34 weeks
32 weeks
Well, yesterday I completed 34 weeks of pregnancy. For the past 10-12 weeks I've been having this weird side effect of pregnancy with really itchy feet, and skin in general, but the feet have been the worst. We weren't thinking much of it until one of my nurse co-workers suggested that I might have something called Cholestasis of Pregnancy. So we did a little research last weekend, and talked to my midwife about testing for it and sure enough I was diagnosed with it this week. You can google it for more info, but more or less it has to do with the way pregnancy hormones are effecting my gallbladder and liver. They don't work properly due to those darn hormones, causing increased bile acids in my blood stream which are deposited in the skin causing extreme itching. Now, when I say extreme, I mean extreme... many nights awake for hours at a time just scratching my stupid feet and sometimes the rest of my skin too. Anyway, there really isn't any negative effect on me other than it being SUPER ANNOYING but there is a risk to the baby because it causes his liver to have to over compensate for what my liver is not doing. Basically the only cure is to deliver early, so now we will be induced no later than 38 weeks, and very likely sometime between 36-37! I'm headed into the hospital today for a few tests to check the baby's well-being right now, these are called a Non-Stress Test(watching his heartrate for about 20-30min or so to ensure proper oxygenation and movement) and a Biophysical Profile (an ultrasound that looks at several different components of fetal well-being - lungs, muscles, fluid, etc). I will also be receiving a steroid injection today and tomorrow to ensure that our son's lungs are developed by the time we have our induction. And along with all this, I am off of work and on bedrest to ensure my body is not having any other extra stressors... like working full time night shift! :o) I am thankful for the time to rest, although I'm sure I'll get a little stir crazy soon enough. I've got a good book to finish and several movie donations from friends, as well as a Baby Book to start of course!!! Prayers are greatly appreciated for the well-being of our boy, the sanity of his mother, and patience for his father (as Ev is being SUPER husband and picking up extra house work, working full time and going to school part time! Yikes!)
