I was pretty surprised when my Dr called me a few days after my appointment and told me that I had been infected and that I would need to go in for weekly ultrasounds (with the high risk OB Dr.) until the baby was born. When someone gets infected who is pregnant, there is a small chance there could be problems with the baby. The chances of problems decrease after 20 weeks. During the ultrasounds they are looking for excessive amniotic fluid, if the placenta looks larger than it should or swollen and the baby's blood flow to check for signs of anemia.
So far I've had two ultrasounds and they have both looked good. I will start seeing the High Risk OB Dr next week. He's been on vacation, that's why I haven't seen him yet. I'm hoping he will tell me he won't have to see me every week. Weekly ultrasounds sound very expensive. We do have insurance, but it doesn't cover everything. The number one priority is the baby and making sure he is healthy. On the plus side, I will get a little sneak peak at the little guy every week.
If you have kids and are planning on having more, I recommend exposing yourself to the disease (if you get the opportunity) before getting pregnant. Once a person has been infected they generally develop an immunity and won't become infected again.
My little alien baby A face only a mother could love Eyes, nose and mouth (I wish the ultrasound tech would have given me a cute profile picture) |
Now, for some good news...I had my glucose screening at my last Dr's appointment to check for gestational diabetes and I passed that. Those sugary drinks you have to drink before getting your blood drawn are gross! One less thing to worry about.
11 more weeks and 1 day to go! But who's counting :)
Cheers to healthy babies!
Happy Champagne Thursday!
More information about Fifth Disease during pregnancy can be found here.