Trial Run #2

So we got to do another trial run to the hospital with Graham today and I am pretty confident we are beyond ready logistically at this point to meet this guy and that I am tired of visiting the hospital and leaving with no baby!

Here is the story of the day.....I went to my weekly appointment with the high risk doctor to do my non stress test and ultrasound and during the non stress test Graham's heart rate was on the lower side and didn't show much variation. Most of the time it will increase drastically when he moves/kicks and then go back down. Today it stayed around 110-125 and didn't go up hardly at all.

The doctor didn't say anything and had me continue with my ultrasound and it looked great, he is around 6lbs 7 oz right now (they think a little bigger since he wasn't cooperating to get great measurements) and growing wonderfully and his lungs, bladder, stomach, heart etc all look perfect! He is also measuring about 10 days ahead of schedule. I also didn't lose any fluid this week which is a praise.

But when I was done with everything the doctor commented how she would have like to see more variation in his heart rate and that the baseline was a little low even during the ultrasound. So, she was recommending that I go and do a longer and better non stress test at the hospital. I was fine with that, asked how long it would take... a couple of hours... and then she mentioned...very casually..."and if his heart rate does more of the same over those couple of hours and doesn't have any variation we will just go ahead and deliver." I just looked at her with disbelief because she said it so casually and almost like an afterthought. We talked about the possibility of a delivery that day and implications on Graham and she was comfortable with his development and what she saw on the ultrasound that he would be fine but obviously would rather we didn't.

I left the office, called my parents to let them know what was going on and have them pick up Peyton from school, called John to come home in case we did have to deliver and I didn't want to track him down as I was being wheeled into the operating room, came home to pack Peyton's bag, grab some last minute stuff, take out the trash and run the dishwasher and then John got home and we dropped off the extra car seat at my parents and went to the hospital.

I was monitored for about 2 hours and within 30 minutes the nurse commented that he did not look like a baby in distress and was fine. John and I played some games and watched TV. Fun times and headed home with a list of what to watch for and a request from the nurse to try and keep Graham inside for a couple more weeks. I did like that again I had AMAZING nurses and that we were really well cared for. Each time I go I get more and more reassured that we will be fine when we finally do have him.

As for all the last minute stuff to do before you go to the hospital....I realized we were pretty well off and ready and even more so now....we now have Peyton's bag packed and I am not unpacking it since she has plenty of clothes to wear for two weeks and the extra car seat installed in my parents car so I guess that is a positive.

I talked to my doctor tonight and I will see her Thursday as planned and she had no real explanation for why he did what he did this morning besides that the NST at the doctor's office is not as advanced and high tech as the one at the hospital. She just requested that I take it easy and monitor for any contractions or changes in anything.

So....please pray that if Graham needs to come early because he is in distress or my body is not doing what he needs to that he and my body makes it very evident BUT if he needs to stay in for the next two weeks that he does and all my labs, monitoring, scans etc are normal!