Update

(warning... long post ahead)

First I want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for all of the prayers going up for myself and my two precious babies (who at this time I’m proud to say are still in utero.) Please continue to pray as we aren’t quite out of the woods yet.

Here is the back story, middle story, and current condition.

As I posted last week, I was put on bed rest at 32 weeks 1 day with high blood pressure. I was to take my BP every AM and PM and record a log. I was also instructed by my sweet doc if I had a lingering headache that Tylenol wouldn’t help and it persisted for more than 2 hours to call in.

On Monday night I went to bed with a terrible headache. My BP was high, but nothing higher than it had been. I tool Tylenol pm and went to bed. I woke up Tuesday morning with the same headache and high BP. I didn’t call the dr… because I knew I would end up in the hospital, well and I’m hardheaded. Finally after an entire day of feeling awful and strong words of “encouragement” from family and friends I called the dr. Hospital it was. With routine procedure, they hooked me up to the fetal heart monitors and the contraction monitor. My doctor says, do you feel these contractions?

Contractions, what? He checked me and I was ½ to 1 cm dialted. They immediately started me on brethine ( a med to stop contractions) and begin a 24 urinalysis to determine if I was indeed preeclampsic. (Which I am.) And, I received a shot of betamethasone (a steroid to help develop the babies lungs.) During the night my body started to show signs of change (I will spare you details) and I mentioned them to the on call dr on Tuesday morning. He checked me again and I was 1 ½ cm and 50% effaced. They immediately started me on magnesium sulfate a VERY STRONG medicine to stop contractions. It is was pretty rough. You feel like you have the flu and are SO FREAKING HOT. Yyou aren’t permitted to walk or get out of the bed so other lovely tubes accompany the IV. Also, you can’t eat or drink. TORTURE!

After a really scary reaction to the magnesium sulfate I had to be taken off for a period of time. Slowly but surely they were able to put me back on it and decrease my contraction volume and frequency. I had dilated to 2cm by this point. I was given a second and final dose of betamethasone for their lungs. During the night the magnesium sulfate continued to work, and I got good drug induced sleep... nothing like it! :)

I woke up feeling good this morning and not contracting regularly. I also haven’t progressed anymore in the dilation/effacement neck of the woods So, much to my delight I am off of the magnesium and my sweet mommy is on her way downstairs to get me a subway sandwich. WOO HOO!

We saw the Perinatologist (a high risk OB dr) this morning and he says if things continue to go well today, my BP stays down, and don’t progress anymore they move me from labor and delivery to a regular room where I will remain on hospital bed rest until the time of delivery… could be a day could be 3 weeks. Who knows.

Now, here is where the prayers come in. If my blood pressure goes back up high, my contractions return in a patterned way, of if I get another terrible headache then it’s “go time” as my brother says. They will put me back on the magnesium due to my toxemia. It will help to keep my BP lower and reduce the risk of seizures that in a worst case scenario would be brought on by the high BP. Please pray that if early delivery comes, by body handles it safely and these babies get here ahead of the curve.

With the two steroid shots their lungs could POSSIBLY be compared to a 36 week newborn… best case scenario they would not need the Vent. They will still need lots of help eating if born right now. They do not develop the suck, swallow, breathe technique until 35-36 weeks they said. So, feeding tubes will be a must and they would have to have IV fluids just for being preemies. We also know that the more premature they are born, the longer it will be before we can have then in our arms and ultimately at home with us.

We of course are quite nervous and would love for the these babies to stay in as long as possible. I know that we are in the Lord’s hands and whatever happens everything will be OK.

Thanks again from the bottom of our hearts!

Love, Eugene & Katie