Monday, July 23, 2012

Gestational Hypertension = Bullet Points

I have an appt tomorrow to recheck and discuss my high blood pressure.

Actually I have two appts.  One with my homebirth midwives in the morning, if my blood pressure is still high we discuss everything that is going to go down for my afternoon appt with the hospital midwives...and then shit gets real.  If I don't have high blood pressure anymore THAN I AM WORRYING FOR NOTHING.

I'm nervous.  I'm sure this is helping with the high blood pressure.

So, instead of discussing all the possibilities of what could happen tomorrow, including an induction if my blood pressure keeps rising, I'll sit back and wait until after my appts tomorrow to give you guys an update.

Today we'll do bullet points:

  • We're at 37 weeks on Wednesday, technically baby is fully cooked and could come at any time...but I'd like my last month with the baby in the belly if at all possible.
  • I've started looking at all the different ways I can try to induce myself if this high blood pressure doesn't resolve itself...unfortunately all is dependent on whether baby is ready to come out or not but come Wednesday we will start to try them ALL (except Castor Oil...not going there) rather than be induced at a hospital.  Oh right, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT UNTIL AFTER TOMORROW.
  • My BIRTH TUB arrives on Wednesday...holy shit guys!  Birth tub!  For birth!  In my bedroom! I'm totally going to be taking baths in my bedroom for the next month.
  • My nursery still isn't done.  Back when I wrote about my nursery here I told you guys not to expect it to be done for another 10 weeks and I was totally joking...but here we are 7 weeks later and...not done.  Maybe I was spot on with that 10 week thing!
  • Nursing bras.  Let's discuss.  I've never even pondered buying a nursing bra until yesterday when EVERYTHING hurt, including my boobs and I decided maybe it was time to look into nursing bras.  So, anyone buy them yet?  What brand do you like best?  Do I have to go try them on or can I buy that shit online?
  • I have an appt to get my rib put back in place tomorrow and HOPEFULLY this will help these last few weeks of pregnancy be less miserable.  The back ache is making EVERYTHING impossible...including sleeping which up until now has NOT been a problem and I really do not want to spend the next 4 weeks sleeping this poorly.
  • Perineal massage...ew.  I had 3 different midwives and one new mama recommend perineal massage...so we gave it a go and...I'm not a fan.  There is no evidence that says it helps prevent tearing but many midwives say it helps you get used to the sensation of stretching and be more able to relax into it when you hit that "ring of fire" of crowning during the pushing stage.  Fine, I see the logic, we did it a few times, and I understand what the burning stretching feeling will feel like.  It sucks, it feels awful.  But I think we're done with this now, it feels too much like an exam at a Dr.'s office and I hate that my husband is the one in the position of making me uncomfortable.  Anyone else try perineal massage and have a different view on it?
  • Hemorrhoids.  Hemorrhoids suck.  I hate them more than constipation.  Anyone have a really good birth story with hemorrhoids in which ALL TURNED OUT OK and their intestines did not explode out of their ass and the aftereffects were not more painful than the vaginal lacerations and tearing already involved in pushing a human out of your nether regions?
And that's all I've got for today.  Everyone wish me luck that the acupuncture appt I will hopefully be able to get today will help with my hypertension and I will have nothing to discuss with you tomorrow!

11 comments:

  1. Totally not a laughing matter, but you had me totally cracking up as I was reading this! Wishing you all the best at your appointments this week!

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  2. I'm glad you have an appt to take care of that rib... you may need to ice for a few days afterwards, but it'll feel 100% better in a couple of days!! No need to be MORE uncomfortable in these last weeks of pregnancy. Birthing tubs are awesome. Except being in water when I was in labor made me throw up... I hope we get to use ours again someday. Nursing bras are trial and error. I didn't like any of them. I went to Target (at the suggestion of Audra) and bought nursing tank tops. These are great because you can totally wear them around the house (and out in public on a hot Phoenix day) without a shirt over them, and they require no bra underneath them. If you do put a shirt over them, they're nice because you don't have to expose your ENTIRE belly when you lift your shirt to pull out your boob. And I was a size E when nursing and didn't have a problem with support in a nursing tank top. Buy at least one and try it out!!

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  3. Good luck at your appointments tomorrow. I hope all goes well! :)

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  4. Is there anything that can be done for hypertension..? I don't know anything about it. But I really really really hope it is within the normal range at your appointment, because I know a home birth is really important to you (can you still do a home birth if you have to be induced?)

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  5. I sure hope that tomorrow's appointments go well. I don't see any reason you couldn't have a home birth even if you induce. The baby is fully cooked, and if he/she is not stressed I don't think you need to be in a hospital to take care of baby's needs. Take it easy!

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  6. Go away high blood pressure! Idid everything to bring on my baby but nothing worked. I also did jack shit with my perineum and I didnt have one single stitch. I don't know whether to be pumped or embarrassed by my elasticity! Ha ha

    Photos of birth pool please!

    I hope you get the amazing home birth you want, you deserve it.


    And that damn constipation bizzo sucks!!!

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  7. I second the comment about the tank tops. I really liked having my belly covered up while nursing in public. The glamourmom ones (in long)were my favourite. Don't forget to get some kind of a sleep bra. At the beginning I leaked everywhere and had to wear pads at night or I'd wake up drenched! Good luck at your appts- hope the high blood pressure goes away.

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  8. Hope all goes well with the midwives, and glad you're getting your rib put back! It's hard enough feeling like a beached whale when trying to sleep, no need for sharp pains as well.

    Smart move not going for castor oil - it doesn't even induce labor, just gives you bad diarrhea, and some women happen to go into labor at the same time, or near when they downed the castor oil, and can't tell the difference between intestinal and uterine contractions!

    Yay for the birth tub! So exciting!

    I ordered nursing bras on Amazon - I think I got Medela. I actually PREFER the under-wire, i felt like my boobs were falling out the bottom of the non under-wire, and never had a 'dig in' problem. Order at least one size up! I ordered 1 and 2 sizes up, ended up wearing the 2 size up and ordering a 3 size up. A few months in I was in the 1 and 2 size ups though.

    I preferred the lots of cleavage look for nursing in public. when you're showing so much boob, no one notices an extra inch. everyone notices nursing covers. But in SF, it probably won't be much of an issue.

    I was not a perineal massage fan, I tried it once myself, no way was I letting Dav do it. I didn't tear and still had a bit of a 'lip' when I pushed Winston out, so I wasn't totally at 10cm yet. Maybe it was luck, but I don't think it's totally necessary.

    Dav had hemorrhoids after his knee surgery, he really liked those medicated wipe things.

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  9. I hope your blood pressure is back in normal range and all is good. Fingers crossed!

    I've had hemorrhoids for a couple years now, courtesy of my bowel issues. Greatest things I've found are the medicated wipes and the cream. I've also tried the suppositories you stick up your ass, but seriously.... gross. I was desperate the first time I tried it and threw away the rest because it was pretty terrible, even though it totally cured the problem. Wipes and cream, every time, you won't regret it! I'll be interested to hear if your gutts come flying out your butt while pushing baby out, because whatever happens to you will most certainly be my fate!

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  10. Gestational hypertension can decrease the flow of blood to the placenta, thereby decreasing the baby's supply of oxygen and nutrients. This results in slowed growth and smaller babies. Hypertension also increases the risk of placental abruption, where the placenta detaches from the uterus prematurely, and preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition that may necessitate early delivery.If the mother develops symptoms of preeclampsia, medical attention should be sought immediately. These symptoms include persistent or severe headaches, disturbances in vision, excessive swelling, sudden weight gain, pain or tenderness in the upper abdomen, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms that may indicate a placental abruption include pain or tenderness in the uterus and vaginal spotting or bleeding. Because these conditions may put the life of the baby and the mother at risk, they require emergency treatment.


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