Cardiologist Visit

Kelly and I saw the pediatric cardiologist today and although the baby's heart appears to have been under some amount of strain due to the kidney/bladder issues, it does not appear to be an area of major concern right now. The doctor did say that it appears the heart is a little bigger than it should be, but that the overall size was on the outer edge of normal. Additionally, the muscle walls are slightly thickened due to the hypertension that was a result of the kidney and bladder stress. She was not overly concerned about either condition at this point, and she did mention that as long as the kidneys continue to progress that the heart should recover. The minor thickening of the muscle walls can also be treated with medication after birth. She scheduled a follow-up visit for January 30th so we should get a better sense of how the heart is progressing then.

Kelly did not have the amniotic fluid check at that appointment, due to some concern about overstepping on her primary doctor's care (a.k.a. politics), so Kelly then went to her doctor's office for the fluid check. The measured it to be around 2 or 3, which for all practical purposes leaves us where we were on Tuesday. They continue to be encouraged that there is still fluid in the bladder and that it remains much smaller. This was the first ultrasound I have been at where I have seen the little dude with the smaller bladder and I would have to say it was very comforting to see. I am used to using it as a frame of reference; now I have to actually look at him closely again!

Her next appointment is Tuesday the 20th for another fluid check. As we progress, we will have more conversations across the medical specialties to determine when the best time to bring him into the world will be. The decision will center around the fluid level, but the baby's ability to handle the world and the post-birth medical procedures will have to be considered as well. We hit 28 weeks yesterday and are happy to continue on for at least another week!

Ultrasound XVIII Update

Kelly had an ultrasound today and the AFI (Amniotic Fluid Index) is now at 4.9 (rounded up to 5). That is low, which we found out is not necessarily good or bad at this point. Her doctor called the doctor we saw in Cincinnati and he is encouraged by this, believe it or not. He was encouraged to see that the bladder is still small (relatively) and the kidneys are not dilated. He is of the opinion that the kidneys may need some time to ramp up to normal fluid production after they had been under duress for the last several weeks. The plan is still to have ultrasounds once a week to monitor the baby's progress with the hope that the fluid will increase, or at least not go down any further.

We have the ultrasound on Friday with the pediatric cardiologist so he can look at the heart and lungs again. An AFI check is included in this ultrasound, so we will be able to see if anything changes over the next few days.

FYI: Today is 27 weeks + 5 days; the weeks flip over on Thursdays...