Talking to the Big Guns

Last week I went to the Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist office and I met DrGav.  He seems like a very intelligent and thoughtful man.  My ObDoc loves him, says he’s a sweetheart.  I started off the appointment by answering a ton of personal and family medical history questions with the MFM nurse who stayed during our appointment the whole time.  MrBeep was with me, sitting opposite in a chair, his serious face set and ready.

DrGav arrived and looked over my medical and family history.  We discussed my heterozygous MTHFR issue with the added knowledge about my brother’s thrombosis a couple months ago.  He said that he was glad to know my homocystine level was normal, that was a very good thing.  He was also glad ObDoc kicked the folic acid dosage up and that I was taking a baby aspirin per ObDoc’s instructions.  He said that he didn’t want to put me on any heparin for now because he thinks the baby aspirin and folgard will do fine.  He does want me to take 2 baby aspirin per day instead of 1 because I am carrying twins.  So one in the morning and one in the evening.  Taking two baby aspirin is means the kiddos will get a daily dose of aspirin. They’re so small.  This makes MrBeep nervous which therefore makes me nervous, but we will go with his expert advice.  He said that in order to monitor the babies, we’ll get an ultrasound at 16 weeks and then compare it to future ones to make sure their growth seems on track.  If it is not, then we will assume the MTHFR is causing placental problems and I will go on heparin or lovenox.

They took more blood to check my thyroid.  The results showed all is fine and normal.  DrGav did notice that I had a slightly elevated pulse.  He seems convinced that I will get high blood pressure during this pregnancy because my mom had high blood pressure before her kidneys finally gave out.  I don’t know.  I guess it may be likely.  I have, on his recommendation, bought a home blood pressure monitor (so we can see if it is slowly elevating over time) and I am also cutting out excess sodium.  The blood pressure pre-judgment frustrates me because I have always had normal or low pressure. My mom had it from the time she was in her early twenties, she smoked a pack a day, etc.  I know it can still happen but c’mon.  Honestly it is really hard to take someone’s advice you have just barely met, but I have done my research on this practice and the specialists and they are top notch.  I must admit I agree with him it is important to monitor and try to prevent a serious condition before it happens.  A proactive approach is wise. 

I talked to my mom and my brother and jokingly whined at them that their health problems are causing me grief from my doctors and would they please take better care of themselves.  They promised to do their best.  I see my ObDoc on Wednesday afternoon for a routine check-up.  It’s been three weeks since I heard the little monster’s heartbeats.  Every time I get close to a doctor’s visit I get extra nervous.  Anyone else crazy like that?

It’s interesting how many nice comments say things akin to “Wow. 15 weeks sure did fly by.”  I want your time machine folks because my weeks seem like they are really dragging.  I alternate between nervous terror and excitement.  A small part of me wants to go to sleep and wake up 15 weeks from now, but most wants to savor every minute.  I lay awake in the quiet of the night and try to feel them move.  Sometimes I think I can sense a fluttering and other times I’d swear it’s just my pulse.  C’mon my monsters, Mommy is looking forward to Squirmfest 2010.