Pregnancy_Journal

We found Payton a crib! not just a crib, but an entire nursery set! (all in one box)


the picture shows the same crib, just one in baby setting and one in toddler setting.

guess what we got today....

hooray our going home outfits are here! both are brand new but at an ebay price tag! my babies will look good :) AWWW! I love looking at all the cute outfits. For me just getting the outfit makes it 'real'. like I'm pregnant now, but my lil baby will soon be wearing this!

Copied from the official RhoGAM^® site:

Understanding what it means to be Rh-negative

You’ve recently learned that you are “Rh-negative”, and therefore your baby may be at risk for hemolytic disease of the newborn, also known as HDN. Before hearing the news from your doctor or nurse, no doubt your thoughts were filled with all the joyful anticipations of a new baby: picking out names, planning a nursery, buying infant clothes, and sharing sonogram images with relatives and friends. But now, unfamiliar terms such as Rh factor, antibodies, and HDN may have you feeling concerned, even scared. Don’t be!

There is a treatment called RhoGAM^® Brand that, if administered properly, can virtually eliminate the risk of HDN; your doctor will be prescribing it for you. The company that makes RhoGAM^® Brand is the same one that helped discover, develop, and deliver this lifesaving miracle 40 years ago: Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, part of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies.

What Does It Mean to Be Rh-Negative?

Being Rh-negative means you don't have a certain protein ("D antigen" or the Rh factor) on the surface of your red blood cells. If you do have it, you're Rh-positive. So the terms “Rh-negative” and “Rh-positive” are really just terms that further define what type of blood a person has, beyond the general blood type categories of A, B, AB, and O.

Being Rh-negative is neither good nor bad, but it can become a serious issue if you’re pregnant by or planning to have a child with a man who is Rh-positive.

In the United States, the population of Rh-negative individuals varies among ethnic groups. The highest prevalence is found among Caucasians (15%), followed by African Americans and Hispanics (8% each), and Asians and Native Americans (1% each). For the small percentage of people who are Rh-negative, their blood type causes no special health concerns except when they give or receive blood, or during pregnancy.

WHEN NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE MEET AND MATE

If you're Rh-negative and carrying a baby who is Rh-positive (like the baby’s father), your baby may be at risk for a serious disease. When your immune system (which fights off invaders to keep you healthy) is exposed to your baby’s Rh-positive blood, it will begin producing antibodies that are sensitized(designed specifically) to destroy these “foreign” blood cells.

If this is your first pregnancy, chances are everything will be fine. These sensitized antibodies are typically not dangerous until subsequent pregnancies, when they've had time to grow in strength and number. However, all subsequent pregnancies would be at great risk. That is why you must act now to prevent your immune system from being exposed to Rh-positive blood.

CONSEQUENCES OF HDN FOR UNPROTECTED BABIES

If your immune system is not held in check by a product such as RhoGAM^® Brand, sensitized antibodies programmed to recognize and attack any Rh-positive blood cells are waiting for the next pregnancy. The antibodies then begin to destroy the red blood cells of the baby, leading to complications such as jaundice, anemia, mental retardation, and heart failure¹. This condition, known as hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), can be fatal in the most severe cases—the infant would typically die during pregnancy or shortly after delivery.

Prior to the introduction of RhoGAM^® Brand in 1968, HDN was a major cause of infant mortality, responsible for an average of 10,000 deaths annually in the United States². Since the introduction of Rh immune globulin products, like RhoGAM^® Brand, the incidence of HDN has been virtually eliminated in most developed countries.

so now your all edumacated...

Today we had the ultrasound.  Matt was supposed to be there, but didn’t show. :( The appointment was at 9:30. The baby is a girl. We tried to get a nice 3d picture… the whole reason I chose this doctor… but baby was up against the placenta and it’s hard to get a good picture when they are right up against something. Plus she kept looking down!! And the cord went down between the legs...get into that later but we and to go from all different angles to try and see 'the goods'! 



So good news and bad news… or maybe just news?

So the baby was healthy, and the placenta was out of the way. All the measurements where spot on, and the due date was again confirmed for June 18th.  So I’m 21wks and 1day. He said the baby was breech but, that it isn't a problem yet; because the baby will move down latter. But the cord was wrapped 2x around the baby's upper leg... not sure if that’s a bad thing or just a meh thing? The doc was a lil concerned but not on alert. He said we would take another ultrasound at the next appointment, under the hopes that if she got herself in that mess she might get herself out of it. He said it may be something as easy as unwrapping the cord as she's born...unless it gets tight? or, or, or, i got so many could be’s I have no idea? Is it a bad thing, is it common? no clue?



Then on the bright side I asked him all about the preeclampsia, because I had that with Kyla, and he said I was less likely to get it this time. And that it is more common with a first pregnancy at my age, and I should be fine this time, and bla bla bla. But when he took my blood pressure -it's going up again :(. We thought maybe I was just excited about the ultrasound, and we will keep an eye on it for next visit.



Also he vaguely mentioned getting a shot at 28 weeks. It’s called RhoGAM® . I didn’t have this with Kyla and I never heard anything about me being Rh-negative. So… donno?

Another cool thing is that I don't have to change my H.M.O. the doc said mine was fine. So :P no more hour phone calls.

Two things happened today :)

1. Cabbage test
2. Hospital visit!

1. With the ultrasound only 4 days away I'm getting really antsy... no impatient!
Nothing you can do at home is 100% correct, but it sure can be fun to try!
The cabbage gender test is fast and cheap gender determination.
If the water turns pink or red then this indicates a boy result!
If the water turns purple, this indicates a girl result.


2.  We (Kyla, Matt and I) also went to "the Columbia Center" today. It has a "direct and separate entry on the north end of the Columbia St. Mary’s Ozaukee campus, designed for easy drop-off for the mom-to-be." I want to deliver there, but we will see what happens. It's so close rather then St. Joe's... far away :(. It was a good tour we only saw one newborn in the nursery because they mostly stay in the room with mama. He was getting a hearing test. Kyla enjoyed herself and got 2 stickers that said "I'm going to be a big sister!"  And Daddy was happy with the fully stocked fridge, the dad gets a complementary meal like mom and his sleeping arrangements are way better... unlike with Kyla where he slept on the counter. And I can't wait to try out the labor tub! ... no, on second thought I can wait. (not looking forward to labor.) Overall it was really cool. They gave us the tour even though they were so busy... 3 deliveries + a twin delivery!
This is the web site for the Columbia Center: