Saturday, October 15, 2011

Pregnancy Update

Well, I am now nearly 29 weeks along and due to some requests, I thought I'd post a couple belly pictures and record a little pregnancy update for my own records.


Pictures are courtesy of Cash.  He did pretty good really - he cut my head off on the one below but what you really want to see is that big belly anyway right? :).  I'm 27 weeks here.


We have had an interesting pregnancy so far...again. Early on (end of July/beginning of August) I began feeling pelvic/cervical pain and pressure and was told to try to take things easy (which isn't so easy to do with little ones around right?) as we kept a close eye on things throughout the pregnancy. At that time, I also started receiving weekly hydroxyprgesterone shots in hopes of helping reduce the likelyhood of pre-term cervical shortening and pre-term labor (we dealt with these issues in my pregnancy with Vanna).

As time continued, so did the pain and pressure but I was consistently surprised to find that ultrasounds showed no cervical shortening. However, come about the 25th week mark, I began to just feel different and really started looking forward to my next ultrasound where I was sure we'd find things had changed (but hoping we wouldn't).

Well, I had another ultrasound on Thursday and found that my intuition, in this regard, was dead on. I had thinned and my cervix measured half the size it's supposed to at this point in a normal pregnancy (at this point anything below 3 cm is too short and I measure at a 1.5 cm - with Vanna's pregnancy, we discovered problems when I was 30 weeks along and I measured in at 1.8).

From the beginning, we knew I was at a higher risk of this type of thing happening again, obviously for the simple reason that it had happened before but we kept hoping somehow that we might be able to avoid these problems.  Now that is happening again, we are certain the diagnosis of an "incompetent cervix" is accurate. Up to this point, we just kept hoping we could prevent the same thing from happening and that perhaps our experience with Vanna was a one-time thing darn it.


 I'm 28 weeks here.  My mother-in-law gave me this fun shirt and I love it.  Each time I put it on though, the kids always make a comment about my wearing a turtle shirt.  I'm sure I'll look more and more like a turtle in it as my "shell" continus to grow. :)


Anyway, we are now on bedrest and trying to figure out what we are going to do over the next two months to help keep the kids happy and entertained, allow Ty to keep working the way he needs to, and keep me down with my feet up the way I need to.  Even though we have no family around we are blessed with their willingness to come up here to help and to take the kids to stay with them for different time intervals.  We are also blessed with amazing friends here who are always so willing to help as well.  We are truly so grateful for such blessings!

So...we are hoping to make it at least to 37 weeks (eight weeks away from now) to give our little girl a healthy start and hope to be able to avoid additional problems or a stay in the NICU (again, like we did with Vanna, although it would be much more difficult to figure out here, as the closest NICU is in Boise where I'd want to stay with the baby but hate to be away from my family, especially so close to the holidays).  I lay awake at night thinking and thinking about what may or may not happen, how to be best prepared, etc.  but it's just a waiting and hoping game.  We continue to hope and pray for the best and know that things will work out, we simply need to be faithful and accepting of the Lord's plan. 

Wish us and our little girl luck in the coming weeks!

11 comments:

Marcy M Miller said...

Dang IT! I so wish I lived closer and could help. My neighbor was put on bedrest at 28 weeks, we've all been helping out taking care of her 2 other kids, she just had her baby last week at 34 weeks! I hope that you can make it a little longer, so that you don't have a baby in NICU.
We will be praying for you.

Amy S said...

Erica, I'm sorry you have to go through this again. I wish we were closer and I could take your kids. You and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers. I do love your "turtle" shirt, you always look so cute and put together in all your pictures.

Brooklynn Ussery (The Ussery Family) said...

I need to call you! I have been meaning to respond to your e-mail from the other day. Yes, we NEED to get our kids together! I would love to help in any way that I can. It is a little trickier now that these big kids are growing up and have school sometimes. I will call you and we will figure out how I can help and how we can get our schedules to coordinate. We would LOVE to have Cash and Vanna play with us! In the meantime, take care. You will be in our prayers. We love you guys!
The Usserys

Trenton & Maren said...

I was really hoping you would get better news from your ultrasound. But you are so positive and wonderful... we wish the best for you and the baby. We will keep you in our prayers.

amber-girl said...

Oh darn! I knew you had complications with Vanna, but I couldn't remember the specifics. Hearing your news just makes me realize all the more the sacrifices women make, physically and emotionally, to bring our children to this life. What precious precious cargo you carry, and you have such faith, and I will add my prayers and hope that your little girl arrives healthy and with no complications. I can't imagine being on bed rest with busy little ones, and if we lived closer, I would help in a heartbeat! You look so good too! Well friend, keep us updated! You should take up sewing during your downtime. I am sewing a quiet book and it has been so fun. Take care! Can't wait to hear of baby girl names. :)

ranceandtessa said...

Hang in there Erica. I feel so bad for you. I can't even imagine bed rest. You are so awesome though, you can make the best out of anything. Good Luck:)

Selena Sorensen Guthrie said...

I wish I could Help! Hang in there Sweetie! Keep us Updated!

Darci and Ryan said...

Good luck! Wish I was there to help you, and I know how hard it can be to ask for help from people, especially when there isn't any family around. You have such a good attitude though! Hang in there,you're in our prayers and I can't wait to see pics of your sweet baby girl.

Cami Jo said...

Darn it. I'm sorry Erica. I know how Bed rest must seem impossible, especially this time around with 2 little ones, instead of one! I wish I was closer and could help. We'll keep you guys in our prayers. You look absolutely darling though!

Melissa said...

Dang it!! I am so sorry to have to deal with that!! This little ones sure can give us troubles!! It's a good thing they are worth everything in the end!! I wish there was something I could do to help out!! We will be keeping you in our prayers, and I hope that you can get some more weeks in!! Pregnancies can be so so scary!! We love you and send lots of hugs!!

Melinda said...

On a side note, your hair looks absolutely adorable in the "turtle" shirt pictures! (I happen to LOVE that shirt, turtle nickname or not!)