More Updates from Germany

I met with the Materal Fetal Medicine Specialist (Dr. M.) early this morning after a short four hours of sleep. We really, extremely, incredibly, liked her. She's a spunky, fun, down-to-earth gal.

Here's where we stand now:

I am going to be watched a little closely for the next few days, but most likely, these contractions, are not associated with labor. It appears I am just contracting, even fairly regularly, with no cervical change. This is what we suspected might be the case in Turkey, but I can't tell you the difference in the care and confidence exhibited by the OB docs and Dr. M. here and how much better we (especially JB) feel about the situation.

She wants me to come in tomrrow for a "Fetal Fibronectin" test. This test, if negative, will basically guarantee that I will not deliver in the next week. (They do not do this test in Turkey so it was not possible to find this out there.) She has also taken me off of my "anti-contraction" medication. It is a high blood pressure medicine and could possibly hurt me (by lowering my blood pressure which then lowers the blood to the planceta) more than help me. If I am not going into labor, but just contratcing, then I should not be on the medicine.

For now, I can resume my normal activities in a calm and normal manner. (Not in a whirlwind-Wendi way.) If I start to feel contractions, I need to lay down for 1-2 hours and attempt to get them to stop with relaxation and rest. As long as I can keep them under 6 an hour for 2 straight hours, I don't have to go into L & D. If they spin out of control, then I'd have to go in and get checked and make sure that labor still has not begun.

For now, we are all praying, planning, and hoping, for a scheduled c-section at 39 weeks. That was the original game-plan and Dr. M. is hoping it stays the game plan. We also go to talk to her about doing a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section). While we had tentatively decided not to try for a VBAC, we wanted to hear from a specialist on this. She told me that a woman like me, who dilates to 10 and pushes for 3 hours and still can't get a baby out, has a less-than 13% chance of successfully delivering a baby the old-fashioned way a second time, and that, as we were already decided, doing a VBAC is not even slightly recommended. That solidified our decision in that.

She also had me repeat the 1-hr glucose test here as baby Abigail is measuring very large. (Her head is measuring at almost 34 weeks even though I am 31.)

All that said. How am I doing? How are we doing?

We are staying in a guest house off-Base for a total of two nights as Base was completely booked. Tomorrow we will move in a 3-bedroom unit on Ramstein where we will get to stay for the duration of the pregnancy. I have a lot of emotions right now. I really want to be back at my house, with my friends, with my kids in their beds. Receiving good news makes me feel that maybe we could have stayed longer.

But JB reminds me otherwise. We need to be here. This is the best care we can get. JB admitted to me, as soon as the plane landed in Germany, that he was under some major emotional stress while I was in Turkey. Just the thought that myself or Abigail might be brought into a situation where we weren't getting the best care, really bothered him. We needed to go. So we did. Case closed.

I'll talk more on an emotional level later, but for now, hopefully this provides some "update information" for all of you out there. I'll be in touch, of course.