Yesterday we had a few doctor’s appointments to attend. One was the monthly ultrasound checkup with the specialists and the other was a consultation with one of the hospitals neonatal doctors. From the ultrasound we got a few great new pictures. He’s now big enough to produce a nice 3D picture - so that’s really interesting to see. One of the other pics is of one of his feet - you can see why we keep saying he’s got big feet. Click on the images to view them at a larger scale.
At the specialists appointment we learned that he’s about 3 lbs 11 oz right now - no doubt we’re going to have a big boy! His heart beat was 146 bpm, very good. His head and abdominal growth is continuing to be measured as “normal.” The ventricles in his brain are still measuring around 16cm - a normal baby’s should be less than 10cm. And he was in a head down position this week.
Our second appointment was at the Neonatal Center in the hospital. We met with Dr. Knee and Julie from Child Services. We discussed Parker’s condition and what we can expect after birth from the hospital and staff. They assured us that we will have all resources and equipment needed at the hospital to treat him. Dr Knee is one of nine neonatalogists and at least one will be in the delivery room with us.
At this point they’re assuming that Parker will need to go to the ICU after birth where they’ll start evaluating him. He could possibly have an ultrasound done on the head and/or a cat scan to assess the brain. Depending on what they find, he may/may not have to have surgery. He most likely will not be able to feed normally at the beginning, but they will have me begin to breastfeed so that when he can have the milk, they can give it to him via an IV.
It was suggested that I find out from my OB whether they plan to have me go into regular labor or if they want to schedule a c-section. Also, Dr. Knee suggested that we have the OB make an appointment with a nuerosurgeon to help us better understand the surgeries/procedures they may do.
At the end of our consultation, Julie gave us a tour of the 3rd floor which includes the NICU and Intermediate CU.
So, we’ve had quite an informative week. I think both Jeff and I feel a little more comfortable now knowing what to expect after birth. We have all of the faith in the world that Parker will be in good hands and that when we leave the hospital he’ll be the healthy boy he’s supposed to be.
On Monday is my next regular OB checkup - so, I’m sure we’ll go over a lot of what was discussed yesterday. Plus, I’ll be mentioning the few points Dr. Knee said I should discuss. Then we have an Infant CPR class on Tuesday night.
We’ll keep you updated! Have a great weekend!
