A Little Nervous

A few weeks ago I went for my normal check with the midwife, and everything looked fine..except my bp. Normally, it's fine so for it to shoot up was abnormal. They asked me to watch it, and have it taken again before I left work at the hospital that day, and call them with the numbers. Unfortunately, by that afternoon it had only risen even more.

I'm now on Procardia three times a day in hopes of a. keeping the bp down and b. preventing preterm labor that the high bp might cause. I'm also going weekly for a non stress test, bp check and to make sure I'm not spilling protein. So technically at this point I don't have preeclampsia, but it could develop. My midwife and doctor have told me that if I go into labor on my own after 34 weeks, they will not stop it. At 34 weeks the baby could probably just stay at our regional hospital, and not have to go to the nearest NICU, 45 minutes away. Of course I hope I go longer, though...

So now begins the discussions of worst case scenarios; if my bp doesn't stay under control I'll probably be induced, if bed rest doesn't help. I'm not on bed rest at this point but have been told I will be if I don't take it easy ( not so easy when we're moving, painting, packing etc). As of last week's check up, my bp was much better and still no protein. Last week's NST showed I wasn't contracting much and the baby's heart rate was good. If things keep going this way they'll let me go as long as I need to. And as long as I'm not hooked up to pit with an induction, I can still use the labor tub,etc.

But I won't lie, all of this has me scared. It's getting warmer here and I've started to swell, but every day I check my face in the mirror a bazillion times to see if it's gotten puffy- I'm so worried I'll develop preeclampsia. Mainly I just feel really out of control, like things were a-okay up until recently and now it's a big crapshoot. Obviously, the most important thing is the safety of both baby and I, but my recent high risk status has me creeped out. Trying to move and set up a new house while not over-exerting myself is about impossible, and I feel totally unprepared should the baby make an unexpected early arrival.

So much for a routine, complication free pregnancy/delivery...