Baby Update: 40 Weeks, Induction on Horizon

Reading back over the account of my last days being pregnant with Jack is eerily familiar. This week I have fielded a lot of questions about my due date, followed by looks of surprise when I say Saturday. Not only is it my due date, but this baby is definitely coming then since we are choosing to induce due to head size. I still haven't quite wrapped my mind around the fact that we will be a family of four by the end of this weekend.

It really hit home when my sister texted me saying she had sent me a package for my "kids." Up until that text I hadn't really thought much about kids in the plural.

On Wednesday I got a pedicure in hopes of jump starting labor. Or maybe I was just desperate since I can no longer reach my toenails. The guy working on my feet was nervous that my due date is so soon.

Then last night I had an irrational moment of worry that I would actually go into labor and miss Jack's first preschool music program. Thankfully baby stayed put – though I would be fine going into labor any time now.

I made it to the Y three days this week in the hopes that I might go into labor on my own before my induction. Today was the first day I had to walk out of a class to take a breather because of a painful stitch in my side – I think I freaked some people out. Thankfully I was able to finish the class but the OB appointment I went to afterward showed no change from last week – I'm still 2cm dilated and 80% effaced. 
 
At the OB appointment we also learned that our baby is still growing and is currently measuring 8lbs give or take half a pound. My amniotic fluid is also back up in the high-risk category at 26cm. This explains the increase in my Braxton Hicks the last couple of days. Before we left my OB appointment, they put me on a fetal heartrate monitor. Of course I had only 2 tiny contractions while I laid there. As soon as we left, my Braxton Hicks went into overdrive. Have I mentioned that I'm ready to be done?

It is surreal to be finalizing plans for the weekend – who will watch Jack, what our game plan is if I go into labor in the middle of the night, that type of thing. I'm so glad we squeezed in our canoe trip on Sunday, I really needed those last moments with my family of three. We are in countdown mode now, in just over 24 hours we check into the hospital to start the process of meeting our new little one (unless I go into labor sooner).

Baby #2, almost 40 Weeks

 

Comparison: 40 Weeks Pregnant with Jack

Baby Update: 39 Weeks (10 Days To Go)

Daniel stayed home from work today so that he could go to the OB with me. We are in the final stages after all. Jack is soaking up the extra time with his daddy – as I write this, they are outside changing a battery in a car with plans to wash all of the cars next.

I am still wrapping my head around the fact that we only have 10 days (at the most) before Baby#2 joins us. This past weekend Daniel and I finally committed to working on our list of names. We have narrowed it to 28 girl names and 22 boy names. We obviously need help... I think we are hoping we will just "know" when we see our sweet baby for the first time.

I am currently 2cm dilated and 80% effaced and the baby has dropped. I was fairly certain it must have dropped this past week because I can breathe and eat again and don't feel quite so miserable. My amniotic fluid is staying at a reasonable 22.5cm – so lower risks! I did lose 4 pounds this week. I am assuming that is water loss since I am barely swollen this week.

Over the weekend I experienced a horrific sinus headache that lasted 3 days. I thought my cheeks were going to explode. I am glad that has passed, but with allergy season upon, I may need to invest in a neti pot.

I have been more apprehensive lately as the time draws closer for this baby to come. With Jack, my water broke and I immediately knew that I was in labor. With my miscarriage, it was a similar experience, there was a moment when it was abundantly clear that things were going to start happening. With this labor, I have had a lot more uncertainty. I still get regular Braxton Hicks contractions – my stomach gets incredibly hard and uncomfortable and then 30 seconds later it stops. This has gone on for so long, I feel like I won't know when the time is real. 

I haven't done this list for this pregnancy, but here are a few of my numbers this time around:

368 prenatal vitamins swallowed.

203 shots in my stomach. 

91 baby names reduced to 50 (we only need 2).

62 bootcamp classes completed.

31 pump (weight lifting) classes completed.

24 piyo classes completed.

23 pounds gained.

22 OB visits checked off.  

14 ultrasounds.

10 Braxton Hicks contractions experienced on average every day.

10 days until our due date/induction. 

8 gender-neutral outfits purchased.

7.5+ pounds is approximately what Baby#2 weighs right now. 
5 pillows needed for sleeping.

2 nights in the hospital for pre-term labor.

1 crib, 1 rock 'n play and 1 carseat dug out of the basement and assembled.

1 final OB appointment and ultrasound scheduled for next week.

0 books read or classes attended pertaining to birth or parenting.

Baby #2, almost 39 Weeks

Comparison: 39 Weeks Pregnant with Jack

Baby Update: 38 Weeks, Homestretch

At my weekly ultrasound and OB visit I learned that Baby#2 is currently measuring 7lbs 1oz (give or take half a pound) and has a large head. In addition, my amniotic fluid is 24cm this week (last week it was 25cm). The biggest concern right now is the baby's size, specifically the head. Jack had a big head and my OB had to use a vacuum to help deliver him. If this baby's head is already bigger, well, we don't want to wait too long to deliver.

The current plan is that we are going to induce on the baby's due date (April 18) but if I go into labor naturally, then that is all the better. It is kind of surreal to know that, at the most, we only have about 2 weeks before we meet Baby#2. Considering I have had continual Braxton Hicks since the 20 week mark I'm not sure what real contractions are going to feel like. My OB says that I will know. I hope so. I am currently 1.5cm dilated and 70% effaced, but it can take awhile to get to 4cm and there is no telling how long that will take. I'm praying that labor starts on its own before the due date rolls around. Jack came on a full moon, so maybe we will get lucky again?

My blood pressure continues to be low and swelling in my feet and legs, while existent, isn't too terrible. My twice-a-day Heparin shots leave painful welts under my skin which makes me more than ready to be done with this pregnancy. At the same time it is kind of hard to wrap my mind around the fact that a newborn will be here soon.

Daniel has been working long hours to wrap up some things before baby arrives, so we have been trying our best to make sure both of us spend as much quality time with Jack as we can. I know things are going to change and I want him to still feel like he is important. Thankfully the weather has been nice so we are spending lots of time at the playground.

Every night Jack prays the following prayer: 
Dear God, 
Thank your for this day.
Thank you for Mommy's baby, Jack's baby, and Daddy's baby.
Thank you for my friends.
Amen.

The best pregnancy comment from a stranger goes to the girl working the Dunkin Donuts drive through the other day: "Oh girl, you are glowing!" I was expecting the more typical, "You're huge!" or "Are you past your due date?" comments. This sweet girl's comment made my day.

Some friends and I were recently sharing our labor stories, which progressed to thinking about our "last" meals before labor and our "first" meal after delivery. This morphed into planning my last meal before I go to the hospital... got to make it a good one. With Jack we were grilling steaks when my water broke and I'm pretty sure my first post-baby meal was a piece of banana bread and a latte from Starbucks. Speaking of food, I feel famished all the time these days.
 

Baby #2, almost 38 Weeks

Comparison: 38 Weeks Pregnant with Jack

Overall speculation on gender continues to be girl, with a few holdouts for boy. Overall this has been a more difficult pregnancy, but in both pregnancies I have only gained weight in my belly, but that could be due to working out. I guess we will find out soon enough – I still don't have a clue!

Baby Update: 37 Weeks, Just Live Your Life

One of the things I like about my OB is that she advocates living your life to the best of your ability, regardless of what may be going on with your body. It was advice she gave me while I was waiting to miscarry and it is something she reminds me of when I express fears over the risks of this pregnancy.

As someone who likes to be in control, the reminder that I can't prevent things from happening any more than I can force things to happen, helps me with my day-to-day living.

 Baby #2, 37 Weeks

Comparison: 37 Weeks Pregnant with Jack

As far as my weekly appointment, things are still looking good. My amniotic fluid is back up to 25cm (which is back in the risk category). The ultrasound tech said that the fluid regenerates every 3 days and it seems like my fluid is just going to hover between 23cm and 27cm. Our baby is still head down, but has not dropped at all and I am dilated to 1cm (with Jack I never dilated until my water broke at 40 weeks). I am anxious to see how things progress in the coming weeks.

In terms of living my life, workouts at the Y keep me sane. I think some people are getting nervous that I continue to show up, while others are happy to see me, knowing that if I am there labor hasn't started yet. With Jack I did kickboxing the day I went into labor and I hope to be able to continue to workout up until the time this baby makes an appearance.

My most uncomfortable symptom right now is swelling. I'm just glad it is warm enough to wear Chacos again – my feet are especially thankful. Second to the swelling is the fact that the baby's feet are lodged up under my ribs. This can cause some significant pain when he/she starts moving around and kicking.

This week I also swapped to 2 Heparin shots a day. The girl at the pharmacy was appalled when she gave me my meds. She must not have been taught privacy rules because she asked all kinds of questions about the twice-a-day shots. I'll just be glad when I can stop giving myself shots.

I finally got into gear and packed a bag for myself and one for Jack, for a procrastinator like me that is a big deal. Now we just continue to wait.

Baby Update: 36 Weeks, Stil Cooking

In a strange coincidence, when I was pregnant with Jack my OB had foot surgery that required her to take 2 weeks of leave right at the end of my pregnancy. This time around (3.5 years later), she is on a 3 week leave for hip surgery. I am praying that Baby#2 stays put until she is back at the end of the month.

Baby #2, 36 Weeks

 
So far it seems likely that Baby#2 is going to sit tight for awhile longer as he/she still has not dropped and my cervix is closed tight. As of today, this baby is measuring 6 pounds 11 oz (same as what Jack was when he was born) and has a large head. With 4 weeks to go, I am a little anxious about how big this baby might get (measurements are give or take half a pound).

Comparison: 36 Weeks Pregnant with Jack

Some good news is that my amniotic fluid levels have dropped back to 23.5cm. That makes me happy. Last week was 27cm and I felt terrible.

While I was at the OB, they decided to monitor the baby's heart since I have had an uptick in Braxton Hicks again. Basically they are staying pretty steady throughout the day, but as I mentioned before, they aren't causing things to happen. I get them a lot when I am driving, especially if there is any elevation change. This is problematic since I live on a mountain and Chattanooga is hilly. Needless to say, I have lots of these contractions driving around town.

I have been counting on the fact that we already had baby boy clothes (50% chance that this baby is a boy), but this week I realized that we are missing everything in the 0-6 month size range. I'm not sure if we lost a box in our move or if I gave this stuff away. To be somewhat prepared, I ran by a local consignment sale this week and picked up a handful of gender-neutral onesies and sleepers. This baby has enough clothes for at least a couple of days, then we will need to do some shopping... regardless of gender!

I must be finally nesting. I am almost done crocheting a baby blanket for little one (it's gray and light blue) and I also took advantage of Daniel being home last week and had him help me clean all of the floors. Also, the crib is almost put together. 

I am not one to love being pregnant. I feel best when I am active – whether doing something outside like hiking or getting my hour workout in at the Y. Thankfully no one (doctors or workout instructors) have banned me from the Y.

One of the things I have learned since becoming a parent and being pregnant is that it really does take a village. I am so grateful for the friends and family that have offered to watch Jack. 

It is a relief to know I have people that can help me out in a pinch and many more that will come when Baby#2 gets here.

Another week down. The days feel long but the weeks are flying by.

Baby Update: 35 Weeks

The best thing to report for this week is that there isn't a lot of news. Meaning I'm not going into labor any time soon (we hope). My amniotic fluid levels are back down to 25cm (last week it was 27cm and anything 25+ is considered high risk), my blood pressure is good and everything is basically as it should be. I'm still uncomfortable, but I'm 8 months pregnant so that is to be expected.

I made a little headway this week and purchased outfits for the baby to come home from the hospital in. Jack was ecstatic that these onesies have capes. As I posted to Instagram and Facebook, "we still don't have names picked out, but our little one will have a super outfit to go home in."

I think the two outfits have confused Jack a little... he now thinks we are getting two babies.

One of the biggest differences between this pregnancy and when I was pregnant with Jack is that Daniel is working really long hours right now (he just came off of 13 consecutive work days). It would be nice to have more time to spend together as a little family of 3 before we grow to a family of 4, but we are doing our best to savor the time we do have together. 

I am still working out 4x a week and wearing my regular jeans. I'm guessing the baby hasn't dropped yet since I can still zip my pants up.

Baby #2, 35 Weeks

Comparison: 35 Weeks Pregnant with Jack

Baby Update: 34 Weeks, Fair Game

Amniotic Fluid
Yesterday I met with my high-risk OB again and learned that my fluid levels have gone back up to 27cm (which is what it was when I was admitted to the hospital for contractions a month ago). This wasn't news to me as I have been feeling more uncomfortable this last week. The good news is that at this point I am far enough along that the baby would be ok coming – everything is fair game. Though my high-risk OB did say that ideally I need to get to 35 weeks to avoid a stay in the NICU for the baby, but she thinks I should make it no problem.

Baby Size
Also according to yesterday's measurements, the baby is currently 6#5oz and has a huge head – Jack was 6#12oz at birth with a big head, so the head size is not a surprise. Unfortunately baby would not cooperate and show us a face – I guess the weekly ultrasounds are getting old. It continues to amaze me that the lips and nose of this baby look very similar to Jack. I can't wait to compare them in real life.

Risks
The high-risk OB and I discussed my risks from her perspective. She agrees with my regular OB that cord prolapse isn't necessarily going to be a problem for me, though she wouldn't rule it out. We also talked about the risk of Placental Abruption. The high-risk OB says she is definitely more cautious and just wanted to make sure I know the risks. There is no way to prevent this from happening, we just have to wait and see. I am doing my best not to worry and praying for a good outcome.

Exercise
According to this website, exercise and a balanced diet can help prevent Placental Abruption, which is a good enough reason to me to keep exercising. My regular OB just says "not to run a marathon" and to "listen to my body." My high-risk OB asked if I was still doing Boot Camp. When I said that I was, she told me she would pretend she didn't know. 

One of the girls I work out with (who is also pregnant) asked if I thought I was more in shape this time around. It is hard to know because I am doing different things. With Jack I ran a half marathon at 12 weeks, but then stopped running. I also did yoga and kickboxing until the day Jack came. This time I lift weights and do yoga once a week and boot camp twice a week. I think I am physically stronger and more toned this time, but may have had more endurance last time. It will be interesting to see how that plays out with the delivery of Baby #2.

Baby Names
We still haven't really talked about baby names. Daniel asked Jack what he thought we should name the baby if it was a boy. Jack said, "Ponga." I later asked what we should name the baby if it is a girl and Jack said, "Pineapple Daniel."  Meanwhile Daniel recently asked me what I thought about "Jim" (I said no) and I asked what he thought about "River" (he said no)... we have our work cut out for us with this naming business.

Readiness
Are we ready for baby to show up? Not really. We moved the crib to the right room, but it is still in pieces on the floor and the nursery art from when Jack was a newborn is on the bed. We know where the carseat is, but haven't made the effort to put the bases for it in our cars. I still haven't packed a hospital bag. This is all stuff we should probably get started on.

Gender
The other day when I was checking out at Walmart, my (young) cashier asked what I was having. I told her I didn't know. She couldn't get over this idea. She kept asking if I had bought anything for the baby. I told her I had stuff from when Jack was born. And she asked what I would do if it was a girl, and I said I would just have to go shopping. She didn't think these were valid ideas. Honestly though, I'm not worried. If we have a girl, she will have clothes and milk and blankets and a warm home and a loving family. It won't matter if the clothes aren't "girl clothes" in the beginning.

Baby #2, 34 Weeks

Comparison: Pregnant with Jack, 34 Weeks

Baby Update: 33 Weeks

I am still hanging in there with this baby. This afternoon I had my weekly OB appointment and Baby Moore passed the biophysical profile with flying colors. However, my amniotic fluid level is back up to 24cm (it was down to 21cm last week, but like I said before, these measurements are not perfect).

I can definitely tell that the fluid increased again... This week was pretty miserable compared to last week. I constantly have to pee (especially at night – like every 5 minutes – sorry TMI) and continue to be generally uncomfortable. My Braxton Hicks have also picked up again this week. This made me very anxious the night of our big snow when all of the roads off the mountain were essentially shut down. I will feel much better when winter is officially over!

This morning I had a dental appointment. The dental hygienist was short and had the chair very low with my head slightly below my feet. This was not an ideal way to spend 20 minutes when I already have extra pressure on my lungs, not to mention crazy heartburn! Drinking coffee before my appointment may not have been the best idea, but I survived. Even if I was a little light headed afterward.

I think that Jack and Sophie are determined to make me ready for the sleepless nights ahead. This week, Sophie has woken me up to go outside in the middle of the night and Jack has gotten up at 5:30am on several occasions. I'm not ready to give up my sleep yet!

The best thing from today's OB appointment is that my OB gave me a note to give to the high-risk OB if I was feeling bullied about any decisions. Essentially it says they have to clear anything through her before they tell me I need to deliver early or have a procedure like an amnioreduction. I am so glad to have a doctor that listens to me and has my back.

Baby #2, 33 Weeks

Comparison: Pregnant with Jack, 33 Weeks

Baby Update: 32 Weeks, What's It Like to Have Polyhydramnios

I have had some questions about how I am feeling so I thought I would share what it has been like for me to experience Polyhydramnios with this pregnancy. If you have missed my previous posts, I have too much amniotic fluid in my uterus which makes my belly really big and it also causes early contractions (and possibly labor) because my body thinks it is further along than it is. For me it meant a hospital stay at almost-30 weeks to stop contractions.

Yesterday I had my follow up with the high-risk OB. Their ultrasound measurements showed the fluid is currently 21cm (which is below the risk). The measurements are a bit of an art project with different people getting different numbers (last week I was still measuring 25cm). The doctor I saw said they will continue to measure and assess me on a weekly basis for now. According to him, once I make it to 34 weeks, they would not try to prevent birth if I went into labor. He also mentioned wanting to induce me at 38 weeks. We shall see... my regular OB thinks I can go to 40 weeks and doesn't seem to feel inclined to speed up the process. As with all of our previous ultrasounds, this baby is staying head down. 

 Baby #2, 32 Weeks 

 

So, how does it feel to have Polyhydramnios?

Big Belly.
At 32 weeks pregnant I look like I am much further along than I am (comparison photo of when I was pregnant with Jack at bottom of post). I get a lot of questions about my due date and then incredulous (or sympathetic) looks when I say that I'm not due until mid April. I have had a few joking comments about expecting twins, but mostly I get sympathy. Believe me, I know I'm getting big. At least (for me) you can't really tell I'm pregnant from behind...
 
Difficulty Breathing.
Starting around 20 weeks, I began experiencing a lot of instances of being light headed. For no reason, I will catch my breath and it feels like a giant weight is sitting on my chest. This feeling has progressed over the last 10+ weeks due to the excess fluid that is pushing on my lungs and organs. Thankfully I am not having actual problems breathing, but it can be really uncomfortable. This is also a major reason I continue to exercise. Aerobic activity improves the efficiency of the body's cardiovascular system in absorbing and transporting oxygen, which is important when your lung capacity is diminished due to extra fluid taking up space.

Eating/Heartburn.
Also around 20 weeks I noticed that I felt extra bloated. This continued to where eating even small amounts makes me feel generally miserable. I feel hungry all the time and eating just makes me feel crappy. The best way I can describe it would be how you feel at the end of your pregnancy, except I am only 32 weeks and have felt this way for the last couple of months. Worse, it gives me heartburn like I cannot describe. I take Nexium every morning and supplement with Tums. In the beginning Nexium really helped, now I am just managing as best I can. I can get extreme heartburn from something as basic as drinking water or even the smell of food.

 Baby #2, 32 Weeks Baby Profile

 
Braxton Hicks.
I had some Braxton Hicks with Jack, but not enough to really be of note. Around the time I started feeling this baby kick (18 weeks) I started having Braxton Hicks. They happen regularly throughout the day and do not hurt at all. They did land me in the hospital when I had them non-stop, every 2-minutes, for 12+hours straight (I was almost 30 weeks). They do not cause me any pain (I've had paper cuts that hurt worse) but they are uncomfortable. At this point we are praying they do not jump start real labor. A few of the things that cause my Braxton Hicks include: standing up, sitting down, laying down, working out, grocery shopping, driving my car, walking, not drinking enough water or having a full bladder... I think this is also considered having an irritable uterus.

Very Hard Belly.
I have experienced a very hard belly since the beginning of my second trimester. This makes it really hard to give myself my daily shots in my belly. It also makes it very uncomfortable (and sometimes painful) when Jack wants to be held or if he wants to cuddle by laying on my belly. He has learned to be very gentle, but it is very difficult for me to have him lay on or beside me. This makes me sad because I want to be able to cuddle and carry him.

Putting on Shoes.
With Jack I remember having difficulty putting on my shoes some time in the third trimester. With Polyhydramnios, this sensation came much earlier (25 weeks-ish). Any kind of bending over is very uncomfortable due to the hard belly, Braxton Hicks and heartburn. In addition to bending, it is very difficult to roll over or get up from laying down with any kind of grace. This is a normal thing for later in pregnancy, it has just been uncomfortable and hard from a much earlier point for me. Shaving my legs is not gonna happen until after this baby arrives.

Heavy Belly.
Also starting around 20 weeks, I noticed that my belly felt incredibly heavy when I would lay down. It required extra pillows for support. All of the extra fluid just makes everything hurt. I don't really recall this with my first pregnancy.

Comparison: Pregnant with Jack, 32 Weeks

So, I guess the best way to describe having Polyhydramnios is experiencing typical end-of-pregnancy symptoms, just worse and much earlier. I still have 8 weeks to go with all of these lovely symptoms.

Baby Update: 31 Weeks

Due to my increased risks with this pregnancy, I am going to be writing weekly updates for my benefit and for family and friends who want to know how things are going. I am incredibly grateful to have another week under my belt and that baby is sitting tight for now.

 Baby #2, 31 Weeks

To kick off this week, we all got a stomach bug (thankfully it only affected me for 12 hours). I just need to catch a break with this pregnancy! Yesterday I went to my post-hospital, follow-up visit with my OB and received some good news. My belly size (fundal height) and the amount of amniotic fluid in my belly have not increased in the last 7 days. This is encouraging since the last few visits have shown significant growth. My fundal height is currently 36cm and the amniotic fluid is 25cm. Both of these measurements keep me in the category of having Polyhydramnios but it is not progressing at this point.

Baby #2, 31 Week Ultrasound

  
As anyone who has googled symptoms of illnesses knows, the internet can be a scary place and Polyhydramnios has some frightening potential complications. Thankfully my doctor put to rest a lot of my concerns  – like explaining why cord prolapse is unlikely to happen to me. She is very pragmatic and used my pregnancy with Jack to remind me that I carried him to term and therefore my body has proven it has a strong uterus. I am currently not on any restrictions, I just need to listen to my body. As for the ongoing Braxton Hicks contractions, well they are going to keep happening. It's just a part of this pregnancy. Next week I will see my high-risk OB for her assessment. It looks like I will be having weekly follow up visits with both doctors until this baby comes. We are praying Baby #2 stays put for the entire 40 weeks, but we would be thrilled with a little more time in utero!

Comparison: Pregnant with Jack, 31 Weeks

Hosptital Stay at 29 Weeks, 4 Days

It has been quite the 48 hours. On Wednesday afternoon we met with the high-risk OB to assess the fluid in my uterus and get some updated measurements of Baby #2. Things started out well, we made sure to tell the ultrasound tech not to spill the beans about gender. 

As she measured our baby, we both noticed that there were some variations on development. The extremities all seemed to be growing at the expected due date rate, while the head was measuring big. Neither of us were surprised since Jack had a huge head and we both thought that this measurement might be throwing off the overall measurement. Our doctor later told us that the belly was also measuring big and they aren’t sure why (my OB says we just have a big baby). 

While I was getting the scan, Daniel and I both grew a little concerned as the tech spent about 15 minutes looking at the heart. It felt like too long to spend looking at one organ. Eventually she said the doctor would finish the scan and she left the room. My mind immediately flashed back to the day we found out that I would miscarry. 

A few minutes later she returned, not with the doctor but with another tech. The new ultrasound tech was immediately able to locate whatever our tech had been looking for and we got an all clear for the heart. 

At the end of the scan, the high-risk OB came in to take a look. She initially said that the amniotic fluid was measuring 20cm (what we thought our tech had told us the previous Friday), but her experience and the fact that my fundal height is huge and the baby is measuring big (3lbs14oz) made her keep looking. As she looked she realized that there were small pockets of fluid that were throwing off the measurement. Then she found a pocked that measured 17cm deep. This one measurement made my fluid rate jump from 20cm (safe) to 27cm which means I got an official diagnosis of polyhdramnios. 

As I continued to lay there and talk with the doctor, I started to have what I thought were Braxton Hicks. She immediately noticed my discomfort. As we continued to talk, the contractions kept coming. They didn’t hurt, but I was obviously responding by squirming in the chair and breathing differently. She checked my cervix and it was closed and long and did not appear to be shortening. But she told us that she would feel best if I went to the hospital for monitoring… 

We asked if we could grab dinner before checking into the hospital and she said that was fine. We called our friends who were watching Jack and they immediately offered to keep him overnight. So we did what all couples do when they find themselves with some unexpected time on their hands… Date night!!!

(we have a thing about eating steak before trips to the hospital)

After eating we headed to the hospital. The Labor and Delivery unit at the downtown hospital involves a decent amount of walking. All I could think about is that when I go into real labor, there is no way I will be able to walk the entire way to L&D. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there.

We settled in as much as we could (we had nothing with us since I was 29 weeks and 4 days and we have not thought about packing hospital bags yet). I was immediately hooked to monitors that had to be constantly checked... all of the extra fluid in my uterus meant the baby has it’s own private swimming pool to move around in. I barely slept all night because the monitors were uncomfortable, contractions were every 2 minutes and the nurse kept having to come adjust everything to find the baby’s heart rate. Thankfully the baby handled everything fine. My night #2 nurse told me that she was working in Labor & Delivery during my Wednesday nights stay and she happened to see the print out of my contractions. Evidently I had more contractions than everyone in L&D combined... I'm just glad they weren't painful.

Two hours after our arrival I took another glucose test to double check about gestational diabetes. Again, we learned that I am not diabetic. It seems that there is just a big baby in there!

After that I started the medicine Indocine. This medication helps me in two ways: 1) it slows down the contractions and 2) it reduces the amount of amniotic fluid in my uterus. Win win.

Wednesday night we skipped my Lovenox shot as a precaution in case I had to get an amniocentesis the next day to drain some of the fluid. I was kind of excited to be getting to skip out on my daily shot. Then the nurse came in with a steroid shot for the baby’s lungs. This is all precautionary in case I do go into real labor, they want those lungs to be developed. So much on getting to skip out on a shot.

And then, as if I wasn’t hooked up to enough things, they came and put compression stockings on my legs for blood clot prevention. This is basically like the pressure cuff they use to monitor your blood pressure, but it was on my legs. It alternated compressing and decompressing each leg all night long. Did I mention that I didn’t get any sleep?

Daniel brought me some stuff for the hospital (important things like my pillow, laptop and a book!) and then he went home to get some much needed sleep. Meanwhile Jack was a trooper at his very first sleepover. If nothing else, this was a good trial run for our little family for when the real time comes.

Storm Trooper Jack and friends having an indoor campfire at his first-ever sleepover. 

Thursday morning Daniel brought Jack to the hospital for a quick visit and we all went to my ultrasound scan together. My fluid had dropped to 26cm, but that wasn’t really a significant drop. The doctor and I agreed that since I don’t seem to be bothered by the extra fluid we didn't need to do the amniocentesis to drain any fluid, but they wanted me to stay one more night for monitoring to see if the fluid went down any more.

The best news was that I didn’t have to be on constant monitoring any more. I actually got a bit of sleep my second night in the hospital. I also got one last steroid shot for the baby's lungs and continued the Indocine for another 24 hours. The best thing is that the baby is doing fine and the contractions basically stopped. The nurses and doctors kept asking me about my pain with the contractions and it really stayed at a 1 or 2 on a scale of 1-10 the entire time. They didn’t hurt at all, not like true labor. It was just really uncomfortable. I think the main concern was that, even it if didn’t hurt, it could trigger real labor and open my cervix.

As of 9pm Friday night, the steroid shots will be fully effective and the baby's lungs should be in good shape if I do happen to go into real labor. Though at almost 30 weeks, we would prefer this baby keep cooking a little longer. 

A Friday morning scan showed fluid had dropped to 25cm and they said I could be discharged. My only real restriction right now is no exercise for a week and to take it easy to let my body finish recovering. If nothing else, this little scare makes me realize that we need to get in gear and figure baby names; get baby gear and clothes out; furniture set up; put the car seat in the car and pack our hospital bags!

Finally I wanted to say thank you to everyone for the support we have felt – online and in real life. We have lived in Chattanooga for about a year and I continue to be pleasantly surprised by our friends (old and new) who have checked on us and offered to help with Jack. It means so much to me to know that so many people care about us and continue to check in on us. It has truly been a blessing. 

 Some of my friends from Boot Camp