Week 31 - Ultrasound
Time is flying by and I can hardly believe we’re at 31 weeks already!
The third trimester has been harder on me than the first two, but I’m hanging in there.
Today was my 31-week ultrasound. I’ve been on a schedule of bi-weekly check-ups with my OB up until now. It’s been reassuring to have such diligent and thorough care.
Little Details for Bigger Bodies
Today my ultrasound was performed in a different imaging lab than usual, I was in a lab that’s part of the Special Pregnancy Program clinic. The set-up was much nicer here: a nice wide bed that wasn’t smooshed up against the wall; a ceiling-mounted TV perfectly positioned for me to see everything the Ultrasound Tech was seeing; a real towel to wipe the gel off my tummy, rather than those thin paper sheets that just stick to the gel and make a mess. It was bougie in there!
The Ultrasound Tech was lovely and chitchatted as she got to work. Baby boy was feeling more social than usual, and posed for us a few times, completely melting my heart. The Tech confirmed he’s weighing in at almost 4.5 pounds, and is currently positioned head down. His heartbeat is strong and was music to my ears. Atta boy!!
Lows and Highs
Next stop was to get my weight and blood pressure monitored before seeing the Doctor. These measurements are taken at each appointment, and monitored carefully by the Nurse. For my past few visits it has been common for my first BP reading to come in a bit high, but after sitting quietly for a few minutes and repeating the test, my BP comes in at a lower measure. Usually. But not today. Today my weight was down 4 pounds from my last visit, and 7 pounds from one month ago. And my BP measured very high: 147/88. I was instantly worried. The Nurse did her best to chat and keep me calm, but I was already in my head.
Soon, one of the Resident Doctors who works under Dr. Maxwell, came in to see me. She didn’t seem bothered by my change in weight, but she definitely shared my concern about the elevated BP; particularly when I shared with her about the swelling I’ve experienced in my feet, and the extreme stress I’ve been under at work.
Monitoring for Preeclampsia
She explained that she was concerned about preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy characterized by symptoms of high blood pressure, and high levels of protein in urine. Preeclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had previously been in the standard range.
Left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious — even fatal — complications for both the mother and baby. Early delivery of the baby is often recommended. The timing of delivery depends on how severe the preeclampsia is and how many weeks pregnant you are. Before delivery, preeclampsia treatment includes careful monitoring and medications to lower blood pressure and manage complications.
I was honestly in shock. She wrote me a prescription for a BP medication called Labetalol, which is considered very safe for pregnant women. And then she sent me off for blood and urine tests… to test for elevated protein levels, and I don’t know what else.
Stress Management, Work, and Pregnancy
In a daze I went back to my office and burst into tears. I’d made it this far in the pregnancy, safe and healthy. Things can’t go sideways on me now, we’re so close! The worry I felt for my unborn child was overwhelming. I had a conversation with my boss that afternoon to let her know what was happening. She was amazingly supportive, and sent me home right away to rest, and to focus on my health and the baby’s. I feel a lot of guilt about leaving my team earlier than expected. But my most important job now is bringing this little boy into the world safely. Priority number one, now and always!
