Day 14: Staying Overnight Again (29 Weeks)

After getting three shots of Terbutaline last night, my preterm contractions finally slowed to a minimum.  But around 2 this morning, my contractions came back with a vengeance.  Mercifully, though, I didn't really feel them as intensely because they gave me Ambien, a medication to help me sleep and relax my uterus.   When the contractions didn't stop, the nurse gave me another shot of Terbutaline around 5 a.m.  Within twenty minutes of getting the first shot, my contractions stopped completely, and she didn't need to give me the remaining two doses.  The Terbutaline seems to have successfully interrupted my body's contraction cycles, though the doctor doesn't expect my uterus to "be completely quiet," and I was told to still expect occasional (keyword here) contractions, as my body IS still in preterm labor.  My uterine muscles have honestly not felt this relaxed in weeks, and that relaxation has brought great physical relief.  I was still nervous about the contractions coming back like they did last night, so I am having them keep me overnight again so they can monitor me.  So far today I've only had four contractions, and those were after I was active (like when I got up to shower or walked down the hall to see the perinatologist).  One contraction an hour is to be expected in my case, but the eight to ten I was having in an hour yesterday were not.

 

I visited the perinatologist (high risk pregnancy specialist) this afternoon and got an ultrasound, though Baby Boy is too low in my pelvis for the ultrasound techs to get a profile or face shot.  The good news is Baby Boy looks good, my fluid levels are great, and although my cervix is still a lot shorter than it should be (1.5 cm. instead of the normal 3.5+ cm at 29 weeks), it has remained the same length in the last few days, despite contractions.  The doctor also said that although Baby Boy is low, because my cervix is stable, birth isn't imminent yet.  It actually looks like he's mostly in the smaller horn of my bicornuate uterus (the left side), so as my cervix has shortened, he's settled there to be able to stretch out and have enough room. That gave me some reassurance, as did hearing there are still more measures that can be taken to stop labor if contractions start up again in the near future.  I can also get another series of steroid shots to help Baby Boy's development if it looks like he'll be born before 34 weeks.  So there's still hope for a more to term baby, which is very good news because Baby Boy would only be about 2 pounds, 10 ounces if born right now.  That's only the 36th percentile for weight at this gestational age so he's on the smaller side.  Now that preterm labor has been stopped, my prayers are now for this baby to grow.

 

J and B spent the morning at home so B wasn't bored while I laid in my hospital bed and saw doctors.  He needed a chance to play (I think there was more movie-watching than playing going on, but I'm OK with that at the moment).  The funny thing is that Jarom woke up with B's feet in his mouth.  (I've always told Jarom that I have trouble sleeping next to Bryson because of all the moving and fidgeting he does, and he finally believes me, but B still isn't he moves around too much, even after the feet incident).  They did come by for a few hours after lunch and a visit to the library, around the same time they transferred me from a labor and delivery room to a mom/baby room.  (This bed is a lot more comfortable than the labor bed I was in last night and most of the day). B wanted to be J's twin today, so they both dressed in plaid shirts, jeans, and brown baseball hats.  It's pretty cute how much this boy idolizes his Daddy.  Soon I'll really be out-numbered with boys at our house.   

B enjoyed watching a movie in bed with me, getting snacks from the patient lounge with Daddy, and dancing around my room to Disney songs.  Sorry the quality of the dance video isn't great, but I had to share.  Watching him "get down" and hanging out with my boys (my husband and son) was the highlight of my day as was having my contractions successfully stopped so Baby Boy doesn't come any earlier than he has to!

Day 13: Hospitalized

My mother-in-law took B again this morning so J and I could rest (J worked last night) and she could take him to church.  I spent the day listening to conference talks, wrote in my journal, and had a visit from a friend.  The day was pleasant enough, but I had several contractions throughout the day.  By late afternoon, the contractions were coming about six minutes apart and wouldn't stop even after I took my contraction-blocking medicine (Nifedipine/Procardia).  So, tonight, I'm in the hospital dilated to a little less than a 1 and 30%+ effaced and doctors are getting my preterm labor under control.  I just had three shots of Terbutaline to stop the contractions that were coming every 2-3 minutes.  The shots made me shaky and caused my heart to race super fast (over 145 beats per minute) and Baby Boy went nuts in my stomach, too.  I did not like the way the injections made me feel at all, but they did help stop the contractions from coming as frequently.  In fact, they've pretty much stopped now, and we're thankful for that.

Hopefully the medicine will stop the contraction cycle completely and I can soon go home to bed rest and focus on getting this baby to term.  (And to think that last week, I couldn't imagine saying I wanted to be on bed rest).  That way I don't have to disrupt our lives more than I have to.  Poor J is still recovering from  his snowboarding injuries, he's caring for B, and he's working hard at his job and at home by taking on my responsibilities, so this preterm labor situation is stressful for him.  I've also turned B's world upside down the last few days.  He tried so hard to stay busy and fall asleep here so J could stay with me, but he was uncomfortable so J took him home to bed.  B rode out in the wheelchair because he was so sleepy, and he thought that was fun.  But the last thing he said before he left was that he's tired of the hospital since we've been here several times in the last three weeks. 

Tomorrow I'll be 29 weeks, so we're coming along, but still have a ways to go.  29 weeks is just not long enough.  Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers. They are being felt.