The Test Will Be Monday

I have been taking 17p hydroxyprogesterone shots to prevent preterm labor for four weeks now–one month! My husband continues such stellar shot administration that I have begun to question whether his true calling may not be in I.T. after all–maybe it’s the medical profession! In fact, maybe I’ll just let him deliver this next baby! 😉 (I say that entirely to incite a reaction from him! Neither of us wants him delivering the baby!) On Monday I will have another ultrasound to see if the progesterone is doing its job.

My case manager called me this afternoon. It’s always helpful to talk with her, because she gives me specific goals related to my condition. Sometimes it’s challenging when you meet a new doctor with every visit, and have to bring them up to speed on your whole pregnancy history and then listen to their one-time assessment. I know you rotate through all the doctors, because you never know who will be on call to actually deliver your child, but it certainly is helpful to have one person following me throughout the entire pregnancy. Thank you, Monica!

Basically she’s hoping we will still see a cervical length of 3 or greater than 3. (The 1st ultrasound showed a cervical length of 3.4, the 2nd ultrasound showed 3.1.) The goal is for the progesterone shots to keep that number steady around 3. If that’s the case, she believes the high risk specialists will be pleased and say ‘continue with the progesterone, no more ultrasounds for now, unless you’re having a significant increase in contractions or some other cause for concern.’ However, if we see the cervical length dropping to, say, 2.5, I will be put on bedrest. (Sometimes I think she throws statements like that around, just to remind me if I don’t watch it, I could be on bedrest again soon.) Even 2.8 she said would not be a healthy sign, because it would show that I am “progressing,” in a way that we don’t want me to “progress” until much much further in the pregnancy!

She continually encourages me to “take it easy” now whenever I can, by limiting anything I know will  cause cramping/contractions, so I don’t find myself “taking it easy permanently” on bedrest, till the baby comes. (And we all know how I feel about that!)

So now I have something specific to look for in next Monday’s ultrasound . . .

Tonight I will be vaccinated against H1N1, the legendary swine flu of 2009. When Daniel gets home from work, I will be driving up to Willow Grove for my shot.

I have such mixed feelings about it. I’ve never even had a flu shot–for the typical “seasonal flu”–in my life! And I just don’t know what to think–with good friends on both sides of the debate–and medical people on both sides too. A bit disconcerting, I have to admit!

Last year my son, who was born almost 2 months premature, had the RSV shots (monthly) and the seasonal flu shot as well. Our whole family got sick five times last winter: three rounds of the respiratory flu and two bouts with the stomach bug. Micah was by far the healthiest one of us–the one who had the slightest touch of sickness each time and the one who bounced back the quickest. So either he is Mr. Incredible (which is a real possibility), or there’s something to be said for the flu shot (at least, last year’s flu shot!).

Since the kids and I are in the “high risk” category for H1N1, we had been thinking we might all get the shots this year. Then last week I received a letter from my hospital: since I am 24 weeks pregnant, I’m in the high risk category and the shot is being administered at the hospital with which my Ob is affiliated.

We decided I should go for it.

Our pediatrician’s office is not in favor of the H1N1 shot for children and is not administering it. So that still leaves us with the burden of deciding what to do about the kids . . .

I’m SOOO open to feedback right now! And I’ll keep you posted on how my shot goes tonight.