My day at the APU

What a day. 

Went to the OB today for my routine 36w checkup.  I only gained 1 pound in the past two weeks - woo hoo! - although if we're being honest, I'm so far past the point of caring about weight gain, it's not even funny.  At this point, I'm rarely even hungry, so when I do want to eat, I go for it.  I digress.  The nurse was having trouble taking my BP.  She just kept saying "I don't hear it..." - but she's kind of old and potentially hearing impaired, and she clearly knows this, so she called in another nurse.  Nurse #2 took my BP.  Then took it again.  Then took it again.  Then took it in the other arm.  And said "hmm.  Weird..." and left.  Enter Dr. Belden, who says the nurses are giving him weird stories and he'll just take my BP himself.  Which he does, remarking "hmm.  I can barely hear it..."  Then he tries the other arm and just looks sort of... perplexed. He starts asking questions like "do you have a massive headache/blurry vision/the biggest cankles ever?" (no/no/no).

So we move on to the rest of the exam - fundal height continues to be dead on.  Rock on, perfectly-sized baby.  Do I have any questions or concerns?  (Nah.)  How am I feeling?  (As good as anyone ever feels at 36w...).  Then the "sorry, my hand is cold" and without so much as dinner or a movie, I'm violated, then swabbed for Group B Strep.  GBS test will come back later.  I'm 1cm dilated and 50% effacted.  Dr. B is encouraged, and I take this as feeble hope that he won't be humanity's most overdue child.

I'm now expecting a pat on the head and a "see you next week." - but I won't be getting it.

We are concerned about my blood pressure.  It's very high.  My urine tested negative for protein, and I have no other pre-e symptoms, but it's just so very high.  Normal for me is 90's/70's.  Pregnant normal is 110's/80's.  I'm consistently running in the 160's/110's.  Eeks.

So I was sent up to the antepartum unit for an NST, more BP checks, another urine check, and some bloodwork.  I was there for about five hours before being discharged with the following decisions made:
- I am doing a 24 hour urine catch.  Bringing that in tomorrow afternoon and having more bloodwork done to examine my liver and kidney function, plus another CBC.  They'll use all of this to determine whether it's just PIH or Pre-E.  We think it's PIH (pregnancy-induced hypertension) but they want to be very sure it's not Pre-E.
- I will be having weekly NST's until Aidan is born, starting on Wednesday morning, after which I'll be back at Belden's for a follow-up appointment.
- I am on BP meds twice a day until Aidan is born
- Assuming it's PIH, I am on modified bedrest (I am allowed to get up for eating, peeing, and showering.  Otherwise I am restricted to lying around on my left side, trying not to lose my ever-loving mind.
- If they decide it's Pre-E, we'll talk about inducing early.  We are all extremely hopeful that this is not the case.

Long stressful day, but the important part is really that Aidan's doing great and we're going to get mommy's issues all patched up.