We have a plan..

Justin and I spent yesterday in Atlanta visiting doctor after doctor...I am extremely worn out today but we have a plan. Of course, all it is, is a plan because baby's going to do what baby wants...but I feel a little better knowing we have a goal.

We met with a doctor at Maternal Fetal and also a regular OB. When it's time to have the baby I have no idea who will be delivering me since it is such a large practice but I guess I am okay with that since nothing else about my pregnancy has been what I wanted either...I won't really know any of the doctors there like I know my own so...I'm okay with that. The tentative plan is to come in on February 3rd and have the delivering practice doctor take a look and see if my cervix has thinned/dilated at all and go from there to make a plan on HOW the induction will take place. Of course, we do not want me to go into labor on my own so far from the hospital but if I do...I will need to head into my hospital, let them stabilize me and send me up there. They're planning to induce in my 39th week. The doctor I met with yesterday stated that with this being my first pregnancy it will probably be a long induction and they will most likely use a combination of Cervadil and Pitocin but they want me to come in at 38 weeks just to check things out and see where I am on my own before they bring me in for the actual induction the following week.

Justin and I also met with a surgeon for the baby. Dr. G may or may not be the actual surgeon to do the surgery on the baby but it will be one of the doctors in the practice. I don't really feel like I learned a lot of NEW information from her but it was still reassuring to meet with her. I know more about this problem than the average mother (or anyone who's never heard of duodenal atresia) so there wasn't a lot of new information for her to tell me. We did discuss the question about whether the surgery would be through a normal cut or with lasers. She said that even now with the option, for this kind of surgery they like to do a standard cut just because they can see better what they're doing and it is less likely to miss something (like a second blockage) when they go in. She told us that standard time in the NICU for this will be about 30 days (which I had been telling Justin to expect all along) but of course, this all depends on how well baby does with recovery/feeding. It could be less or more.

She sent us over to the hospital and we met the charge nurse that was working the NICU last night. She was very nice and said she also does the transfers so she will most likely be with the baby when they transfer it over from the other hospital (even though it's just right across the street). They have a very large unit...I think she said 35 beds total. She took us on a tour and talked to us about visiting times and all that. Seeing all the tiny babies in the unit made me realize that we'd seriously be right there in just a few short weeks. I can't wait for the baby to be here and while I don't love that my baby has to go through the surgery and everything else that I did, I know that in the end, everything will be just fine and the baby won't remember it at all. Through all of the issues with this pregnancy and the cancer too, I feel blessed to be able to have the things that I do have...my supportive husband, our supportive families and of course this little baby who will be perfect in every way and I can't wait to meet this person who has changed my life already.