I'll be keeping my fingers (& legs) crossed until Monday....

I had my OB appointment yesterday. My platelet count was 67k, still too low for an epidural. The doctor asked if anyone had talked to me about corticosteroids. My hematologist had told me that they could use corticosteroids to boost my platelet count but wouldn't consider using them until my platelet count dropped to 50k. I'm sure she was making this decision based on a bleeding stand point and not an epidural stand point. Anyway, my OB contacted the head of anesthesia for the OB department to discuss my case. The anesthesiologist said they definitely wouldn't be able to give me an epidural with a platelet level of 67k. However they wouldn't be opposed to giving me corticosteroids to increase my platelet count so I could receive an epidural.

So here's the game plan: I have an OB appointment at 10am on Monday. They'll check me and see if my cervix is "favorable." It pretty much already is. Yesterday I was 40% effaced and 1-2 cm. I'll be admitted to the hospital Monday night. They will put me on corticosteroids and they'll keep a check on my platelet level. As soon as my platelets are up to an acceptable level they'll give me an epidural whether I'm ready for it or not. And then they'll induce me (unless I've already gone in to labor on my own.) If I was to go into labor this weekend all bets are off. We would just have to play the cards we were dealt. Since my cervix has already started to change and I'm experiencing more and more braxton hicks I'm afraid I won't make it to Monday night. With our last pregnancy, Megan had already been born and was home from the hospital by now. The OB told me he wouldn't be able to induce until I was 39+ weeks and I'll be 39 weeks next week. Once they put me on the steroids they want to be sure that I'll have the epidural and baby during the high platelet window. So little Everett's birthday will probably be March 2nd at the latest.