Today I am 32w6d...let's just pretend it is tomorrow and I am 33 weeks. Yesterday was a day I prefer not to repeat. Although, if I stop and look at the big picture it really is a minor bump in the road and quite frankly, it's amazing I haven't ended up there before. Where is there...well, it is Labor and Deliver Triage. Yesterday was my weekly NST (non-stress test). I wasn't worried. I know the beans are all doing well. I mean I feel them and see them move constantly. However, what I wasn't expecting was to start contracting. Now, I have been having some contractions for the past 2 weeks. BUT, they always stop and really not to worry about. However, yesterday as I am laying there all hooked up listening to the babies heartbeats race away, I started having rhythmic contractions. I was contracting every 6 minutes. Not crazy strong ones, but none the less. So, Marty, called Dr. Stewart and off to OB Triage I go. I got naked, hooked up to the monitor and was kinda hanging out. Still contracting. They had the nursing student come in and draw labs. I was impressed, didn't even leave a bruise (it helps that I know my anatomy and told her where to stab). Then they came in and gave me a shot of Terbutaline. This drug is used to stop premature labor. Made me feel like I had taken crack. I was shaky and jittery, but it stopped the contractions. Then the Resident came in and did a fetal fibronectin swab and checked my cervix. This test evidently is a predictor of pre-term labor. Thankfully, it was negative and my cervix is still long and tightly closed. I was sent home with oral Terbutaline just in case, but haven't had to take any yet. Good news, right?
Today I had a scheduled growth ultrasound. Now, I know the beans are fine. After all, they perform like little superstars in all of their testing. As I was sitting in the waiting room I could feel myself getting anxious. Why...who the hell knows. So, needless to say, my BP was pretty high when I went in. And to top it off I had protein in my urine. So, Dr. Stewart wants me rest over the weekend and try to get my head out of my ass. Then I get to go in Monday morning for a BP check. If the BP is still high and there is still protein in my urine I am being admitted for strict bed rest and monitoring.
This is my plan. Park it on the couch. Drink a crap load of fluids and devour an entire watermelon by Monday. In case you didn't know watermelon is a natural diuretic. Hopefully, the BP will be unchanged and the protein will have washed itself from my kidney's.
About the beans. They look great. As of today their estimated weights are 4.9, 4.6, and 3.13 lbs. My goal is to keep them in until 36 weeks. That gives them 3 more weeks to plump up just a little more and to get their lungs into shape. I absolutely do not want these babies going to the NICU. They are measuring around the 50th percentile for a singleton. Dr. Stewart told me that his twins were born at 36 weeks and weighed 4.12 and 3.9. So, already my beans are bigger than one of his twins that had 3 weeks on mine. If the babies have to be delivered next week they will be fine. However, they will spend a little time in the NICU. Again, not my plan. While my brain tells me that everything will be okay. My heart is terrified.
Of course then I have the added wacky feelings. I love my belly. I love feeling them move. I'm not ready to lose that. Knowing this will be the only time I do this makes me wish it would never end. Truthfully, I'm not horribly uncomfortable. I'm not saying that my hips don't hurt and my back doesn't hurt, but it isn't anything I won't survive. I suppose part of me is selfish and not quite ready to share them with everyone else. We worked so hard to get them, I just want to keep them to myself. And of course, I have to go back to work. I'm not ready to be away from them. If they are in the NICU I will miss that time. And once they are born then I don't get to be with them all of the time anymore. I'm sure everyone is thinking oh Lord, she is going to be crazy. I promise I will work on that. If I can't fix it, I will turn to pharmaceutical methods to make sure I don't go nuts. :)
And lastly, today would have been my grandma's 83rd birthday. Happy Birthday Grandma.
You don't know me, but I heard about your story through a friend of your friend, and I just want you to know that I am praying for you and your family in this difficult time. I am so sorry for your loss. I am praying for your girls to have an easy time in the NICU and go home very soon.
ReplyDeleteWhen you're ready, there's a whole host of amazing women of premature babies that can help you shoulder this burden, give you emotional support, and answer questions/concerns about the NICU. We're at thepreemiepalace.com and everyone there is thinking of you and your little ones. Take care.