Tuesday, November 12, 2013

BW2 Update

We had a quick check in with the nurses at my doctor's office today to make sure everything is going ok.  I'm happy to report that BW2 is still looking great.  My fluid levels are stable, placenta looks good, and the baby was moving everywhere.  I had some testing done due to the high BP readings at my last appointment, but thankfully they all look good at this time.  We will see the doctor again on Dec 1st and will hopefully know what the baby's gender is in time for a Christmas surprise!  Thanks to everyone for the well wishes!  We are still being very cautious due to the circumstances but are more excited for this new life with each passing day!

Friday, November 1, 2013

Baby Wooten #2

And just like that....BAM! Baby #2 is on the way. 



No, this is not a Halloween trick!  And yes we are as shocked as you are!  Good lord willing and the creek don't rise, Baby #2 will be making his/her appearance around the middle of May. 

So not considering that we have a 10 month old, I work way too much, and I graduate with my doctorate right around my due date, we are really excited! 

 
Jaslyn is probably less excited, but right now her main concerns in life are kittens, pumpkins, and snacks so we are pretending like she is as excited as the rest of us!

I decided to blog about this baby because as you may have guessed by now, BW2 has came with some very special circumstances.  I thought writing about them here and periodically updating about the baby's status would be the easiest way to make sure all our out of town family and friends stay in the loop.  Right now we need all the prayers and happy thoughts we can get for this little peanut!

I am currently between 12-13 weeks pregnant.  We aren't sure of my exact dates because the baby was unexpected.  A few weeks ago, I was feeling really poorly and basically wanting to sleep all the time.  My mother (who honest to goodness knows everything, I swear) kept asking if I was pregnant.  My answer was "No! Of course not!" because I have a Paragaurd IUD.  An IUD is a birth control device that is placed in the cervix to protect against pregnancy without hormones. 

 
 
Paraguard looks like this.  According to the manufacture and general contraceptive teaching, IUD's are the MOST EFFECTIVE form of reversible contraception.  More effective than pills, patches, shots, ect... A copper IUD like Paragaurd is good for preventing pregnancy for up to 12 years.  The pregnancy rate with Paragaurd is less than 0.01%.  In comparison, the pregnancy rate with tubal ligation is up to 3.7%.  Even if pregnancy occurs, they are often in the fallopian tubes or are non-viable.  But I digress...
 
So fast forward to when my mom finally convinces me to take a test, which is positive, but a pregnancy is impossible because I have this very very effective form of birth control.  I go to my OB, who also thinks the test was likely a false positive or maybe I have a tubal pregnancy.  We immediately go for an ultrasound which reveals....
 
 
One healthy, viable, 10 week old fetus.  Say what?!?!
 
Since my doctor has never had this happen to a patient, we did not really know what to expect.  I went to WVU to see a high risk perinatologist, who tried to remove the IUD but was unsuccessful.  Somewhere in the course of 3-4 days the IUD had moved from my cervix to the top of my uterus, above the baby.  And that is where it will stay for the remainder of the pregnancy. 
 
So what does all this hoopla mean for us?  First of all, I am high risk which means more frequent monitoring and trips to the doctor.  So far every ultrasound and exam has showed a healthy growing baby.  Glory be to God. 
 
It also means I am having some unwanted complications and my risk of second trimester miscarriage is higher than other pregnancies.  I am on light activity and generally don't feel as great as I did with Jaslyn.  I have had a couple of big scares but my doctor has been very attentive and reassuring. He has described this pregnancy as a "miracle" and "meant to be".   The IUD is causing me to have some intermittent pain that is pretty severe but not threatening to the baby.  Most recently, I was diagnosed with pregnancy induced hypertension.  In light of that I am having some more testing done next week to determine how we can treat it to keep me and the baby safe for the next 6 months.  Early delivery is more common in women who carry babies with IUD's so that is always in the back of our minds.  The perinatologist at WVU has assured us that while the IUD does make the pregnancy more complicated the actual device does not pose any risk to the baby while in utero.  If I have a natural birth the IUD should be delivered with the baby.  He said he has literally seen babies born holding the IUD  ( I am hoping he is really joking).   
 
So there is the condensed version of the roller coaster ride that has been our lives for the last two weeks.  Right now we are taking things day by day and are forever grateful that God has chosen us to bring another beautiful life into this world. 
Here is the most recent shot of BW2 --- with his/her tiny leg kicking up in the air!