Here's the latest. I had a growth ultrasound on Thursday to check on Baby Girl. One of the things I'm at risk for is placental failure which causes growth restriction (to varying degrees).
Short version: Shes's small and I won't make it to my due date.
Long version: My placenta is starting to fail based on the Dopplers they did and Baby Girl is only at the 7th percentile for her size. Her growth is slowing down because she's not getting all the necessary things she needs from my placenta. The placenta if failing because we can't get my blood pressure under control so it's not going to get any better. It can only get worse.
The perinatologist is having me start non-stress tests (NST) twice a week to monitor her and I'll be getting growth ultrasounds with Doppelrs every two weeks now. I'm done working after next week in order to eliminate extra stress that could cause my blood pressure to go up any more. The doctor said he thinks that I will easily make it to 34 weeks (I'll be 31 weeks on Monday) and he'd be really happy with that. After 34 weeks I'll be holding my breath that her growth is stable. If it's not, or the Dopplers show less plancental function at some point the doctors will decide to give me a steroid injection to mature her lungs and deliver her.
It's scary to have a baby so early but really probably the best thing for her. Right now she's not getting enough oxygen and nutrients because my placenta isn't doing it's job. Once she's out she will have an unlimited supply of both and could potentially do very well.
If there is a silver lining its this: There are two types of growth restriction, one is better than the other because it spares the brain and the rest of the body lags behind. These babies are the ones who do very well after they deliver. Once they have everything they need that they weren't getting inside the womb the body catches up to their normally developed brain. This is the kind of growth restriction that our baby has.
So it's week by week and test by test. We're definitely going to have this girl sooner than we thought... and she doesn't even have a name.
I didn't have issues w/ my placenta that we knew of, but i did have problems losing amnio fluid. I had bi weekly NST's starting at about 32 weeks (and have to drive downtown for them... joy). my boys both made it to just about 37 wks( 36w6d & 36w4d). they were both at 5th percentile. Don't worry- that just raises bp! hang in there.
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