Hello, my fellow NICU buddies...I swear this is NICU related. I had some concerns plus since you guys "see" me the most here, I thought you'd all like to know how the heck I'm doing.
I'm pregnant (12 weeks) and terrified. Now, I know that all NICU nurses are probably paranoid throughout their pregnancies, but I'm really scared. At 5 weeks, when the little bugger declared itself, my normally borderline hypertensive (130/85) BP shot up 25-30 points, I gained 10 pounds of fluid in my lower legs (pitting edema), and I had 3+ protein in my urine. My doc made a comment about if I "intended to keep this pregnancy" then I needed to get to a high risk OB immediately. Yeah, that's what you want to hear, first off. (Actually, I had kinda known for a week already thanks to a HPT, but I was seriously convinced that it was an HCG-secreting cyst because I have PCOS, am overweight, and was told by my reproductive endocrinologist that the chances of me conceiving naturally were slim. Plus I checked for ovulation that month and had no surge. )
So anyways, I called my endocrinologist (who also does in vitro, etc., so I figured who better for a high risk early pregnancy) and left a message. Not fifteen minutes later the nurse calls back and squeaks, "Can you come in tomorrow morning?!?!" Great, now I'm even more terrified!!! So anyways, definitely pregnant, definitely hypertensive, definitely spilling protein, definitely low-end-of-normal progesterone level. Since 5 weeks I've been on Glucophage for the PCOS (to prevent miscarriage) and progesterone suppositories. The endo sent me to a high risk OB at 10 weeks and that doc decided I could go low risk OB at this time. I also had a visit with my urologist (have one small kidney stone and microhematuria, so I ended up getting a bladder scope in the office - fun! ) and a nephrology consult. All in all, my BP is back down to normal, lost most of the 10 pounds, less edema, no more protein in the urine, creatinine's been stable at 0.6-0.7, - but I do have to take my BP twice daily, get monthly urine cultures (to r/o a silent UTI due to my kidney stone), and eat a low salt diet.
Anyways, NOW for the NICU part...
First of all, with the PCOS I'm at a high risk for miscarriage and a high risk for gestational diabetes. I want to stay on Glucophage for the long run, but the OB wants me off of it because it's a category C drug. The endo feels it can go either way - he says it will help decrease the chance for gestational diabetes but that it's up to the OB to decide whether it's safe or not. My endo is a huge fan of the med in general, but the high risk OB was extremely skeptical of me even being on it during the first trimester and I get the feeling she hasn't seen the studies that show its use dramatically decreases the chances of first trimester miscarriages in the PCOS population. Have any of you seen any babies born to moms with PCOS or gestational diabetes who were on Glucophage (metformin) that had any birth defects or problems? I haven't, personally.
Second of all, because of the BP and protein issues, I'm at a 20% risk for pre-eclampsia, whereas most women only have about a 7% risk. So I'm very scared about that - this is what is scariest to me, I think. I keep picturing myself being on mag sulfate, having a crash c-section at 23 weeks due to HELLP syndrome...
Finally, the issue is this - I'm delivering at my hospital, because of insurance reasons and the possibility of the pregnancy becoming a truly high risk one, in which case our docs are great. The problem is that if my baby does need to go to the NICU, it's my OWN NICU. I don't know how I feel about that. I love my unit and I know he/she would be VERY well cared-for. I just think it'd be completely awkward though! Have any of you had that experience? I mean, if the baby was really early, it's not like I'd be able to go back to work in the time between birth and discharge from the NICU! I'd have to take such an extended maternity leave, I just don't know if we could handle it financially. I just don't know what to think...
I guess I just want to hear stories from you guys - someone else out there has to have had a preemie in their own NICU. What was your experience?
And how in the world can I chill out about this? The OB gave me the name of a psychologist who deals specifically with pregnant women. I'm seriously considering making an appointment. I mean, I don't think I'm being totally paranoid here! I do have lots of risk factors to worry about. Do you guys think I'm freaking out for nothing?
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) and a nephrology consult. All in all, my BP is back down to normal, lost most of the 10 pounds, less edema, no more protein in the urine, creatinine's been stable at 0.6-0.7, - but I do have to take my BP twice daily, get monthly urine cultures (to r/o a silent UTI due to my kidney stone), and eat a low salt diet.