Monday, November 17, 2008

Miles and miles of brown smiles....

Greetings! I just wanted to give you an update on my patient, Cherry. She is currently smiling. :) 
Remember her due date by ultrasound was November 1? Well, I'd been feeling funny about her fundal height (size of belly) and the fact that she wasn't having any labor signs....at "42 weeks" she wasn't even having any Braxton Hicks contractions! She came in for induction on Friday, but I felt like the Holy Spirit said "wait" and I couldn't shake the fact that something was not quite right....

I went back to her ultrasound ....yup...November 1, 2008 was her due date. I had already taken the ultrasound to two supervisors just to make sure everything was clear and I wasn't missing anything....but I still felt very reluctant to induce her. It's a good thing, too, because after showing the ultrasound results and Cherry's current prenatal information to another supervisor, a very big discrepancy was found! Apparently the new due date did not match a few small tidbits of info on the amount of amniotic fluid and the general size of the baby, so Ate Susan (my supervisor) called the ultrasound lab and had a very long, loud conversation with them. Though I didn't understand the speedy Visayan Ate was speaking, I picked up on a few words that brought me a LOT of joy...and a lot of joy for Cherry, too! "Discrepancy" and "mistake" were among the few words. :)

So after a long conversation with my supervisor, we sent Cherry back to the ultrasound lab for another ultrasound. Fortunately, they had her name and visit in their computer database and realized that the printout we received had been copied wrong! Her due date was NOT November 1, but January 11!!! Talk about a VERY BIG difference! She texted me with the happy news and thanked Ate and me over and over again for taking the time to check things out rather than try to induce her into labor! BOY, we were so glad we didn't! She would have been deathly premature! 

So now, Cherry is resting easy, her bana has since come back to her and she is motivated now more than ever to follow the instructions and advice of her midwife. And I am so thankful. 

My other continuity, Cathy, is due December 5 and is technically full term now...so any day, she could pop. Please keep her in your prayers...that her labor would be quick and her delivery safe and her baby healthy! (And please pray that I have wisdom in managing her care!)

Meanwhile, the Lady Bird had one more 7-hours-without-waking-sleep last night and we're hoping that it will become a habit, though her daytime sleeping habits may indicate otherwise. She's is such a joy and is becoming quite the talker, though, like her dad, she is choosy who she talks to! She doesn't flash her grin for just anyone, either! Her little flirty half  smile makes me laugh and melts her daddy. It's amazing how quickly you begin to think how you'd ever survived without her! She has graduated to a bigger basin for her baths, as daddy dropped and broke the last one. She still loves her baths, constantly splashing and practicing, what looks like, the butterfly. She fights to sit up now and refuses to lay down...always wanting to stand up. I think she'll be walking before crawling...crawling is for sissies. 

As for Tim, he is out talking water with new contacts almost daily now. Things are moving faster and faster. It's awesome. He will give you another update soon.

For me, I am still pumping out this 80-page homework assignment on maternal complications, though I am reaching my daily homework goal and still finding time to eat Promise a bit and watch her discover her world. However, my neck and back have been reacting to the long hours in front of the computer and my herniated disk has returned. BUT, this too shall pass and God was faithful before, so I am certain He will be faithful once again.

We covet your prayers. Thanks for reading...be blessed.
PS. Sorry for the lack of pictures. I will commission Tim to take some for the next post! Stay tuned!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Bethany,

I sure miss you!!!

You are such a fantastic midwife (in-training)and person.

Keep up the great work you are doing. Your love, compassion, and concern for he Filipinos is a wonderful blessing to them and surely pleases you heavenly Father.

Hope to connect with you soon - on Skype.

LOLAP,

unklrbrt

Anonymous said...

Good for you, B, following up on your misgivings regarding Cherry's due date like that. Next tie I have a baby, I'm going to have you for my midwife.
Are you going to include ultrasound date mix-ups in your maternal complications report?
Sorry to hear about the back pain. We will pray for healing and protection from future troubles.
Was that a Freudian slip - about eating Promise?
Love,
Sylvia

Anonymous said...

Bethany,
I am glad God is giving you some practical application while writing your paper. You may want to note that not listening to the Holy Spirit can bring compications. I know He has covered my back a number of times, too. He IS so faithful. Please don't "eat" all of Promise...leave some for grandma. :) You funny girl. I am so proud of you.
MOM

Anonymous said...

B, you bless my socks off!!! Any time I feel like whining about the long hours I'm required to put in as an aspiring med student, I turn to your blogg and am humbled time and again :)You are amazing and it is beyond encouraging to view God's faithfulness in your life! Way to go slugger and keep up the good work :)
~N.

Vukani said...

i second the 'sure do miss you' feelings of our dear uncle B.
So wow - I love it when the Holy Spirit saves a life - because that is darn near what happened there! 32 weeks is one thing here - an entirely different thing there. Ministry on the job is one of my favorite past-times (you might know that about me already). You continue to be amazing, and I wish you had a video camera so we could see Lil'P swim. I wanna take her when you guys come home - K?

Missing you and so thankful for our chats!

Hi

Anonymous said...

Wow Bethany, How great is our God! I'm so glad Cherry is doing well and that her bana has come back to her. She is double blessed to have you looking out for, and look out for her, you have. I'm so glad to hear that you are able to enjoy motherhood even though you are busy with your training. I know what you mean when you said How did we mange to live without Promise! It's amazing isn't it? It's nice for us to see her (and your) growth through pictures and stories even though it still feels very far away.
Be blessed, my friend.
Love Nicole