At my 30 week ultrasound today, our baby girl was weighing in at a whopping 3lbs, 14oz. She is doing well and all her vital signs, and mine as well, are excellent! No signs of pre-eclampsia!
Check out the video of her face from today's ultrasound.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
30 weeks!!!
What a milestone.... 30 weeks!!! To update everyone on my situation, I'm being followed very closely by all my docs and we all feel that everything is stable right now. Most likely I don't have ICP, but the medicine they gave me has taken away the itching, so I'm staying on it. :-) Everything else is looking good.
At my 30 week ultrasound today, our baby girl was weighing in at a whopping 3lbs, 14oz. She is doing well and all her vital signs, and mine as well, are excellent! No signs of pre-eclampsia!
Check out the video of her face from today's ultrasound.
At my 30 week ultrasound today, our baby girl was weighing in at a whopping 3lbs, 14oz. She is doing well and all her vital signs, and mine as well, are excellent! No signs of pre-eclampsia!
Check out the video of her face from today's ultrasound.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Liver Testing Results
Story of my life:
Weird medical symptoms develop, strange and conflicting labs ensue, doctors scratch their heads, diagnosis unclear. Repeat indefinitely.
So, my doctors and I all thought for sure my bile levels would come back elevated and they would diagnose me with ICP. Nope. Got my results back and they are on the low end of normal. I'm very, very glad for those news!!! But I'm also frustrated by my medical mysteries.
I spoke with my gastroenterologist and she said that this does not necessarily rule out ICP, and that she is going to continue to test me for it regularly. She is also testing me for several other liver problems including some genetic, and some autoimmune conditions involving the liver. She reminded me that my liver function tests are high, and that this is NOT normal. She's glad to see that they stabilized for the time being, but she said that she is going to monitor me closely to make sure that those liver enzymes do not reach dangerous levels for me and the baby.
So.... even though there is a possibility that I am just at the very onset of ICP, it's encouraging that my levels are very low and normal, because that buys us more time, and we are not in an emergency situation. If I don't have ICP, then that means there is something else happening in my body which may or may not be pregnancy induced, but could possibly continue after the pregnancy.... which means I will be monitored closely for the rest of the year pretty much.
Thank you for all the warm wishes everyone! These last two weeks have been very trying on me emotionally, but I am doing much better now! I will keep you all posted on what's happening.
Weird medical symptoms develop, strange and conflicting labs ensue, doctors scratch their heads, diagnosis unclear. Repeat indefinitely.
So, my doctors and I all thought for sure my bile levels would come back elevated and they would diagnose me with ICP. Nope. Got my results back and they are on the low end of normal. I'm very, very glad for those news!!! But I'm also frustrated by my medical mysteries.
I spoke with my gastroenterologist and she said that this does not necessarily rule out ICP, and that she is going to continue to test me for it regularly. She is also testing me for several other liver problems including some genetic, and some autoimmune conditions involving the liver. She reminded me that my liver function tests are high, and that this is NOT normal. She's glad to see that they stabilized for the time being, but she said that she is going to monitor me closely to make sure that those liver enzymes do not reach dangerous levels for me and the baby.
So.... even though there is a possibility that I am just at the very onset of ICP, it's encouraging that my levels are very low and normal, because that buys us more time, and we are not in an emergency situation. If I don't have ICP, then that means there is something else happening in my body which may or may not be pregnancy induced, but could possibly continue after the pregnancy.... which means I will be monitored closely for the rest of the year pretty much.
Thank you for all the warm wishes everyone! These last two weeks have been very trying on me emotionally, but I am doing much better now! I will keep you all posted on what's happening.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Liver and Gall bladder ultrasound
Since my liver function tests have been elevated, I was sent to a GI specialist for further testing of my liver and gall bladder. I had an ultrasound this morning of my liver, gall bladder, spleen, and kidneys. Thankfully everything looked normal.
This ruled out possible gall stone obstruction; or inflammation or cysts in my liver. That would have presented a whole new slew of problems. So most likely, the culprit for the elevated liver enzymes is what we originally suspected... ICP. (see previous posts regarding this issue)
We are still waiting on the definitive test results to come back on whether or not I have ICP, hopefully we will know in the next few days. However, both my perinatologist and the gastroenterologist feel that it will show that I DO indeed have ICP. I'll keep you posted.
This ruled out possible gall stone obstruction; or inflammation or cysts in my liver. That would have presented a whole new slew of problems. So most likely, the culprit for the elevated liver enzymes is what we originally suspected... ICP. (see previous posts regarding this issue)
We are still waiting on the definitive test results to come back on whether or not I have ICP, hopefully we will know in the next few days. However, both my perinatologist and the gastroenterologist feel that it will show that I DO indeed have ICP. I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
29 weeks
It's late and I'm exhausted.... so all I'm going to say is.... Yay for 29 weeks! And I think I'm getting into the "huge" stage. :-)
About the itch...
Once again, if you've missed my blog for a few days, go back and read the last two. Otherwise this one won't make any sense.
Some people have asked about the itching and about how I can tell it's not normal pregnancy itching. Well, at first I thought it was normal pregnancy itching too, but it escalated and got to a point where I said to myself, "this is NOT normal". Sure I have itching on my belly where my skin is stretching, but nothing that I would think out of the ordinary. ICP is characterized by intense, widespread itching on the body, but particularly on the hands and feet. I have all of that.
The itching is like nothing I've ever experienced. I've been taking 2 or 3 baths a day for a tiny amount of relief. I've tried oatmeal baths and coating my skin with benadryl anti-itch gel, as well as taking benadryl orally. All at the same time... with no relief. I wake up every hour through the night ferociously scratching my legs, my feet, my hands, etc. Two nights ago it was so bad that it had me in tears and I literally was balling up my fists and shaking from the overwhelming need to scratch everywhere. I literally wanted to pull my hair out, and I felt like I was going crazy. It was about then that I had the realization, "this is NOT normal!".
The itching is worse in the evenings and night... which is how the ICP itching is described as well. And of course it is often on my hands and feet, which is the tell tale sign of ICP.
When I'm not actually scratching, I feel the need to scratch all day long. It never goes away. I'm constantly aware of my itchiness, even when I withhold scratching for hours at a time. It's like I've rolled around in poison ivy or something. Miserable, miserable, miserable! One article I read on ICP talked about how patients often suffer from emotional distress and suicidal thoughts from this condition. I can totally understand that! (Don't worry, I'm not suicidal!)
Anyways, if anyone is interested in reading more about ICP, here is a link:
http://www.itchymoms.com/
And here are a couple of medical articles if you're wanting to read a bunch of medical terminology on the matter:
http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0168-8278/PIIS0168827800801397.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1891276/
Some people have asked about the itching and about how I can tell it's not normal pregnancy itching. Well, at first I thought it was normal pregnancy itching too, but it escalated and got to a point where I said to myself, "this is NOT normal". Sure I have itching on my belly where my skin is stretching, but nothing that I would think out of the ordinary. ICP is characterized by intense, widespread itching on the body, but particularly on the hands and feet. I have all of that.
The itching is like nothing I've ever experienced. I've been taking 2 or 3 baths a day for a tiny amount of relief. I've tried oatmeal baths and coating my skin with benadryl anti-itch gel, as well as taking benadryl orally. All at the same time... with no relief. I wake up every hour through the night ferociously scratching my legs, my feet, my hands, etc. Two nights ago it was so bad that it had me in tears and I literally was balling up my fists and shaking from the overwhelming need to scratch everywhere. I literally wanted to pull my hair out, and I felt like I was going crazy. It was about then that I had the realization, "this is NOT normal!".
The itching is worse in the evenings and night... which is how the ICP itching is described as well. And of course it is often on my hands and feet, which is the tell tale sign of ICP.
When I'm not actually scratching, I feel the need to scratch all day long. It never goes away. I'm constantly aware of my itchiness, even when I withhold scratching for hours at a time. It's like I've rolled around in poison ivy or something. Miserable, miserable, miserable! One article I read on ICP talked about how patients often suffer from emotional distress and suicidal thoughts from this condition. I can totally understand that! (Don't worry, I'm not suicidal!)
Anyways, if anyone is interested in reading more about ICP, here is a link:
http://www.itchymoms.com/
And here are a couple of medical articles if you're wanting to read a bunch of medical terminology on the matter:
http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0168-8278/PIIS0168827800801397.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1891276/
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Update
I had my blood work this morning and met with my doctor regarding the situation. (Please read my previous blog if you missed it). The bile acid test takes 7-10 days to get results on. In the meantime, my doctor has started me on the standard medication for ICP. The hope is that it will reduce the bile acid levels in my blood and subsequently help with the itching as well.
I also learned that in mild cases of ICP, they will not let the patient go past 38 weeks. In severe cases of ICP, they will not let the patient go past 36 or 37 weeks. Because the babies lungs often aren't quite mature at this point, I will be given a steroid shot to mature the babies lungs; as well as an amniocentesis to check lung maturity. My doctor said they will hold out on the steroid shot as long as the can, but the latest would be 34 weeks. In the meantime I will have weekly NST's (non-stress tests to monitor the baby's heart rate), and if my bile acid levels come back really high, then I will have bi-weekly NST's. The reason for the early induction is because the later weeks pose a higher risk to the baby. So the doctors have to weigh the risks to decide when to induce.
It really hit me today how close all of this is. I will be 29 weeks tomorrow so we're talking possible steroid shot in just a few more weeks.
Hopefully we will get the test results next week and we will have a definitive answer about whether or not I have ICP.
I also learned that in mild cases of ICP, they will not let the patient go past 38 weeks. In severe cases of ICP, they will not let the patient go past 36 or 37 weeks. Because the babies lungs often aren't quite mature at this point, I will be given a steroid shot to mature the babies lungs; as well as an amniocentesis to check lung maturity. My doctor said they will hold out on the steroid shot as long as the can, but the latest would be 34 weeks. In the meantime I will have weekly NST's (non-stress tests to monitor the baby's heart rate), and if my bile acid levels come back really high, then I will have bi-weekly NST's. The reason for the early induction is because the later weeks pose a higher risk to the baby. So the doctors have to weigh the risks to decide when to induce.
It really hit me today how close all of this is. I will be 29 weeks tomorrow so we're talking possible steroid shot in just a few more weeks.
Hopefully we will get the test results next week and we will have a definitive answer about whether or not I have ICP.
A new complication.... ugh
I'm currently being tested for another rare pregnancy condition called cholestasis of pregrancy, or ICP. Less than 1% of pregnant women get this condition. (Why can't I just win the lottery instead of getting all these weird medical problems?!) Anyways, the issue is that if I have this condition my liver does not process bile appropriately and the bile acid levels in my blood rise. This generally isn't an issue for me, but it can be bad for the baby. Up to 4% of patients with this condition have a stillbirth as a result, and fetal distress occurs in 20-40% of these patients. So needless to say, yesterday was very upsetting for me as I read through all of the information about this condition.
As I said before, I'm being tested for it and do not have a definitive diagnosis at this point. However, I have all the classic symptoms. I have intense itching all over my body, particularly at night, and particularly on my hands and feet. The itching is so extreme that I wake up at night scratching myself ferociously. Anti-itch gels and creams don't really do anything for it. I also have abnormal liver function labs. I'm going in this morning to have my bile serum levels tested. This will be the definitive test. Depending on the doctor, any number less than 10 or less than 14 is normal. Over that and up to 40 is considered mild. Over 40 is considered severe and that is when more problems arise for the baby.
The lab work takes a week to get back, so I'm going to beg my doctor to start me on the medication that is given for this condition NOW, so that I can get the itching under control. I will keep you all posted on what the results are.
As I said before, I'm being tested for it and do not have a definitive diagnosis at this point. However, I have all the classic symptoms. I have intense itching all over my body, particularly at night, and particularly on my hands and feet. The itching is so extreme that I wake up at night scratching myself ferociously. Anti-itch gels and creams don't really do anything for it. I also have abnormal liver function labs. I'm going in this morning to have my bile serum levels tested. This will be the definitive test. Depending on the doctor, any number less than 10 or less than 14 is normal. Over that and up to 40 is considered mild. Over 40 is considered severe and that is when more problems arise for the baby.
The lab work takes a week to get back, so I'm going to beg my doctor to start me on the medication that is given for this condition NOW, so that I can get the itching under control. I will keep you all posted on what the results are.
Friday, June 4, 2010
27 weeks.... with 3D ultrasound!
Yesterday marked 27 weeks! Check out that bump!
Today we had another ultrasound. Everything is still looking great. Here are a couple of 3D pics, as well as a video.
In the video, part of the umbilical cord is floating in front of her nose and mouth, causing that area to look kind of fuzzy or shadowy. (in case you're wondering) Enjoy!
Today we had another ultrasound. Everything is still looking great. Here are a couple of 3D pics, as well as a video. 
In the video, part of the umbilical cord is floating in front of her nose and mouth, causing that area to look kind of fuzzy or shadowy. (in case you're wondering) Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Cloth Diapering!
We have decided to use cloth diapers for our baby. It saves lots of money, plus it is better for the environment. Here's my newborn stash to get me started. The actual diapers are the six stacks on the upper left. The surrounded pieces are all waterproof covers for the diapers. We will have to buy more diapers down the road as she gets bigger, but the next round of diapers will be adjustable in size and should get her through about age 3 months - 2.5 years.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Memorial Day
For Memorial Day, we had some friends over for a little cookout in our backyard. We have our new pergola, awning, and deck furniture and it was all very comfortable.... a huge improvement from the open deck we had before. I'm 26.5 weeks now and looking very pregnant these days. Our little girl kicks and moves a lot and I really enjoy feeling her throughout the day! Here's Daniel and I together....
Here's Corinne... our friends' little girl.... watching an airplane fly overhead.
And here's their newest addition, Connor. He's just about 5 weeks old.
Corinne and O'Malley....
This last week I bought a co-sleeper/bassinet. Both O'Malley and Mittsee said that they thoroughly approve of the purchase.
And here is our super deluxe high chair. It came with a booster seat there on the left. I'd say we are ready for this baby to get here!
Here's Corinne... our friends' little girl.... watching an airplane fly overhead.
And here's their newest addition, Connor. He's just about 5 weeks old. 
Corinne and O'Malley....
This last week I bought a co-sleeper/bassinet. Both O'Malley and Mittsee said that they thoroughly approve of the purchase.
And here is our super deluxe high chair. It came with a booster seat there on the left. I'd say we are ready for this baby to get here!
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