June Bug

[lei.in.the.sky]

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to share that i am pregnant, 25 weeks already! I am doing well thus far, good BP, no protein leakage, no swelling. Doppler scans show my placenta is healthy, the blood flow very good.Baby is weighing 800 grams (about 1.8 pounds), have good amount of amniotic fluid and baby kicks me kung fu style regularly

I have been holding my breath for most of this pregnancy, not wanting to be too excited, trying to hide my bump until my 20 week scan, waiting for each milestone. week 23 was hard, because that is when i lost my first baby girl, i was very emotional..had some good cries. I am at times emotional because in some twisted way my brain seems to be expecting her at the end of this journey. and i know this is not fair to my growing baby . which we love so so much, and are bonding with as well. with every kick actually! we have been good to each other, mama and baby boy forging forward to the finish line. I have had an easier pregnancy, no heartburn except for maybe 2 times, no aches or pains, no sleepless nights, breathlessness etc...so far.

I am very happy with my progress up to this point, hoping to reach 28 weeks with no issues. and then slowly make it to 38 weeks, when i am expected to have an elective c-section. This time the doctor has discussed the option of fetal lung maturation just in case of pre-term delivery. I am on the fence about this...part of me of course wants to do anything that could help my baby thrive, but I also am leaning towards giving myself some time before going for steroid shots, perhaps waiting until 30-31 weeks, instead of doing it at 29 weeks. If there is no sign of danger at the 28 week appointment I think I may choose to wait 2 weeks and have a follow up visit.Anyone have experience with fetal lung maturation when not in immediate risk of delivery?

best wishes to all the mamas-to-be on the board, and may we all have healthy babies. That has been my mantra, healthy placenta, healthy baby, full term pregnancy...then I added, healthy mama to it

[angieb]

Congratulations!

I had steroid shots around 31, 32 weeks in both my pregnancies with my boys. Not a doctor, but I absolutely would wait for steroids until the early 30's if nothing else is amiss. They are more effective the closer they are given to delivery.

Did you have a c-section with your first baby? If so, I'm surprised they are letting you wait until 38 weeks after a classical incision. (We delivered one at 36 wks, one at 37, 37 wks was the latest they would let me go, I've seen similar plans on the forums here.)

[sam10]

So glad to hear you made it to 25 weeks without any issues
I had many "interesting" feelings during my subsequent pregnancy. There were moments (usually the early ultrasounds) where I was completely confused. It felt as though I had been catapulted back in time and space and I was pregnant with Henry. This happened a few times. Even after my baby was born, there were those split seconds where I thought I was holding my firstborn. It is hard not to feel guilty about such moments, yet they are very normal. It is part grieving and part coping mechanism. Losing a baby due to PE is traumatizing and going through another pregnancy can be compared to voluntarily going through the same trauma again. You are in the same type of scenario (pregnant), possibly in the same hospital with the same doctors/nurses, of course you will have your moments of confusion.

[lei.in.the.sky]

Hi Angieb and sam10
thanks for your comments. I did have an emergency c-section with previous baby, and the c-section cut was a horizontal line. Initially they had wanted to not let me go further than 37 weeks, but on the past appointments doctor believes the ideal time to get the baby out of womb would be 38 weeks...but not to go all the way to 39 for example. I have been interested in asking about a VBAC in particular because since my c-section was done at 23+5 days, the incision was small, and i assume the internal incision is small as well...but since this is a new doctor i have, he is not too keen. he would like to check how it all looks inside (scarring, cut etc...) and for as much as i would prefer a normal vaginal birth, i am not willing to take any risks (even though a c-section can also count as a risk).

i am now 27 weeks - and since late last week my pressure has creeped up a bit.still in the normal ranges 115/70, 120/75 but up to this point the average was 110/68 or so...so i am already starting to get anxious. hope to keep anxiety at bay, not to create stress and in turn make the pressure rise. however, yes, our eyes are wide open to all the risk factors on a daily basis.

I had a question - did you or anyone on this forum experience any side effects from the steroids? I know your opinions are not medical advice, just wondering from personal experiences what i could expect from these steroid shots. i already got my prescription for dexamethazone (which is the standard drug used locally). i have it tucked away in my purse

thanks for any input provided