During my hospital stay, they injected me with Terbutaline. I'd had it before, but with my POTS, boy that sucked. Dizziness, and a hyper baby, made for an interesting evening. The nurses came in to my room every 20 minutes to adjust the monitors for baby's heart rate. They told me to sleep, but how in the world is a person suppose to sleep if they're being disturbed every 20 minutes. According to my Jawbone UP, I got 2 hours of sleep that night - 0 hours of deep sleep.
I was prescribed 3 days of Procardia, 4 times a day. It was suppose to help relax everything. I was also given 2 doses of a Steroid injection, to help baby's lungs develop.
Saturday I met with a Doctor from the NICU, to give us information about if I were to deliver in the next 2 weeks. She arrive initially when I was alone, and the minute she walked in the room and introduced herself, I started to cry. I couldn't handle this, not yet. I asked if she could come back, when Steve arrived. She agreed. So when he did come visit me, I had the nurse call her back. According to the hospital statistics, babes born at 25 weeks have an 89% survival rating, most of them going on to live normal healthy lives. They stay until their due dates, sometimes longer. But if I could make it to 26 weeks, the rate goes up to 93%, and higher each week after that, with less NICU time. I know families with Micro-premies, I've seen the good and the bad. I was scared. She tried to reassure us, if we could get baby to at least 32 weeks, with 1 more dose of the steroid shot, we'd have a perfectly healthy baby boy or girl coming home with us, with no more than a 2 week NICU stay. Of course, 34 weeks and on is better.
By Sunday morning, the contractions had almost dissipated, only a few here an there, mostly when baby was really active. I met with the Fetal Monitoring Specialist. He was a ton of fun (sarcasm). Again, this was something I needed my husband there for. Thankfully my nurse was in the room with me for support. It's not his job to sugar coat anything, I need to know the risks. But goodness, is it MY FAULT that I had hyperemesis from day 1? Do you really think a woman choses to feel like crap, puking 15+ times a day, not being able to eat or drink anything for months, and have to walk around with 4L of IV fluids for weeks? Oh, and the blot clot causing the PICC line to need to be removed was absolutely preventable…. Yeah, totally my fault. Then he gave me a hard time about not getting genetic testing done. We didn't get it with the other 3, so why would I do it this time? Why add the stress of a possible positive test (which doesn't mean anything's wrong, just that they're a chance). He actually tried to get me to do the test that day. We said no. (Side Note: I'm sure he's a well respected doctor and know what he's doing, but his bedside manner was atrocious.)
They needed to keep me for 24 more hours, to complete my procardia doses, and to observe baby for 24 hours after my steroid injection. I also had to wait for ultrasound.
I was looking forward to this ultrasound. Hoping that we could get some proper measurements of the baby, since we really couldn't at my office visit a couple of months ago. Baby was finally cooperating. He/she was about 10 inches long, 1Lb and14oz. Strong heart beat, active, tons of hiccups (which everyone said is REALLY GOOD). Baby's adjusted due date: April 15. Got some great facial pictures: his/her hand by it's face, and a couple of 3D images of it's face.
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| Deep in Though |
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| Frowny Face |
I even found out what we were having. Steve told me I could, but I have to keep it to myself. I told him I needed to know who I was praying for, not just baby, but by it's name. My secret, but I'm so glad to know.
I was discharged after I got back to my room. I wasn't put on strict bed rest, but told I needed to remain as sedentary as possible. I needed to eliminate all stress (did I mention I already have 3 kids?) and rest as much as I can. The Fetal Monitoring specialist came to see me again before I left (yay). Both he (and the NICU doctor, and my nurses, and every OB I saw this weekend) told me to ask for as much help as possible. Get someone to bring us food, run errands, watch the kids so I can nap. I hate asking for help, because the last time we did, no one helped...
Dr. S. said he expects to see me again in 6 weeks. Not for an appointment, but because he doesn't think I'll make it that far. Pastor and his wife prayed over us, spoke the Word for an April baby. I have faith in that, but as long as baby comes after March 4, I know he/she will be OK.
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