31 Weeks 2 Days

Well, there was no change in fluid today at my appointment. My doctor (Dr. Jean Pierre) wants me to go to the University of Michigan again on Thursday for an evaluation. He wants their opinion about the possibility of doing an Amnioinfusion (where they insert fluid around the baby through a needle inserted through my abdomen). So, I called to schedule the appointment at U of M and I actually got to talk to one of the doctors in the Perinatal Assessment Center and she said that most likely they would not recommend an Amnioinfusion in our situation. She said that procedure typically only increases the fluid for a couple of days and is generally used to get a better look at the baby for diagnostic reasons. But since we already know what is wrong with Eli and with the risks that are associated with the procedure (infection, premature labor) she does not see how it would benefit Eli. They have seen no evidence to support that adding fluid helps the lungs develop. So, I pretty much already know that they will not do the procedure, which makes sense although it is disappointing because we have been under the impression that this procedure would possibly help the lungs develop. Apparently this is still an experimental procedure and St V's does not do this procedure. So, I am still going to the appointment at U of M on Thursday for the evaluation. The doctor there said that they will be able to get a better look at the lungs and should be able to tell how much lung has formed. However, they will not be able to tell much about the lung function until after Eli is born, since babies do not actually breathe until after they are born. They receive all of their oxygen and nutrients through the umbilical cord. They are also going to have me meet with a Nephrologist to talk more about the kidney issues. So, not exactly good news today. They seemed pretty grim about the prognosis... They did mention the possibility of U of M taking over my care and actually having me deliver there. Which would be a good thing for the baby possibly, but very far away for us to travel to so often. I guess we will just have to wait and see what U of M has to say on Thursday. They also said that it is possible that if I have Eli at St. V's and he ends up needing care greater than they are capable of they would transfer him to U of M to receive that care. The most important thing in the beginning is going to be the lung function. If they can get the lungs functioning then they will start to tackle the kidney problems. However, if the lungs are not functioning at all then there will be no need to address the kidney problems. This was a very hard day because I was reminded of the severity of all the problems and it is just overwhelming to think about what might come next. It's so hard not knowing what is going to happen. I just have to keep my faith and pray that God will do what is best for little Eli, which I know he will.

I will post updates after my appointment on Thursday.