Baby Bridget's Beats - 29 Weeks - 2nd Echo

Braved the crazy roads this morning to make it to Primary Childrens in time for my appointment. We have been getting a lot of snow in the last 48 hours especially in Salt Lake City and I was really worried about getting there. I left the house at 5:45 in the morning! The roads weren't too bad and I arrived around 7:15 for my 7:45 appointment. Lucky for me I took my book with me and read in the quiet waiting room just glad to be safe and off those icy roads.

Today baby Bridget had another Echo Cardiogram done of her heart. These things take a REALLY long time and I have to lay on my back the whole time for them which is not always easy. Bridget was in a really good position for her heart to be viewed but it was a really bad position for my bloodflow so we ended up having to take a few breaks in the middle so I could try to get comfortable. The echo went well and I was able to let a student practice her ultrasound skills while we waited for the Dr to review the data.

Bridget is growing well. I am 29 weeks along and she is measuring right on track. Her heart rate is at 64 BPM and is staying very stable. It doesn't look like any further damage has been done to the heart muscle itself so that is a good sign. The Drs have high hopes that the damage that we have already seen will be the only damage done, but there is always a chance at those antibodies could continue their attack, we just have to keep monitoring.

The Drs really love me and Bridget. Normally with this condition there are other things going on as well. Normally the baby has fluid building where it shouldn't be, the placenta is in the wrong place, there might be damage to the fetal body or something going on with the mom. Bridget and I are in really good health other than her heart block. So the Drs are in AWE every single time I go in. One of the Drs today even asked my permission to use the echo photos in his next book because the rest of her is so healthy that it is really easy to see and study her heart block. I am taking this as a good sign that our odds are better than the ones I have read about online. I also like that there are more smiles in the room than there are worried looks. The Drs know that little Bridget is stable and this allows them to relax and really study her condition. She is already a fighter and I love that little lady so much!

After my echo was finished I HIKED up to my next appointment. Now anyone familiar with the University of Utah Hospital knows it is HUGE. I started at the bottom of the hill in the Primary Childrens Outpatient building and walked all the way up to the top of the hill to the main University Hospital building. (Logged things this morning, I took 3263 steps and 7 flights of stairs going between appointments and then back to my car.) Good thing I am healthy and can actually make the trek! It is a lot easier for me to walk all that way than it would be to drive up there multiple times a week so I will take it!

I was able to meet with the Dr that will likely deliver my baby. She and I had our first appointment today and I was lucky enough to be there at a time where my specialist from the Murray Hospital was there (he happened to be walking down the hall as I walked in, saw me and just came with me to my appointment) so the three of us sat down and chatted. Dr Branch (specialist from Murray) was able to give Dr Sullivan (my new OB at the U of U Hospital) the medical run down so I didn't have to remember all the big words and everything. Dr Sullivan is really kind and she is also very hopeful based on the information she has and the monitoring she was able to do today. She thinks I will make it to 37-38 weeks!

I have some new diet requirements to make sure Bridget is gaining enough and the right kind of weight. I am still on my strict fetal movement requirements and I will continue my many appointments to keep her monitored. But, really nothing is new today! Same steady heart rate, same amount of damage, same little fighting Bridget!