I thought at this point in my pregnancy that I would be saying "3 1/2 more weeks to go"....NOT 6 1/2 weeks to go!!! But it appears as though Austin won't be making his appearance until 39 weeks gestation! Craziness.
I went yesterday for another ultrasound (not really sure how many that is now total...9 or 10 maybe?). At any rate, we were called into the room by the technician who did our 20 week ultrasound where they found the hydrocephalus....Kevin and I both looked at each other and were immediately disappointed. We already had a bad taste in our mouth to begin with just because it was her and then we found out that the perinatologist on that day was the one that "broke the news" to us 12 weeks ago. I don't like that doctor. From day one she has not had any compassion, sympathy or tact. So just having those two people to deal with was bad enough...then we ended up in the same room as my 20 week ultrasound....just a bad feeling all around.
The tech scanned him and didn't talk that much. Kevin and I asked questions about his head, but I could see the measurements on the screen anyways. She said that they were "about the same". (The ventricle sizes went up slightly, but nothing major, which is awesome!). His head circumference is now measuring 38 weeks (almost 6 weeks ahead). I asked the tech to check all his limbs and she kinda gave me the "ugh" face, but she did it. I also asked for a 3D picture, but Austin had his hands and feet all covering his face. Guess he's pretty flexible! Haha. We got to see Austin grabbing his one foot with his hand though, so that was cute. When she was done scanning, she left the room to get the doctor.
A minute or so later, the tech returned to the room by herself and said that the doctor looked at the results and said to come back in 4 weeks for another "growth check". I immediately interjected and said that my OB wanted them to start discussing delivery options/dates so we can get things in order. The tech responded "She wants US to talk delivery dates?". I reminded her that the delivery would ultimately be up to the perinatologists and neurosurgeon, not the OB. She left the room again and again returned less than a minute later to tell me that the perinatologist will reach out to the neurosurgeon and "send a report to the OB". She told us as of now to schedule another appointment in 4 weeks!
Kevin and I left the room and I was immediately annoyed! Annoyed for one that the peri couldn't even come into the room and say hello to us...to check in on us...to give us the results of the ultrasound. Are you serious? I'm a high risk pregnancy...and this is the doctor that diagnosed me. I don't care what she was doing or how busy she was, for her to not even come into the room and say hello is just ridiculous on its own. And I was also extremely annoyed that they were just like "ok, come back in another 4 weeks". I'm already 32 1/2 weeks pregnant!!! The talk all along was that I would deliver Austin early...probably 36 or 37 weeks gestation and I would be given steriod shots to boost his lungs. Now there is no mention of that?? Just simply ridiculous....
At any rate, we scheduled our next appointment for April 1st.....and then left the office and I headed over to my OB appointment. I talked to the OB about the ultrasound. She indicated that she has been talking to other high risk OB's about my pregnancy and all have agreed that it is better to wait until 39 weeks gestation. She stated that the longer the baby is in the womb, the better chance he will be fully developed and will not have any other issues (such as breathing, etc). I asked her why Austin couldn't be born at 37 weeks instead the latest, since 37 weeks is considered full term. She indicated that for every week past 37 weeks, the baby has a 15% better chance of lung development. She explained that since its already known that Austin has medical needs and will have surgery intervention when he's born, she said that its more viable for him if we wait longer to deliver him. I don't agree with this. I mean I agree that I want him to be as developed as he needs to be and I certainly don't want to him to have any other medical issues from being premature, but bottom line in my opinion is that regardless, we are talking an extra few weeks of him being in utero, where pressure from his fluid continues to build and we don't know what kind of effect that is going to have on him in the long run. But I'm not a doctor and I have to go with what the professionals are saying. Its just aggravating though because every other parent I have talked to has had their delivery early! Not to mention the fact that his head is already measuring 6 weeks bigger than it should be....so who knows how big it will be after another 6 weeks goes by!!! And to top it all off, my OB has decided that she is going to do a vertical incision when she does my c-section, to make sure to allow for enough room for his head to come out. Vertical incisions take much longer to heal and recover from then the normal horizontal cut.
So, all around it was just a frustrating day. I'm trying not to let it bring me down though because regardless, the fact that his ventricles aren't increasing drastically is great. Kevin keeps trying to remind me that the doctors can't be that concerned about the slight increases monthly, otherwise they would be taking Austin earlier. I dunno. I have just had in my mind that I would be delivering around 36-37 weeks...and this all just kinda burst my bubble. But with that said....I'll get over it and try and enjoy the last 6 weeks or so that I have left being pregnant.
So, my c-section is scheduled for April 22nd (good friday) at 7:30am.
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