In the Hospital with Baby Asher!

Tuesday, at my follow up appointment for all my tests I had a blood pressure of 177/109. This was way too high! Not good for me and not good for the baby. The first thing they did was try to see what was causing the high blood pressure by doing an ultrasound of my heart called an Ultracom.

An Ultracom is a heart diagnostic procedure that was actually developed in 1979 at the University of Washington where it was done. Basically what they do is take an ultrasound receiver and place it on the heart to look at the blood flow and the dilation of the blood vessels. The start with looking at the heart measurements on what looks like radio frequencies rather then a picture of the heart. Once these measurements are taken the take a measurement of the blood flow from the artery in your neck. This is the most uncomfortable part of the test by in most parts is completely painless and is noninvasive. There are two ways blood pressure can be made.... by out put and by tightening. When they did my Ultracom both ways were effected.

So with the results of the Ultracom I was checked in upstairs at the hospital. I was immediately put on 3 blood pressure medications and Magnesium Sulfate. The Magnesium does many different things. It works to help protect the mom and the baby from stroke, it can help protect the baby from brain damage, it relaxes muscles, lowers blood pressure (for some) and helps stop preterm labor. It has the nasty side effects of:"Flushing, Nausea, Vomiting, Palpitations, Headache, General muscle weakness, Lethargy, & Constipation" but for me it is like a over all heating of my arm where the IV is, nausea, & headache. It really is not that bad compared to how some people feel on it.

Yesterday I was only given one of the BP medications as my BP had been in normal range since they brought it down rapidly the night before. In the afternoon I was taken off the clear liquid diet but lost part of the meal I ate. I don't really feel hungry but the nurse said this morning that I was needing to get something in so we are trying to do a very mild meal... cream of rice with honey and peanut butter and a bannana. I am hoping that will stay down as I slowly eat it while blogging.

I was told yesterday that I would be here in the hospital at least through this weekend. I am still going under the assumption that this is just PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension) and not the preeclampsia because they haven't told me anything really different. They did say though that this last pee test did have some protein in it which is a sign of preeclampsia. I guess I will learn more later. I will be getting off the magnesium by 3 today. When I get off the magnesium they will have to evaluate if I need more medication or not for the blood pressure and what I need to do to keep myself and Asher safe. I am praying that they will keep monitoring Asher until he is born. He needs to be born safe and happy and that would be the best way for this to happen.

I had another Ultracom yesterday for my heart and then I had an Ultrasound for Asher. Today I found out that he is 3 lbs just right for his age not big not small. That was good to find out he has been growing ok. The placenta is only 1.2 cm from the cervix now. I think that is a change of .2 not enough to make a difference yet but we should have more time before he is born, depending on my BP. I have a new ultrasound picture from yesterday that I will post later. I need to be able to take a picture of it to put it online.

Dear God, thank you for getting Asher and I the help we need. Thank you for put us in the hospital where they can make sure that Asher is doing well. Lord I ask that you continue to help Asher and I to do well in this way and to get the care we need. Lord I give this time in the hospital to you and ask that you work in Asher in this time to help him grow and be born healthy. Please have them keep us under watchful eye and do not let anything happen to baby Asher. I pray Lord that you will make it so I will be able to take home a happy healthy baby boy. In Jesus name, amen!