The nurses had some trouble finding the heartbeats today with their little monitor. Actually they found all kinds of heartbeats, but it's tough to tell who is who! SO, I now get the biophysical profile daily. I won't argue with that, who wouldn't want a daily ultrasound? So the GREAT news is that my amniotic fluid has built way up to 13!
My belly is red and hot and stretched to the max. And today I have been begging for some kind of cream to give me some relief. They gave me Benadryl cream. I dunno if that's going to help? The cord flow was a bit off on the ultrasound today, even though the babies are doing just fine. So this earned me another 24 hour urine test to watch the pre eclampsia. YUCK.
Oh well! We survived another week!!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Zzzzz....
Sleep, glorious sleep! I was able to sleep through the night from 12 - 6AM with only one potty break around 4AM. And it was MARVELOUS!
My poor mom is in Fort Myers trying to relax for the weekend. But she ended up in the ER and was told she has a kidney stone. So there shall be no comfort or relaxation for her! Ouch. Been there, done that.
My poor mom is in Fort Myers trying to relax for the weekend. But she ended up in the ER and was told she has a kidney stone. So there shall be no comfort or relaxation for her! Ouch. Been there, done that.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
ch ch ch ch changes...
Now that it's day 16 in this lovely hospital, I needed to request some changes. Along with the crappy problem of nurses in my room all night long, I had a nurse 'forget' to monitor me one day and decide 2AM was a good time to wake me up and strap me to the machine. And last night the resident pagers accidently were set to call back to my room. So I had residents dialing my room at all hours of the night. It's insane!
So, the past two days I have had a great nurse that pointed out how I can take charge of some little things and ask/or demand some of these simple changes. SO, during the night my last remaining vein blew with an IV flush. The night nurse was ready to start poking me around midnight and I asked if she could please go talk to the resident at the desk about this. I have NO IV meds currently, nor do I have fluids running for the time being. So, I was thinking we could just forget about having an IV for a few days. And GUESS WHAT? They said no problem. So I am tube free for another day or so.
I have been taking Vistaril to help me sleep at night which also seems to keep me drugged up and sleeping half of the day. I only need it because I am currently getting meds every two hours during the night. This requires lights on, blood pressure, temp, talking, and of course reminds my bladder that it's full. UGH. So I sleep for only a half an hour to an hour at a time (if that). Maybe this is prep for babies, but right now, I just need to be rested and healthy! So I spoke to the nurse about my annoying nights and she figured out a better med routine and proposed it to the docs. AND GUESS WHAT? Tonight is my first trial of NO meds from midnight to 6 AM. The nurses will not open my door unless I use my call light. And I am insanely happy about it! I am sure they are LOVING me, but I don't care. I have won some small victories and I feel like I gained some control of my life again!
So, the past two days I have had a great nurse that pointed out how I can take charge of some little things and ask/or demand some of these simple changes. SO, during the night my last remaining vein blew with an IV flush. The night nurse was ready to start poking me around midnight and I asked if she could please go talk to the resident at the desk about this. I have NO IV meds currently, nor do I have fluids running for the time being. So, I was thinking we could just forget about having an IV for a few days. And GUESS WHAT? They said no problem. So I am tube free for another day or so.
I have been taking Vistaril to help me sleep at night which also seems to keep me drugged up and sleeping half of the day. I only need it because I am currently getting meds every two hours during the night. This requires lights on, blood pressure, temp, talking, and of course reminds my bladder that it's full. UGH. So I sleep for only a half an hour to an hour at a time (if that). Maybe this is prep for babies, but right now, I just need to be rested and healthy! So I spoke to the nurse about my annoying nights and she figured out a better med routine and proposed it to the docs. AND GUESS WHAT? Tonight is my first trial of NO meds from midnight to 6 AM. The nurses will not open my door unless I use my call light. And I am insanely happy about it! I am sure they are LOVING me, but I don't care. I have won some small victories and I feel like I gained some control of my life again!
So weird
Did you know that with pre-eclampsia you swell in the craziest places? Well, a couple of my stretch marks have filled with puffy fluid on my belly. They are huge, itchy, and odd looking. And they feel like they are going to EXPLODE! OUCH!
Friday, May 28, 2010
boring day
I didn't sleep well last night which resulted in a nap day. My poor mom sat here and listened to me snore all afternoon! Tonight, I finally took a shower and Peter took me outside for my 20 minute wheelchair ride. The nurse says she will do my assessment, stick me on the monitor for awhile and then drug me up to hopefully get a better night of sleep tonight. My body is just exhausted and I have HIT THE WALL!
But, boring is a good thing!
But, boring is a good thing!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Baby Gifts from Uncle Brian
Our good friend Brian came up to visit this past Sunday. And he brought some lovely baby gifts. And we laughed our butts off. Can't wait to take pix of the babies wearing these!
Fluid Status
FYI - Amniotic fluid is still up at 10.2 today. We saw that Tyler had a full bladder and if he would pee, the number would probably jump back to 11.1 where it was the other day. It's amazing what they can measure these days isn't it? :)
still holding on
Things are going well. No babies yet. And I am actually feeling better this morning than I have in awhile. So just wait, that comment will come back to bite me later. But we are just hanging out and waiting patiently for these babies to grow and to find the next hurdle to jump over. Dr McDreamy came in for his morning cheerleading session and said he was so proud of me and how great I am doing. He is SUCH a darn cute thing to wake up to in the morning! Oh wait, my hubby was here too and THEY were a nice thing to wake up to this morning. Ha ha. :)
I get another ultrasound this morning and am looking forward to seeing what the fluid level is today. I started blood pressure meds due to the pre-eclampsia. And I started getting shots in my belly to prevent blood clots. There seems to be a new med added every day. You wouldn't believe how many pills I swallow in a day. It's ridiculous!
I still get my 20 minute wheelchair ride every day. And we usually go outside, but yesterday Peter navigated his way down to the nursery. And I stood up and stared at what seemed like HUGE babies for awhile. It was so therapeutic! I need to find my fast forward button so we can get to that point in life. I am ready!
I get another ultrasound this morning and am looking forward to seeing what the fluid level is today. I started blood pressure meds due to the pre-eclampsia. And I started getting shots in my belly to prevent blood clots. There seems to be a new med added every day. You wouldn't believe how many pills I swallow in a day. It's ridiculous!
I still get my 20 minute wheelchair ride every day. And we usually go outside, but yesterday Peter navigated his way down to the nursery. And I stood up and stared at what seemed like HUGE babies for awhile. It was so therapeutic! I need to find my fast forward button so we can get to that point in life. I am ready!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Back on the roller coaster!
We planned on having babies today. But had the hearts checked at the cardiologists office across the street. And FYI, it felt so good to be wheeled out of my room and into some new scenery for a few hours! Patent ductus x3 and beautiful heart beats all around! We then came back to the room for the amniotic fluid check. And by some MIRACLE, the fluid doubled from 5.1 to 11 over night!! We bought ourselves another day! I am in the start of pre eclampsia, but this is expected with triplets and again just another thing for the doctors to keep an eye on. What a day.
Monday, May 24, 2010
It won't be long now.
The ultrasound this morning showed the amniotic fluid was even LOWER than yesterday at 5.1. The ultrasound tech just kept repeating oh, this isn't good. Well, that didn't help my blood pressure AT ALL! It shot up to 150/90! So this low fluid is the reason I suddenly can feel and see EVERY movement in my belly. It's unreal. Luckily, our doctor happened to be on the floor right as the tech finished. He was able to come right in and had her hook it up again to take another look. He watched her scan with me and said, "OK, it's probably time to deliver these babies". Wow, what a shock! He decided to grab the probe himself and more aggressively push around and look at each baby. He found a pocket of fluid near each baby and said we should try to wait one more day and rescan. Reagan's was the lowest and he was concerned when I told him I hadn't felt her move yet this morning. But, the babies still passed their biophysical profiles today. He reminded me that each day in me saves 3 days in the NICU. So OH BOY. Tomorrow could very well be the day these kids arrive. We are tired, worried, excited and in a state of shock.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
stirring it all up!
It seems as soon as I write a post, the tables turn! Today we had a biophysical profile ultrasound due to my bouncing blood pressure and dizziness. They also did the AFI which shows the amniotic fluid levels have completely bottomed out! The level is extremely low and half of what it was two days ago. This can be another side effect of the anti-contraction med along with the possible heart defects. Ugh. They cut my dose in half for the night and the IV is back in. We are doing the 24 hour urine test. A whole bunch of labwork. And a repeat ultrasound in the morning. The way I understand it, is the amniotic fluid is made up of the babies urine. And if I get super hydrated, the babies will be more hydrated and the fluid should go up. Let's pray for that!
In the mean time, I started contracting enough that the nurse was a bit upset. So they checked the cervix again which is holding at 3 cm (depending on who checks me) with 70% effacement. Peter went home to get some sleep in case he needs to rush his rear back here to the hospital. But mom is here for the night.
All seems calm right now as we wait and hope for more fluid around these kiddos! It could be a long day of ultrasounds with the BPP and AFI in the morning and a cardiology consult with echos I am sure. I plan to take a Vistaril and sleep off some anxiety soon!
In the mean time, I started contracting enough that the nurse was a bit upset. So they checked the cervix again which is holding at 3 cm (depending on who checks me) with 70% effacement. Peter went home to get some sleep in case he needs to rush his rear back here to the hospital. But mom is here for the night.
All seems calm right now as we wait and hope for more fluid around these kiddos! It could be a long day of ultrasounds with the BPP and AFI in the morning and a cardiology consult with echos I am sure. I plan to take a Vistaril and sleep off some anxiety soon!
all the good news
The longer I have been off the mag drip, the better I look and feel! I am really noticing more dizzy spells and blood pressure spikes. But all in all, things are great. I am completely off an IV now. I was allowed a 20 minute wheelchair ride outside yesterday. And I am still allowed to get up to the bathroom and take a shower. I am wearing TED hose and compression thingees on my legs, which have decreased some of the massive swelling in my feet and ankles. So...yay for that!
The doctor came in yesterday with a chipper attitude and gave me a little encouragement talking about how great things are going and that he is happy I have made it to 29 weeks, going on 30. I have moments of major discomfort when I want to give in and have these babies taken out of me! And he said that in those moments, he can gladly take me to the NICU and show me some babies to convince me otherwise. He also reminded me that the past 7 days have saved the kids 21 days in the NICU. That is still so amazing to think about! I think I would be released to go back home if we lived closer to the hospital. But he knows that I will just end up back here a day later with more contractions. So this really is the best place for me to be chilling out.
It's funny that my mom is here all the way from the UK and now I am doing quite well. But it is wonderful to have her here for her company. She takes care of things in our house. And she comes to the hospital in time to help me take a shower every morning. The one task I REALLY NEED help with!!! Peter is doing okay - but getting VERY worn down. He sleeps (or tries to) on the very uncomfortable pull out bed. And the meds I take require a nurse to come in for BP, temp and a cute little cup full of pills every two hours. And noone can sleep through those little sessions with the nurse. The night time routine is miserable for all.
We will have a consult with a cardiologist for the babies on Monday. One of the necessary meds I am taking to keep the contractions away and keep these babies in me, can cause heart problems for the kiddos. It is a surgically reversible defect, but we would like to know that this is not going to be a problem! It is not worth keeping them growing inside if it is unhealthy for them to stay! So right now we are praying for 3 healthy little tickers!!!
That's all folks. Keep praying! :)
The doctor came in yesterday with a chipper attitude and gave me a little encouragement talking about how great things are going and that he is happy I have made it to 29 weeks, going on 30. I have moments of major discomfort when I want to give in and have these babies taken out of me! And he said that in those moments, he can gladly take me to the NICU and show me some babies to convince me otherwise. He also reminded me that the past 7 days have saved the kids 21 days in the NICU. That is still so amazing to think about! I think I would be released to go back home if we lived closer to the hospital. But he knows that I will just end up back here a day later with more contractions. So this really is the best place for me to be chilling out.
It's funny that my mom is here all the way from the UK and now I am doing quite well. But it is wonderful to have her here for her company. She takes care of things in our house. And she comes to the hospital in time to help me take a shower every morning. The one task I REALLY NEED help with!!! Peter is doing okay - but getting VERY worn down. He sleeps (or tries to) on the very uncomfortable pull out bed. And the meds I take require a nurse to come in for BP, temp and a cute little cup full of pills every two hours. And noone can sleep through those little sessions with the nurse. The night time routine is miserable for all.
We will have a consult with a cardiologist for the babies on Monday. One of the necessary meds I am taking to keep the contractions away and keep these babies in me, can cause heart problems for the kiddos. It is a surgically reversible defect, but we would like to know that this is not going to be a problem! It is not worth keeping them growing inside if it is unhealthy for them to stay! So right now we are praying for 3 healthy little tickers!!!
That's all folks. Keep praying! :)
Friday, May 21, 2010
morning updates
I posted my blog entry about 3 minutes before the resident wandered in for my morning visit. So here is a quick update. I refer to my 6 AM resident as McDreamy because he truly is the CUTEST one! But, after watching Grey's Anatomy last night I realize he is NO McDreamy. WHAT A SHOCKING EPISODE!! If you haven't seen the season finale of Grey's - find it on hulu and watch it. It was unreal!
Ok - back to the babies and me. I have been very dizzy from time to time or having palpitations but we just will assume this is quick drops in blood pressure due to the massive amounts of procardia I am taking to stop contractions. Also, the babies are so big and they sometimes push on my vena cava causing some little reactions with my blood flow making me feel like doggy doo doo. None of this is dangerous, but I need to be very careful when I get up out of bed. And I should not really be getting out of bed anyway, but do have bathroom privileges (for now).
My feet are HUGE but the pulses are still good. So I will now be starting blood thinners, (heparin shots) due to my staying in bed. I also get to wear some lovely TED hose, but get to skip out on the little pressure thingees because of the blood thinners (for now). I had a lovely blood draw again this morning. And am running out of veins. But the blood type and cross expires every 3 days. So I am officially rebanded for the weekend.
That's all folks! Oh, yes I am still contracting, but they don't suck too bad right now! :)
Ok - back to the babies and me. I have been very dizzy from time to time or having palpitations but we just will assume this is quick drops in blood pressure due to the massive amounts of procardia I am taking to stop contractions. Also, the babies are so big and they sometimes push on my vena cava causing some little reactions with my blood flow making me feel like doggy doo doo. None of this is dangerous, but I need to be very careful when I get up out of bed. And I should not really be getting out of bed anyway, but do have bathroom privileges (for now).
My feet are HUGE but the pulses are still good. So I will now be starting blood thinners, (heparin shots) due to my staying in bed. I also get to wear some lovely TED hose, but get to skip out on the little pressure thingees because of the blood thinners (for now). I had a lovely blood draw again this morning. And am running out of veins. But the blood type and cross expires every 3 days. So I am officially rebanded for the weekend.
That's all folks! Oh, yes I am still contracting, but they don't suck too bad right now! :)
just chillin
There's not too much to report. And that is a GOOD THING! I had a good day yesterday. The only real hiccups were that my blood pressure decided to spike up for a bit. And during the afternoon I had my daily ultrasound where the babies passed their biophysical profile with flying colors as usual. But the ultrasound tech asked me if my blood pressure was high. I said yes but asked why she would think that!? And, I guess Reagan's cord blood flow had a high velocity. Which sounds BAD to me! So I freaked out on my own for awhile hoping to talk to the doctor and find out the scoop! But, none of my doctors came to see me! Not one! I had my usual residents pop their head in the door earlier in the morning to check on me. But I have learned that if you are doing BAD, you see 20 residents a day. And if you are doing fine and just chilling in the high risk department, they don't give a poop about you. So I will just be thankful and happy for these days without visits!
My mother in law was here to hang out with me so Peter could get to work and get a few things done in Sarasota. It made the day fly by quickly! The food is all room service here from a large menu (which is nice!) But, she went and got me an amazing salad from the cafe down the street. I don't know if it was the best salad on the planet earth, but it sure seemed like it to me!! And then my mom flew in from England last night! I am very happy that she is here and will be able to help me so Peter can get some work done and relax a bit. He is a wonderful hubby and will be an amazing daddy. And although my mom will be here. I know he will be here every day after work too. It is getting increasingly hard for me to get up at all to try waddle to the bathroom. And nothing seems to be within arms reach. So mom can be my gopher for a couple of weeks and help keep these babies inside.
We are excited to realize that we made it an entire SEVEN whole days since we first thought we were delivering these munchkins! One whole week!?! Which means a saved 21 days in the NICU according to the rule of one day in me = 3 less NICU days. WOO HOO!!
My mother in law was here to hang out with me so Peter could get to work and get a few things done in Sarasota. It made the day fly by quickly! The food is all room service here from a large menu (which is nice!) But, she went and got me an amazing salad from the cafe down the street. I don't know if it was the best salad on the planet earth, but it sure seemed like it to me!! And then my mom flew in from England last night! I am very happy that she is here and will be able to help me so Peter can get some work done and relax a bit. He is a wonderful hubby and will be an amazing daddy. And although my mom will be here. I know he will be here every day after work too. It is getting increasingly hard for me to get up at all to try waddle to the bathroom. And nothing seems to be within arms reach. So mom can be my gopher for a couple of weeks and help keep these babies inside.
We are excited to realize that we made it an entire SEVEN whole days since we first thought we were delivering these munchkins! One whole week!?! Which means a saved 21 days in the NICU according to the rule of one day in me = 3 less NICU days. WOO HOO!!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Looking UP!
The doctor is my HERO today! Life just got a lot better! I am now able to eat, they took the catheter out and I got to shower! THAT IS HUGE!! I am a whole new woman. Things are looking good today, so I get a few privileges. It seems the contractions come on more ferociously at night. So we will just play around with bedrest vs being able to get up to shower for a few minutes. I was reassured that this doesn't mean I will be going anywhere. I am definitely here in the hospital on bedrest for the duration. We are just praying that I can stay positive and 'the duration' lasts WEEKS not days until delivery. The babies are doing great and need a little more time on the inside!
At this point we will know when to take them out by monitoring dilation and my health as well as any signs of distress from the babies. Or, if my water breaks we go to surgery right away. So I am working on keeping the contractions to a minimum and hanging in here with good spirits!!
Thanks everyone for following along with our journey!!!
At this point we will know when to take them out by monitoring dilation and my health as well as any signs of distress from the babies. Or, if my water breaks we go to surgery right away. So I am working on keeping the contractions to a minimum and hanging in here with good spirits!!
Thanks everyone for following along with our journey!!!
reminders!
I needed some reminders of why I am here doing this. And they JUST SHOWED UP!! I am so happy to have something to look at other than the ceiling!
weighing in
On the positive side of this situation,we get lots of ultrasounds. And now we know that Baby A, our little girl Reagan Sidney Wheatley is currently on the bottom of the pile and weighs 2 pounds 9 ounces. Baby B, Thomas Anthony Wheatley II is scrunched up on my lower right side and weighs 2 pounds 5 ounces. And our chunky monkey Baby C, Tyler James Wheatley is hanging out in first class above the rest. He weighs.....are you ready for this.... 3 pounds 7 ounces!! HOLY MOLY!
not so happy
It has been a LONG couple of days. I am very drugged up, so bear with me! I felt contractions every ten minutes of the day on Monday and finally noticed them getting stronger and producing more pressure in the evening. I called the doctor who quickly reviewed who I was, asked that we get in the car and do not eat anything before reaching the hospital. Once we arrived and I was immediately placed on the monitors, I was very justified as the contractions were marching away on the screen again. I was dilated slightly more than when I left. But this all earned me a 'welcome to the baby place' comment as we were immediately sent to our new hospital room. I heard the nurses discussing the most comfy room and view as I will be here for the duration!
I immediately was given a catheter, an IV and started on the Mag drip from hell. This time it was different. Each contraction took my breath away and made me shiver and cry. Peter decided maybe we should have taken lamaze or something. Who ever knew we would have needed it? Anyway, I started saying lots of naughty words at some point and finally we realized that noone was paying attention to our small little hell in room ten!! The nurse came in and realized how much pain I was in and called in the doctor. I was told we were once again maxed out with drugs (tocolytics) and we would just be waiting to make sure my water didn't break, but there was noting more to do to stop the process. I got a hefty dose of Vistaril and Morphine which knocked me down and seemed to really slow the contractions too! We survived that first night back, but there are no smiles left on these faces!!!!
We are now at hour 37 and I am still in pain, still contracting and not able to eat anything. It SUCKS!
I immediately was given a catheter, an IV and started on the Mag drip from hell. This time it was different. Each contraction took my breath away and made me shiver and cry. Peter decided maybe we should have taken lamaze or something. Who ever knew we would have needed it? Anyway, I started saying lots of naughty words at some point and finally we realized that noone was paying attention to our small little hell in room ten!! The nurse came in and realized how much pain I was in and called in the doctor. I was told we were once again maxed out with drugs (tocolytics) and we would just be waiting to make sure my water didn't break, but there was noting more to do to stop the process. I got a hefty dose of Vistaril and Morphine which knocked me down and seemed to really slow the contractions too! We survived that first night back, but there are no smiles left on these faces!!!!
We are now at hour 37 and I am still in pain, still contracting and not able to eat anything. It SUCKS!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
GOOD NEWS AND MORE GOOD NEWS!!
It was an uncomfortable night in the hospital for both daddy and I. BUT, we are so happy to have stayed the extra while! I started contracting every two minutes during the night again. The conclusion from the doctors is that I will contract with triplets, and night is a common time. But we are now just alert and aware and waiting to be alarmed by my pain with these contractions. Both of the past two nights I had to be woken to be told about them. And these kind of contractions don't seem to change the dilation of the cervix. Which is wonderful! They are nothing like the painful and miserable episode from Thursday night!
I am on a ton of medicine to keep things at bay. I have my cell set to alarm every two hours for pills. I am to drink 2 gallons of water a day. Can you imagine? And I am on absolute bedrest with freedom only to go to the bathroom and take a shower every day. The medicines have blurred my vision and made me extremely weak. So it is a full time job for Peter to take care of me. He is back to work this week, so we are working out the details to have a couple of friends stop over this week. And he will prepare my bedside with a cooler and all the essentials for the day.
I am happy to be in the comfort of my own home, but will miss the reassurance of the care in the hospital! We were SO happy to wake up to a wonderful, personable nurse Bev today. She was AMAZING. She had time to spend with us and give us answers and advice about everything that has happened in the past few days. She explained that we WILL be back in the hospital again soon. And I hope we see her next time too!
We also saw the chief resident this morning prior to discharge. He took some time with us and made us feel comfortable. He felt this episode of preterm labor was scary and unfortunate, but ended well. They thought we would for sure deliver these babes last Thursday night. But by a miracle of medicine and all our your prayers and support, things stopped in time!!!!! We happened to be in the right spot at the right time!! We went in for some IV fluids only. Who would have imagined what was in store for us once we arrived! But, our situation is not looking bad now. The babies look perfectly healthy and I am on all of the medicines I can be on to keep this under control for now. He talked a lot about the challenges of a pregnancy with triplets. There are specific guidelines for contractions with one baby, and double that for twins. But with a belly FULL of triplets, it is rare enough that the medicine world still isn't sure what to expect. So we need to be flexible to head back and forth to the hospital whenever needed in the next weeks until these babies arrive.
My cervix is a bit confusing as it is a funnel with a 3 cm outer edge but he feels it is only 1 cm where it counts. Which is GREAT NEWS!!!! Not one of the other residents that checked me all weekend had mentioned this. So we were happily surprised! I am 60% effaced and this is not bad for this stage of our pregnancy. We just felt wonderful hearing a positive spin on things today.
So for the CRAZY news... We were implanted with three embryos knowing the chance of it resulting in a triplet pregnancy was less than one percent. You can imagine that we were quite shocked to find three babies in there! And we also knew we had three babies with three separate sacs and placentas. So we were told all three embryos had taken and we had fraternal triplets. They could look totally different and be very different kiddos. And now TODAY, this guy tells us that this would be SO RARE. And he feels our boys are likely identical and the embryo split early enough to each develop their own placentas. WOW WOW WOW! We are shocked. He said there is no way of knowing right now. But what a thought! Very shocking! We could have identical twins in here! Ha.
OK - so we survived. I have cried more tears of fear and worry than I ever imagined this weekend would bring. I came home and let it ALL OUT! All I know is that I am madly in love with our little family and these amazing babies growing and thriving inside of me. I don't know what we would do without them. And I am so happy that we have bought them more time to grow and get stronger! For a funny side note, Peter and I hugged at the end of the long day last night. And my heart started racing and set off alarms all over the unit. Oh my. We are blessed and in for a wild ride!!!
I am on a ton of medicine to keep things at bay. I have my cell set to alarm every two hours for pills. I am to drink 2 gallons of water a day. Can you imagine? And I am on absolute bedrest with freedom only to go to the bathroom and take a shower every day. The medicines have blurred my vision and made me extremely weak. So it is a full time job for Peter to take care of me. He is back to work this week, so we are working out the details to have a couple of friends stop over this week. And he will prepare my bedside with a cooler and all the essentials for the day.
I am happy to be in the comfort of my own home, but will miss the reassurance of the care in the hospital! We were SO happy to wake up to a wonderful, personable nurse Bev today. She was AMAZING. She had time to spend with us and give us answers and advice about everything that has happened in the past few days. She explained that we WILL be back in the hospital again soon. And I hope we see her next time too!
We also saw the chief resident this morning prior to discharge. He took some time with us and made us feel comfortable. He felt this episode of preterm labor was scary and unfortunate, but ended well. They thought we would for sure deliver these babes last Thursday night. But by a miracle of medicine and all our your prayers and support, things stopped in time!!!!! We happened to be in the right spot at the right time!! We went in for some IV fluids only. Who would have imagined what was in store for us once we arrived! But, our situation is not looking bad now. The babies look perfectly healthy and I am on all of the medicines I can be on to keep this under control for now. He talked a lot about the challenges of a pregnancy with triplets. There are specific guidelines for contractions with one baby, and double that for twins. But with a belly FULL of triplets, it is rare enough that the medicine world still isn't sure what to expect. So we need to be flexible to head back and forth to the hospital whenever needed in the next weeks until these babies arrive.
My cervix is a bit confusing as it is a funnel with a 3 cm outer edge but he feels it is only 1 cm where it counts. Which is GREAT NEWS!!!! Not one of the other residents that checked me all weekend had mentioned this. So we were happily surprised! I am 60% effaced and this is not bad for this stage of our pregnancy. We just felt wonderful hearing a positive spin on things today.
So for the CRAZY news... We were implanted with three embryos knowing the chance of it resulting in a triplet pregnancy was less than one percent. You can imagine that we were quite shocked to find three babies in there! And we also knew we had three babies with three separate sacs and placentas. So we were told all three embryos had taken and we had fraternal triplets. They could look totally different and be very different kiddos. And now TODAY, this guy tells us that this would be SO RARE. And he feels our boys are likely identical and the embryo split early enough to each develop their own placentas. WOW WOW WOW! We are shocked. He said there is no way of knowing right now. But what a thought! Very shocking! We could have identical twins in here! Ha.
OK - so we survived. I have cried more tears of fear and worry than I ever imagined this weekend would bring. I came home and let it ALL OUT! All I know is that I am madly in love with our little family and these amazing babies growing and thriving inside of me. I don't know what we would do without them. And I am so happy that we have bought them more time to grow and get stronger! For a funny side note, Peter and I hugged at the end of the long day last night. And my heart started racing and set off alarms all over the unit. Oh my. We are blessed and in for a wild ride!!!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
heading home tomorrow
OK - so we had a long, long day of waiting. Finally had an ultrasound this evening. It took quite awhile as they were monitoring for breathing practice and movement etc. When I asked my smiley and giggly questions to see that the babies are ok, I was sort of ignored. Huh. And a few minutes later the night nurse came in with an evening dose of IV antibiotics. So - I knew we were probably staying. But THEN, the nurse said we would need a repeat ultrasound at midnight as they didn't see breathing or diaphragm movement on two babies. And although it was a slight after comment...the only thing I heard was that this is the first sign of distress and that this would indicate a decision would need to be made about delivering the babies. AHHHHH!!!! So sheer panic set in. Peter and his parents tried to calm me and help me understand that the tech just hadn't done the test right. BUT STILL!
So thankfully, the residents stepped in and pushed to have the repeat ultrasound immediately. And guess what? All is well with the world again. The babies were all moving and grooving and practice breathing. Tyler and Thomas both had the hiccups. And I was able to get a printed picture of Thomas with his very chubby cheeks, huge nostrils from his mommy and beautiful lips!! It was a sweet surprise and the babies are doing wonderful. They scored 8 out of 8, meaning no distress!!
We had the option to go home tonight. But daddy and I are very neurotic and worried and we opted to stsy tonight. They will check my cervix in the morning and likely send me home to strict bedrest. Only up to the bathroom and a daily shower if necessary. Peter would be much more comfortable with me here on a monitor given how quickly we went into labor the other night. BUT, I AM starting to warm up to the idea of a little more peace and comfort in my bed with my lovely cat.
This has been an intense few days and we appreciate all of your comments, emails, support and prayers. We are setting a first goal to make it to my nephew Conor's birthday this week. And then 32 weeks. So - keep sending those good vibes and prayers for big healthy preemies!!
So thankfully, the residents stepped in and pushed to have the repeat ultrasound immediately. And guess what? All is well with the world again. The babies were all moving and grooving and practice breathing. Tyler and Thomas both had the hiccups. And I was able to get a printed picture of Thomas with his very chubby cheeks, huge nostrils from his mommy and beautiful lips!! It was a sweet surprise and the babies are doing wonderful. They scored 8 out of 8, meaning no distress!!
We had the option to go home tonight. But daddy and I are very neurotic and worried and we opted to stsy tonight. They will check my cervix in the morning and likely send me home to strict bedrest. Only up to the bathroom and a daily shower if necessary. Peter would be much more comfortable with me here on a monitor given how quickly we went into labor the other night. BUT, I AM starting to warm up to the idea of a little more peace and comfort in my bed with my lovely cat.
This has been an intense few days and we appreciate all of your comments, emails, support and prayers. We are setting a first goal to make it to my nephew Conor's birthday this week. And then 32 weeks. So - keep sending those good vibes and prayers for big healthy preemies!!
Today's update.
Well, it's Saturday morning. I was feeling well yesterday and we decided hubby could go home to get a good night's sleep. And I now know how freakin hard it is to do ANYTHING by yourself from the hospital bed. Not good. The nurses are busy. I am on a specific high risk floor. And they have multiples or train wrecks at every corner. My nurse was sending two different moms to surgery when my IV exploded and she had to stop everything for me. Ugh. It was another long night. I was contracting again and now am taking tons of oral meds. There was someone in here messing with me every hour. The best part of the night was Dr McDreamy. He is welcome anytime! Ha, seriously though. I think every resident at all childrens comes in to 'consult' with me. I think they all want their foot in the door to help if I need a c section. Oh well. They are great at answering my questions!
I slept 3 hours broken up last night. But at least I am getting lots of rest in the bed. I am on so much procardia now that my face has turned tomato red and my blood pressure tops out around 110/60 when i am under extreme stress! It's seriously low!!
I woke up with cramping and you can watch small waves on the monitor marching every minute or so. But they are short and small. My most recent cervix check shows no changes, hanging out dilated to 3. The first resident to greet me this morning upped my fluids which means much more peeing!! So I am happy daddy showed up at 7am. Bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to tackle another tough day as a gopher. His mom and dad will be coming up later too. And yesterday I had his mom visit for awhile and a surprise visit from my parent's retired minister that lives close to the hospital.
I am calmer. The babies will come when they come and we are doing all we can for them. I got both doses of steroids to beef up their lungs. I got my rhogam shot yesterday as I am A negative. And I am getting tons of IV anitibiotics. I actually smell like one at this point! I asked about that and found out that no I do not have any infection but we are keeping the babies and I healthy for decreased risk of more preterm labor and for a healthy csection.
The doctor comes in this afternoon. I just want an idea of how long I am here. Maybe I will be heading home today? Maybe I am here for the duration? I can't wait to find out.
I slept 3 hours broken up last night. But at least I am getting lots of rest in the bed. I am on so much procardia now that my face has turned tomato red and my blood pressure tops out around 110/60 when i am under extreme stress! It's seriously low!!
I woke up with cramping and you can watch small waves on the monitor marching every minute or so. But they are short and small. My most recent cervix check shows no changes, hanging out dilated to 3. The first resident to greet me this morning upped my fluids which means much more peeing!! So I am happy daddy showed up at 7am. Bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to tackle another tough day as a gopher. His mom and dad will be coming up later too. And yesterday I had his mom visit for awhile and a surprise visit from my parent's retired minister that lives close to the hospital.
I am calmer. The babies will come when they come and we are doing all we can for them. I got both doses of steroids to beef up their lungs. I got my rhogam shot yesterday as I am A negative. And I am getting tons of IV anitibiotics. I actually smell like one at this point! I asked about that and found out that no I do not have any infection but we are keeping the babies and I healthy for decreased risk of more preterm labor and for a healthy csection.
The doctor comes in this afternoon. I just want an idea of how long I am here. Maybe I will be heading home today? Maybe I am here for the duration? I can't wait to find out.
Friday, May 14, 2010
PS
And I left out that it NEVER occurred to me that I would ever have to worry about being in active labor. And it was hell ALL NIGHT LONG!!
shit hit the fan!
Where to start!? I had not been feeling well and lost some weight through some lovely digestive means on Wednesday night. So after a chat with the doctor's office, we were instructed to head to the hospital for some IV fluids in the triage room. No biggee right? On the way there I noticed some contractions, one after another, after another. Ugh. So we arrive and get checked in and the nurse asks if I am having any contractions. And well, I had 4 in the truck and 2 before she gave me my gown at the hospital. Still no pain, and all tests were fine. Until we saw the contractions coming one blip after another every 2 minutes or so. My cervix measured 2.7 cm on the ultrasound which is still long and strong! A manual cervix check told us that I was closed for business! And then the crap hit the fan. The nurse comes in quickly with a syringe of morphine and antinausea meds to try slow contractions. And after almost falling off the table from dizziness she did the ffn swab which tells us if the babies will likely be born in the next two weeks. I hear the nurse in the hall on the phone with a doctor discussing an admissions and we said oops, some poor lady is going to spend the night. HA HA. And then she came in the manually recheck my cervix and finds me at 1 cm. OH NO! And the next nurse walks in to tell us our FFN was POSITIVE! And the tears started flowing!
We were whisked down the hall to our new hospital room and bombarded with nurses starting IV's and catheters and the horrid MAGNESIUM drip. And suddenly I am feeling like I am going to DIE! I was in serious active labor from that moment on. They rechecked the cervix which was 3 cm only an hour after the last check. And I contracted and was sick all night long. It was AWFUL! And for some reason, I desatted and had O2 levels in the 80's. We were threatened with a transfer to the ICU. Put on lots of oxygen and I saw about 14 different doctors all througout the night. We fond out that they for sure assumed we were delivering by c section that night, but were holding off for water to break or 6-7 cm before going under the knife to give us plenty of opportunity to keep these kiddos in and growing. I had the mag drip, fluids, antibiotics, indocin, steroids to help push the maturity of the lungs, and the rhogam.
A neonatologist came in to prep us for the challenges expected with 28 week triplets and we signed one million consents. IT was HELL! I am sure the crying didn't help the hydration!!
But by a miracle of God, we are doing okay today. Contractions have stopped and no more dilation. I am probably here to stay for awhile in the hospital. Only time will tell. I am in a trial off the mag sulfate drip and doing well. So - we will see. And we will keep you posted!! The babies look unharmed, unphased and great on the ultrasound today. So - I will rest, stay in bed and let you all know what's up!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!!
We were whisked down the hall to our new hospital room and bombarded with nurses starting IV's and catheters and the horrid MAGNESIUM drip. And suddenly I am feeling like I am going to DIE! I was in serious active labor from that moment on. They rechecked the cervix which was 3 cm only an hour after the last check. And I contracted and was sick all night long. It was AWFUL! And for some reason, I desatted and had O2 levels in the 80's. We were threatened with a transfer to the ICU. Put on lots of oxygen and I saw about 14 different doctors all througout the night. We fond out that they for sure assumed we were delivering by c section that night, but were holding off for water to break or 6-7 cm before going under the knife to give us plenty of opportunity to keep these kiddos in and growing. I had the mag drip, fluids, antibiotics, indocin, steroids to help push the maturity of the lungs, and the rhogam.
A neonatologist came in to prep us for the challenges expected with 28 week triplets and we signed one million consents. IT was HELL! I am sure the crying didn't help the hydration!!
But by a miracle of God, we are doing okay today. Contractions have stopped and no more dilation. I am probably here to stay for awhile in the hospital. Only time will tell. I am in a trial off the mag sulfate drip and doing well. So - we will see. And we will keep you posted!! The babies look unharmed, unphased and great on the ultrasound today. So - I will rest, stay in bed and let you all know what's up!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Noboday knows the trouble I've seen...
It's probably SO much more enjoyable to look at cute little baby pictures! But, it's time for me to tell you all what's going on around here. Which is NOT MUCH! I am SO bored! I am confined to my bedroom now. I am miserable. The belly hurts. It contracts often. My back is killing me. My legs ache. My belly button feels like it is going to split open. I am very short of breath. I can't sleep. I am hungry often but feel sick after a few bites of food. I am still coughing after being sick over a month ago. BUT, we are at 28 weeks and two days. I am still in the comfort (or discomfort) of my own home! And the babies seem to be kicking away and growing stronger every day!
I would like to tell you all how wonderful each moment is, feeling my babies move and lounging around in my jammies all day. But, it's not all that tolerable anymore. I finally put up a countdown calendar today to at least get us to 32 weeks. It feels a little better to see it in writing!!!!
Say a prayer or two for healthy babies and our sanity. Thanks for putting up with my whines! We are still hanging in here!!
I would like to tell you all how wonderful each moment is, feeling my babies move and lounging around in my jammies all day. But, it's not all that tolerable anymore. I finally put up a countdown calendar today to at least get us to 32 weeks. It feels a little better to see it in writing!!!!
Say a prayer or two for healthy babies and our sanity. Thanks for putting up with my whines! We are still hanging in here!!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Mother's Day surprise for our family!
Our new nephew Colton James Searcy. He is going to quickly learn the ropes so he can teach our three a thing or two!
Welcome Colton!!
He is here!! Colton James Searcy arrived at 1:30 AM just in time to celebrate Mother's Day! He was 6 pounds 12 ounces and that's about all I know so far. I have two nephews on my side of the family, and am overjoyed to have another from Peter's family. This is a blessed day! I only wish I could get up and road trip with my hubby to the other coast and hold the new little love in our family! Congratulations Jeff and Laura! Pete promises he will come home with lots of pictures and I can't wait to see them and share them!!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
A cousin for the babies!
My sister in law's water broke tonight. I can't even think about sleeping. I can't wait to be an aunt again!! And I am REALLY sad that I can't make the trip over to visit Laura, Jeff and Colton. My ridiculously pregnant self is not allowed to make that road trip. So SOMEBODY had better be taking lots of pictures!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Lord Help Us!
So, my dearest husband must have been feeling left out in this whining and begging for sympathy gig I have going on. He broke his arm at work this morning. GEEEZ!
a long story of misery
I guess I have UPDATES! It has been a long weekend and start of the week to say the LEAST. Friday morning I got my bloodwork results and found out that I am very anemic with a hemoglobin of 9!!! No wonder I have been so tired!! And the coughing 24/7 for 3 weeks hasn't helped anything. That night I figured out that opening our sliders in the bedroom and letting in some fresh air really helped my cough. The only problem is that it was 93 degrees when I figured this out. So, it was a long sleepless night (but I wasn't coughing for the first time in 3 weeks!) So I was grinning and bearing it. And breathing nicely!
I then woke up Saturday in some kind of weak and uncomfy state. I didn't have energy to go to breakfast when my husband offered Cracker Barrel. And that has never happened before! So, I slowly took a shower and got dressed. And noticed a couple of big contractions while I was getting cleaned up. We decided to head out to eat at the crack of noon. So breakfast turned into lunch. And we were already in the home depot parking lot, so we HAD to stop. But for some reason, I could barely get my legs to carry me into the store and I begged to leave after only looking at some paint samples. I guess we were going to fail on any home improvement this weekend!! :)
As we sat down to eat lunch I started contracting enough that my already huge belly was actually protruding enough to push on the table in front of me in the booth. And I coughed for a good half an hour waiting for the food. Ate a few bites and had to go outside to get back into the humidity to breathe. And BOOM, another contraction! I was so uncomfortable that I started crying on our ride home. I think this freaked out my husband!!! And I spent the most miserable afternoon trying to find a comfortable position to sit and just to breathe in our house. I had contractions maybe once an hour. Which is more than I EVER have had. But the rule was to go to the hospital if there were 4 an hour. So, we just chilled at home. As chill as you can be with the sliders open on another 93 degree day.
I ended my Saturday with one more BIG contraction and as it started to subside, I felt this big lump crawl up under my ribcage and start putting pressure on the ribs and lungs. A baby? Maybe! But, I got some sleep and Sunday was much better, much more restful and my only complaint was the nagging pressure under my rib cage on the right side! Until around 9 PM when I was standing up and felt a huge pop and horrific, sharp pain in my ribs. We thought for sure I had just broken a rib! Who knows, maybe I did!? I could not even figure out how to lay down without horrific pain. I finally got some sleep with enough propped pillows and an ice bag on my rib cage!
So Monday brought a whole day of complaints and a phone call to the doctor's office to tell them of my miserable woes. I found myself getting SCOLDED for not coming to the hospital due to the contractions. And I had a stern warning that I was to get in the car and go the hospital with the next set of symptoms. So after 5 contractions between 7 and 8PM. Away we went. I called the doctor on call and he definitely wanted us to go get checked out and called ahead to let the hospital know we were on our way. I could write a book about how ridiculous our triage experience was in the hospital. But, the main point is that FINALLY at 11:30 I was flat in bed, strapped to 3 heart monitors, 3 contraction monitors and a WAY too tight blood pressure cuff. I was a mess, but the babies were doing quite well so we were released to go home around 3AM. By the way, my rock star cervix is still 3.7 with a goal of at least 2.5! You gotta be talented at something right?
So yesterday was another trip to St Pete to see my doctor. I saw the woman in the practice and I LOVE HER. I had seen her a few times before, but she was the perfect solution for me yesterday. So gentle and understanding and just really put me at ease. I found out that Thomas is the rib culprit. His head is stuck under my ribcage. The ribs over on that right side are separated and the muscles are pulled and inflamed. And it's probably not going to get any better. I am FULL of babies and there is just nowhere for anyone to go! Oddly I just keep filling out and not really protruding more. So I am packed full of baby from bladder to neck. She really understood my discomfort and really calmed me down. I now have a new set of parameters to follow for contractions. And it is the first cut and dry rules we have heard this entire pregnancy! She thinks my coughing needs to stop as it is obviously painful and may be causing some of the contractions, so she gave me an RX for some good cough meds. I am back on meds to stop contracions.
I am SO happy to be doing so well with the pregnancy. The babies are THRIVING! And I apologize for the bitch session! But MAN am I UNCOMFORTABLE. And it just seemed to hit me all at once. I am now 27 weeks and only one week from our next big goal! Each week these babies stay in, is a huge blessing. The one really good thing about no sleep is I have lots of time to think about these little munchkins and enjoy their movements. I can actually feel individually where they are now. It makes everything seem so amazing. And it also leaves me lots of time to PRAY!!
Thanks to those of you that stuck it out and made it to the end of this crabby story! Please say an extra prayer for our little growing family. We NEED it!!
I then woke up Saturday in some kind of weak and uncomfy state. I didn't have energy to go to breakfast when my husband offered Cracker Barrel. And that has never happened before! So, I slowly took a shower and got dressed. And noticed a couple of big contractions while I was getting cleaned up. We decided to head out to eat at the crack of noon. So breakfast turned into lunch. And we were already in the home depot parking lot, so we HAD to stop. But for some reason, I could barely get my legs to carry me into the store and I begged to leave after only looking at some paint samples. I guess we were going to fail on any home improvement this weekend!! :)
As we sat down to eat lunch I started contracting enough that my already huge belly was actually protruding enough to push on the table in front of me in the booth. And I coughed for a good half an hour waiting for the food. Ate a few bites and had to go outside to get back into the humidity to breathe. And BOOM, another contraction! I was so uncomfortable that I started crying on our ride home. I think this freaked out my husband!!! And I spent the most miserable afternoon trying to find a comfortable position to sit and just to breathe in our house. I had contractions maybe once an hour. Which is more than I EVER have had. But the rule was to go to the hospital if there were 4 an hour. So, we just chilled at home. As chill as you can be with the sliders open on another 93 degree day.
I ended my Saturday with one more BIG contraction and as it started to subside, I felt this big lump crawl up under my ribcage and start putting pressure on the ribs and lungs. A baby? Maybe! But, I got some sleep and Sunday was much better, much more restful and my only complaint was the nagging pressure under my rib cage on the right side! Until around 9 PM when I was standing up and felt a huge pop and horrific, sharp pain in my ribs. We thought for sure I had just broken a rib! Who knows, maybe I did!? I could not even figure out how to lay down without horrific pain. I finally got some sleep with enough propped pillows and an ice bag on my rib cage!
So Monday brought a whole day of complaints and a phone call to the doctor's office to tell them of my miserable woes. I found myself getting SCOLDED for not coming to the hospital due to the contractions. And I had a stern warning that I was to get in the car and go the hospital with the next set of symptoms. So after 5 contractions between 7 and 8PM. Away we went. I called the doctor on call and he definitely wanted us to go get checked out and called ahead to let the hospital know we were on our way. I could write a book about how ridiculous our triage experience was in the hospital. But, the main point is that FINALLY at 11:30 I was flat in bed, strapped to 3 heart monitors, 3 contraction monitors and a WAY too tight blood pressure cuff. I was a mess, but the babies were doing quite well so we were released to go home around 3AM. By the way, my rock star cervix is still 3.7 with a goal of at least 2.5! You gotta be talented at something right?
So yesterday was another trip to St Pete to see my doctor. I saw the woman in the practice and I LOVE HER. I had seen her a few times before, but she was the perfect solution for me yesterday. So gentle and understanding and just really put me at ease. I found out that Thomas is the rib culprit. His head is stuck under my ribcage. The ribs over on that right side are separated and the muscles are pulled and inflamed. And it's probably not going to get any better. I am FULL of babies and there is just nowhere for anyone to go! Oddly I just keep filling out and not really protruding more. So I am packed full of baby from bladder to neck. She really understood my discomfort and really calmed me down. I now have a new set of parameters to follow for contractions. And it is the first cut and dry rules we have heard this entire pregnancy! She thinks my coughing needs to stop as it is obviously painful and may be causing some of the contractions, so she gave me an RX for some good cough meds. I am back on meds to stop contracions.
I am SO happy to be doing so well with the pregnancy. The babies are THRIVING! And I apologize for the bitch session! But MAN am I UNCOMFORTABLE. And it just seemed to hit me all at once. I am now 27 weeks and only one week from our next big goal! Each week these babies stay in, is a huge blessing. The one really good thing about no sleep is I have lots of time to think about these little munchkins and enjoy their movements. I can actually feel individually where they are now. It makes everything seem so amazing. And it also leaves me lots of time to PRAY!!
Thanks to those of you that stuck it out and made it to the end of this crabby story! Please say an extra prayer for our little growing family. We NEED it!!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Just a little venting session...
I always write during the day when I am feeling my best. But it's the middle of the night and I feel like being quite honest. THIS SUCKS! :)
No sleep, none. I can make it about 20 minutes at a time. I can't sit or lie or stand in one position for more than just a few minutes before I am uncomfortable somewhere. I feel so much pressure everywhere, all night long. And my cervix has been SO good that they haven't hooked me up to monitors. But I KNOW I am contracting. I just don't know when it's enough to go to the hospital for monitoring.
I am happy to be coming up on 27 weeks. I think I can, I think I can...
No sleep, none. I can make it about 20 minutes at a time. I can't sit or lie or stand in one position for more than just a few minutes before I am uncomfortable somewhere. I feel so much pressure everywhere, all night long. And my cervix has been SO good that they haven't hooked me up to monitors. But I KNOW I am contracting. I just don't know when it's enough to go to the hospital for monitoring.
I am happy to be coming up on 27 weeks. I think I can, I think I can...
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