14wk update--pg w/ SU

[Guest guest]

Had my 14-week checkup Friday. I am still pregnant, so I'm now ready

to discuss it with my 4-year-old and announce to the world.

Three items that worry me. My doc's less experienced nurse used the

Doppler on me. From the first she heard the heart. I asked her what

the rate was and she said just a minute. She moved the device

slightly, lost the heartbeat, then couldn't find it again. Eventually

she stopped on a noise and I asked if she heard it and she said, yes,

faintly. So the faintly comment worried me. She said she would have

the doc listen.

My docter found the heartbeat. She asked if I could hear my own

heartbeat in the background. It just sounded like a bunch of noise to

me. Heart rate was 148.

I always heard my son's heartbeat very distinctly on the Doppler.

Could it be that the newer Dopplers are more sensitive and so the

baby's heart is drowned out by my much larger heart?

My doc tried to measure the fundus height and couldn't. When I asked

why, she said the uterus was still in my pelvis. Shouldn't the uterus

be an inch or two above my pelvis by now? My doc was not at all

concerned but I am because my son was growth-restricted from at least

as early as 20 weeks.

My big health crisis right now though has nothing to do with my MA.

(Ironic, since my septum is all I've worried about for the past two

months). I had a complete blood count, as I am to have at every

prenatal visit because I have ITP, an autoimmune disorder that

destroys by blood platelets. My platelet count is 2,000. This is

extremely low and dangerous. So, after avoiding decongestants and

Tylenol and aspartame and caffiene for two months, I now have to take

60mg of Prednisone for at least four days. On Monday, I'll visit my

new hematologist and have platelets checked again and we'll take it

from there.

One other thing. After reading discussions on this list I decided

that I would rather have the nuchal transparency test than the AFP to

detect chromosomal defects. I didn't think my hospital offered it,

but I asked my doc anyway. She said she would make me an U/S appt.

with a perinatologist at the University hospital to have an advanced

U/S. This will be at around 17 weeks. She said she had this done with

her second baby and the doc does a thorough check of all the baby's

features and then gives an opinion on whether further testing (amnio)

is needed. I will give an update after I have this done.

That's all for now. Enjoyed reading the roll calls. , an SU (or

should I say former SU?) preg with twins. Very cool!

Kim R., 38

SU

14w1d

1 child, 2 MC