Word on the Street with Stephanie

Our appointments are scheduled every two weeks since I'm in my third trimester and yesterday was a pretty significant appointment. I have to admit I'm not feeling as optimistic as I have been. I'm sad and I'm scared but first let me review what happened yesterday. When we arrived I went for an ultrasound like I do every time I have an obstetric appointment. Mt. Sinai's high risk pregnancy clinic is extremely busy but I like how efficient it is. I also like seeing my baby grow and getting regular reports of how she's doing. They told me she is just over three pounds and growing right on target which is great news. I was also given a c-section date of mid-March. I was not quite expecting this since at my last appointment I had discussed with the doctor the possibility of scheduling one close to my due date to give my body an opportunity to go into labour. If it didn't happen, then I would go ahead with the c-section but if it did then I would try to deliver h...

Yesterday we had yet another fetal echocardiogram at The Hospital for Sick Children. It was our second of three of these tests and the results were promising. We have been slightly upgraded from Interrupted Aortic Arch to Coarctation of the Aorta. This means that instead of the aortic arch being completely blocked, it is simply narrow; severely narrowed according to the cardiologist but at least it is still open. While this doesn't change the type of surgery our little girl will need once she is born, they did tell us that they expect her to be more stable and spend less time in Critical Care. I am considering yesterday's appointment a win and am confident that we will all get through this. I still have several things to get through and work out in the next 12 weeks but both the hospital where I will deliver and the one where our baby girl will stay are walking me through each step. My appointments are now every two weeks and we have a plan in place for delivery. We are going ...

We ended 2015 and began 2016 running for the toilet as our household was hit with a stomach bug. I have always been a germophobe but vomit takes it to a whole other level for me. Instead of taking my daughter into the bathroom when I saw she was about to get sick, or grabbing a towel or bucket, I just ran around frantically. The last week has taught me that when it comes to having a sick child, I am utterly useless. Thankfully, my husband was able to take charge in that department while I stuck to laundry and disinfecting. I would have doused myself in Lysol if I could but I stuck to cleaning anything I could think of and washing my hands constantly. Lucky for me, we happen to be living with my parents while we wait for our house to be built and my mom helped us a great deal. I am almost afraid of moving out of here and having to deal with a stomach bug without her help. It's a good thing I am almost 7 months pregnant because, for now at least, I can blame some of my craziness on...