Baby Update: 32 weeks

Here's the latest on this interesting pregnancy. :) We had another appointment this evening. The past couple of weeks have been pretty uncomfortable. I honestly feel like a walking time bomb. I explained to the doctor that I've had some fairly painful episodes of "pressure." She explained that I'm going to feel very different than my other pregnancies because the pressure of the placenta is constant and more intense and the baby is transverse and "free floating" and won't get settled down like the others did.

She was totally understanding of my unsettled feelings about living so far from the hospital and not knowing what would happen day to day. So we had a lengthy discussion about the different possibilities and what would happen in each scenario. So I'll try to explain the management plan for the remainder of the pregnancy. If you read this and are more confused than you were before, I apologize. There are a ton of variables and possiblities, but I get so many questions about what's going on that I thought I should try to explain as best I can.

I am currently 32 weeks along. We've had no bleeding episodes thus far. Statistically, it's fairly unlikely that I won't have one in the next few weeks, but it's a good sign that there has not been one yet. If I have a bleed in the next two weeks, they will do as we had planned before- watch and see, give me steriods to speed his lung development and then do the amniocentesis to check for lung development and take him out as soon as his lungs are ready.

However, most previa bleeds are recurrent. So if I have one, it's likely there will be more- probably in a short amount of time. If, in the next two weeks, I have more than one bleed (say, three), they will deliver him at 34 weeks, because it isn't worth the risk to wait any longer than that. In her words "we get less patient with each recurrent bleed." If there is no bleed in the next two weeks, they will do the ultrasound as planned.

Ok, so let's say that we make it two more weeks without a bleed and I'm still pregnant at 34 weeks. :) They'll check Korbin's size, fluid levels, placental blood flow, etc during the ultrasound. If everything looks good, they'll schedule an MRI at 36 weeks.

If we get to 36 weeks and I'm still pregnant, we'll do the MRI to check for accreta. Accreta is when the placenta grows too deeply into the uterus. We're already concerned about this because during my last ultrasound they could not find a definative line between the placenta and the uterus, but there's no way to really diagnose accreta with an ultrasound. The MRI should give us a better idea.

If the MRI shows NO sign of accreta, then we will reevaluate everything and may attempt to make it to 39 weeks (September 7th). If there is any sign of accreta, they will deliver him the next week at 37 weeks. If we deliver at 37 weeks, they'll prepare me for blood transfusion during delivery and do a vertical skin incision in case they need to do an emergency hysterectomy. She assured me that the hysterectomy would be last resort, but obviously they're not going to let me die to save my uterus. (reassuring, huh. haha)

So we may have a baby in 2 weeks, in 5 weeks, or in 7 weeks...actually, technically, we could have a baby any day if I had a significant enough bleed. No more than 7 weeks left in this crazy pregnancy, though. I will feel so much better when he's safe and on the outside. I don't want him to come out a day too soon, but I don't want to play Russian roulette with this thing either. So we continue on the "wait and see" game for now.

She said that she knows it's laughable to say "take it easy" in my situation, but did ask that I "restrict my mobility" within reason. That doesn't mean I can't get out, but nothing strenuous and trying to do only the necessary when it comes to real exertion. So hopefully that will keep any bleeding episodes away for the rest of the pregnancy.

I'm praying that I would be able to see past my fears that the entire situation is not left to chance, but is in hands of a perfect God. I'll keep everyone updated over the next few weeks.