Week 36: the rollercoaster

What an eventful week and it's only halfway done.

Monday began with a call from the doc, nothing that he said was anything I wanted to hear--of course. I've learned that's how it goes when they call. Basically all the bad news they'd rather not say to your face. On the bright side they can't see me sobbing away on the other end. I'll take it since today it was more of an ugly cry and nobody wants to see that. Ugh, weak moments.

Baby's kidney is not doing well at all (we guessed that at Friday's ultrasound) and my amniotic fluid is too low so they're sending me to a specialist for another high tech ultrasound for further direction. Of course they first ordered up a stat NST, which I passed no problem. Babe is an active one, and always has been.

Fast-forward to Wednesday, we had no idea what to expect going up to Spectrum. The sonographer was so great though, and we spent an hour and a half with her going over everything. We even got to try a 3D ultrasound, but it turned out that I am too far along to make out her cute little face. After that, they brought us to a little room full of sunshine--you know, the ones with the nice corner view, round table, and boxes of kleenex scattered all over--yea, that room.

And we waited.

After what seemed like an eternity the maternal/fetal medicine specialist came in and sat down. What an awesome lady! She was so understanding and took the time to answer all of our questions. We couldn't have been happier with what she had to say--yes, babe's left kidney is 11+ mm, but it's only due to a partial ureter block, something that could easily still clear up, or can be fixed later with a stent if necessary. The other kidney is working perfectly (it was also dilated at 28 weeks)!

You see, your kidneys are one of the only organs that form from two parts of solid, not hollow, tissue. Sometimes, the two parts just don't come together perfectly and you get an odd little flap that gets in the way. It won't cause her any pain, but her belly may just be a little "puffier" than normal at first. We did get a referral to a pediatric nephrologist, so she won't get checked on again until after she's born.

After a review of all her systems--brain, heart, lungs--they couldn't find anything else concerning, which makes them believe her kidney issue was caused by a random fluke. Doc said she looks like a healthy, average, 5lb 15oz little girl, hallelujah!

As for the amniotic fluid, it was still lower than normal (7 or 8), but higher than it was Friday. Since it's still above 5 and she seems to be  moving around in there just fine, they did not see any reason for bed rest, early induction, or a c-section! As of today they'll let me go on my own...and I could even still make 40 without any trouble! They'll be doing a few more ultrasounds back in my regular obgyn's office to keep checking the level, but the specialist was confident that it was nothing too out of the ordinary that would require special action.

Praise God for the good news, and answered prayers! We couldn't feel more blessed and fortunate for the events that unfolded today. Sadly, we know that not all parents get to go home with smiles on their faces--and tonight we're saying a special prayer for them.

As a sometimes chronic Negative-Nancy {I prefer the term realist}, I learned a tough lesson today--that no matter how easy it is to get wrapped up in what you hear bit by bit, nothing amounts to the full story and it's not worth reacting to until you have all the details. We were ready to go today...the bag was packed and in the car, and Ross even turned off the A/C in the house! While I do feel a little silly admitting that we took the first bout of news at face value, we were just going off what we were told by the doctor. After Wednesday, my attitude towards the rest of this pregnancy has changed. I am so thankful I can enjoy the next three weeks or so with a clear mind. I can actually say that we're ready--at least we feel ready--which means will be as ready as we can be when she does decide to make her arrival.

Hang tight little girl, while we love you very much and are very excited to meet you, we don't mind if you get comfy in there for a bit longer! You are such a tough little fighter, and mommy & daddy are so proud of you!