Life's Little Souvenirs: Twenty-Five Weeks and Hospital Adventure.

Here I am at 25 weeks!

This was taken yesterday, July 25th.

I had been feeling fine up until I got slammed with a few anxiety attacks late last night; it took Brian a very long time to get me to calm down and I think I finally fell asleep around two or three in the morning. Aside from that I had been experiencing the normal pregnancy symptoms...the occasional insomnia, heartburn, swelling, a Braxton Hicks Contraction here and there (never anything frequent or time able).
So you can all imagine our surprise when we were told to go to the hospital after my ultrasound to check my low lying placenta. During the ultrasound we were told that the baby looks fantastic and weighs about 1.7 pounds and that my placenta had appeared to have moved. Yay! But then she says that she can't see my cervix completely and asked me if I had been having any contractions, with which I replied "No.". All I have had is the occasion B.H.C. which wouldn't last very long at all and was not constant; no more than two within an hour. She then informs me that she is going to do a trans-vaginal ultrasound just to get a better look (you can imagine my enthusiasm). After that she told me that she was going to move me to the exam room and we would go from there. That was all we were told.
I am moved into an exam room and before I am even sat down on the exam table they are telling me to get dressed and to go across the street to the hospital and go to Labor and Delivery. I heard "L and D" and freaked out. I started crying because that was when I knew that something couldn't have been right; poor Brian had no idea what was going on.
Trying to maintain what little calm I had, we drove across the street and went up to L and D and began the process of being admitted. On the walk up to L and D, we ran into my doctor and she had quickly explained to me that my cervix was showing that I was dilated 3cm and that my water sack was starting to make its way through my cervix, but had not yet broken.
I was put into a room and attached to a Fetal Heart Rate monitor and a Fetal monitor to check for any contractions. After being monitored for about an hour my doctor finally came in and did an exam on my cervix and confirmed that I was indeed dilated 3-4cm. What this means was that for whatever reason, my cervix was deciding that it needed to start opening up and start labor. She informed me that the possibility of me making it full term were now zero and that there was a very good chance that I could deliver this baby any time. Hearing that my baby may be born about four months premature terrified me! They asked me all of these questions pertaining to pre term labor and none of my answers matched up with why this is happening; so basically no one knows why my body is thinking it is time to deliver; she also informed me that some women's bodies just can't maintain being pregnant and my cervix could just be incompetent and not sustainable. Because of all of this I had to be given a steroid shot to help speed up lung development in case she is to be delivered premature and was given an I.V with some fluids and some antibiotics and monitored for another hour. I can honestly say, you have not felt serious pain until you have had a steroid shot!! HOLY MOLY!! I have never been in that much pain EVER! It hurt worse than having my finger tattooed...worse than my foot tattoos...worse than breaking a finger...worse than anything I could think of! I have a fairly high pain tolerance and that shot made me cry out in pain and cry like a child. And the depressing part?? I have to have ANOTHER one tomorrow!
My doctor had called and talked to the doctors down in Jacksonville and once explaining my situation to them, they decided it would be better for me to be transferred to their hospital to be better monitored and because they have the proper equipment to take care of me and our baby if I were to deliver her now. The thought of being transferred to Jacksonville definitely made me even more anxious because the thought of being 30 minutes away from home just didn't seem comforting at all. When the doctor told me that I would be going via ambulance, I lost all of my calm. What really got to me about that was that Brian wouldn't be able to accompany me and that I had to go alone and be admitted to a newer and bigger hospital on my own. I tried very hard not to lose my wits and cry!

The ambulance ride was...not very pleasant...the E.M.T's were absolutely wonderful, it was mostly just the 30 minute ambulance ride that really bugged me. It was hot and humid inside and I felt as if I were going to fly around all over the place every time our driver made a turn or got on/off the interstate. I will admit, having cars yield and move off the side of the road felt kind of nice. Haha! I felt kind of important! I mean, I am right?! I am carrying precious cargo!! :)
Being admitted to Baptist Health System's Children Hospital was a little hectic at first particularly because everyone just wanted to get me in the system, monitors set up, and get me comfortable while I wait for the doctor to arrive. Unfortunately I had to have my current I.V pulled and a new one put in (from what I was told it was a new protocol for all patients coming from different hospitals) and thankfully it did not hurt nearly as much as the first one I had put in.
After getting situated Brian had arrived just shortly before then and even surprised me with some flowers. <3 He is such a sweetheart! <3 Him and I hung out for awhile and waited for the doctor to come in and tell us what was going to happen.

I was told I would not be able to eat, drink, or get up to use the bathroom until the doctor had given the go ahead...that was like hearing, "OH, we are going to torture you just a little bit before we make you feel comfortable and welcome.". Hearing that brought my spirits down a bit because I had not eaten since yesterday afternoon (skipped out on dinner last night because I wasn't hungry and breakfast this morning because I just didn't have time...definitely regret that!!). The bathroom issue wasn't an issue until I actually had to go...let's just say that I do not like bed pans and they make me feel like I wet the bed...a feeling no one enjoys experiencing.
Embarrassment aside, the doctor arrived and told us that their goal was to get me through to my 26th week and then from that point on, get me through to my 28th week, and then my 32nd week, etc. Basically they want to try to keep this baby in the womb as long as they possibly can; which means that I will be staying in the hospital until they for sure know that I will be stable. If I remain stable, I will be able to go home, but I will be on strict bed rest (which I am currently on, just I am in the hospital). He said that I will be given the second steroid shot and tonight I will be given Magnesium Sulfate to stop any possible contractions if I were to go into labor; I will be on that for twelve hours and then they will see how I am afterwards. I am also on antibiotics to help prevent any infections that could occur with my cervix being open. That is his plan for this weekend and then come Monday they will see how I am and he had mentioned doing some sort of test on my cervix; I can't recall what it was but I do recall him saying that if it is positive I stay in the hospital, if it is negative I may be able to go home. He had also given me the go ahead to eat and drink and get up to use the bathroom up until they start the Magnesium...then it is no food or drink and using a bedpan for the twelve hours...yippie!
In the mean time, I have been feeling perfectly fine! In fact, I wouldn't have even known anything was wrong until they did tell me...this whole situation has just been a complete whirlwind and not what we all were expecting! The only thing that had been on my mind was, "Did my placenta move?" "When will this crib and changing table get here?!" and "I can't wait for us to go home!!". I never once expected I would end up dealing with possible pre term labor...I mean it had crossed my mind a few times but I never thought it would happen to me. Isn't that how it always is? You never think it could happen to you until it does.
The whole being on bed rest is bitter sweet. All of our plans have been put on a stand still; I can't go home now, I can't go out to practice driving to get my license before she arrives, I can't clean my house, I can't go to my friend Jess's baby shower, I can't help Magan move into her new home, nothing...on the bright side I do get to watch cable. :)
I know a lot of you were asking me what will happen as far as Brian's schedule; well we for sure know that he is exempt from doing his hike this weekend and will be here with me. We are still waiting for word in regards to this five day range; from what it sounds like they will be trying to find another ammo driver to take his place. I feel so terrible that because of me, everyone is scrambling to make things work so he can be here with me. I know how it feels to have your husband have his few days off taken from you because of someone else and I just feel awful knowing that some of our friends may have to go in for him. I truly hope that all of you know how incredibly thankful we are for accommodating our situation; I am incredibly thankful and I really mean that.
In the mean time, it sounds like he will be able to stay with me while I am in the hospital, I just don't know what that means exactly for the guard, but they sound willing to work with us through this. <3
In regards to the baby shower: I am not sure exactly what we will be doing about that since I won't be able to come up for it; which is very upsetting because I was looking forward to seeing everyone! But as soon as Brian and I talk with his mom and we figure something out I will let everyone know. :) Because I can't come home I am really hoping that we can get my mom and sister down here so they can be with me for a little bit and be here in case I do deliver; of course I would love for everyone to come down here! I know that this is a total long shot, but if anyone would be interested in coming down for a visit, just let me know and we can work it out! I would love to see a familiar face from home. :)