Baby Mama Drama

Day 1 in OB Triage (Saturday night)

A lot of you have already read about the baby excitement/scares lately via facebook status updates from the hospital, but I figured while I'm laying in bed at home on bed rest, I might as well get my thoughts out on the blog so I can look back on these crazy days.

A week ago wednesday I had my 30 week check up with my doctor, and I remember telling him "I feel great!!  I know the third trimester is supposed to be the worst but I feel the best I've felt and some days don't even feel like I'm pregnant (well, until I look in the mirror of course)".  I have had so much energy and the baby has been doing well and gosh, I just felt like life was great.  A few days later on Saturday I went to a service project for youth conference and came home to rest afterwards.  I realized the baby hadn't been moving much (which I am hyper-aware of because he has the cord around his neck, so I have to do kick counts every hour) so I went to lay down so I could focus on making sure he was active and healthy.  Once I laid down I started realizing that I was having more contractions than just the normal Braxton Hicks.  As soon as I laid down I counted 3 in 12 minutes, and then 12 in an hour (if you have more than 3 an hour you are supposed to get checked out in OB Triage).  I called OB Triage, gave them my story, was told that if it continued for another hour to come in.  Sure enough it did and we had our first OB Triage Visit.

I don't know if I can even describe the feelings I had on our drive to the hospital and the first few hours we were there.  I felt like I couldn't catch my breath.  My heart was racing and I was so scared.  I just kept thinking that after everything we went through to finally have our baby boy on the way that we deserved to have him come healthy at 40 weeks.  That thinking wasn't getting me anywhere so I prayed for comfort and to pleaded for our baby to be okay, one way or another.  If there is one thing I've learned in the past few years it is that the Lord has a plan for me, and I am not in charge, so I might as well get on board and just have a little faith.  After that the experience became less terrifying and more spiritual.  I felt comfort and knew that one way or another, it would all work out. Most of the time I can be so stubborn, but I'm slowly learning to let go and rely on the Lord.

Lots of tests later they couldn't explain why I was having contractions.  They got to where they were three minutes apart, but thankfully I was not dilating.  I was not dehydrated, which would have been an easy enough fix if that were the problem.  They said that a lot of times infection can cause early contractions like mine, but again, all the tests came back negative.  They did a test for pre-term labor which came back negative, meaning that I very likely would not have the baby in the next two weeks.  That was some of the best news ever!  They gave me some medication to stop the contractions, and sent me home around 11pm. 

Mac's chair was broken and he couldn't get it to recline.  Around 2 am that can be a pretty disappointing discovery.

Taking Pictures of ourselves somehow helped to pass the early morning hours.  I won't post anymore....they are pretty hideous. :)

7am the next morning (sunday) I was having contractions again so back we went.  Same story.  More tests.  More questions, and still no answers.  They gave me medication in the hospital again, stopped the contractions, and this time sent me home with a prescription for the most awful medication ever. I took it for about 12 hours and just had to stop.  It made me so so sick.  Heart racing, hard to breathe, horrible headache, shaky and jittery, and body aches all over.  I knew the side effects when they gave it to me but I don't think I was prepared for how it would really make me feel.  I was so worried about the baby, because if the medication was doing that to me, what was it doing to my baby?  He did seem overly active and I got so worried that it was making him feel this way too.  I called my Dr. and got approval to stop taking it.  

Day 2 in OB Triage (Sunday Morning)  I really like the hospital water and ice.  It just tastes soooo good!

Monday morning I went in for a check up with my doctor and they wanted me to go to triage again to be monitored.  They gave me a different medication this time that was amazing, stopped my contractions and made my horrible awful headache go away.  I was very thankful for that.  Baby's heart beat was strong, still not dilating, went home....again.

 

Day 3 in OB Triage (Monday morning).  I love subway and was really glad they had one right in the hospital for lunch!  And yes, I know I look awful.  This was at the height of the "sick from the medications" phase.

I went home and did some work.  Bobby was the best secretary ever and sooooo snuggly.  He is a cuddly dog anyway but I think he could tell I needed to be comforted.

Tuesday I didn't even go in to the hospital!  I just laid in bed and was still having 5 contractions an hour (if I had six an hour I had to go back in and I really didn't want to!)  I just took it easy and had my first 24 hours with no trip to the hospital.

 Wednesday the contractions had slowed down so I went into work.  My job is pretty chill for the most part and I just sat at my desk and didn't do much.  The contractions gradually started up again so I went home and laid down, but by 11pm I'd had two hours of 6 contractions an hour and we went back to the hospital.  By the time we got to the hospital the contractions were 3 minutes apart and I was so frustrated!!  (ask mac, I was in a really bad mood/scared/frustrated/didn't know what to do)  They did one more test for a different infection (we'll get those results in a week or so) gave me a new medication, and sent me home with a different prescription.  This one I take every 6 hours until I'm 36 weeks, and then I guess it is fair game for the baby to come whenever he feels like it.  So far it has been working pretty well, although I've only been on it for 24 hours.  I'm still having contractions but they range from 2-5 an hour (still in the safe zone).  I feel less worried than I did initially and I think the Lord is answering my prayers because the baby has been so active the last few days, and every time I get kicked really hard I am so grateful because at least I don't have to worry about him being okay.  Sometimes it looks like my belly is doing the wave while he is moving around, and I think that is something that I am really going to miss once he comes.  I love that connection I feel to him and feeling him kick back when I push his little foot back in.  He is stubborn (just like his parents) and he is definitely a fighter.  We love you baby boy and can't wait to meet you......hopefully in at least five more weeks.

Celebrating making it to 31 weeks!!

Sometimes I'm surprised when I go out in the middle of the night and it is still light outside.  I mean, I know it is light after I go to bed, but actually going outside and seeing just HOW light it is surprises me.  This was at 11pm on our way to the hospital.  On our way home at 4am it looked about the same.

Day 4 in OB Triage (Wednesday night/Thursday morning).  Still loving the ice and water.

Poor Mac was such a trooper. He is always creative in finding solutions to problems.......and this problem was a sleeping position.  He made me laugh even though I was in a bad mood about being back in the hospital.  Love you honey!