No More NST's-6 Days Left

Yesterday was the last NST I will have to have at the hospital. I still don't know how I managed to get a win on that one with my doctor. I didn't want to keep the appointment I had for that one yesterday, after looking at some of my insurance EOB's. It's costing us just over 50 bucks a pop for these monitorings, twice a week. That doesn't even include my doctor visits, perinatal ultrasounds, gestational diabetes appointments or any lab work. I shudder to think what these past two months are costing us in medical bills and we have excellent insurance (pays out at about 90%).

Anyway, because they are always so uneventful and so difficult for me to just walk through the parking lot and hospital, I had started complaining about these appointments. I do have one last appt. with my OB, so he can ultrasound me there and check on me one last time in his office.

I also asked him for a prescription strength hydrocortisone cream for this rash, but he says it's not safe. Argh! I have read about other women being prescribed prescription cream for their rash. My doctor is a great advocate for these babies, but he doesn't do diddley for me. Man, this is one really great example of needing a female doctor who can actually relate to a pregnancy. This guy just doesn't get it. I know of cases where the doctors have delivered because the mother was having lots of symptoms and discomfort, but not him.

So I'm spending a good deal of my day scratching still. The rash continues to spread. Most of what I do for relief still does nothing. He suggested I try the oral Benadryl every 4 to 6 hours, but that's just going to put me to sleep all day. Not that I would mind, but it's kind of hard to hang out with a 4 year old while you're nodding out. Oh yeah, and I still have a few apts. to keep, albeit not the NST's.

The lower part of my belly still feels like it's inflamed and infected, although I know it's just the edema. I still can't even touch that area without it hurting quite a lot. And it's in the way too. I can't wear anything around the belly and I can't wear anything that sits right under it. So all I can wear now are loose dresses. The nurses always comment on how sore it looks when they are hooking monitors up to me.

Probably the most recent development is that it hurts to pee. It's starting to feel a little like a bladder infection. I don't know if it's just because the babies are so big and low now or if I could actually be developing a bladder infection. I guess I will mention it at my next OB apt. on Thursday.

I had a couple of crowns put on my teeth yesterday and the dentist made a suggestion that I eat some dairy with acidophilous in it. I guess she said my tongue looked a little "yeasty." I guess that wouldn't surprise me after being on two rounds of anti-biotics, back to back. Ugh.

At this point I have considered asking my husband to take a little time off on the front end of these babies coming, but I haven't gotten around to mentioning it yet. I guess I'm still trying to hold out.