In the 30s!

Today I am 30 weeks pregnant. I have never been 30-something-weeks along, and I am SO happy to have made it this far!

Bedrest is hard, but I can tell how necessary it is. My uterus is definitely more sensitive and "jumpy" since my hospital visit last Sunday. I contract every time I get up. The contractions could be normal and harmless - but I'm not taking any chances!

I forgot to mention that we asked for Thumper's weight at our last ultrasound on Wednesday. 3 lbs! A very good weight for a 29 weeker! :)

Preggo pic

Upon realizing that I didn't have a single picture of my pregnant self, my Mom took this the day I turned 29 weeks pregnant. Also the day before I was hospitalized for preterm labor. Maybe when I am allowed to be upright again, I will be able to get more pictures. I'm just glad to have this at all!

Bedrest

I am home now on bedrest. This is because of the fact that I am 1-2 cm dilated, and we don't know if I have been this way for a long time, or if it is the result of all the painful contractions I had on Sunday. My OB is being very conservative because of my history delivering so early - and I don't blame her! Bedrest is very strict until I am about 32 weeks along. That means I am to lie in bed or lie on the couch, I can get up only to use the bathroom, take a shower, get a snack. That's it. If, at 32 weeks, my cervix is still lovely and I'm not contracting too much, then bedrest can be modified to include some more activity. If everything is perfect by 34 weeks, I might be able to rejoin the world. That will be on June 26th - a long time from now. This is going to be quite the adventure! I just feel so lucky to still be pregnant.

To Hell and Back: Still Pregnant!

We have, so far, received the best news we could have hoped for. I am still very pregnant and it looks like I will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow morning!

I do not wish magnesium sulfate on anyone. Some women don't experience all the side effects, while others are tormented with them all. I was the unlucky latter. It was truly a nightmare for me and the family, but we are so very thankful that we made it though, slowed down my contractions, and baby got the two needed steroid shots over the 48 hour period. The shots are needed to speed up baby lung development, should Thumper be born too soon. I had also gotten the shots for Alden last time, but didn't need to be on Magnesium Sulfate to stop preterm labor, because I was able to use a much nicer drug that can only be used until the 27th week gestation. Too far along for that now!

I am still in the hospital tonight, and will meet with my OB tomorrow morning to determine the final plan of care. After we made it through the mag sulfate, I had a cervical ultrasound which showed - amazingly - that my cervix looks NORMAL at 3.5 cm! I cried many tears of joy at that. The Perinatologist who reviewed the u/s also said that many women are 1-2 cm dilated throughout much of their second pregnancy. She also said that with an amazingly long cervix like this at 29 1/2 weeks, I have only about a 1% chance of delivering before 34 weeks gestation. Simply unbelievable. I cried many tears of joy when I heard that.

We met briefly with the Senior Resident here, who said that I will be discharged tomorrow morning. Possibly on home bedrest, but also possibly back to work, if my OB deems work is a place that won't cause my uterus to contract too much. Although many women contract normally throughout their 3rd trimester, it is so hard to say with my history what is normal for me.

There is no way I could have gone through Hell and back without the incredible support of Dave, Alden, and our families. Alden is doing great visiting me in the hospital. Asking really good questions, and painting pictures for all of us at his daycare. He knows that I am getting better, but doesn't know that it has anything to do with Thumper, which I think is best.

Thanks for all of your support. We'll keep you updated!

In Hospital

Real quick: I was admitted at 8am for preterm labor. Cervix is still long, but dilated 1-2 cm. Contracting a ton, but no more cervical changes so far. I am on bedrest and a nasty iv med called magnesium sulfate. Makes me feel crappy. I got the first dose of a steroid shot to speed up development of babe's lungs. I need two over a period of 48 hours to be really effective. I'm sure you can all imagine how we feel. We are hoping for the best. What is the best? I am on mag for 2 more days to speed up the lungs. Then stay in hospital and watched for 4-5 more days then sent home on strict bedrest until 34 weeks. Then I can do whatever. We are praying for that...

28 weeks, 5 days

My OB visit went well today. She said that my visits are getting more and more "normal." She also said that I would be cursing her at 41 weeks! Alden's early birth is being seen now as a "fluke" and most likely the result of a sub-clinical infection. Sort of bittersweet knowing that. Nothing anatomically wrong with me, but still so sad that Alden had to endure the result of a little infection. I just feel so lucky that he wasn't damaged by bacteria!

No welt after the shot this time. So weird. Doesn't seem like I am allergic to it after all. Still taking it one week at a time!

Nesting

Hubby pointed out that I have started to "nest." I hope that doesn't mean that baby is coming too soon! I have the dresser and changing table all set in our room. I even stocked the dresser with green and yellow clothes. A bag of blue clothes are standing by, just in case. I swept and mopped and dusted. I am obsessed over what cloth diapers to buy. All sorts of baby items are coming down from the attic. I am getting so excited to set everything up - but at the same time, I hope my "nesting" instinct isn't predicting an early birth. It's hard not to be wary at all times.

Happy Third Trimester!

28 weeks today! We are very excited to be in the third trimester for the first time! :) I need to get some preggo pics soon. I am the biggest I have ever been, and it is so awesome!

Welt

It appeared today at the injection site. Too weird. I just hope it doesn't mean I am developing an allergy. Just another normal roller-coaster day!

More Good News

My shot today, given by the experienced high risk clinic nurse, was considerably less painful. Did not even form a little welt. Hmmmm... I'm beginning to think that my original theory about last week's welt was correct: it was the nurse's poor technique, NOT an allergic reaction.

Anyways, my cervix is still strong and long. The perinatologist said again today that she thinks my risk of delivering prematurely is pretty low. Still higher than the general population because of my history, but lower than the docs originally thought. I have a good chance of actually making it another 10 weeks! Woo-hoo!!!

Here is a pic to melt your heart. Or crack you up. Here is a very bendy baby, smelling his/her toes:

Good news

I don't have gestational diabetes! Woo-hoo! I celebrated by eating some of the yummy oatmeal-peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies I made yesterday. Guilt free! Thumper also celebrated by doing cartwheels after we ate the cookies.

Rough day

Had my glucose tolerance test this morning. 4 blood draws over a period of 3 hours. I won't know the results until tomorrow. I did find a meta-analysis from 2008 that states women who receive 17P are more at risk for developing gestational diabetes. So at least I know that if I do have it, it isn't because of ME, or my genetics or diet. It is because of the 17P. Would have been nice if someone at the clinic informed me of that.

What really upset me today is that I had a localized welt, for the first time in 11 weeks, from the shot I received last week. I assumed that it was because the nurse administered it too fast, but wanted to get checked out while I was there, since it wasn't totally gone. It was determined that it is an allergic reaction of sorts. I was told by my doc's nurse that I could go ahead and try the shot again on Wednesday, but to bring Benadryl just in case it happens again, and I will have to wait and be "watched" for an hour to see if I get the welt again. I was fine with that, until the nurse said, "And if it happens again, you will probably have to stop the 17P." At which time I totally freak, since I strongly feel that the shots are keeping Thumper baking inside and not outside of me.

I go through the rest of the day crying on and off, until I decide to call my doctor and ask to speak to her myself. I am so glad I did that. She said that we would NOT just stop the 17P. She would consult best practice with the pharmacist, and most likely recommend that I take either Benadryl or prednisone before I get the weekly shot. I would rather not take prednisone, but it sure beats stopping 17P - which I consider life-saving for Thumper. It really upsets me when I encounter a nurse who should know better: don't just say things off the top of your head if it isn't a doctor's order!!

Hopefully, the welt was a one-time-thing.

I will update on Wednesday.

27 weeks!

Every day now is like a "first pregnancy" experience for me. I've never been 27 weeks pregnant. I've never been this big! Next week, I will be in the third trimester for the first time.

My OB says she is more convinced that Alden's early birth was a "fluke." Perhaps a sub-clinical infection (one that can't be detected without an amniocentesis). She thinks I could even possibly make it to full-term! Another first for me. I have no idea what it would be like to deliver a large baby.

We are interviewing two doulas next week - I'm excited!

When Alden was about 27 weeks, we could hold him for the first time and start to take care of him. I can't help but flash back to the NICU with every milestone I reach. How I do love to watch Thumper thump around inside me! His/her kicks are so strong, I can watch my belly move - another first for me.

Failed 1-hour glucose

Must have been that Einstein's bagel with cream cheese I had this morning. I scored a 139, and the limit is 135 - so barely over. Now I have to go in on Monday for a 3-hour glucose test. Ugh. And to think: I was EXCITED to take the glucose screen, because I never was able to in my last pregnancy! The nurse said that many women fail if they have a lot of carbs the morning of the test. Now I know. I just hope that I don't have gestational diabetes! That would be crazy. Other than that, things are normal.

Also, I have more shots behind me (so to speak), than I have yet to endure. 11 shots down, only 9 to go! This is also a reminder that Thumper (if all goes well) could be here in just about 10 weeks. Are we ready???

26 weeks, 1 day gestation

Alden was born at 26 weeks, 1 day gestation. My labor would have started around 7:30 last night, and continued for 24 hours. After 11 days of hospitalized bedrest. I am a bit teary today. I am so thankful that Thumper is still thumping away inside me, and I am allowed to just go about my normal, everyday life. We have two birthday parties to attend today, ironically.

We hopefully still have many weeks ahead of us. It is terrifying and amazing to still try and grasp the concept that a little two pound infant can not only prematurely enter the world now, but survive and thrive. I am all too aware that Alden is a miracle - many babes born around this time have life-long disabilities. We are so very blessed.

Every passing day will be a blessing to this baby. And, really, it is all thanks to Alden. If he didn't go through what he did, we would never know how to prevent a premature delivery for Thumper. Alden is our little hero.

Sadly, we all know what 26 weeks, 1 day gestation looks like outside of my womb: