It's official!!!

[tnrnchick74]

I had another OB appointment today...















AND WE SET THE DATE FOR MY C-SECTION!!!!

Parker will be arriving on May 27,2008!

The bad news is that on my last ultrasound I had a "lower than normal" AFI (amniotic fluid index). BUT my placenta previa has moved up "some".

So now its weekly NSTs. AAAUUUUGGGHHHH!!!

I know he's monitoring me very closely because of my complex medical issues and I appreciate that...really I do. I DO want to know if anything is going wrong, but it seems that EVERYTHING seems to go wrong. If its not one thing its another. So, though the section date is set, there is a chance I might have to be delivered earlier than that.

I hope not!!!

Anyone have any advice for surviving weekly NSTs???

[ha98ed14]

I had to go 2 to 3 times PER week for the last 2 months of my pregnancy with DD. It actually turned out to be the best time of my pregnancy because I got super friendly with this awesome nurse who ran the clinic. She is from Scotland and was this awesome, non-nonsense gal! She was both sympathetic and would commiserate that being preggers in my condition sucked!!! So, my advice is to try and make friends with one or two of the staff. Maybe you can try and go the same time every week and the same expectant moms will be there and you can get to know each other. I never went the same tim every week, but I went often enough that the whole staff knew me. They were awesome!

[tnrnchick74]

I had to go 2 to 3 times PER week for the last 2 months of my pregnancy with DD. It actually turned out to be the best time of my pregnancy because I got super friendly with this awesome nurse who ran the clinic. She is from Scotland and was this awesome, non-nonsense gal! She was both sympathetic and would commiserate that being preggers in my condition sucked!!! So, my advice is to try and make friends with one or two of the staff. Maybe you can try and go the same time every week and the same expectant moms will be there and you can get to know each other. I never went the same tim every week, but I went often enough that the whole staff knew me. They were awesome!

Thanks! I work upstairs in the hospital where the NST's will be done...so I'm sure I will get REALLY friendly with the ladies in the triage unit (where they do the NST's). I will probably have to do some during working days because I need to work as much as possible until my c-section!

[scoop22]

not much experience with NST but i had two in my last two weeks with ds2. i made sure to eat before i went and took my bottles of water. that seemed to help alot. both of my tests were done with the minimum time. also were comfy clothes. i didn't know i was having the 2nd one so i went in my work clothes and i was uncomfortable. also magazine, book, rest!!!!! i took advantage of the rest time. good luck.. i hope all goes well. before you know it parker will be here!!

[niccig]

I second the magazine to read. I had a few at the end of my pregnancy and I would take a book or a magazine, feet up and just enjoy the quiet.

[tnrnchick74]

ok - eat before, bring water, and a book/magazine...wear comfy clothes (if I am off that day and not doing it during work!)! I can do that! I just hope that everything shows ok on each of these tests and that they are just being SUPER careful...and that Parker doesn't come too early!!!

BUT OMG - I cannot believe that I have a date for my c-section and it's VERY close!!! NOTHING IS READY YET!!!! I'M FREAKING OUT!!!!!

And my baby shower is 17 days before my c-section date!!!!!

[sidmand]

The NST ended up being no big deal. I had them with DS and I had them with DD. With DS it was probably more of a hassle because by the time I had them with DD I was more than happy for some forced relaxation time (I'm SO not good at relaxing). A book, magazine, or newspaper was a must. I could close my eyes and rest if I wanted, but I was always thinking about too many things :)

And eventually I realized it was nice to have that confirmation that everything was okay (or people right there to do something if it wasn't). I'm a worrier and if I went too long between "seeing" everything was OK I would worry.

[KrisM]

Wow! How exciting to know the date!

I know we'll be setting mine sometime in June and it feels very odd to have a will-have-baby-by date. I'm guessing mine is July 21, which is 41 weeks, so I'm sort of planning on it.

Good luck with the NSTs. I had one with DD and it wasn't bad, but I thought it was very uncomfortable. They had me in a very specific position and my back was unsupported and it was very hard not to move. I'm not quite sure why that was required, but I hope it isn't that way for you.

[tnrnchick74]

And eventually I realized it was nice to have that confirmation that everything was okay (or people right there to do something if it wasn't). I'm a worrier and if I went too long between "seeing" everything was OK I would worry.

I'm SOOO the worrier! Of course being an NICU nurse doesn't help anything! I am going to the weekly NSTs as a time for me to check in on Parker and have a few minutes to relax. I know my OB is jsut being VERY cautious...and I totally appreciate that.

[tnrnchick74]

Wow! How exciting to know the date!

I know we'll be setting mine sometime in June and it feels very odd to have a will-have-baby-by date. I'm guessing mine is July 21, which is 41 weeks, so I'm sort of planning on it.

Good luck with the NSTs. I had one with DD and it wasn't bad, but I thought it was very uncomfortable. They had me in a very specific position and my back was unsupported and it was very hard not to move. I'm not quite sure why that was required, but I hope it isn't that way for you.

It's kinda surreal knowing the "probable" date Parker will be born! I've known for a long time that I have to have a scheduled c-section, but to have a DATE! Something to plan by! OMG...it's gone SO quickly!

good luck to you and your little one too!!!

[teddy]

I had NSTs with all three of my kids, thanks to gestational diabetes and preterm labor with each of them. With my first, I had tests 2x/week plus ultrasounds each time, done at the hospital. The room where we had the NSTs had a TV, so there we were, all the preggo mamas and the nurse monitoring us watching really bad daytime talk shows. We all became friendly since we had all scheduled our NSTs at roughly the same time. And the two nurses that were always on duty when we came were super funny and friendly. All that definitely made the time pass...

With my other 2 kids, the doctor's office had its own NST room. (This doctor didn't do ultrasounds each time I was there, which was also 2x/week.) So it was very quiet, just 2 beds, no TV. The nurse would hook me up and LEAVE, coming in once in a while to check on my progress. So I always had a magazine or book and water since no one was there to help me when I wanted something. It was definitely peaceful since I had a break from the other kids in my life!!!!!

So, depending on your set up, you may want to be self-sufficient - bring your own water, kleenex, and something to read. And enjoy this time before your baby comes and you don't have a moment to yourself anymore! Just kidding ;) Best to you!

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

Good luck to you and try to relish those few last moments or peace and quiet!