Sunday, March 13, 2016

Hospital Bedrest, day 5

Today is Daylight Savings Time day and the clock reads 6:59 a.m., which means my brain should think it's 5:59 and I should be asleeeeeeeeeeeep...but no.  C'est la hospital vie.  I've never been that great at sleeping in general (and I have the nerve to wonder where Cecilia gets it.  Mea culpa, darling child.  Mea culpa.) but add in the constant awareness of people shuffling in the halls, the unfamiliar smells and noises and the regular sensation that I've, TMI ALERT, just peed myself (which I haven't, of course. Just the baby or me shifting and causes more fluid to leak from the rupture), sleep is not something I'm getting a lot of. So.  To blog?

Mostly I feel okay.  Helen can move, and does.  We do an extended 30 minute heart rate monitoring 4-6 times per day with the long sheet slip of paper that comes out of the snazzy machine.  When they take my vitals at other intervals, my nurses will also pop the doppler on her "just to take a listen."  I'm being monitored for infection and taking two different preventative antibiotics as a precaution.  I obsessively check the color of the fluid that keeps leaking out (clear is best, pinkish is normal, anything else is probably a cause for concern.  So far we've only had the first two, and for that I am grateful.) and I have never ever ever consumed so much water in my life.  But I think it helps, or it makes me feel like it helps. so I'll happily do it.  Also if it means avoiding an IV in my arm?  Yes please.

We have sort of a better idea of a Plan, or as best a plan as you can have at a time like this.  Basically she is safer on the inside at this age (counting her as 32w3d today, which is one or two days younger than some other dates I've had, but I'd rather err on the side of caution then go jumping the gun thinking she's "old enough" or "ready" to be born when really we would do better to wait) despite the risk of infection or cord prolapse or placental abruption due to the ruptured sac.  If the latter two were going to happen, they would likely have happened on the first day when the water broke anyway, which they didn't, so....good?

Statistically, and I'm quickly growing sick of statistics let's be honest, once she reaches 34 weeks gestation, the risks posed by infection due to the prolonged rupture start to outweigh the risks of a premature birth, especially in a hospital with a level 3 NICU, which ours has.  That means that unless there is a clear reason to deliver prior to 34 weeks, I will be waiting and hoping and praying.  And then on either Holy Thursday or Good Friday or Holy Saturday or EASTER or Easter Monday or....(you get where I'm going with this.  The timing is all very timing-ish) we will induce labor if she has miraculously gotten into a safe delivery position, or I will have my very first, gulp, c-section.

Alright, I think that's long enough for now.  If I blog more often, the updates won't have to be so long, right?  I should do that, I should do that.  For now, enjoy this unrelated photo that I found on my phone since, you know, I'm stuck in a hospital room and probably you can only deal with so many pictures of mint green furniture and plastic accouterments.





p.s. If you want to follow along with kind of the day to day of all this, Instagram is the best.  It's my favorite.  And even if you don't have an IG account or a smartphone, you can at least see the posts on that there web link I just linky linked right there with the line under it ^^^, if'n you're into that sort of thing.

p.p.s. Next time I will try to say more funny things, I promise!
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30 comments :

  1. I thought accoutrements was pretty funny! Hi just hang in there- no humor necessary! Sending prayers your way!

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  2. Thank you for the updates and info for all us curious folk! Your attitude is amazing and I'm praying for all of you. So they don't at 34 weeks just watch for evidence of an infection first before inducing? Praying little girl stays inside and healthy as long as possible. God's got you both. Love and hugs from NY <3

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    1. The recommendation, and I guess I could fight it, would be to deliver at 34 weeks since the amniotic sac will have been ruptured for over two weeks at that time. It can be a little stressful on their bodies to be in there with little fluid, too. But yeah, it's hard to say sometimes which is the best choice. I'm leaning toward the 34 week delivery though because having her in there with the ruptured sac is just so reminiscent of my experience with Nicholas that it's hard for me to push it any further than we "have" to. Does that even make sense? Am I rambling?

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    2. That's definitely understandable. I'm sure it must feel like deja vu sometimes. In one sense it's "nice" that it's not an immediate emergency situation so you can take it day by day and pray about what's best for her at that moment on that day. But I'm sure having the weight of that decision is awfully hard, too! Offered my Mass for you this morning. May sweet Nicholas be praying for his mama and sister.

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  3. Thanks for the update. Prayers continue for you and your precious girl!

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  4. You sound like the most amazing momma. I'm home sick in bed feeling sorry for myself, unable to sleep, and there you are taking care of your baby before she's even born. <3 Bless you, and I'll be praying for that sweet baby.

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  5. You sound like the most amazing momma. I'm home sick in bed feeling sorry for myself, unable to sleep, and there you are taking care of your baby before she's even born. <3 Bless you, and I'll be praying for that sweet baby.

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  6. Praying for you and baby Helen/Nellie!

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  7. I don't have an instagram account but I clicked over and saw your post from last night...I had polyhydramnios with my last baby....no apparent particular reason and the only thing it caused was a dramatic, Hollywood movie style SPLOOSH when my water broke. :)

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  8. I don't think I've ever commented before, but I wanted to let you know I'll be praying for you and Helen at Mass. Stay positive!

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  9. OH Dwija! I think and pray for you and Helen everyday. I'm so glad she's doing well in there, and that as of right now you are IV-less. Our family will keep the prayers coming! P.s. LOVE the name sooooo much!

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  10. Dwija, I just had my third c-section and I assure you, all is well! If you have to have one, just know the first two hours are worst, it all looks up from there. Being numb is just kinda weird and not being able to sit up is annoying. But then feeling comes back and you can move and it's all just swell. The pain is bearable and despite what I've heard, my milk always comes in just fine despite no labor. No matter how (or when) sweet little Helen comes into the world, you got this!!! Prayers & hugs from Washington, Shelly

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  11. My kids and I have been praying for you every night! We're not going to stop, but know that this 5-time c-section Mom will double her efforts now that that's on the table for you <3 Lots of love! -Theresa

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  12. Thanks so much for the update! Still thinking of you and checking in, so keep those updates coming! Praying for you and Helen and the rest of the family at home.

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  13. You are doing so, so well! Maybe you don't feel like it, but you are being a superhero to your baby right now -- seriously. Hubby was reading over my shoulder (he's a family med doc who still delivers babies) and he is impressed. ;-) He said you are doing great in an absolutely physically miserable situation. (Magnesium? Not a kind med) Anyway, just want you to know we are praying for you here in PA. And I'm sure you are sick of all kinds of advice and birth stories and whatnot, but my 7th came via c-section due to full breech. I was petrified of going to section so I did everything humanly possible to avoid it. He was breech, I did all the exercises, then we turned him with a version, then I labored all night to 9 cm and then the little bugger turned back to breech, so it was off to urgent section. If you have to go for a section, it's going to be okay. It's a completely different recovery than a non-medicated vaginal birth -- you'll need some more time and help and some logistical planning ;-) -- but it will all be good. Just be sure to be gentle with yourself and give yourself time, and you will be golden.

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  14. Praying for you! I was born at 32 weeks back in 1979 and have been perfectly healthy my entire life, thanks be to God. I just had my first surgery in the form of a c-section for baby five. It was not nearly as bad as I had feared. No worse than natural labor for sure. If you end up there, don't fear. You will be okay and may, like me, find that it is so much better than you expected! Best part: we got a healthy baby in the end, which we could not have had any other way. Many prayers!

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  15. I keep thinking of you and Helen and hoping you're making it. I know it must be so hard for you to be on bed rest and away from everyone. I'm really praying for you guys and hoping little Helen stays perfectly healthy in there for a couple more weeks!

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  16. Praying, and keep the ig coming because I pray every time I see one!

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  18. I was just reading about St Gerard Majella, patron of pregnant women and childbirth. Now he's praying for you and flufferbutt too. She's worth all this, and God's got you.

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  19. We will continue praying for you and Helen and family. I prayed to St Anne throughout this last pregnancy and have asked her to pray for you as well. I had a c-section with my sixth child and just had a VBAC with my seventh --- don't worry, you'll be fine!

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  20. Praying for you Dwija! And having my little crew pray for you too. I am hoping that a c-section is not necessary, but as a 'expert' on that reality of bringing a child into the world (four times)- The Lord will provide no matter what. I just keep thinking of the intense blessing of being at a hospital with a level 3 NICU (I don't really know what it means, but I am assuming that's a very good thing!), and doctors/nurses working to bring your sweet baby girl into this world safely. Oh man, and enjoy that crushed ice, do I ever miss hospital crushed ice!!!

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  21. I'm a NICU nurse. If you have any questions, I'll try and help. Congratulations on the birth of your little Helen. :)

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  22. hello baby Helen!
    praying for you and the rest of the family.

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  23. I've had my own experience with PPROM and can relate. Happy to hear your little one is doing well. Sending out prayers for your family from Tucson, Arizona.

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  24. Such a lovely name, but I'm biased. My own Helen Margaret was born 2 yrs ago at 36 weeks (after attempting to come 4 times between 22-34 wks because my blood pressure was just too high). Little ladies like that need strong names, and strong saints helping them out! Congratulations from a complete stranger!!

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