30 weeks!

A little late. I've had an eventful week so far. If I have energy for pictures today, I'll get them uploaded!

How big is baby?

He's about 17 inches long and just over 3 pounds. 

What is baby up to?

He's packing on the body fat and continuing to grow stronger every day. His brain is developing the characteristic bumps and grooves that will eventually hold all the knowledge and skills he learns.

Movement?

Still moving, kicking, and rolling. At the non-stress test on Tuesday, he was being sneaky and rolling away from the monitor.

Blood pressure

Up since Friday. The highest I recorded it was 143/92, but most of the time it is in the upper 130s/upper 80s. 

Update

In addition to my blood pressure being up since Friday, I started having a few contractions this weekend. I went to my regular OB appointment on Tuesday, and she checked everything out after I told her about the weekend. Unfortunately, this change in my status means we will probably be delivering early.

In the office, I received the Rhogam shot, which is given around 28 weeks (or in my case 30 weeks) because of my blood type. I'll get another one right around delivery, to make sure my body doesn't develop antibodies to any possible future children's blood. I also had to get a Group B Strep (GBS) test, which is normally given around 36 weeks. If I would have GBS, it would just mean a dose of antibiotics right around delivery to prevent spreading to the baby.

Then I had to go to the Labor and Delivery (L&D) unit of the hospital. My OB told me to check in at the ER and they would take me up. The lady behind the desk at the ER had another plan, wanting me to walk all the way around the building to the outpatient check in. After telling her I'm on bedrest and can't walk any distance, she changed her mind and got me a wheelchair ride up to L&D. Once I got there, I was put on monitors and given a Non-Stress Test (NST), which just checked how often the baby moves and how well his heart rate changes as I drink apple juice and ice water. I was hooked up to the NST for about an hour. I also had another blood draw to check my blood levels of things that would indicate the preeclampsia is worsening. They had me wait in the hospital until the blood results came back. Fortunately, they still look good.

Per my OB's orders, I was also given a betamethasone injection. This is a steroid medication used to speed up the baby's lung development. Based on what I read, they only give the injection when the risk of delivery is high. The injection is given in two steps, 24 hours apart. I went back in on Wednesday for another NST and injection. Nothing like 3 shots in the butt in 2 days. The NST looked good again on Wednesday, so I got to go home after that. 

Now I'm just hanging out in bed or on the couch, hoping the blood pressure will go back down. I haven't worked on the knitting since my blood pressure went up on Friday - I'm not sure if that would have caused it, but I am just being cautious. I'll keep working on it, a little at a time and hopefully get that blanket done before the baby gets here.

We have some more cute cat pictures on the camera, but I'm still pretty wiped out from running around this week. Hopefully I'll get the energy for a belly picture and then I'll get them all uploaded soon.