Partial Bedrest...Not Too Fun!

I went to the doctor yesterday for my 34 week appointment.  Apparently, in 11 days I had managed to gain 8 pounds!  Wow!  (Normal is about a pound a week at this point).  I was shocked, mainly because I had not eaten any more these past 11 days than I usually do.  The nurse saw my shock and quickly helped me understand that it really didn't have anything to do with what or how much I had been eating.  It was all water weight AKA swelling.  That didn't surprise me because I have been noticing lately how swollen my hands and face have been getting!  So on to the blood pressure part of the check-up...my blood pressure was high, but not terrible. 140/70 -- it has been worse at other appointments.  But I guess the combination of the high blood pressure and the swelling/water weight gain didn't sit well with the doctors.  

The doctor comes in and asks if I want to be on bedrest.  I laugh and say, "No, who DOES wanna be on bedrest?"  She laughed and then said for now I just need to work a few hours a day, which I usually do anyway, but other than that, be at home on the couch or in bed with my feet propped up and drinking lots of water.  Next week I have to do a 24-hour urine test (that's right -- no leaving the house for 24 hours while I collect my urine and keep it in a refrigerated container --EW) and lots and lots of blood work.  These tests are testing my kidney and liver functions as well as some other things...the results of these tests will tell the doctor if I have preeclampsia and need more bedrest or not (I don't think less is an option).   Preeclampsia can cause liver/kidney/other damage to the mother and even affect the baby's circulation if it gets too bad.  But like I told Derek and my mom, the doctors aren't going to let it get to that point.  If the test results aren't great, then they will probably put me on full bedrest.  The doctor did say that I probably won't make it to my due date -- they would induce me at 37-38 weeks if this problem doesn't go away.  The only cure for preeclampsia is delivery of the baby.

But other than all that junk, I am feeling okay.  I can definitely feel the effects of the higher blood pressure (my face is red a lot, headaches, etc.) and the swelling is not fun either.  But I am not feeling absolutely terrible or anything.  The doctor says Natalie herself is doing great.  She is kind of lying sideways/diagonal at this point, with her head more down than up, but she is not straight up and down.  Her feet are under my right rib cage.  

We had an AWESOME time with Susan and Zach these past few days...and I can't wait for mom to be here on Friday to help me wash Natalie's clothes and bottles and pack our bags for the hospital!