Jase's 18 month check up and Good News for Justin

On Wednesday Jase had his 18 month check up. Everyone in the office knows him by name because of all the trouble he caused when he was born! He saw Dr. Gaines, the doctor who has followed him since birth. He was 26 lbs and in the 50% for his weight, height, and head circ. Developmentally he is right on track and Dr. Gaines said he looked great. I just remember how worried I was over the last 18mos because he was delayed. He was almost 11 wks old before he smiled, 9 mos old before he sat up unassisted, and 14 1/2 mos before he walked. And of course, there was the "rocking" back and forth that he used to do. But, to see him today you would never know that he had such a rough start, or that he just took his time doing things so that he could drive his poor mommy crazy. Well you know, I hadn't been through enough and I did need something else to worry about! But our baby boy (for a few more weeks, anyway) is perfectly healthy and has been more than worth every second of trouble or worry that he has caused! We love you Jasey Doodle!!

While at the appt I got a few minutes to talk with Dr. Gaines about Justin. Since it appears that I am headed for another early deliver I wanted to discuss with her a few concerns that I had. My first concern was whether or not Jase's early delivery had anything to do with the bilateral inguinal hernias that had to be repaired when he was 5 wks old. She said that while it is more common in premature infants, it is in babies born around 32-34 wks that would be more likely to experience this problem. She said that Jase would have still had the hernias even if he had been born at full term, it was just "bad luck". She said that once I reach 36 wks whether or not Justin would have a hernia would already be determined and an extra week or two on the "inside" would not change the outcome. The next topic was the pyloric stenosis. She said that pyloric stenosis is more common in boys and it does run in families. Pyloric stenosis has nothing to do with when you are born, in fact it is something that progresses after birth and can not be diagnosed until between 3 wks and 3 mos of age. She said of course we will watch Justin close for any symptoms and test him early if there is any reason for concern, but there is nothing to do to prevent it from happening. Basically, no point in stressing until we see reason to be concerned. She did finish the conversation by saying its always important to remember that to have a healthy baby you have to have a healthy mama. (She is not the first doctor to say this to me). She said that once we are to 36 wks we must consider if it is actually more stressful for the baby to stay on the inside rather than be born. She said when dealing with something like a kidney issue you have to remember that the mom can get very sick, very fast and that could be very stressful for the baby. So we have to remember that if Justin is developed and his lungs are mature it may be better to deliver him sooner in good conditions rather that wait till later when things could go bad fast. It was a good conversation with Dr. Gaines, and I trust her as a doctor. I tend to spend a lot of time stressing about the "what ifs" when it comes to when I should deliver. Dr. Gaines helped me step back and look at the big picture and see what the real risks were and what risks I had blown up in my mind. I am thankful to have a great OB who cares for me and the baby and then a great pediatrician who I completely trust to care for my children. I am not going to spend the next 2, 3 or 4 wks stressing out about what "could" happen. We have great medical care and both Justin and I are going to be just fine!! I will keep you informed about how things unfold over the next few weeks. I am excited!!