Jack's Journey

Today was a tough day for us. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes on top of everything else we've been facing. While the diagnosis itself isn't as big of a deal as the other challenges we're facing, it seemed to be the tipping point. I really felt like I just can't catch a break. It's also frustrating because having friends & family bring up food or celebrating our weekly accomplishment with cookies have been some of the things that have helped me stay positive in this journey. One of my biggest mental challenges has been all the typical pregnancy things I feel like I'm missing out on. I wish I could be home, nesting & setting up a nursery. I wish I could have a typical baby shower and wear cute maternity clothes (even though I never found many) and take cute weekly bump photos (that don't include a hospital room background). I know we have so much to be thankful for, but on days like today I just need to feel sorry for myself. But tomorrow...

We went back to the specialist this morning for a scan and an update. We were super excited because my amniotic fluid was up to 11 (record high for my hospital stay). That means the fluid stayed high throughout the week without an IV. Jack looked great in the monitoring and the blood flow in the umbilical cord looked good. The blood vessels that give me the vasa previa diagnosis are still sitting right by my cervix, which is also right by Jack's head. Since my fluid has been more stable this week, I've been more focused on gaining a deeper understanding of this diagnosis and what all it means. I made the mistake of googling (against Justin's guidance...) and have also had more conversations with the doctors & nurses. So here's some info for those who are wondering what exactly has me in the hospital for this extended amount of time. - Vasa previa means I have blood vessels in the wrong spot and they're between Jack & my cervix. - The blood vessels ...

We've made it to 28 weeks and I am officially in the 3rd trimester! This date seemed so far away when we got to the hospital 3 weeks ago and is a big milestone for Jack. We are still hoping to make it to a scheduled c-section 6 weeks from now, but happy to know we have made it to this point. I don't have a lot to update from this week, which is always a good thing. There have been a few times when Jack's been a little stubborn with monitoring, but so far he's done well enough that we haven't had to have any extra scans or specialist visits. We'll go back to the specialist tomorrow morning and see how things are looking.

We had another good scan this morning - my amniotic fluid stayed high throughout the weekend with all my water drinking! Jack was looking great and sucking his thumb for us. While today has been a good day in terms of my pregnancy journey, it's also been a bit of a tough day for me as it's the first day of school. I've enjoyed seeing all the pictures online, but it's also hard knowing I'm not there with my class. I just remind myself that they're in great hands and I'm where I need to be! A lot of people have asked what I'm doing to fill my time, so I thought I'd share since we don't have a lot to update on in terms of me & Jack. Each morning the nurses come in to give me medicine at 8 and check my heart, lungs, reflexes, ask me a million questions, etc. Mondays & Fridays (and some Tuesdays & Wednesdays) we go to the specialist for a scan. After the scan we order breakfast. Once breakfast is over the nurses come back in to monit...

Today's been a great day! We went back to the specialist this morning and my amniotic fluid was up to a 9!! That's huge for me! And it was all done without an IV. Granted I've been chugging water like a crazy person & got up an hour and half early to drink water before the scan - but needless to say we're beyond thrilled! Jack is growing well - he's up to 2 pounds 3 ounces. He was 1 pound 10 ounces two weeks ago when we got to the hospital. He was sleeping during the scan and we got to see him yawn. The blood vessels are still sitting right by my cervix, so no changes on that condition, but we weren't really expecting any. Then we got to move rooms (again), but now we're back in a room that has a couch for Justin to sleep on instead of the pullout chair. It's really the little things these days. While my mom moved rooms, Justin & my dad ventured to Nebraska Furniture Mart to buy nursery furniture for Jack. So by next Thursday the room will ...

Our journey continues! We've made it to the 27 week mark and tomorrow will be 2 weeks in the hospital. We're thankful for every day that we make it because that means more time to develop for Jack. At my last update, my amniotic fluid index had increased to an 8 Monday morning. We went back for a scan Tuesday morning and the fluid was at a 7.8. The specialist wanted to see me again Wednesday morning to see if the fluids could maintain without the IV. (I've been off the IV since Monday morning). This morning we went back to the specialist for a scan and the fluid was at a 6.5. Anything above 5 keeps us out of the "danger zone", but the downward trend is not what we want to see. For now, I'm still off the IV but keeping track of my water intake. We'll also keep monitoring Jack twice a day to make sure he's looking good. We go back to the specialist on Friday morning to check the fluid again. We're hoping that the fluid will increase with just m...

It was a pretty long weekend having to be hooked up to the monitors and IV continuously. Thankfully we had lots of visitors to help pass the time. We just finished meeting with the specialist and the amniotic fluid levels DOUBLED from Friday morning! The goal is to be above a 5 and we went from a 4 to an 8! The specialist said I could go off the monitors (I'll still be monitored twice a day) and off the IV and that we could move back to antepartum (out of labor & delivery). He'll scan me again tomorrow morning to see if the levels can maintain without the IV. We are both feeling so relieved and excited with this news! Jack continues to look great in the scans and I'm ecstatic to be off the monitors for a bit. The next goal is to get the levels to maintain above a 5 without an IV going! Celebrating the good news with kolaches for breakfast