Christmas Shopping

“What?!” you ask.  Yes, I have officially begun to do my Christmas shopping, I agree, it’s a little early, but with a baby due at the end of November I need to get it done.  So far I have purchased two and a half gifts (I am still looking for the other half) with ten more to go.  I admit that ordinarily I am one of those nerdy people who like to shop early; however, I don’t think I have ever started in September before.  I guess there’s a first for everything!

Controversy

Any time you make a decision that goes against the “norm” it is often met with opposition. That is what I have been facing for more than three weeks since I decided against the 28 week Rhogam shot. My sister the nurse and all of her nursing friends have “never heard of refusing it” and are shocked. My doctor is also Rh-, got the shot with all three of her children, and can’t understand why I wouldn’t take it, she has seen the side effects of sensitization in her own family.

I know the consequences of my action, and there really isn’t a good answer. I feel like I am in a lose, lose situation, I can get the Rhogam and risk the health of my baby, but the likelihood of becoming sensitized will go down to .1-.2% or I can refuse the Rhogam until after the birth and have a higher chance of sensitization. I realize that if I become sensitized the baby that I am carrying will be an only child and I won’t be able to ever have anymore. Am I okay with that? Honestly, I am not sure, I cry when I think about it. But am I willing to compromise the health of the baby I am carrying? No way! I have often asked God why I had to be O-, but he is in control and knows what he is doing.

Overwhelmed

I will be the first to admit that I did not want a baby shower.  I felt bad asking people to give me gifts for my baby when they had babies of their own.  After my shower on Saturday, I was completely humbled, amazed, and blessed by the generosity I felt and received.  I was so thankful for all of my friends who made the effort to be there, two drove two hours to come, one was more than 40 weeks pregnant herself.  It was fun to imagine what my daughter is going to look like in the baby clothes, put the sheets on the crib (don’t worry, I’ll wash them before she gets here and yes, we did finally get a crib), and find a place for all the different things she is going to need.  I was and still am overwhelmed with gratitude.

Last Hurrah

That’s right, I am not sure when the next time I will get a real vacation, so I decided to go have a girl’s weekend with my sister in Atlanta followed by an Auburn football game with the boy and his family. Let’s just say girl time in Atlanta was wonderful, there was yummy food, shopping, talking about everything and nothing, it was just what I needed. As for the second half of the trip, well…let’s just say that I don’t recommend sitting four hours at a football game when you are six and a half months pregnant, unless you want to make yourself miserable. Other than that, it was good and Auburn won!

The Refusal

After much research and deliberation, I decided to refuse the 28 week rhogam shot for rh incompatibility. The likelihood of my blood and my baby’s blood mixing prior to birth isn’t very high and the shot crosses the placenta. There hasn’t been much research done on rhogam and its effect on the baby, but there are studies that possibly link it to autism. If our blood does mix and I don’t get the shot ASAP then there is a chance I won’t be able to have any more children because my body will build up a resistance to all blood that is positive. I have an appointment on Tuesday with my ob and I am praying it will go okay and she won’t send me off to look for a new doctor.