NSTs, BPPs, and Other Acronyms

There’s been a lot going on in the Schmitz household, as we prepare for the arrival of baby #2.  Along with all the physical preparations we’re making (massive Amazon registry orders, freezer meals, and the like) I also realized this week that I reached THE point.  I’ve treated this pregnancy as a series of mini goals – getting a clean anatomy scan at 19 weeks, making it to viability at 23 weeks, making it past the point when Brady was born at 26+5, making it to the third trimester, and finally, 32 weeks.

32 weeks is the point where we can deliver at our local hospital and not have to go to Abbott.  It’s the point where if the baby arrived now, he most likely wouldn’t need the NICU and would instead just need a little time in the SCN (Special Care Nursery).  The last remaining goal is September 18th, so I feel like I can finally relax, and maybe even enjoy the last 4 weeks and 6 days of being pregnant.

We had our first NST (non-stress test) and BPP (biophysical profile) this morning.  The first (and only) time I had these tests done during my pregnancy with Brady, I was hospitalized immediately afterwards and he was born 3 days later.  Just another example of tests that I don’t have the best track record with.  This one went much better.  The little guy did all of his movements and practiced breathing like a champ.  He only bought us a few extra minutes on the NST because he was TOO active to establish an accurate baseline.  I’m telling you, this kid is something else.  We’ll have these tests weekly until the end of the pregnancy.  While these tests take up a lot of time, I’m not about to complain about weekly reassurance that all is good.

We also got measurements done today.  Consistency should be this kid’s middle name, if he had a name… which he doesn’t.  He was in the 47th percentile and estimated at 4 lbs. 1 oz.  I think he’ll be around 6 lbs. when he’s born, but Jeff thinks he’ll be closer to 6 1/2.  The couple that bets on pretty much anything will see who wins in just a few weeks!

In other important developments, we learned that the kid has hair in today’s ultrasound.  And a lot of it.  I didn’t even know you could see hair on an ultrasound, but I guess you can.  I’m only a little disappointed because I think bald babies are hilarious.  Both Jeff and I had pretty sick heads of hair when we were born (and Brady did too), so I’m not at all surprised that this kid is workin’ it as well.

Mentally, I’m doing okay.  It seems there are battles daily with whether an ache or a pain is “normal” or not.  For example, last week I had severe, stabbing abdominal pain for several days.  I went into urgent care and talked to the nurses on the nurse line multiple times.  No one could tell me what it was, why it was happening, or how to make it go away.  It really freaked me out.  And, worst of all, I think I even freaked Jeff out, which is nearly impossible to do.  He is the perfect level of chill (which is the perfect match for my level of totally not chill).

I am so grateful that this pregnancy is going well, but I also struggle with feeling really sad that Brady’s didn’t go well.  There are a lot of things that can cause preeclampsia/HELLP.  Sometimes, it seems to be pregnancy-specific where one pregnancy just has major issues, for reasons we don’t know.  Making it this far into this pregnancy, and having everything be normal, points to that being the case with us.  Why we are SO lucky this time and why we were SO unlucky last time will just remain a mystery, and that’s hard to accept.

Physically, I’m not as good as I once was and I find that I’ve slowed down considerably.  Considering that just moving around feels like a lot of work, my favorite workouts don’t involve lifting at the gym anymore, but I do really like going on walks.  The magical energy that comes on in the second trimester is officially gone.  I get bursts of energy where I get a bunch done (like washing all the clothes and linens and prepping freezer meals last weekend), but then end up paying for it later.  I legitimately felt hungover on Monday.  So, if someone could just make me the rest of the freezer meals I have planned so I don’t have to stand for hours on end on our hardwood floors, that would be great 😉