There is never a dull moment when it comes to pregnancies with me. I recently found out that I tested positive for Group B Strep. For those of you who don’t know, Group B Strep is a type of bacteria that is found naturally within the digestive and lower reproductive tracts of both men and women. The bacteria is usually harmless in healthy adults, however it can cause problems among pregnant women. Most babies whose mothers carry Group B Strep during pregnancy are born healthy, however, babies who are exposed to the bacteria during delivery can become critically ill. Women who test positive for the bacteria are given an antibiotic treatment during labor that prevents the baby from being infected with the disease.
While I wasn’t thrilled to get this news, (who would??) I am reassured from a previous experience that Group B Strep is very common and easily treatable. I actually tested Positive for GBS during my pregnancy with Roselyn. It was really no big deal. I was told that I tested positive and nothing ever came of it. One of the most common symptoms of GBS is Urinary Tract Infections. Throughout my life I have had my fair-share of UTIs and like most will attest, they are not fun. 👎 Sunday afternoon I started noticing UTI symptoms. Feeling the urge to pee and needed to pee frequently. I told myself there was no need to get hasty just yet. These are both two VERY common pregnancy symptoms. After experiencing a few more unpleasant symptoms I decided to call my OB just to be on the safe side. After talking to the on-call nurse they decided they wanted me to come into the office the very next morning.
I have been a nervous wreck leading up to this appointment. Not just because of the GBS or UTI, but for obvious reasons as well. It’s crazy how kids can pick up on your anxiety and emotions. I have to share the sweetest moment I had with my eldest daughter this morning. Adelaide is so excited about this pregnancy! She has had so many questions for me these last few weeks about babies and csections and she is really showing a huge interest in this baby and my pregnancy. She can tell that recently mama has been really nervous. As I was walking out the door for my doctor’s appointment, Adelaide stopped me and told me that she knew that I was nervous and then she said “Mama, be brave!” Her comment literally stopped me in my tracks. Such wise words from such a little girl and I took every word of hers to heart! As I sat waiting for my appointment and as I sat waiting for the Doctor, I rubbed my worry stone between my fingers and echoed Adelaide’s words silently to myself…”Mama, be brave!” Adelaide made me feel braver today on a day where I really needed to be brave. I am so lucky to have such awesome kids! We always think of parents as being the supportive ones, helping their kiddos navigate scary situations. Today was role reversal and Adelaide was the one providing me with the emotional support!
On a very happy note, I was extremely relieved to learn that I do not have a UTI. I don’t know what I was experiencing the last two days, but I’m grateful that a UTI wasn’t it. Urinary Tract Infections, if left uncontrolled can be harmful to both baby and the mother, so it really is important to seek treatment if you suspect you do have an infection. A perk to my visit is I was able to hear the baby’s heartbeat! It took a little bit for the doctor to find it, but once she did we heard a strong heartbeat fluttering around 145-150 bpm!
Introducing: Baby Clough #5
On to the REALLY great news! This afternoon was my mid-pregnancy anatomy scan! The BIG ultrasound… the one where we see baby up-close for the first time (aside from the initial u/s where they hardly look like a baby at all) and also learn the gender. This appointment has been weighing on me greatly. My paranoia had me convinced that my baby would have something wrong with him or her. I thought for sure I would come in for the ultrasound and be told that my baby had a deformity, disability, or an incompatible with life diagnosis. I was thrilled to learn that Baby Clough is healthy!!! 🙌 Using the doctor’s own words “Your baby looks perfect from head to toe!” I am so excited and so grateful! We were also able to learn the gender at this appointment. Dan was unable to join me for this ultrasound; he was stuck at home watching our daughters. Instead of having them place the gender in an envelope and bringing it home to learn the gender of our baby together, we decided to reveal the gender in a more exciting way. I took the unopened envelope to a local bakery where they will make us our very own personalized gender reveal cupcakes! Each cupcake with be filled with the appropriate color filling (pink for girl or blue for boy). We won’t know what the gender of our baby is until we bite into our cupcakes, revealing the colored filling inside! I am so excited to learn the gender of Baby Clough, but I’m even more excited knowing that Baby Clough is healthy and well!
One of the coolest technologies of our time right now is not just receiving sonograms, but receiving video clips of the ultrasound. Look at our little baby move from today’s ultrasound!