Many of you know that I was born with a congential heart defect called Ebstein's Anomaly (a leaky tricuspid valve.) Although frightening at birth, I've lived a normal active life and I've never suffered complications from it. Since pregnancy puts a strain on the body, because the heart pumps three times more blood than usual, it's a good idea to be monitored by my cardiologist throughout the pregnancy.
At my appointment this morning, I learned that the leakage has gotten worse. Although I've shown no symptoms, the echocardiogram proves this. It was a risk we've known could arise. My Dr. doesn't know if it's due to the pregnancy or not. He has requested that I have an MRI to determine the extent of the leakage. In addition, he would like to see me again at 32 weeks. Based on his recommendation, I will now deliver at Abbott so I can be monitored more closely. The possible complications are the same as they've always been; which we knew years before we decided to get pregnant: worsening of leak, pre-term delivery, c-section, bed rest, and water retention.
This changes nothing for the baby at this point. The level II ultrasound will determine if the babies heart is healthy. Hopefully we'll have good news and pictures to share after that appointment in a couple weeks.
It's been a rough morning. A bump in the road that will eventually lead us to Nugget's arrival. Vacation couldn't have come at a better time.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Goodbye Week 18. Hello Weeks 19 & 20.
Week 18 has come and gone. It was fairly quiet.
Still dealing with daily round ligament pain and constipation (What? Too much information? This is MY blog after all and it's a reality of pregnancy!) All in all, I can't complain. My belly is getting bigger by the week. Right now, I'm mostly feeling chubby. I will post more pictures soon. Oh, and my hormones are raging at full steam now. I cry at the drop of a hat and my patience levels (that I've worked so hard to control over the past year) are in top form. Christos is coping very well.
I've gotten some hand-me-downs from friends who are done having children. A pile will be started in the basement until we are ready to use them. You know who you are. Thank you for thinking of us.
My cardiology check-up is tomorrow and my level II ultrasound will be the first week in March. We'll get to see how big Nugget has grown since the last time we saw her/him, which was at 8 weeks.
We're still waiting for the new Nesbitt baby to arrive. He'll be here next week. We can't wait to meet him! Best of luck to Jenn and Arik for a smooth delivery and recovery.
Most of my 19th and 20th weeks will be spent relaxing in the Florida sun with our friends Mark and Susan. It will be a nice escape from work and the cold, but we're going to miss Tucker and Sugar a lot.
I'm sure there will be plenty to write about upon our return in March.
Still dealing with daily round ligament pain and constipation (What? Too much information? This is MY blog after all and it's a reality of pregnancy!) All in all, I can't complain. My belly is getting bigger by the week. Right now, I'm mostly feeling chubby. I will post more pictures soon. Oh, and my hormones are raging at full steam now. I cry at the drop of a hat and my patience levels (that I've worked so hard to control over the past year) are in top form. Christos is coping very well.
I've gotten some hand-me-downs from friends who are done having children. A pile will be started in the basement until we are ready to use them. You know who you are. Thank you for thinking of us.
My cardiology check-up is tomorrow and my level II ultrasound will be the first week in March. We'll get to see how big Nugget has grown since the last time we saw her/him, which was at 8 weeks.
We're still waiting for the new Nesbitt baby to arrive. He'll be here next week. We can't wait to meet him! Best of luck to Jenn and Arik for a smooth delivery and recovery.
Most of my 19th and 20th weeks will be spent relaxing in the Florida sun with our friends Mark and Susan. It will be a nice escape from work and the cold, but we're going to miss Tucker and Sugar a lot.
I'm sure there will be plenty to write about upon our return in March.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Week 17
By the end of my 16th week I said farewell to my waistline and officially started to wear maternity clothes. Many of my clothes aren't fitting like they used to. I did a lot of clothes shopping over the weekend, but I have a feeling it will never be enough.
Last weekend we started making nursery plans. First item on the list is to organize and clean out the spare bedroom. Second, pick paint colors and furniture. This is an exciting but overwhelming endeavor.
Nugget went on his/her first road trip last week. Christos and I love taking road trips. Christos had Subaru training on Thursday so we drove down to Illinois after work on Wednesday and turned around to head home after class on Thursday. It was a quick trip. Christos travels to Naperville, IL at least once a year so he has a variety of places he likes to eat. Dunkin Donuts is a must have. We indulged there for breakfast on Thursday. While Christos was at class, I visited with Molly and her kids who drove up from Indiana for the day to see me. What a treat! We had coffee in the morning and then had lunch at Portillo's with Christos. In the afternoon we did some shopping before they hit the road to beat the Chicago traffic. It was so fun to see them and visit with the kiddos.
We're getting ready for our vacation in a couple weeks. We leave on the 20th. I'm really looking forward to it. People keep telling me to pack my bikini. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I tried it on last night and it still fits so maybe it will make it in to my suitcase.
I'm still feeling pretty good. I'm slowing down and have been getting some round ligament pain. I haven't noticed any movement yet, but I think that's right around the corner. I'm still battling nasty congestion, thankfully it's not the typical cold that knocked me out earlier this year.
18 weeks here we come!
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