Wishing everyone the very Merriest of Christmases!
(and yes, Christmas trees really do make good back scratchers...just ask Jenny!)Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Brief Photo Update
I've been meaning to post these photos for some time, but one thing that I've learned since being on bed rest is that everything takes longer to do. Not that I haven't had the most awesomest of care-takers ever, but its just that the little things get pushed to the side. I find this especially true when I need to ask other people for stuff. Is it absolutely necessary that I get my camera battery out of the charger this instant? No. Is it absolutely necessary that I get my wallet from my purse so that I can complete an online purchase right this second? No. So some things just go a little longer.
However, the camera battery is officially back in my camera and the camera cable has been plugged into the laptop long enough for me to get these off...we won't discuss how long it may take for me to get the photos I took at the hospital off my cell phone ;)
First up, I wanted to share what my constant bed rest companion looks like. This:
Or this:
The big red thing on the right is my belly - hee, hee
Needless to say Jenny is completely in love with my body pillow. I also feel that she could totally be a certified therapy dog. Not as they usually come, but specifically for bed rest recovery. She's nursed my grandma through a bought of stress fractures and she had previously nursed me through a couple wicked colds. But she has officially earned her place in doggy fame since I've been home from the hospital. She is next to me all day every day. There may be brief respites to eat, drink, potty and scratch her back under the Christmas tree, but otherwise, she is right there next to me...as she is as I write this. I really can't thank her enough...except when she steals my body pillow before I get to it!
I also sneaked a little belly progress photo the other day, just about at the 32 week mark. I figured this wasn't cheating since I was on my way to one of my sanctioned bathroom breaks and I took the photo in the bathroom mirror.
I feel way bigger than I probably look to most moms who've been through it all already, but since I haven't felt what its like to be 'really big' yet...this feels big. I also know he has about double his body weight to gain in the next 7 weeks, so I know I've got tons more growing to do.
That leads me to another point. As he's gotten bigger, his movements have obviously gotten stronger. They are still more cute than uncomfortable, but he's given me a couple good ones now that have actually hurt. (He of course loves to kick under my right lower rib that has been sore for most of the pregnancy.) We can also see a lot more movement through my tummy. I'm anxious to get some of it on video. So hopefully I will have a video to share in the near future.
However, the camera battery is officially back in my camera and the camera cable has been plugged into the laptop long enough for me to get these off...we won't discuss how long it may take for me to get the photos I took at the hospital off my cell phone ;)
First up, I wanted to share what my constant bed rest companion looks like. This:
Or this:
The big red thing on the right is my belly - hee, heeNeedless to say Jenny is completely in love with my body pillow. I also feel that she could totally be a certified therapy dog. Not as they usually come, but specifically for bed rest recovery. She's nursed my grandma through a bought of stress fractures and she had previously nursed me through a couple wicked colds. But she has officially earned her place in doggy fame since I've been home from the hospital. She is next to me all day every day. There may be brief respites to eat, drink, potty and scratch her back under the Christmas tree, but otherwise, she is right there next to me...as she is as I write this. I really can't thank her enough...except when she steals my body pillow before I get to it!
I also sneaked a little belly progress photo the other day, just about at the 32 week mark. I figured this wasn't cheating since I was on my way to one of my sanctioned bathroom breaks and I took the photo in the bathroom mirror.
I feel way bigger than I probably look to most moms who've been through it all already, but since I haven't felt what its like to be 'really big' yet...this feels big. I also know he has about double his body weight to gain in the next 7 weeks, so I know I've got tons more growing to do.
That leads me to another point. As he's gotten bigger, his movements have obviously gotten stronger. They are still more cute than uncomfortable, but he's given me a couple good ones now that have actually hurt. (He of course loves to kick under my right lower rib that has been sore for most of the pregnancy.) We can also see a lot more movement through my tummy. I'm anxious to get some of it on video. So hopefully I will have a video to share in the near future.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Week 32!
Well we made it! Week 32 is the first of several very important milestones in our quest for a full-term Lloyd! Week 32 was where the perinatologist at Mary Birch wanted me before I was sent home from the hospital. (Fortunately, my doctor was not as conservative in that department!) Week 32 also marks a major point in health for a pre-term baby...healthy lungs and he's going on 4 pounds now!
Our follow up visit this Thursday was also a very good one. The OB said that while I was down to 70% effaced last week, I was basically not-effaced this week at all! I also have been gaining my requisite weight on schedule (up exactly one pound from last week and about 18 pounds over all). My tummy also measured 30 cm, up from 29 cm the week before. I had read that at this point, your tummy, a rough measurement of the baby's growth, should measure about the same number of cm as your pregnancy week. This puts me a little under 2 cm behind schedule. However, our OB also said that with low carrying babies, this measurement isn't as consistent and that as long as I'm gaining weight and my tummy is growing, she is happy. The last thing she did, more for my reassurance than anything else, was a very quick ultrasound to check the level of my amniotic fluid (more about this later) - which was really good. All this made her comfortable enough to let me skip next week's follow up appointment - yay!
This news came at a perfect time. The previous week had been very challenging for me. I had several bouts of paranoia about various issues, the biggest one was that I was leaking amniotic fluid. The books (which I have been reading lots of recently...which may or may not have been a good thing) provide enough information to confuse the heck out of you and just when you think you have something resolved, they usually end up saying...'but, it could also be Scary Thing X, so be sure to talk to your doctor ASAP.' All this and given that this entire scare came as such a surprise to everyone, left me second guessing every ligament pull, belly soreness, back ache, and stiffness. The thing is that regardless, I am still growing a baby in my tummy (during one of his biggest growth spurt periods) and this doesn't exactly happen without ligament pulls, belly soreness, back aches, and stiffness.
I also knew that we were coming up on the 32 week mark. And my paranoia started making me scared for the worst case scenario. I hated the idea that after going through all of this, I could still possibly give birth now and Lloyd would have to live in the NICU for weeks. Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful that the NICU is there and I know that if he needed to be there, it would be the best place for him and he would be cared for by the best people possible. But we obviously would want him home with us.
These things left me more vulnerable to some other common issues also encountered with extended bedrest. I'm a planner. And I found all my plans turned upside down. I had to cancel the other baby classes we had signed up for (Baby Care Basics and nursing), since they are unable to make accommodations for people on bedrest. I've also felt pretty lost when it comes to reading the pregnancy books and even the updates I get from Baby Center. While they are obviously still helpful for the purposes of marking Lloyd's progress, a lot of the things no longer apply to me. I've also felt a little lost related to our planning for the birth itself, since there are now a lot of things I can't do. All the exercises are out. (I'm not even allowed to do Kegel's!) A lot of the HypnoBirthing birth preparation practices are out. And this is frustrating since practice is really the key to the whole method. I can practice relaxing, but is that enough?
Anyway, it was all of this all rolled together that was hard last week. I do feel much better now though and I feel that while things are certainly not as we planned, everything will be fine. And as Brad says, regardless of what happens at this point, we are still going to have our baby in the end of it all. And that really is the most important thing of all...everything is just details.
Our follow up visit this Thursday was also a very good one. The OB said that while I was down to 70% effaced last week, I was basically not-effaced this week at all! I also have been gaining my requisite weight on schedule (up exactly one pound from last week and about 18 pounds over all). My tummy also measured 30 cm, up from 29 cm the week before. I had read that at this point, your tummy, a rough measurement of the baby's growth, should measure about the same number of cm as your pregnancy week. This puts me a little under 2 cm behind schedule. However, our OB also said that with low carrying babies, this measurement isn't as consistent and that as long as I'm gaining weight and my tummy is growing, she is happy. The last thing she did, more for my reassurance than anything else, was a very quick ultrasound to check the level of my amniotic fluid (more about this later) - which was really good. All this made her comfortable enough to let me skip next week's follow up appointment - yay!
This news came at a perfect time. The previous week had been very challenging for me. I had several bouts of paranoia about various issues, the biggest one was that I was leaking amniotic fluid. The books (which I have been reading lots of recently...which may or may not have been a good thing) provide enough information to confuse the heck out of you and just when you think you have something resolved, they usually end up saying...'but, it could also be Scary Thing X, so be sure to talk to your doctor ASAP.' All this and given that this entire scare came as such a surprise to everyone, left me second guessing every ligament pull, belly soreness, back ache, and stiffness. The thing is that regardless, I am still growing a baby in my tummy (during one of his biggest growth spurt periods) and this doesn't exactly happen without ligament pulls, belly soreness, back aches, and stiffness.
I also knew that we were coming up on the 32 week mark. And my paranoia started making me scared for the worst case scenario. I hated the idea that after going through all of this, I could still possibly give birth now and Lloyd would have to live in the NICU for weeks. Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful that the NICU is there and I know that if he needed to be there, it would be the best place for him and he would be cared for by the best people possible. But we obviously would want him home with us.
These things left me more vulnerable to some other common issues also encountered with extended bedrest. I'm a planner. And I found all my plans turned upside down. I had to cancel the other baby classes we had signed up for (Baby Care Basics and nursing), since they are unable to make accommodations for people on bedrest. I've also felt pretty lost when it comes to reading the pregnancy books and even the updates I get from Baby Center. While they are obviously still helpful for the purposes of marking Lloyd's progress, a lot of the things no longer apply to me. I've also felt a little lost related to our planning for the birth itself, since there are now a lot of things I can't do. All the exercises are out. (I'm not even allowed to do Kegel's!) A lot of the HypnoBirthing birth preparation practices are out. And this is frustrating since practice is really the key to the whole method. I can practice relaxing, but is that enough?
Anyway, it was all of this all rolled together that was hard last week. I do feel much better now though and I feel that while things are certainly not as we planned, everything will be fine. And as Brad says, regardless of what happens at this point, we are still going to have our baby in the end of it all. And that really is the most important thing of all...everything is just details.
Friday, December 12, 2008
A little meme
Sometimes these are fun to do and I liked this one, so here are my answers:
Things I’ve Done (In Bold)
Things I Want to Do (In Italics)
1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (good timing for this one, right?)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (in FL and CA)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (I'm going to count this...even though it was more topless, than the full monty)
27. Run a marathon (well, walk one at least)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby :D
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant
Things I’ve Done (In Bold)
Things I Want to Do (In Italics)
1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (good timing for this one, right?)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (in FL and CA)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (I'm going to count this...even though it was more topless, than the full monty)
27. Run a marathon (well, walk one at least)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby :D
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Things are good!
We went to the doctors yesterday and it looks like being off my feet is doing what it is supposed to do! My OB said that I was less effaced than before, which means that my cervix isn't as thin as it was. This doesn't mean I can go back to normal activity. She said he is still really low and putting a lot of pressure on my cervix. But at least it means that what I'm doing is having a positive affect.
The plan now is to have me officially on full bedrest and on my nifedapine until 35 weeks. She said then, she'll take me off the meds and that I can go about my normal activities. However, this means that I could go into labor at any point. So Brad's and my plan is for me to stay on bedrest for a few more weeks after that. We want this little boy full term if we can do anything about it! And really what's a few more weeks at that point anyway! But I won't deny I have fantasies about being able to go get the mail or go to the grocery store again! ;)
The other good news is that I'm having very few contractions now and I haven't had to use the terbutaline at all since I've been home. Each day is better than the previous day and as long as I stay hydrated and go to the bathroom often, I don't have any contractions at all! Plus, like at the hospital, I'm getting a little routine down and it almost doesn't seem like I don't leave the house. Although, going out for the appointment yesterday was really nice! We may have even stopped for frozen yogurt on the way home to make the most of it. Don't worry I stayed reclined in the car while Brad got them!
The plan now is to have me officially on full bedrest and on my nifedapine until 35 weeks. She said then, she'll take me off the meds and that I can go about my normal activities. However, this means that I could go into labor at any point. So Brad's and my plan is for me to stay on bedrest for a few more weeks after that. We want this little boy full term if we can do anything about it! And really what's a few more weeks at that point anyway! But I won't deny I have fantasies about being able to go get the mail or go to the grocery store again! ;)
The other good news is that I'm having very few contractions now and I haven't had to use the terbutaline at all since I've been home. Each day is better than the previous day and as long as I stay hydrated and go to the bathroom often, I don't have any contractions at all! Plus, like at the hospital, I'm getting a little routine down and it almost doesn't seem like I don't leave the house. Although, going out for the appointment yesterday was really nice! We may have even stopped for frozen yogurt on the way home to make the most of it. Don't worry I stayed reclined in the car while Brad got them!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Home Sweet Home!
Fortunately things went really well on Thursday and Friday morning...and after asking the on call doctor what was next, he decided to send me home. I have a very sneaking suspicion I'd still be there if I hadn't asked how my doctor was supposed to find out my progress. He checked the doctors orders and then did a quick check on my cervix. And since it was the same, if not better than when my doctor had checked last, he said I was free to go!
I'm on the same restrictions here as I was there...laying down except to go to the bathroom (and the occasional shower), but I'm home! Brad's already looking into various options to be able to handle the positions better. What makes things tricky is that I can't be on my back because the weight of the baby rests on a major artery and can actually reduce blood flow to my heart...and Lloyd. I have to be tilted all the time. This is what kills my shoulders and my hips depending on where I'm laying. So Brad's doing some investigating. I'm certainly fine for a few days while we sort pillow or lawn chair recliner options. Its just hard because I hate to spend money right now on stuff that can't be used later as well...which is why we are taking some time right now to see what might work the best for the investment. Because I do know that two months will be a long time if I can't get comfortable! The hospital let us take the air mattress from my hospital bed home and that helps a ton when I'm on the futon...the pad for which we have had since 1996.
My mom, aunt and grandma came over yesterday as well and helped me get all the crafting paraphernalia put away. We also organized my knitting bin and put away all the random balls of yarn and unfinished knitting projects I had laying all over the place. Except for the coffee table and a good clean, the living room and dining room look great and make me feel much more at peace when I'm out there. Cora and Ichun also stopped by yesterday (leaving me with a knitter's paradise of projects to keep me busy - thanks again guys!) and picked up the few sewing projects I had hoped to finish before Lloyd's arrival. I was 1/2 way through another 6 bibs and I had had hopes to sew up a couple receiving blankets as well as my sling. Cora, Ichun and Marisa have offered to finish up those projects for me, which was wonderful! I was especially anxious about the sling...because clearly a shower pre-baby at this point (Shannon, Susan and Meagan where looking at having one for me the middle of January) may be a bit of a challenge and while I'm totally fine not having a stroller or any of that other stuff before he gets here, my sling was a key carrying accessory while he was still too small for the other baby carrying options. And yes, I know I could have ordered one, but I had already picked out some great fabric from my stash that matches the diaper bag I bought on deep discount in October. So yeah, very relieved on the crafting front as well!
Anyway, before I get too far away from my days in the hospital, I wanted to describe a bit of my daily routine for the curious as well as my own recollection down the road.
7:15 am - wake up, breakfast delivered, eat
8:00 am - day nurse comes in to take my diagnostics (temp, heart, lungs, blood pressure, leg swelling, standard questions - any leaking or bleeding? baby moving ok? any pain?) and give me my morning dose of niphetapine and pre-natal vitamin. I had them open my window as well.
(read until the doctor comes in)
9:30 am - on-call doctor comes in and says I might either be able to go home soon or I will be there awhile.
(read until monitoring time)
10:00 am - on the baby and contraction monitors for at least one hour...maybe longer if I either had more than 6 contractions or Lloyd falls asleep. I usually read or looked at magazines during this time.
11:30 am - lunch is delivered...as long as I was off the monitors by then, I could eat, otherwise had to wait until I was done.
(Brad usually arrived between 11:30 and 12:30. We usually watched a little TV while we ate lunch.)
2:00 pm - afternoon dose of niphetapine.
(internet, knitting, reading, talking, visiting until dinner)
5:00 pm - dinner delivered
(read until 7:00 - the time I decided I could have the TV on for the evening...any earlier and I found I got depressed and yucky feeling...TV really sucks by the way...I had 100 channels and there was still almost never anything on I wanted to watch...I did discover however, you can watch Law and Order all day long with cable - so crazy!)
(Brad usually left anywhere between 5:00 and 8:00 depending on his schedule.)
8:00 pm - Night nurse comes in and does my diagnostics, same deal, and gives me my evening dose of niphetapine.
9:00 pm - on the baby and contraction monitors again, same deal...only these didn't seem to usually go as well as in the morning and I was almost always on them for a couple hours.
(go to sleep between 10:30 and 11:00...or try to...one night my loud, bored roommate's water broke, so that was really scary for me).
2:00 am - Night dose of niphetapine.
(get up and go to the bathroom every two hours until breakfast the next morning)
So there you have it! That's how I kept my day full while in the hospital. All those little milestones during the day really kept it from being too much...there was always something to do in a half hour or so.
My overall impression of the nurses and doctors at Mary Birch is a very positive one. Despite different philosophies, all the doctors were very concerned about me and Lloyd and what was best for us. The nurses were awesome...except one night nurse that I had only once and happened to also be taking care of my roommate the night she went into labor-labor. Her biggest thing was that she was acting like it was the middle of the day even though it was 3 in the morning - slamming into our room, flipping on the hall light, talking at full volume, etc. None of the others did that. They were very conscientious of our sleep and being as quiet as possible for us. They also tried to assign us the same nurses as much as possible, which I also appreciated. There were a few I had several different days that I really liked and always was happy to see them come into my room.
And finally, I just wanted to say thank you for everyone who called and came to visit (both there and here). It's meant a ton to me for you guys to take time out of your days and busy schedules to bring me treats and things to do, but most importantly your company whether in person, over the phone or the internet. Its made a world of difference and I know I'll be continuing to need your company over the coming weeks, so I will thank you in advance as well!
Okay, well, I think the laptop is about ready to self-combust, so I'm going to say goodbye for now. Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!
I'm on the same restrictions here as I was there...laying down except to go to the bathroom (and the occasional shower), but I'm home! Brad's already looking into various options to be able to handle the positions better. What makes things tricky is that I can't be on my back because the weight of the baby rests on a major artery and can actually reduce blood flow to my heart...and Lloyd. I have to be tilted all the time. This is what kills my shoulders and my hips depending on where I'm laying. So Brad's doing some investigating. I'm certainly fine for a few days while we sort pillow or lawn chair recliner options. Its just hard because I hate to spend money right now on stuff that can't be used later as well...which is why we are taking some time right now to see what might work the best for the investment. Because I do know that two months will be a long time if I can't get comfortable! The hospital let us take the air mattress from my hospital bed home and that helps a ton when I'm on the futon...the pad for which we have had since 1996.
My mom, aunt and grandma came over yesterday as well and helped me get all the crafting paraphernalia put away. We also organized my knitting bin and put away all the random balls of yarn and unfinished knitting projects I had laying all over the place. Except for the coffee table and a good clean, the living room and dining room look great and make me feel much more at peace when I'm out there. Cora and Ichun also stopped by yesterday (leaving me with a knitter's paradise of projects to keep me busy - thanks again guys!) and picked up the few sewing projects I had hoped to finish before Lloyd's arrival. I was 1/2 way through another 6 bibs and I had had hopes to sew up a couple receiving blankets as well as my sling. Cora, Ichun and Marisa have offered to finish up those projects for me, which was wonderful! I was especially anxious about the sling...because clearly a shower pre-baby at this point (Shannon, Susan and Meagan where looking at having one for me the middle of January) may be a bit of a challenge and while I'm totally fine not having a stroller or any of that other stuff before he gets here, my sling was a key carrying accessory while he was still too small for the other baby carrying options. And yes, I know I could have ordered one, but I had already picked out some great fabric from my stash that matches the diaper bag I bought on deep discount in October. So yeah, very relieved on the crafting front as well!
Anyway, before I get too far away from my days in the hospital, I wanted to describe a bit of my daily routine for the curious as well as my own recollection down the road.
7:15 am - wake up, breakfast delivered, eat
8:00 am - day nurse comes in to take my diagnostics (temp, heart, lungs, blood pressure, leg swelling, standard questions - any leaking or bleeding? baby moving ok? any pain?) and give me my morning dose of niphetapine and pre-natal vitamin. I had them open my window as well.
(read until the doctor comes in)
9:30 am - on-call doctor comes in and says I might either be able to go home soon or I will be there awhile.
(read until monitoring time)
10:00 am - on the baby and contraction monitors for at least one hour...maybe longer if I either had more than 6 contractions or Lloyd falls asleep. I usually read or looked at magazines during this time.
11:30 am - lunch is delivered...as long as I was off the monitors by then, I could eat, otherwise had to wait until I was done.
(Brad usually arrived between 11:30 and 12:30. We usually watched a little TV while we ate lunch.)
2:00 pm - afternoon dose of niphetapine.
(internet, knitting, reading, talking, visiting until dinner)
5:00 pm - dinner delivered
(read until 7:00 - the time I decided I could have the TV on for the evening...any earlier and I found I got depressed and yucky feeling...TV really sucks by the way...I had 100 channels and there was still almost never anything on I wanted to watch...I did discover however, you can watch Law and Order all day long with cable - so crazy!)
(Brad usually left anywhere between 5:00 and 8:00 depending on his schedule.)
8:00 pm - Night nurse comes in and does my diagnostics, same deal, and gives me my evening dose of niphetapine.
9:00 pm - on the baby and contraction monitors again, same deal...only these didn't seem to usually go as well as in the morning and I was almost always on them for a couple hours.
(go to sleep between 10:30 and 11:00...or try to...one night my loud, bored roommate's water broke, so that was really scary for me).
2:00 am - Night dose of niphetapine.
(get up and go to the bathroom every two hours until breakfast the next morning)
So there you have it! That's how I kept my day full while in the hospital. All those little milestones during the day really kept it from being too much...there was always something to do in a half hour or so.
My overall impression of the nurses and doctors at Mary Birch is a very positive one. Despite different philosophies, all the doctors were very concerned about me and Lloyd and what was best for us. The nurses were awesome...except one night nurse that I had only once and happened to also be taking care of my roommate the night she went into labor-labor. Her biggest thing was that she was acting like it was the middle of the day even though it was 3 in the morning - slamming into our room, flipping on the hall light, talking at full volume, etc. None of the others did that. They were very conscientious of our sleep and being as quiet as possible for us. They also tried to assign us the same nurses as much as possible, which I also appreciated. There were a few I had several different days that I really liked and always was happy to see them come into my room.
And finally, I just wanted to say thank you for everyone who called and came to visit (both there and here). It's meant a ton to me for you guys to take time out of your days and busy schedules to bring me treats and things to do, but most importantly your company whether in person, over the phone or the internet. Its made a world of difference and I know I'll be continuing to need your company over the coming weeks, so I will thank you in advance as well!
Okay, well, I think the laptop is about ready to self-combust, so I'm going to say goodbye for now. Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Bathroom Privileges
So, sorry to leave anyone hanging...but its taken until today for me to have internet access from my hospital room. Yup, that's right...hospital room. It's funny because I still can't believe this is something we are going through. I never in a million years expected to have anything but the most run of the mill, normal pregnancy. And in about 5 minutes on Wednesday, my normal healthy pregnancy turned into a high-risk pregnancy...with the possibility I could deliver at any time.
We made it to triage at Mary Birch on Wednesday about 4:30pm and by the time they had me on the monitors, they found I was having several contractions each hour in addition to the advanced state of my cervix (I'm supposed to measure 3 cm and I'm measuring 6 mm). The doctors prepared my body for labor (antibiotics for strep B) and Lloyd for birth (steroids to help his lungs mature) in case they couldn't get things under control. This meant that I spent the first couple of days being intermittently hooked up to an IV and had round the clock fetal and contraction monitors.
Fortunately, the perinatologist is very happy with Lloyd's condition. He is estimated at 2 and 1/2 lbs, head down, and his heart rate and activity levels are excellent. The specialist said that if I were to go to into labor now, he had a really good survival rate...although this would require a lengthy stay in the NICU. He now only needs to be on the monitor for a hour each morning...during which time he spends most of the time kicking the monitors and the bands that hold them on.
I've also been doing well, I'm off the IV and my contractions are monitored twice a day. Unfortunately, while they haven't been bad enough to necessitate the more extreme magnesium treatment to stop them, they aren't always within the threshold the doctors like to see. Basically if you have less than 6 per hour, you can be usually be maintained with an oral drug niphetapene. But if I hit 6 or more (and I seem to hit exactly 6 when I do have too many), they give you a shot of tributalene. This is not something I like. Not only does the drug make my heart race, but it means that they are less likely to feel I will be stable at home.
So, that brings me to where I am today. The perinatologist wants me to be here until I reach 32 weeks (I'm 29 1/2 now). Each OB that rounds each morning has had a difference philosophy about how to manage patients in my situation. Some say it doesn't matter if I'm here or home, others are more cautious and would only want me in a hospital. And since they are all so different, they are all differing to my doctor...who hasn't come back from Thanksgiving vacation yet. Right now, it sounds like she may be here on Thursday, but I'm not holding my breath.
What makes this okay with me is that I know I am getting good care and I feel that we've made the best medical decisions we could for both me and Lloyd to ensure his survival. I also know that the irregularity of my contractions scares me and I'm sure my doctor would want me here until they stabilize regardless. I just hope to stabilize soon so that I can avoid the tributalene shot as much as possible, since I can't imagine my heart is the only thing being affected by the drug. (And no, I'm not going to Google search it and please don't tell me what you find if you do.)
There are also pros and cons for being both here and at home. I miss being home terribly, but I also know why I'm here and that provides a lot of comfort. Being here is also easier for Brad because he would be completely overloaded caring for me as well as the entire house and his own obligations...because if I'm home, I can't do anything. I can't get my food, I can't let the dog out...in fact, all I can do is go to the bathroom when I need to. Even my showers are carefully monitored so I'm not vertical for too long. Plus, I'm not tempted to do anything while I'm here. I can't see the fabric for the bibs that are almost done or the sling I never made. I can't see the pile of knitting stuff I had planned to organized last weekend. So again, for so many reasons, being here is a very good thing.
I also got a chance to meet a few of the other women staying in the unit with me today as part of a support group. I wasn't planning to go, but in the end it was a really great excuse to get out of my room and hear that other women are going through the same thing...and some have already been here for 3 weeks or more, so clearly it is possible. They also gave us newbees the hook up...I also found out there is a special menu you have access to after you've been here a week and you may also be granted wheelchair privileges, so trips outside might be possible at some point in the future as well.
So, that's where things are at the moment. We are fine and we are just thankful for that follow up ultrasound last week. (I can only imagine what all the cleaning and organizing I had planned for the long weekend would have done!) My goal is to have a full term baby, so I'm going to do whatever I need to do to make that happen.
We made it to triage at Mary Birch on Wednesday about 4:30pm and by the time they had me on the monitors, they found I was having several contractions each hour in addition to the advanced state of my cervix (I'm supposed to measure 3 cm and I'm measuring 6 mm). The doctors prepared my body for labor (antibiotics for strep B) and Lloyd for birth (steroids to help his lungs mature) in case they couldn't get things under control. This meant that I spent the first couple of days being intermittently hooked up to an IV and had round the clock fetal and contraction monitors.
Fortunately, the perinatologist is very happy with Lloyd's condition. He is estimated at 2 and 1/2 lbs, head down, and his heart rate and activity levels are excellent. The specialist said that if I were to go to into labor now, he had a really good survival rate...although this would require a lengthy stay in the NICU. He now only needs to be on the monitor for a hour each morning...during which time he spends most of the time kicking the monitors and the bands that hold them on.
I've also been doing well, I'm off the IV and my contractions are monitored twice a day. Unfortunately, while they haven't been bad enough to necessitate the more extreme magnesium treatment to stop them, they aren't always within the threshold the doctors like to see. Basically if you have less than 6 per hour, you can be usually be maintained with an oral drug niphetapene. But if I hit 6 or more (and I seem to hit exactly 6 when I do have too many), they give you a shot of tributalene. This is not something I like. Not only does the drug make my heart race, but it means that they are less likely to feel I will be stable at home.
So, that brings me to where I am today. The perinatologist wants me to be here until I reach 32 weeks (I'm 29 1/2 now). Each OB that rounds each morning has had a difference philosophy about how to manage patients in my situation. Some say it doesn't matter if I'm here or home, others are more cautious and would only want me in a hospital. And since they are all so different, they are all differing to my doctor...who hasn't come back from Thanksgiving vacation yet. Right now, it sounds like she may be here on Thursday, but I'm not holding my breath.
What makes this okay with me is that I know I am getting good care and I feel that we've made the best medical decisions we could for both me and Lloyd to ensure his survival. I also know that the irregularity of my contractions scares me and I'm sure my doctor would want me here until they stabilize regardless. I just hope to stabilize soon so that I can avoid the tributalene shot as much as possible, since I can't imagine my heart is the only thing being affected by the drug. (And no, I'm not going to Google search it and please don't tell me what you find if you do.)
There are also pros and cons for being both here and at home. I miss being home terribly, but I also know why I'm here and that provides a lot of comfort. Being here is also easier for Brad because he would be completely overloaded caring for me as well as the entire house and his own obligations...because if I'm home, I can't do anything. I can't get my food, I can't let the dog out...in fact, all I can do is go to the bathroom when I need to. Even my showers are carefully monitored so I'm not vertical for too long. Plus, I'm not tempted to do anything while I'm here. I can't see the fabric for the bibs that are almost done or the sling I never made. I can't see the pile of knitting stuff I had planned to organized last weekend. So again, for so many reasons, being here is a very good thing.
I also got a chance to meet a few of the other women staying in the unit with me today as part of a support group. I wasn't planning to go, but in the end it was a really great excuse to get out of my room and hear that other women are going through the same thing...and some have already been here for 3 weeks or more, so clearly it is possible. They also gave us newbees the hook up...I also found out there is a special menu you have access to after you've been here a week and you may also be granted wheelchair privileges, so trips outside might be possible at some point in the future as well.
So, that's where things are at the moment. We are fine and we are just thankful for that follow up ultrasound last week. (I can only imagine what all the cleaning and organizing I had planned for the long weekend would have done!) My goal is to have a full term baby, so I'm going to do whatever I need to do to make that happen.
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