Saturday, September 2, 2017

Home Stretch

Hi friends!

Well, I thought I wouldn't be blogging until the twins were born.  I didn't think there would be much to talk about until then.. just riding out those last 4 weeks until our c-section date.  Well, I was wrong!! Here's what has happened since I last blogged..

2 weeks ago, we had our regularly scheduled weekly appointment.  They took my blood pressure, took a urine sample, got my weight, and did the ultrasound.  The usuals.  Well, at the end of the appointment, they had me go back again to recheck my blood pressure.  Which was weird because they had never done that before.  They said it was a little high the first time they took it, but the second time it was fine.  I didn't think anything of it.  Well then we went back on Thursday for our next appointment.  They took my blood pressure, and then retook it immediately after.  I was like oh crap.  So then we did all the usuals again, and at the end, the actual doctor took my blood pressure.  He said it was high.  Then he looked at my urine sample and said it was +1 protein.. pre eclampsia.  Basically, pre  eclampsia is when you have high blood pressure during pregnancy that can become dangerously high very quickly, putting you and your babies' life in danger.  Mine wasn't nearly high enough to be a major concern, but because I'm high risk already and because of my past, doc was concerned.  He started talking about collecting urine for 24 hours at home (pee in a jug and then bring it to the office the next day).. but the more he thought about it, the more he realized he wasn't comfortable doing that either.  So finally he says "you're going to hate me... but I want to put you in the hospital overnight for monitoring."  He talked like it would be a 24 hour thing.  He even joked that Will and I could turn it into a fun movie night.  So we go home and pack me an overnight bag and head to the hospital.  They put this hat type thing in the toilet for me to pee in and then dump it in this jug for 24 hours.  They also checked my blood pressure every 4 hours and put the babies on the heart monitor/me on a contraction monitor every 10 or so hours.  They asked me if  I was contracting and I told them no.. but apparently the monitor was picking up contractions every 20 minutes or so.  I got freaked out when she said that, but she assured me it's normal for a twin pregnancy at this gestation, and since I wasn't in any pain (didn't feel them at all) she wasn't concerned.  So there I was, peeing in a jug, getting my blood pressure checked, and hearing my babies heartbeats for 24 hours. The babies were doing awesome (as usual!!) contractions were fine, blood pressures looked good (enough), and all my bloodwork came back normal.  All the nurses and doctors thought I would be going home the next day.  Well, then the results of my 24 hour urine collection came back.  The protein in my urine needed to be under 300 to be discharged... and it came back as 385.  Ahhhhhh!!!! So my doctor said I'm stuck here under observation until delivery.  I have to continue with the blood pressure, heart beat, and contraction monitoring every day.  I don't have to pee in a jug anymore, so that's a positive... Will said "you already failed that test, there's no make up tests, so of course you don't have to do that anymore!!" lol.. he has a way with words!

So here I am!  Stuck in the hospital cooking these little boogers.  The good news is, my doctor thinks we still have a really good chance of making it to our scheduled c-section date of 36 weeks.  And honestly, I'm glad to be here.  I really was getting stressed at home, worrying about if I was having contractions or going into labor and not knowing it.. then waiting too long to go to the hospital and getting myself in an emergency situation because of the cerclage.  So being constantly monitored puts my little Type A mind at ease.  Speaking of being type A.. I'm so glad I had already packed my hospital bag and the diaper bag!! It made it really easy for Will to grab and come, without me trying to remember 100 things for him to bring me.  I'm definitely missing my bed and seriously having withdrawals from my dog.. but ya'll.. we are having babies in 10 days!!!!

Today I got the first round of steroid shots for the babies' lungs.  Since they will be 4 or possibly 5 weeks premature, their lungs might not be 100% developed at delivery.  The steroid shots give their little lungs a jump start in the womb and helps them develop quicker, in the hopes that they will be fully developed at delivery and not need help breathing (aka NICU time).  My doctor actually said most babies don't really need it after 34 weeks, but it can't hurt.  So I got round 1 today and will get round 2 tomorrow.  The shot didn't hurt at all (said the IVF patient who has stuck herself with thousands of needles over the past 5 years).. but the side effects.. OMG! A few hours after the shot I was laying in the bed watching TV when all of a sudden, my legs went numb.  Like the feeling you get when a body part falls asleep.  I was like ... umm.... ?!?!? I also started feeling contractions for the first time.  So when my nurse came in she asked if everything was going good and I was like UM NO MY LEGS ARE NUMB. I thought it was a symptom of my pre eclamsia escalating.. but she said it was probably the babies laying on my sciatic nerve.  But then she looked at my chart and was like "OH, you had the steroid shot today! That's what it's from.  It can also cause you to contract more."  I felt better knowing the shot was the cause, and not something going wrong that would cause me to deliver early.  But then she said "It's also going to make it pretty impossible to sleep tonight, and also tomorrow night since you are getting another round tomorrow."  Well she definitely wasn't kidding.. I'm blogging this at 12:19am and it might as well be 11am because I am wiiideee awake.  Like I feel like I could run a marathon right now... oh wait my legs are numb.

:::sigh::: 10 days yall.

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