Baby Story #1

I am going to start at the end before going  back to the beginning... We are at home and I am still pregnant!

Thursday night Jeff and I went to dinner at Red Robin before heading over to Hillcrest. We got to the hospital at 8pm and I was admitted. I answered all sorts of fun medical related questions and Jeff and I both got wrist bracelets. By 10pm they had started me on Cervidil and had me hooked up to an IV. The baby was being monitored as well and Jeff was all set up on the couch. By 10:30 we met our second nurse and before midnight the nurse informed us that someone had read my Strep B test results wrong and that I my test had been positive... she hooked me up to an antibiotic (Ampicillin).

Jeff and I both had a hard time falling asleep with all the excitement of thinking we were having a baby and the fact that we were in a strange place.  I think we were both able to sleep from midnight to 4am. At 4 a new nurse came in to give me another round of Ampicillin (they changed this every four hours). I am fairly certain Jeff slept for a few more hours, but I was up until about 6 and then was finally able to fall back asleep until around 8.

Friday was not all that exciting; just before 10am the doctor came in and checked me. It was determined that the first dose of Cervidil really hadn't done anything and that they would give me a second dose to see if that would help. It was at this point that it was first mentioned that I could possibly leave the hospital still pregnant!

Jeff and I spent the day laying around and napping. Neither of us felt like doing anything! We were both a bit disappointed that I hadn't made progress on the first dose of Cervidil and I was having an especially hard time thinking that I might leave still pregnant. Jeff ordered room service for lunch and while it wasn't the best lunch he had ever had it was free. By lunch time the doctor decided that I was able to be on a clear liquid diet and I was able to have some Jello and chicken broth! (I thought this was the best thing ever since I hadn't eaten in so long at that point.)

Dr. Rao came back to see us around 5pm and determined that the second dose of Cervidil also hadn't done anything for me. The only reason we didn't get discharged right then was because the baby had had a few dips in its heart rate while I was on the Cervidil and they wanted to keep an eye on this overnight . Dr. Rao said I could get up and walk around for awhile and have a real dinner! He also said that the baby and I would be monitored overnight and that I would be started on Pitocin at 5am.

Dinner and our walks were wonderful. I felt so free not being hooked up to machines! And while Jeff was right the room service food wasn't that great I was so happy to be eating it I didn't even care!

Thinking I could easily be busy being in labor on Saturday, when the nurse offered me an Ambion to help me sleep well I accepted it. I had never taken a sleeping pill before and I was able to get a good nights rest.

At 5am a nurse came in and started me on Pitocin. I was started with a very low dose and the dosage was increased slowly every half hour. At noon Dr. Rao came in and had them stop the Pitocin for a short period because the baby's heart rate had dipped again. They monitored the baby and me for a very short time (only about 30 minutes) before starting the Pitocin again. By this time I was starting to get crabby because I was so hungry - let me tell you ice chips and popsicles don't make you any less hungry!

Jeff and I again spent the day laying around. I was able to take a few short naps, and Jeff amused himself on the iPad. Dr. Rao came in and checked me around 3pm and determined that the Pitocin was doing nothing for me! This was really hard for both Jeff and I to hear... They stopped my Pitocin shortly after that and said they would monitor the baby and I for a bit and pending all was well we would be going home. My mom came up around 4, just in time for us to tell her the news. We were released at 8pm after having spent a full 48 hours NOT in labor!

My mom and dad took us out to dinner, which was by far the best part about being discharged - I was able to eat! This really helped my mood as I was fairly crabby after not eating for over 24 hours. The second best thing about being discharged was being able to shower after dinner.

Jeff and I came home last night and were able to sleep in our own bed, which was very nice after I was stuck in a hospital bed for 48 hours and Jeff was on a tiny couch for that long as well.

What comes next:
On Monday we will be having a BPP and seeing Dr. Rao. If at that point anything is wrong we will be admitted to labor and delivery right away. If there is nothing wrong we will go back in three days (Thursday) for another appointment. If there is nothing wrong at that appointment I'm not sure what will happen. If anything happens between now and then we are to go back to the hospital. Eventually we will have a baby!

Thank you so much to everyone for their thoughts, prayers and words of encouragement while we were in the hospital. It means so much to us to have people thinking and praying for us. I'll be sure to keep everyone updated as we progress.

Love,
Jeff, Marlena, and Baby Lew