Update: BB2 - 23 Weeks, 6 Days!

It is hard to believe that we are just about 24 weeks along with BB2! We are humbled, blessed, and forever grateful how the Lord has so graciously cared for this little miracle and it seems more and more each day that, come October, we'll be holding this precious baby! 

We had an O/B appointment and ultrasound this morning to check on BB2. We had the same ultrasound technician we had 10 weeks ago at our last ultrasound and she is amazing! Very communicative and answers questions, offers encouragement, explains what we see - one of the best I've ever had! I pray the Lord pours blessings on Sandy for her work with families!

BB2's HEALTH

BB2 looks GRRRREAT! BB2's heartbeat was 156 and is weighing in around 1 lb, 5 oz (which is apparently in the 37% percentile - perfect to me as I mentally prepare to give birth!). The baby is measuring just right for how far along we are! We got some AMAZING ultrasound photos of the baby's precious face, body, legs, feet (I LOVE some baby feet!)! SUCH an answer to prayer! 

Another answered prayer is the partial placenta previa we had 10 weeks ago. The ultrasound technician at first said that the placenta was not touching the cervix but was still what they call "low lying" and then she started looking at various angles and moved the wand really low to check and said, "oh! no - it has moved quite a bit and is not even "low lying"! She said with how it looked, within 4 more weeks it would be significantly away from the cervix and, as it was now, was already a non-issue for delivery! THIS was a huge answer to prayer!

I did mention that I'm not feeling this baby move as much as I did Jacob at this point. She explained that I have an anterior placenta - not a problem - just means an extra layer right in front between my tummy and baby so it will be harder to feel the baby move right now, but that as the baby grows, I'll feel more and more. I DO feel baby movements, but I have to lay reallllly still. Josh has felt movement on the outside and we've seen tummy moves, too and the O/B said that means all is well. And we saw the baby moving quite a bit on the ultrasound today. The baby was positioned more on my right side with head down and the face was facing towards my left side. SO adorable!!

Face and Body

Little face with arm across chest

SPINE! I ALWAYS am relieved to see the baby's spine and brain developing on track!

BABY FEET!! SMILE!

More precious baby feet!

MAMA BRUFFEY'S HEALTH

With my diet change and low/no carb, plus tracking blood sugar with our amazing midwife, Joni - I've not put on much weight at all and really am about the same as I was at our last appointment a month ago! I have gotten to know my body more and feel much better - rare to have a "sugar crash" these days as I focus on protein, protein, protein and veggies. My maternity clothes are actually a little looser, which of course had me worried because I didn't "feel" as pregnant, but I seem to be in good health! The O/B DID ask me (as he has at each appointment, but much more pointedly this time), "are you exercising?" I said, "not really" and he said, "why? I have to get my mind around WHY?" LOL! God has used this man in great ways in this pregnancy journey! He pointed out - "who will have to deliver this baby?" When I said, "me." He said, "OH! So no one else's body?" Point taken! He said, "I'm not letting you off the hook - you're at 24 weeks - with 16 weeks to go it's time to start preparing for your marathon!" He reminded me that I KNOW what labor is like and need to prepare! He is SO right! It's interesting - at my last appointment I was really focused on what I was eating and have worked to get that focused where it needs to be. The past couple of weeks I've journaled about working out and even have some pregnancy DVDs, etc.. and God used Dr. Cummings to crystalize that THIS is now my added focus, just as he did with diet at my last appointment. So, I'm working on a game plan of when/how to work in exercise to my days with Jacob.

Another thing that was SO encouraging was Dr. Cummings reassurance for my emotional/mental health. He told us that, if we want to transfer our primary care to the midwife that works with him through a local birth center, there was no reason not to. That the baby was healthy and this pregnancy looks great! He said he knows I still have lingering anxiety because of how things started and that it may take time for that to resolve, but that things really are GOOD! So, we made the decision to transfer our primary care starting tomorrow to the midwife we've been working with at All About Babies Birth Center in Argyle, TX! We adore Joni Yankus (our midwife) and the role she has already played in my healthcare and the care of BB2 and look forward to working with her! We know that, if the need arises, Dr. Cummings serves as back up for this birth center, but, as HE said when we were leaving, "Then, I hope I don't have to see you again!" Smile. I told him I hoped we'd just see him again in October when we bring him a picture and he said "you'd better!" He's been a blessing, as has Joni and we are so excited to be back "home" with midwivery / natural care that is supported through all we've learned medically with our 2 pregnancies. 

OUR PREGNANCY / BIRTH TEAM

Midwife

We will have Joni Yankus, LM as our primary care provider. She is an incredible midwife who sat and listened to Josh and I share about our first pregnancy, things that happened, our delivery, things we want to be different, my health, concerns, questions, etc. and then offered great insight and supplement suggestions to support my health AND started me on a glucose monitor to get my sugars understood and controlled. I enjoy going to see her and sharing this journey with her already! We feel confident in her care and ability to guide us to a healthy delivery of our precious baby!

Chiropractor

I'm also seeing an amazing prenatal chiropractor who is well known in our area for "spinning babies" before and during labor. She is who adjusted Jacob as a newborn and resolved his huge cephalahematoma that his pedatrician said might always be there. Dr. Chandra Crisp has already added great confidence to my pregnancy health and our approach as we plan for a healthy delivery.

Doula

In addition, another excited decision we've made is to hire a DOULA! We interviewed 3 and the choice was really hard, but we prayed and just felt a peace with the doula we've chosen for many reasons. We are thrilled to have Kaitlyn Wages as part of our pregnancy/birth team!

Birth Photographer

We are still interviewing and comparing birth photographers to see what fits our desires and budget. I've narrowed it down to about 3 and hope to know in the next month who will capture this birth on film. We SO love having pictures from Jacob's birth!

THE BIG QUESTION...

YES - we were able to confirm BB2's gender today, BUT we will be revealing the gender with our Nashville family at a party in July, SO we will announce if BB2 is a boy or a girl sometime around July 4th! Until then...it's our little secret :-)

THANK YOU to everyone who continues to offer support and prayer. It's amazing how modern technology allows us to walk alongside friends and family from afar in our various life journeys. We SO cannot wait to hold this little one!!

Here's a couple shots of Mama B with my BB2 Bump after working out tonight:

Much love from Texas!

~ Mama Bruffey

Wife of One, Mother of Two