Update on our trip to the doctors

[Guest guest]

I am glad things went well and hubby has a better understanding. I know it

was a hard spot for you both to be in but now you both can deal with it better

if the need should arise. I am glad your hubby is open minded to ideas and that

the doc explained the blood testings so well at the hospital... i too have

been on a strawberry kick these past few weeks and can eat the whole container

too, they ahve been ssooo sweet this year and I firts bought the for my

daughter when we went shopping since I never really eat them except in a

strawberry

shortcake but when we got home I tried one and it was ssooo sweet I eneded up

eating all but a few on her and had to go back the next day and buy 2 more

containers, lol.... I could of been at Mcs after that big mac again,

lol...

God Bless,

Robin, NorthEastern, NY

Age- 41

EDD- July 27th, 2004

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!

Mommy to:

&

(twin boys 8 years),

Madison, daughter, 5 years and

Wife to Pup 15 years (October 31, 1988)

Gastric Bypass Surgery-

October 18th 2002

Start-378, current- 246(pregnant)

goal 170 after baby

It's a BOY!!!!!

Emerson Roger

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

First of all I would like to thank all of you who responded to my need for

support.....even the people who weren't so nice in what they said it was nice

you took the time to write out your feelings.

I know we may not always agree with eachother but it's wonderful that we are all

here for eachother and have a common bond that ties us together. It has been

very comforting to me throughout this pregnancy to have a sounding board and

support system....because honestly at times I have felt like my Dr's were

practicing medicine blind, deaf, and dumb.

Now onto the medical portion....

I went to the doctors yesterday A.M. and explained my few complaints....mainly

it feels like there is a bowling ball in my vagina and all the pressure I am

feeling. The doctor did a quick internal and found that the baby is in fact

head down but he could push him up.....so that's good. My cervix is firm and

back...so I'm not even dialted...which is also good. He said the baby will go

up and down a few times before the final drop. The doctor and I decided that he

would wait 3 more weeks to begin my twice weekly monitoring....Yippee! He will

make the decision then at my next appointment.........that will make me almost

34 weeks pregnant.

Now as far as my iron. I asked him to do some blood work and he is running a

cbc and some other tests. He said he is not worried for me while I am pregnant

but after I begin breastfeeding.......he made it clear to me how much

breastfeeding will deplete my body of iron and other vitamins and minerals. He

said I will especially need my vitamins then and to take extra good care of

myself.

Now onto the blood issue. My doctor was wonderful. He deals with alot of

people of different religions because he is so famous and understood my husbands

concerns. He then explained that they are valid...but told Jace about how they

deal with blood at this hospital. He said they had never had a blood mistake -

person receiving the wrong type, or getting a disease. That each unit of blood

is tested when it comes into the hospital for hiv, hepatitis, west nile virus

and a multitude of other things.....So the blood is tested once at the bank and

once when it comes into the hospital........Good to know. He also explained

that he is not one of the jump the gun give blood ask questions later type of

doctors. He said he would try other things before givng blood products. Jace

also asked repeatedly about me giving my own blood for my own use. The doctor

told him that it is was life threatening for me to donate my blood because of my

2 blood conditions. He said one of 2 things could possibly happen - I could

throw a blood clot or have a severe anemic reaction and get extremely ill. None

of those sound too good to me. The Dr. went so far as to tell hubby that in his

opinion I should never donate blood.....so I don't think hubby will ever ask me

to do that again. All in all we ended up leaving the Dr.'s with me smiling and

hubby quite silent about his objections to blood and more knowledgeable

concerning his wifes medical conditions.....Yippee. The doctor asked....Jace

how do you feel about raising 2 boys on your own? That pretty much stopped any

objections from hubby. He said he hadn't realized how serious my blood

conditions really were............okay....so who have I been talking to the last

4.5 years? Ugggh!

I am still measuring 4.5 weeks big and the heartbeat is good and strong.

On a side note I went and bought a huge container of childrens vitamins at Bj's

( kind of like costco) and I took my vitamins last night and plan to take them

everyday because I feel significantly chastised by my Dr.....about taking good

care of me so I can take good care of baby and .

I also bought half a flat of strawberries and ate them all...I don't know what

it is but lately all I want is fresh strawberries!!

Thank you all for your support and kindness.

Chrystal

Wife to Jace - together 6 Years!

Happy Mommy to - 4 Years Old!

New Baby Boy Swenson Due July 28, 2004!

Zookeeper for 2 big dogs and 5 cats who let me feed them!

http://chrystallife.50megs.com/

http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/seeswensonauctions/

[Guest guest]

chrystal,

normal hemoglobin levels are 12-14 usually for childbearing women.

When I left the hospital after my last c-section 19 months ago, my

hemoglobin was 7.2. I asked how low it had to get before my OB would

transfuse me and he said 5 or 6. Many places transfuse at 7, others 8

but it varies. My hemoglobin BEFORE pregnancy was 14.9 so I lost HALF

of my circulating blood volume and didn't get a transfusion (although

I think it would have helped me tremendously).

So try to look on the bright side of things, you will *most likely*

not need a transfusion.

Sheila