slowly getting there

it all started during our 33rd week check-up when the ob found out that fundal height didn't increase compared to our last appointment, not to mention i only gained .1kg. so she immediately required a growth scan to be conducted and that's where we found out that the baby is small for dates (small for gestational age). even if the conclusion of the scan was "satisfactory fetal growth, with no evidence of fetal compromise", we were told that our baby's growth is below average which no parent would want to hear. that's when we started to get worried.

i couldn't wait till our next appointment which was two weeks after that so i left a message with my ob's secretary to give me a call once she gets the comprehensive report of the growth scan. my ob got back to me telling me not to worry and all i can do really is rest to help our baby grow. side kwento: i was so insecure of my little belly compared to our pre-natal classes classmates that week!

during our 35th week appointment last week, although fundal height increased already (but still does not corresponding to how far along we are) and significant weight gain has been achieved (i've been eating a lot the past couple of weeks thus the 1.1kg weight gain), our doctor was concerned how my blood pressure has always been borderline so then and there, she had me do some round of blood tests, another round of growth scan (baby only gained 120 grams if i'm not mistaken, expected weight gain is about 250 grams) and had me admitted in the labor ward to continuously monitor my blood pressure (every hour) and fetal activity via cardiotocography. i guess she was just being cautious and wanted to rule out pre-eclampsia. the good thing however is that i never leaked protein in my urine and i haven't experienced swelling of my extremities which are signs of the condition. our ob also decided to inject steroids already in case i have to deliver early. she said that she's not expecting us to reach our estimated due date of the 21st of april and that i may delivery our baby in the next three weeks. she's really hoping though that we reach our 38th week.

the second round of growth scan showed our baby did grow somehow but not as much as we wanted him to so no need to take him out just yet. i was discharged around mid-afternoon after finding out that when i'm resting my blood pressure normalizes. that's when our ob told me that i have start my maternity leave then and there since i have to rest to help this baby grow and the stress and pressure that work is currently giving me is not doing any good for our baby.

i went to the office after being discharged and talked to my boss and my team. i actually went home pretty late that day since i wanted to tidy up my desk (i plan to go back to work by february 2009 which is about 10 months of maternity leave!). i was feeling very emotional that day since i wasn't ready to go on leave yet not to mention leaving behind a project that i've been working on for the past couple of months that has yet to be finished. you see, i was feeling fine throughout this pregnancy. sure, i get tired at the end of the day but nothing major. little did i know that work stress may not be affecting me directly but our baby. the earliest i was supposed to go on maternity leave was end of march and latest was around mid-april. so i had two more weeks to go and i have scheduled what has to be done for that two weeks already.

i think it will take a while getting used to not having the routine of waking up in the morning, dressing up and going to work. the next day, i couldn't help but log-in the office and talk to my colleagues and project consultants. i was pretty much working the next day but from home which according to my husband defies the purpose of resting. i keep on telling him and my officemates that i will eventually let go of work but it's something that i will do in my own pace. i guess i just needed closure somehow since i'm the type of person who wants to finish what has been started. and besides, i invested so much time, effort and energy in my project and we're about 85%-90% there!

anyway, i went back to the hospital the next day for another and last round of steroid shots and then back again a couple of days for fetal activity monitoring via ctg and another one last saturday. we have our weekly appointment tomorrow and another growth scan in the afternoon. i hope that everything turns out fine.

just a couple more weeks to go, hang in there my baby!