and do the test.
Saturday morning the nurse came by, Ellie was sleeping when she got here but once she woke up her NST was perfect. My blood pressure was high, which is unusual for me, so the nurse left us with a blood pressure cuff and instructions to take my BP every four hours for 24 hours just to keep an eye on it. Rules were if it exceeds 150/100 wait half an hour and take it again and if it's still above 150/100 head to L&D.
Of course, Saturday night we found ourselves in L&D. They monitored my BP for an hour and a half before deciding to give me some medication. It dropped a little bit but not much below 150/100. The doctor was happy enough with the numbers and said I didn't have to stay but I do have to keep taking the blood pressure medication and keep checking my BP.
In the meantime we are also doing regular lab work to look for other signs of pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome and I'm now on restricted activity. Not quite bed rest but I am required to take three 3 hour rest periods throughout the day and to limit walking and standing to 10 minutes. I am only allowed to do light housework and keep cooking times to under 20 minutes. If I'm not laying down I'm to be sitting, basically.
The home nurse said that the high BP could be part of the reason Ellie's growth slowed down again and said that the medication may allow her to grow a little bit faster but with this along with the SGA and everything else we're all betting my doctor is going to lean on having her at 37 weeks.
She's likely going to need some NICU time, just based on her size, but we are hoping her lungs and organs are developing on track despite her small stature and we will really just need her to gain some weight. Either way, I'm not sure I'm ready for her to come out. Logically, I get what they are saying but when I think about how small she is... it scares me.
That's great that they will come out to your house!! Praying you don't end up with pre-eclampsia, it is not fun (I ended up with it and delivered at 37 weeks)
ReplyDeleteHoping everything goes ok for you. Try not to stress that doesn't make anything better! She's a tough little girl already!!
ReplyDeleteYou don't know me but I had a similar situation with my first baby. She was born at 32 weeks via emergency c-section and spent a month in the NICU. I had developed pre-eclampsia and she was 4 lbs and 6 oz when she was born - so really tiny. My baby girl was and is perfectly fine and is now a normal sized 8 year old girl. Keep calm and things really will be alright. Take it from someone who has been there. :)
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