Weekly Checkup

Today I had my weekly doctor's appointment. I was expecting my typical weight check, urine check, blood pressure check, Quinn's heartbeat check, etc... to come out normal and to be on my way home. I even expected to learn that I have not progressed from my 3 centimeters dilation from two weeks ago. What I did not expect was to be sent to labor and delivery and told that I would need to be induced tonight, or possibly tomorrow morning (assuming everything looked okay). I was alone at my appointment and was not prepared to hear this. I was an emotional roller coaster, to say the least. I have been warned to be prepared to throw any labor plans out the window, but I am clearly not emotionally prepared for this. I have a vision of going into natural labor, fighting through labor pains at home for a while, and then eventually heading to the hospital when I can't take the pain any longer.

You might be wondering why is there this immediate need to induce me all of a sudden? Well, to be frank, so was I. I did have traces of protein in my urine and a higher blood pressure today (although my blood pressure was still within the "normal" range). These are both signs of preeclampsia. My doctor wanted to error on the side of caution and have me go to labor and delivery immediately to monitor Quinn's heartbeat, my blood pressure, and have some blood work drawn to ensure that there were no immediate concerns (thus causing me to need to be induced immediately). I called Pat and he left work immediately and met me at the hospital. After 4+ hours of monitoring and such I learned that everything looked "normal". Dr. Bovone came and talked to Pat and me about what to do next. Her opinion was that I might as well be induced sooner rather than later just to ensure that no further complications arise. My perspective varied, because ultimately I felt like we learned that everything was okay. I would rather Quinn decide when he join us, but ultimately, I was just not emotionally prepared for this to happen tomorrow (via induction). So, the compromise that we came up with was for me to take a 24-hour urine test to get a better gauge of whether or not I have enough protein to be concerned about preeclampsia. We will get the results for this test on Saturday and then decide what to do from there. No matter what, it looks like Quinn will be here next week. We are looking at an induction (as soon as Monday) if he doesn't come naturally before then.

Pat and I learned how emotionally exhausting spending time in the hospital can be. We feel as though we received just a taste of what it will be like next week. Keep us in your thoughts and pray for a safe delivery!