Here is our precious little girl at 25 weeks:
25 weeks is what in the pregnancy world they call "V" Day. This is the day that marks some relief. 25 weeks is said to be the first point that doctors give a baby of surviving outside of the womb. After we passed the first hurdle of 12 weeks, our anxiety then turned to making it to "V" day. On the morning of "V" day we woke up and I felt a huge amount of relief, not that we were in any danger, but you never know and knowing that she had a chance in case anything happened was good to know. After 12 weeks, I would tell everyone, when we get to 25 weeks I think I"ll be so much more calm and just fly through the rest of the pregnancy. I would have never imagined what waited for us at the end of that day.....
We happened to have an appointment that day with our perinatologist for a check up on the baby. When we went in we found out that I had a shortened cervix and was in danger of pre-term labor. The next 30 minutes are a blur to me. He talked about options, what could happen, what we could do to keep her from coming early. I just heard key words here and there and then I heard, "You are having contractions and I want you to go to Labor & Delivery and get monitored for 5 to 6 hours". I don't know about you guys, but getting admitted to the hospital when you are 25 weeks pregnant does not sound like fun AT ALL. I didn't know what was going on at all. We drove to the hospital and they hooked me up to some monitors and started giving me medications to stop the contractions. Our OB met us there and checked on us. She said that I was having contractions and that I should start the daily medication. At this point she said to go home and I should be on bed rest.
For those of you that know me, you know how I am. The worst thing I could have heard was that I needed to be on bed rest. I started thinking that everything was ok and it would be fine. I went home that day and laid down, and the next day I had my office rearranged to have a couch in my conference room so that I could work from there :-) We had an appointment set with our perinatologist set up for a week later to get checked.
Week 26:
Week 26 came around and we went back to the doctor. He checked us and said that everything was good and better! So he took me back up to "limited activity", he told me that I could sit at work now and take it easy the rest of the day. If we could go back and take back anything, it would be this. The next week I did just that, went to work and sat there and took it easy the rest of the time. We were set to go back a week later.
Week 27: When we went back, we were on such a high from the previous appointment that we thought we were invinsible. We got checked. It was worse, much worse. The cervix was still shortening and at a fast pace. We heard those words again, "I need you to go to Labor and Delivery and get monitored again". Back we went to the hospital. As soon as we got there we got hooked up to monitors and within the first 20 minutes I had 4 contractions. The nurses starting giving me the meds right away to stop the contractions. They slowed down. But when the OB came to check on us, she wanted us to stay overnight and be monitored all night long. At this point, I was so lost and didn't know what to think. I was so scared. We stayed over night. I continued to have contractions but they were able to keep them controlled after 3 shots and more meds. We spent 26 hours there, it felt like a week. Poor David stayed the night. Neither of us slept. All we could think about was "what is going on, what is happening?". The next morning the OB came by and said that since the contractions were down we could go home. She sent us home with more medication and extra medication to take when I have contractions. But from that point on I was to be on strict bed rest until the end of the pregnancy.
Strict bed rest: laying down all day long, only allowed to get up to use the restroom and a quick shower. They allowed me to do the stairs one time a day since we have stairs in our house. So since that day my days consist of getting ready upstairs while laying, walk downstairs, get on our couch for the whole day, walk up stairs at night to go to bed.
They set us up for a follow up appt one week later. But 4 days after that visit, I started having numerous contractions and we couldn't get them to stop. We called the OB and she suggested we go in for an ultrasound to check the length of the cervix again. We got in the car and drove. In silence. The past 3 weeks had been such a rollercoaster of emotions I didn't know what to think. 25 minutes of silence in the car. When we parked and David came around to get me out, I lost it. I was crying over everything....I don't want her to come early, I can't believe I am planted to a couch for 3 months, I don't know what is happening, I hate not knowing what is going to happen. It all was so overwhelming. He did great and getting me to calm down and get into the office. We got in and he started the ultrasound, and to our horror it was even worse. At this point he said it again, only this time it was worse, "I'm sorry to tell you guys, but I have to send you back to Labor & Delivery and I am going to have them give you the first round of steroids to develop the baby's lungs". I lost it again. I already had all this medication in me, and now even more. I was terrified. We went over the pros and cons. And I quickly realized that if she did come early, these steroids could make a HUGE difference in her lung development.
Off to Labor & Delivery we go for the third time in 3 weeks. We go there and they gave me the shot after monitoring us for a couple of hours. They told me that I needed to get another shot 24 hours later, so I begged them to let us go home for that time. We couldn't do another night in the hospital. The OB said it would be a good idea to go home and be able to rest in our house. So they discharged us and we went home. We went back the next day and got the second shot and they discharged us right away.
Week 29:
Week 29 brought with it a light at the end of the tunnel. Since this all started at 25 weeks we kept asking the doctor, "so what next, when will this happen, how early will she be??". Both doctors said the same thing, "we can't tell you". Scientifically they couldn't tell us anything, because she could come the next day or she could wait until her due date of July 7th. They just told us to make small goals and once we reach those goals we would make new ones. So we did, and the first goal was 28 weeks. We made it! And then the next goal was 32 weeks. At 32 weeks, they say that she has overcome a HUGE challenge. Every day at this point she develops so much. At week 29 we went in and he said it is looking good, didn't really change much! That was AMAZING news for us!!! He told us to keep doing what we were doing.
Week 30: We went back again and he said that it was still the same! He sent us home and said just keep doing what you are doing :-)
Week 31: Still the same! And only one week away from our next goal! At this point he basically said to just keep doing what we are doing. We have made it far and something is working, so that is good.
Tomorrow we will be 32 weeks. And just writing that brings tears to my eyes. 7 weeks ago I had no idea what was going to happen and what our future held. We will have made it to our next goal. And I can't even tell you how happy that makes me. Our little girl is being so good and staying inside because she knows it is good for her :-) This has probably been the 7 hardest weeks of my life, but I know the day I see her beautiful face, I will have forgotten all about it.
How do I feel? Well I have been better :-) I'm sure a lot of you are saying, "I wish I was on bed rest!!". Well you don't. You just wish you could lay at home instead of working or doing errands or stuff around the house...but you still want to go out with your friends, go to dinner, go to the movies. Bed rest is none of that. You are stuck laying down, mainly on your side, all day long every single day. Little activities that you don't even think about being a privilage get taken away....I can't even sit at the dinner table to have dinner with my husband. We now sit on the couch :-) So at the end of this journey we will need a good couch cleaner and a good house keeper...but we will have a beautiful little girl.
For now? For now, our next goal is 36 weeks. At 36 weeks the doctors will take us off of our medication and probably tell me to go about our daily lives. Why? Well because technically a baby is "full term" at 37 weeks. They are fully developed and all they do in the last 3 weeks of pregnancy is get nice and fatter. :-) David and I have talked about it and I will probably stay down on bed rest until 37 weeks. Because after all we have been through, one more week is not going to kill me and we want her to be full term. Once off of bed rest we don't know what could happen. We could go into labor within hours or she could decide that she is nice and happy in there and go all the way until her due date. :-) And yes we will laugh if that happens. :-) So for now, I am here and making the best of it. :-)
How do I survive? My husband and my family and my amazing friends. David has been absolutely amazing. He is now having to do all of the housework himself because I can't do anything. So he waits on me hand and foot, does laundry, cooks, cleans, basically everything. He doesn't love it, but he says that I am doing my job as a mom and that is his job as a dad. Now I wouldn't be surprised if he forgets all of his skills once she is here :-) And I hope he does....I have never wanted to clean and cook so bad in my life! LOL! My family is amazing. My mom is amazing. She is not only my best friend but I wouldn't be able to get through this without her. She keeps me sane when David can't :-) She always makes me look at the good in things. And of course she tells me to enjoy this while I can, because once this little one is here, I won't ever be able to lay on this couch again! Our families have been amazing, from coming over and keeping me company to bringing us dinner! They are amazing! My mother in law calls me every day to check on and make sure her son is taking care of me :-) My friends. I dont' know what I would without my girls! They constantly check on me, bring me dinner, and supply me with a weekly supply of strawberries!! I owe them sooo much!!! And of course, even from a different state, my best friend Christie never forgets one doctors appointment or one check up. She is amazing even from states away.
How is our precious jewel? She is doing great. Kicking all of the time, I swear she takes after her dad who has restless leg syndrome. :-) And at 31 weeks, she was weighing in at a whopping 4 pounds 7 ounces! 72%! That is our daughter! :-)
Yes, bed rest sucks. But all I can do every day is thank God for making us last one more day and keep praying and praying that we last another day and then ultimately until our goal.
I thank my lucky stars that we have made it this far and that God is watching over us. I can't thank everyone out there enough that have been praying for us. I have so many people tell me that we are in their thoughts and prayers, and I can't tell you how much that means to us.
When she is born, I will tell her all about the cheerleaders she had rooting for her!
Well guys, keep you updated.
Until next time,
-Me
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