Belated Birth Story, part 1

Howdy everyone! Long time no see. Sorry about that! As I said in my previous post way back in October, my November 11-11-11 baby decided that he wanted to be a September baby! Despite being 6w2d early, and 18 days in the NICU he is home and thriving! At almost 5 months he weighs about 14lbs! It won't be too long now before he triples his 5lb 4oz birth weight. 

Here is the start of my birth story. It's long (I started having contractions 5 days before he was born!) and I think I'll probably also give a summary of his nearly 3 weeks in the NICU before he came home too. So this will be a multi-post story as my farewell. Congrats to all the recent BFPs, and I hope for more soon!

Everything started the day after my 27th birthday. On my birthday, everything seemed fine. I went to work, came home, Mr. Teacher Bud and I went out to dinner, came home, and did a Grey's Anatomy Marathon. I felt huge, but it was perfect.

The next day was homecoming for Mr. Teacher Bud's College Alma Mater, and his 5 year reunion. We were running late (of course!) so he dropped me off to pick up our tickets, and went to park the car. I had 2 FULL water bottles with me (the big stainless steel kind, not a 20oz.) I slowly walked (waddled) the 2 blocks to the stadium, where I met up with Mr. Teacher Bud and some friends. Because we were late, the only seats were waaaaay up at the top of the bleachers. It was a struggle getting up there, let me tell you! It was one of those days, that was sweltering when the sun was on you, but it was also windy, and when the sun went behind a cloud it was down right cold. Sitting on bleachers is also not great when you are 33 weeks pregnant - no back =ouch!

Close to half time, I started having contractions. I assumed they were just Braxton-Hicks, and were probably because A) it was hot, and B) I had to pee. So I climbed down the bleachers and went to the bathroom. I had several more contractions, and man! Those suckers HURT! I stayed in the bathroom for a while, and got to 5 contractions before they finally stopped. (When I had had BH contractions over the summer, my midwives said to call if I had 6 or more in an hour.)

I went back to the bleachers, and told Dan, and we agreed to try to take is easy the rest of the day, but we weren’t too worried. We’d used up our worry with the BH in July! Our group of friends decided to leave the game after the halftime show and go walk around campus. As we were walking to the first building they wanted to visit, I had a few more contractions, but, I was outside of the previous hour. I had 2-3 while we were walking, so when I got to the building, I parked myself in a chair. I had 2 more contractions before they stopped. Again, only 5 in an hour. We sat for a half an hour before continuing on. After about 20-30 minutes on my feet, the contractions started again. Same pattern, 2-3, sit down, 2 more, stop. We had one more stop to make, and again, the same thing. I could make it 20 min on my feet before they would start.

At this point, we decided I would just stay out of the heat, sit, and drink lots of water for the rest of the day. We went to his reunion, and I had a few more contractions, but only maybe 5 more over the next 6 hours or so, as I stayed seated the whole time.

We decided that this was just my body’s way of telling me I was over doing it, and so I would just take in easy from now on. I stayed on the couch for all of Sunday, but still planned to go to work on Monday. I’m a teacher, so I stand a lot at work. Luckily, my 1^st hour was taking a test, so I could just sit, and my 2^nd and 3^rd hours had their final research day for their project, so I could mostly sit then too. I decided to change my afternoon plans a bit, and bring a movie incase I didn’t feel up to my original lesson plans.

Monday morning when I woke up, I felt like the baby had dropped. As I described it at the time – my boobs no longer rested on my stomach. I made an executive decision that my afternoon classes would DEFINITELY be watching that movie afterall, and debated calling my midwives. Throughout that morning I also had some tummy troubles. I was having repeated loose bowels, which I knew could be a sign that the body was clearing itself out for labor. That was the nail in the coffin – I was calling.

To be continued…

Pre-term Labor and Other Updates

Early Saturday morning I woke up around 1:45 with intense back pain. I got up and went to the bathroom hoping it was just that. After I went to the bathroom I had a contraction, which isn't abnormal for me since my BH usually happen after I go pee. Unfortunately this contraction was harder than my BH ones and after it passed I had another 5 minutes later. After lying there through another contraction I woke up Mr. BB and told him something was wrong. We placed a call to the midwife on call and headed out the door.

The midwife on call called us back when we were about to get on the highway and suggested drinking water and lying down to see if they stop. Since we were already on our way, Mr. BB stopped and got me more water since I finished up what we had brought. We waited in the gas station parking lot for a few minutes and I was still contracting every 5 minutes. We knew we needed to get to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital and I was immediately whisked upstairs to L & D and put on the monitors. Sure enough, my contractions were showing up every 4-5 minutes. The doctor on call came in to check my cervix and it was 1/2 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced. I was SO scared I started crying and shaking uncontrollably. This hospital is the sister of the one we are delivering at and does not have a NICU, because of that I needed to be transferred to another hospital. So I got a lovely ambulance ride to the next hospital.

I was admitted immediately and the doctors came in to let me know their plan. We needed to stop my labor so I had to be given a suppository first and then a round of pills every six hours for 2 days. I also had to receive 2 steroid shots in my butt (ouch) 24 hours apart to help mature the baby's lungs incase he/she did come early.

Luckily the drugs slowed and eventually stopped my contractions and Baby BB stayed put. I had to be at the hospital for 36ish hours total for everything. Now I am on bed rest.

I went to my midwife/OB practice and had a Fetal Fibronectin and my cervix was checked again. My cervix was a teeny bit dilated but was hard and not effaced, woo hoo! The fFN came back negative which means that my chances of delivering Baby BB in the next to weeks are very low. The doctor who saw me scheduled me for an ultrasound to measure my cervical length and I had that appointment today.

The place where I get my ultrasounds is really great. The techs always tell me what they are doing/measuring and if it is normal/abnormal. Baby BB looked amazing and is totally chubby! The tech said he/she measured in the 90% for head and weight (this freaked me out my daughter was born 6 lbs 11 oz). Baby was measuring about 3 lbs 6 oz already! My BBF took me to the appointment since I am not supposed to be driving and came in the for scan with me. We both think we may have seen a boy part while the tech was scrolling through...but we will wait to see for sure when Baby BB arrives.

The good news is my cervix is measuring where it should and is closed. The okay news is that my amniotic fluid levels are on the low end of normal. The doctor at the ultrasound place wants to see me for another ultrasound next week to make sure the levels have remained the same and not decreased. I go back next Thursday for another look at my sweet pea and my fluid levels.

I am on bed rest until my doctor/midwife notifies me otherwise. I am going to call again tomorrow to see if they received my ultrasound results and if I can get off bed rest. I hope I can because bed rest sucks, really bad. Obviously if thats what I have to do to keep Baby BB in there longer then I will but oh is it boring!

As for standard updates, I feel crappy lately. I am very sore in the top of my belly and ribs and my back. I feel baby move a lot and he/she has started having hiccoughs that I can feel, so cute! I am not sure how much I weigh or what I am measuring but I'll find out for my 30 week appointment on Tuesday.

My shower is officially less than a month away and I am SO excited.

Here is to hoping Baby BB stays in until at least 36 weeks (my goal from the doctors)!

Best,