I woke up early full of excitement about my BPP U/S (biophysical profile Ultrasound) to get a sense of how big the baby is and make sure things look Ok in there. There are a couple of concerns with post date babies other than size, like declining amniotic fluid levels and exchange between baby and placenta.

In order to get a growth estimate they need all these specific measurements which then calculate into some formula and then they tell you how big the baby is.

Everything started out well enough, until the tech asked me “Is your husband short?”

Me: “What? No, he’s 6′1″, why is the baby too short??”

Tech: “No.. just curious”

(Me: yeah right!)

Then she proceeds to take the femur length measurement about 100 times. At this point I know something is wrong…

“Is there something wrong with his leg?” I ask.

Turns out there’s this screen at the end of a BPP that shows you what weeks and days all the measurements come out to. Baby’s head is appropriately sized for 40 weeks 5 days, (i.e. big!) and his abdomen too. But the first measurements she got of his leg was for just 37 weeks and change. After trying to get better angles she managed to up this to 38 weeks, but I could tell it still isn’t enough because she talked about getting a colleague in there to try to get a better shot etc. You know it’s bad when they need someone else to take a look!

After we’d been at it for over an hour, she tried to reassure me that it’s probably something technical, i.e the measurement is off and that I shouldn’t worry etc.

Telling me not to worry is a complete exercise in futility – worrying is second nature to me, and when I think there is something wrong with my baby, there is NO stopping my head from constructing the worse possible scenarios.

After the U/S I went up to L&D for a Non Stress Test (NST) and to go over the U/S results with the Midwife on call Judy, who happened to be the midwife I saw at my last 40 week appointment.

Everything but the leg came back normal, though they did estimate his weight at 8lbs 8 oz. and based on ALL the measurements put my due date at 8/17/08 rather than 8/10/08. I guess everything but his head measured a bit behind?  But how could he be a week behind and weight that much? It doesn’t even make sense.

Judy agreed. She palpated my stomach and said she really didn’t think he was 8.5 lbs. I voiced my concern over the leg measurement and she told me that a 38 week leg measurement is a term measurement and I shouldn’t worry.

She also shared with me that at one of her son’s growth scans the tech told her his limbs were the size of dwarfism limbs! She was trying to make me feel better, but then she did say he is really short (though definitely NOT a dwarf.)   So I guess maybe Jasper will just be really really short? I’m not sure what to make of all this.

Of course I googled short femur measurement and immediately wished I hadn’t. There are all sorts of genetic disorders that this can be a marker for, even developing this late in the game. Things like Down’s syndrome, dwarfism etc. etc.

I know 38 weeks doesn’t seem like that far behind in measurements, but at this point I’m 2 days shy of 41 weeks, so it’s 3 weeks behind which is several standard deviations below normal. The midwife isn’t concerned at all, but that is small comfort to me when it comes to my baby!

In terms of progress news, she also did an internal and said I’m now a “Loose” 1cm, about 60% effaced and -1 station. So that’s a tiny bit of progress.. maybe the acupuncture session last night had some effect.

She also said they won’t let me go all the way until 42 weeks, I need to have the baby before then. They also don’t like to induce over the weekend, so if I don’t go into spontaneous labor (and she told me she thought I would within a few days) we’re looking at a next Thursday or latest next Friday induction.

Now I don’t give a rat’s ass about any of that though.. I just want to know he’s healthy. Short little legs and all :(

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In a HIGHLY disturbing new development, my stretchmarks finally arrived.. and promptly took residence just around my belly button. They waited until 38.5 weeks, JUST when I thought I had evaded them altogether. SO not cool.

In other news, this afternoon I have my 39 week appointment. Stay tuned for the 39 week state of the uterus address tomorrow morning!

I had the sweetest ultrasound tech in the world. He’s a young dad of three, and he took the time to show me and explain everything he was looking at including even drawing me a diagram of cervical shapes etc. What a sweetheart.

Jasper scored an 8 out of 8 on the BPP (Biophysical profile) for which you get 2 points each for amniotic fluid level, tone (fetal movement), breath tones (lung function) and growth (femur length.)

He showed me the various pockets of amniotic fluid, where they were and how the measured them, my level was a very nice 15.5.  Honestly baby didn’t look much different than he did at 20 weeks, but it was pretty cool to see his little chest expand while he was taking breaths.

His femur measured for 30 weeks and a few days, so right on track.  He turned on the sound and the heat sensor thingy that shows the umbilical cord exchange between my blood and baby’s and everything looked good there too, so overall, no reason that little Jasper should be quite so eager to get out yet.

I called Lisha the head midwife at Open Door as she was the midwife on call yesterday in L&D. I haven’t met her in person but I love her already. She told me that in light of those results, no bedrest necessary, but also need to take it easy until 36 weeks. I.e. no gym for me or any other strenuous activities (including sex.)

Also, my urine culture and GB strep test came back negative, so I can stop taking the antibiotics they gave me as a precautionary measure.

So the news is all good, now I can return to happier blogging topics like nursery decorating and baby products!!

:)

Yes, we are in complete shock!

So much for intuition. I actually just realized that there was one person close to me who got it right. Before I even got pregnant, my best friend Alexis had a dream that I had a boy on St. Patricks Day. Obviously I’m not having him on St. Patrick’s day, but I did find out it was a boy the day after. Hmmm…

We are just so thrilled that the baby looked perfectly healthy according to the U/S tech. Heart rate is 140, and he is measuring exactly to the day, which he was too at the first scan. (So where exactly is all that excess weight going? – oh yeah, to my butt!) We saw the brain, all four chambers of the heart, the stomach, bowel, kidneys, eyes, nose, all 10 fingers and toes and of course, the money shot.

Little Jack was cooperating and I think even posing, as I must say, these are some of the best ultrasound pics I’ve seen (yes, a proud mamma already!)

See for yourself:

Is it possible that he already looks like his daddy (i.e handsome??)

Looking long limbed and cramped in mommy’s uterus! 

Sucking his little thumb – show off!

We are so, so in love….

And now, let the shopping begin!

For the record, I am putting it in writing that both Jeff and I are predicting girl. We have both dreamt of a baby girl in the past couple of weeks.  I also adhere to the old wives tales of gaining everywhere, carrying high and generally having my beauty stolen when carrying a girl.

My mom, my sister, my boss, a psychic and our friends Justin and Amy have both said girl too. So given all of those predictions, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it turns out to be a boy just to prove us all wrong :)

Here is the psychic’s prediction, could be fun to look at this 25 years from now and see if any of it came true:

They tell me GIRL..

When it comes to your daughter I  would tell you that I see her as someone who likes to get things done. Not someone who is just going to sit around and do nothing or allow other people to do it and leave her sitting there.

She’s someone who likes to be involved in the discussion that takes place, always curious to what is happening around her and what she can do to help. Does not matter who it is, or what they need, shes always willing to give a helping hand.

Shes a very hardworker, the teachers will always comment about how much detail and time/effort she must put into her reports or projects as they are always done nicely, right to the point and easy for the teachers.

When it comes to career paths, I see your daughter in law, and that she works with a team of lawyers, usually dealing with large cases. On the side, I see her helping organize special events through the law office to help those in need. Usually the Christmas ones, and something to do with summer activities. I believe that they sponsor a camp for kids with disabilities, and its part of her “job” to get the word out for applicants who want to apply to attend.

When it comes to marriage I see her closer to 26, they will have two girls of their own.

Or, if we find out tomorrow that it’s a boy, we will know immediately that it’s all just rubbish. Until then., care to make your predictions here??

The NT scan was absolutely amazing.. completely surreal that there is a little baby growing inside me. And unlike my last two ultrasounds where it was just a blob with a heartbeat, becoming-baby actually looks like a mini baby – fingers, toes, face, arms legs and everything!

The baby was moving around so much, waving, kicking, saluting us – you name it – that the radiologist was very relieved when she got the 4 or so still shots of the back of the neck from which to do the NT measurement. The result?

.8mm! Thats really good. She said anything over 1.4 is cause for concern, but I’ve read on the internet that up to 2 or even  3 is within normal range.

She also said she saw nasal bone, which is also an excellent indication that risk of down’s is low. The bloodwork hasn’t come back yet, so I won’t know my official “risk” until next week when she puts in the measurements with the bloodwork and my OB calls me with the results, but at least this part of the hurdle is over.

Other information.. the heart rate is 162 bpm, the CRL measures the baby at 11 weeks 5 days, which is exactly where I am today.  We also saw the kidneys, the brain and the bladder. Well, she saw it and pointed it out. Its amazing what you can see if you’re trained to know what you’re looking at…but even I can tell that the picture above looks like a baby. And a cute one at that!

She wasn’t supposed to tell us anything, but she said it looks very good. We are so relieved and so grateful that as of now, it seems our baby is in perfectly good health. Thank god!

Dr. K started off the scan by zooming in so we could see how much blobby has grown in the past week and a half:

The entire baby is between the two plus signs (a whole 1.42 centimeters), the circle is NOT the head like Jeff thought it was, it is actually the yolk sac which is the source of the baby’s nutrients before the umbilical chord and placenta take over that function completely. Blobby was also measured for the first time today and is measuring one day ahead at 7 weeks and 5 days.

Then Dr. K zoomed back out and turned on the microphone:

Do you see that on the bottom? That is our baby’s heartbeat which we heard loud and clear! Dr. K. didn’t tell me the baby’s heart rate, but I see it on the picture on the top left – I think the machine automatically records it- and it’s 160! That’s really really good, so good I don’t even have to worry or obsess about it (for once!)

Dr. K also confirmed that my due date is indeed August 10th, which I just remembered (with a little help;) is my good friend Dawn’s birthday.. which is only fitting because her son Noah was born on Jeff’s birthday.

On my way out, I asked the doc about the polyp which he says is a non issue at this point. I also reminded him I only have one week of progesterone suppositories left and asked if I need more, etc. He said that pending the results of today’s progesterone level (assuming its not really low or anything) I can stop them today. Yay, no more messy underwear!!

It was a little strange walking out of my RE’s office for the last time today.. I really liked Dr. K even though I feel like sometimes I have to pull information out of him, he’s always been really kind and patient with all of my emails and questions. The staff there is also really sweet, and the nurse Lisa is a total expert at drawing blood and Lisandra at the front desk has always been really helpful. And the best part is I’ve never ever had to wait there longer than 10 minutes to be seen…

So thanks Dr. Klein and RMA of White Plains, you’ve been very good to us!

Update: Beta: 77,188, P4=36.1 which means no more suppositories.. my underwear are having a little party ;)

Due to the spotting and cramping, I went in for my second ultrasound  yesterday instead of Thursday like I had planned. Blobby is doing great and Dr. K said there was lots of development.  I couldn’t tell at all (other than the fact that the sac was bigger) until he zoomed in and we saw a little flicker! He turned on the microphone on the ultrasound machine, but couldn’t hear the heartbeat yet.  He said by my next appointment on 12/27  we should be able to (cool!) He’ll also measure the CRL at that point and hopefully the BPM of the heartbeat which he didn’t this time.

Apparantly at 6 weeks the baby is the size of a sweetpea and is just beginning to sprout eyes, chin, nose and little webbed hands and feet.

Dr. K. said that after my next appointment he’d be releasing me to my OB. It’s weird to think that a week from Thursday will be my last early morning trek to Westchester.. its been such a routine part of my life for the last few months.  I think I will bring them a gift basket, the staff there has been so nice, and of course they got me PREGNANT so I owe them at least that!

Jeff has never been to my RE. Ever. So he sort of surprised me the day before saying he wanted to come just in case god forbid everything wasn’t ok in there.

When we got into the ultrasound room and jeff saw the “wand” and realized it was going to be a vaginal and not abdominal ultrasound he just about passed out. Great, he’s going to be a lot of help during childbirth.

The doctor came in and saw this, and declared that we were pregnant with a healthy looking singleton:

Huh? Where?

Once he pointed it out to me, it was pretty obvious:

Ultrasound of Embryonic Sac at 4 weeks 6 days. 

Yay, we have a little blob! I told jeff it kind of looked like him :) We’ve taken to calling it our “blobby” instead of baby.

Dr. K asked me when I wanted to come in again next week. I decided to wait until the latter part of th week so that we have  a better chance of seeing a heartbeat.  So next ultrasound is December 20th. A strong heartbeat will be the best Christmas present ever!

Later I got the call from the nurse that my Beta HCG level was up to 3388 (this would be 22dpIUI), which is a doubling time of about 40.5 hours. The average beta reported on www.betabase.info for that day is 2247, so I’m pretty happy with that number.

My progesterone is only at about 28, which seems a bit low to me, but the nurse said all the numbers were great, so I’m not going to worry (for once!)