Triplets Plus One

Pregnancy Week 35

2009-12-15T22:08:00.002-06:00

I'm really tired of this drama filled pregnancy. It's exhausting. Thank God it's almost over!

Yesterday I went in for my regular OB appt and growth u/s. Things went perfectly fine until I had my u/s, and they found that the baby hadn't grown at all in 2 weeks. (he was 5lbs 11oz two weeks ago, measured 5lbs 12 oz yesterday) What scary news to receive. There was talk of doing an amnio and seeing if his lungs were mature and just delivering, but they called downstairs to my MFM and he wanted me to spend a night in the hospital and have the baby's heartrate monitored. At about 8:30 this morning we went in for another scan, this time with the same sonographer and u/s machine as they used 2 weeks ago when they measured me, and she measured him at 6lbs 7oz. So according to that u/s, he did indeed grow. His rate of growth has slowed down, but not to a scary level. He's still measuring ahead about 3 weeks. Kadence weighed 6lbs 4oz when she was born at 38 weeks, the average is 6lbs 3oz I think. So he's already bigger than that at 35 weeks. This is all according to u/s of course, they can be off +/- a pound.

My c-section has been scheduled for December 28th at 10 am. Makes me nervous that a date has been set! That's only 12 days away! I'm so curious to see if I actually make it to 37 weeks. When the doctor measured my belly yesterday I measured 40 weeks. No wonder I feel like I'm ready to pop. Geesh!

So now I'm back at the hotel, just kind of hanging out for the next 12 days.

If I'm not home by Christmas (I'd have to deliver by this Sunday in order to be home by then) we are planning on postponing (sp?) Christmas until me and baby are home. I told Kadence that I wrote a letter to Santa Claus, and he wrote me back saying that he would make a special trip back to our house when our whole family was together. Such a sweet little girl, she has absolutely no objections to waiting until we're all together.

I went home this weekend to see the kids and that helped sooo much. I feel like a brand new person. Within minutes of arriving home everything was back to normal. I wondered how the little ones would act towards me, if they'd act differently towards me. But other than being a little shy for a few minutes, they were all piled on my lap playing with me and giggling like I was never gone. For the first couple of hours they didn't even want me to get up to go to the bathroom. Lol. Kadence about knocked me over with her hug when she got home from school. I got all teary eyed. My kids are the best. :)

So within the next 12 days I'll be holding my newborn son. That thought alone will get me through the next week and a half. :)

One Day at a Time

2009-12-09T14:59:00.003-06:00

I've been in this hotel for a week now. Kind of neat that I've gotten a whole week out of the way. Even if I do make it to that 37 week mark for my scheduled c-section, I only have 2 weeks and 5 days left. In the grand scheme of things, 2 weeks 5 days is nothing. It should just fly by. But being up here alone, away from my family, with nothing to do.. the days drag on. And thinking of spending 19 more days in this hotel makes me want to cry. And sometimes I do cry. ;-)

The awesome thing is all of the NICU time that we're avoiding by me remaining pregnant. That in itself is worth it. Totally worth it. If I can make it until next week, we could have a take-home baby! Especially since I'll have to spend 4 days in the hospital after my c-section- if he does require some hospital stay, I'm hoping those 4 days will be enough for him to come home with me when I get discharged.

I got to see the kids on Saturday, that was so nice! Rowan acted normally towards me, but the boys seemed a bit shy. Broke my heart a little bit, but Davey reassured me that as soon as I get home things will be back to normal. They were just in a strange place and weren't quite sure why Mommy was living here now and not at home. It was wonderful to see them, and totally lifted my spirits to hug them and kiss them and tell them in person that I love them. Kadence was able to spend TWO nights with me at the hotel! It was great! She had so much fun, and was in dire need of some mommy time. Poor little thing cried and cried when she had to leave though. I cried too. I'll see her and the little ones again this weekend. I can't wait.

I take the days hour by hour. Some hours are harder than others. Some days are rougher than the next. I miss my family horribly. And I know they miss me, too. Kadence takes it the hardest, she cries almost every time we talk on the phone. "I just want to snuggle with you." She says that and her little tears just start flowing. Then I spend the next 20 minutes telling her that I miss her too, and that Mommy will be home very soon. Sigh. This is definitely rough.

But like everyone says, soon this will be a distant memory, and I'll be at home, enjoying my 4 kids, and my NEW little baby boy. ^_^ I'm going to be a mommy of 5 soon! I can't believe that, still sounds so strange to me! But I love it. Absolutley love it. Being a Mommy is what I was put on this earth for. :)

Weekend Update

2009-12-05T10:12:00.003-06:00

Well since I won't have a computer until Tuesday I thought I would do a little update on how I'm doing.

My contractions have been ok. They've been picking up more again so I'm not sure how long it will be before I wind back up at the hospital. Hoping I can hold off at least a few more days as hospital life isn't fun.

Hotel life is boring. I just sit here in my room all day doing nothing. I talk on the phone some, watch t.v. when I can find something interesting to watch, stare at the walls. LOL.

My spirits are up today because for the first time since Monday morning I get to see my kids!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!! I just want to squeeze them and kiss their little faces and never let go. ^_^

Since I won't have a computer until Tuesday, if I have any updates I'll post them via Twitter up in the left hand corner of this page, and also on Facebook.

Have a great weekend. :)

Long Update from the Hospital Hotel

2009-12-03T09:58:00.004-06:00

It's been another long week. Monday morning we drove to St. John's in Springfield because I was feeling some pains along my scar, and having an increase in contractions. At first, I think they were planning on letting me go home (after sitting there on the monitors for about 3 hours) and then the contractions really picked up.

I wound up contracting really hard for about 12 hours. They were super intense (on the TOCO monitor they were starting out at zero and going up to the 120's-140's) and were coming every 2 minutes. I think around 7 that night they gave me pain meds. I finally stopped contracting at about 2am.

Amazingly, my cervix didn't change any. Funny how now it seems as though I have a cervix of steel. Could have used that with the last pregnancy. ;)

The doctors are concerned about my c-section scar and these contractions. They don't like the idea of me being so far away from the hospital, so I am now stationed in a hotel right across the street from the hospital until I deliver.

This is tough. I haven't seen my kids since Monday morning. :( I am hoping that someone can bring them up to see me on Saturday. I miss them so much. :(

I'm going to try to answer some questions that some of you have.

Why can't you stay in the hospital? If you're too high-risk to go home, why can't they just let you stay in the hospital?

This we don't quite understand either. The doctors tell us it's because I really don't need 24 hr. supervision in a hospital, so they couldn't justify me staying there. We already checked with our insurance, and we are covered 100% at this point due to meeting our maximum out of pocket this year. I guess the hospital was unwilling to code things so that we could get it covered.

So why didn't you just go home anyway? Why let the doctors tell you what to do?

Well for 2 reasons. 1, we were told that if I leave Springfield, that I would be discharged against medical advice. That can cause a whole lot of issues, such as having to find another hospital, or even getting dropped from our insurance. But even more importantly, the reason I chose to stay was because I honestly didn't feel comfortable being so far away from a hospital either. I know this stinks, and I know it's going to be hard, but my safety and the baby's safety is what's most important right now.

Why can't they just drain some fluid out of the amniotic sac?

The main reason is because it's really risky. Even riskier than my risk of rupturing. It would be done the same way as an amnio is done to check for lung development, but rather than having to drain 2 tablespoons of fluid, they would have to drain a lot of fluid. Which would mean the needle would have to be in there for a long time. Issues that could arise could be rupturing of the sac, infection, and draining that much fluid the baby may not handle it well. There is also no medical data showing that by draining off some of the fluid that it will help slow my contractions or reduce my risk of rupturing. (this is what we were told...makes no sense to us) The only way they will drain fluid off from around the baby is if I have so much fluid build up that it's difficult for me to breathe. Sounds like a lovely side effect doesn't it?

So what's the game plan?

The game plan is to make it to 37 weeks, do an amnio, and do a c-section to deliver the baby. I will be 37 weeks on December 28th.

If I start having strong contractions, I am supposed to have hospital security come and pick me up, and I will stay in the hospital until the contractions stop.

They won't deliver the baby until I'm in true labor. In order to be in true labor, no matter how hard you are contracting, your cervix has to be dilating. So if I go over to the hospital contracting and they see that my cervix is changing, they will deliver the baby.

I will also have regular weekly appt's for the next few weeks until I deliver.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Leave me a comment if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to try to answer them. :)

I have a laptop until Sunday, and I'm hoping I can locate another one to borrow for awhile- I'm going to go nuts up here all by myself without a computer!

Oh, one more thing. At my scan on Monday, the baby was weighing 5lbs 11oz. Can you say holy-big-fat-baby-batman?? He is measuring more like a 36 1/2 weeker vs. the 33 weeker that he is. My fluid levels are up to 32.5cm. The highest they had been previously at 28 weeks was 36cm.

Pregnancy Week 32

2009-11-28T10:35:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I totally avoid posting an update because it seems to make the weeks go by faster. Does that sound dumb? Like today I'm posting my 32-week update, but I'll be 33 weeks in two days, so it almost seems like I bypassed this week all together. Well not totally bypassed it. Almost. :p I now find myself counting down the hours, not just the days. Lol.

My week started out very crappy. Lots of issues with my OB in Decatur. After saying he would get ahold of the Springfield doctors this past week, he told us during our appt that there was no need to. And when we would ask him questions, he would have no answers for us. Very frustrating.

My fluid levels are back up to 30 now, an increase of 5cm of fluid in just one week. That's not a good thing. And baby weighed 5lbs 1oz at Tuesday's appt.

My contractions are getting much stronger when I do have them. I can't even feel the Braxton-hicks anymore unless I happen to run my hand across my belly and then I realize I'm having one. Fortunately they haven't become regular enough for me to make another trip to the hospital, which I'm very grateful for. Lastnight they were coming pretty close for more than an hour, but then they let up again. I don't think it's a good sign that they are getting stronger, and I'm guessing when they do become regular, that I'll be in full-blown labor. And guessing by the size of my belly, I don't think that will be long.

I of course have no way of knowing when I will go into labor. My gut (no pun intended) is telling me that I won't go past 35 weeks. Heck I could go into labor tonight, there is just no telling what's going to happen. But judging by my size, and the fact that my contractions are getting stronger, I just don't think it will be more than 2 weeks. The good thing is that I'm almost 33 weeks. Some babies are take-home babies at 34 weeks. Some may spend a week or two as feeders and growers if born at 34 weeks. I would LOVE to make it 2 more weeks, and then maybe with my 3 day hospital stay after my c-section, we could bring this little guy home with us. Davey said the other day, "I sure hope we have him home for Christmas." It hadn't even crossed my mind that we wouldn't. He HAS to be home for Christmas! If you're praying, say some extra prayers that he'll be home for Chrismas, ok? ;)

I've put my fears of rupturing to the back of my mind since there is really nothing I can do about it. I'm taking it easy, listening to my body, and tyring not to stress about things. That's all I can do. I've been feeling pains along my c-section scar this past week, so I know it's definitely stretching. If it gets any more painful, I'll head to the hospital. It doesn't hurt all of the time. Just every now and then it will hurt for an hour or 2, and I'll have sharp shooting pains.

My Mom has been here for the past 11 days and it was a Godsend having her here! I give all the credit to her for me keeping this baby cooking for almost 2 extra weeks. Thank you, thank you, thank you Mom!! I love you so much! I was so sad to see you go today... but am SO thankful that I got through a couple of scary weeks with my Mom here. ^_^ Sometimes you just need your Mom, and this was definitely one of those times. Can't wait to see you again when baby Ben gets here!!!

I have my fluid levels checked again on Tuesday. If I don't post on here, check my Twitter update on the left sidebar of this page. I Twitter a lot of my updates.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Pregnancy Week 31

2009-11-18T20:24:00.003-06:00

I'm a couple of days late posting this, but am happy to report that at 31 weeks 2 days, I am still pregnant. Yay!

Sunday night I wound up back in the hospital with horrible back pain and contractions. My contractions were 5 minutes apart, then after an hour or so spaced out to every 10 minutes, and then when they were 20 minutes apart, they let me go home. No meds or hospital stay needed this time. Thank goodness.

I had another appt with my regular OB in Decatur on Tuesday. Thankfully he seems more on board with what's going on, and is being more realistic that I have some very serious issues here, and that I most likely will not make it to my scheduled c-section at 37 weeks.

We also discussed the risks of going to 37 weeks, and if the game plan should be re-evaluated. With my risk factors of large baby, excess fluid (was back up to 25 this week) and my classical c-section scar, my risk of rupturing is pretty high. Dr. P plans to call the MFM's in Springfield next week and try to come up with a new gameplan. He said it's hard to say when it may be too late to deliver, or when it's too early for the baby. He said if I rupture at home, we'd "wind up with a dead baby, and probably not a good outcome for mom either." Eek. I'm glad he put it so bluntly so Davey could understand how serious of a situation it would be if that were to occur.

We have to weigh both risk factors and try to make a decision. To me it's a no-brainer...if it's a matter of me and baby dying, or baby needing a little bit of oxygen from a nasal cannula for a few days...I choose the nasal cannula. We're not talking delivering at week 25 here, or even 30. If I make it to week 34, I think we really need to make a decision.

Dr. P also told me that at this point, if I'm having regular contractions at all, that I need to come in. If I have to go to the hospital 50 times between now and when I deliver, he said it doesn't matter. I'm to a size now that contracting at all could mean rupturing.

On a side note, I measured my uterus today with a tape measure and I'm measuring 37 weeks. I measure 14.5 inches from the top of my pubic bone to the top of my uterus. The baby is measuring 3 weeks ahead (he should be about 4lbs 11oz today), so that would put me at 34.2 weeks, so the rest must be the extra fluid causing my uterus to be so large.

Still holding out for 32 weeks. After that I'll take things day by day.

Stellan is Healed

2009-11-15T08:37:00.004-06:00

If you've been following mckmama's blog the last couple of days, then you know that Stellan's SVT is gone. The doctors were able to do a successful ablation and fix his little heart. :)

His Mommy posted this video lastnight of the family's reunion. I cried the entire way through it. ^_^

His Mom also posted this blog a couple of days ago on miracles. Much of what she had to say completely hit home for me, as I've gone through many of these same emotions. People always call the triplets "miracles" because they were born so small, and not only survived, but have no lasting effects because of it. Even though part of me knows that they are miracles, it still is hard for me to hear when people say it.

Joey day 1

Elijah day 6

Rowan week 2

One of the hardest things I went through while my babies were in the NICU was watching other babies around me die, or hearing about other mom's online who's triplets were born at the same gestation mine were, but who didn't make it. The guilt I felt was overwhelming. Instead of wondering "why me??" I was constantly wondering "why not me??" Why were they losing their babies, but I wasn't? I knew that those babies were loved as much as mine were, and that just as many people were praying for those babies as they were mine. So why did mine live, but not theirs? It was something that I struggled with that first year, and a part of me still does. Every time someone calls Elijah, Joey and Rowan miracles, it still stings just a little, because I still think of all of those parents who didn't receive their miracle.

I can't put it into words quite like MckMama does, so I wanted to share the link with you so you could read it. Maybe it will hit home for some of you like it did me.

And for what it's worth, I do believe in miracles. I just wish everyone could have their miracles.

Discouraged

2009-11-13T09:43:00.002-06:00

After a week of being contraction free, I thought that I was better. I had gone from being afraid that I could deliver at any moment, to believing I was going to make it to 37 weeks.

Then lastnight, the contractions started again. I was once again making that decision whether or not to go to the hospital. Thankfully after a few hours the contractions stopped, but I know it's going to be a bumpy ride from here on out. Lastnight the contractinos didn't begin until 6:00 pm. But this morning when I got out of bed I started having them right away. As of right now they are more of the braxton hicks type contractions, coming every 8-10 minutes. There are some stronger contractions every now and then, but definitely nothing to go to the hospital over. Yet I know it won't be long before these little "irritation" contractions will turn into something bigger. Lastnight they started out small, then for an hour and a half or so were quite strong. I waited it out, and they stopped. If they had gotten any stronger I would have had to head back up to Springfield.
(I was rating the pain at a 5, when I start rating them at a 6 is when I'm heading to the hospital) The braxton hicks type is more of a tightening across the top and middle of my belly. The "real" contractions cause more of a cramping and pain way low in the uterus. Not a good sign when you start to have those.

I hadn't thought about it until lastnight, but it does kind of make sense that I'm having contractions again. The reason I was having contractions was because my uterus had gotten to a size that it just couldn't handle. So they brought my fluid levels down some, and that helped. I was under the impression that if my fluid levels came down, and stayed down, that I should be able to go full term. But while the fluid was going down, baby kept getting bigger. He has gained 1 1/4 pounds since I went into the hospital. So wouldn't it make sense that if my uterus is back up to the size it was 2 1/2 weeks ago, that I would start to have contractions again?

I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen. I could have a few more days or even weeks of these lighter type of contractions. Or I could be heading up to the hospital tonight. I just don't know.

I'm taking it easy. I'm drinking my water. I'm laying down. I'm trying not to stress about it. I'm glad I'm almost 31 weeks vs. 28 weeks, I'm trying to "stick it out just a few more weeks". I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing.

Which is why it's so damned discourging.

Pregnancy Week 30

2009-11-10T21:06:00.003-06:00

First of all, can I get a big YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY for making it to 30 weeks?!

YAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulder just by getting out of the "20's" and into the "30's". I did NOT want to have another twenty-something week baby. And now we've made it safely out of the 20's so I don't have to worry about that anymore! Yay!

I had my first appointment with my regular OB today since my hospital stay. I say appointment, though I'm not sure I'd exactly call it that... They did my ultrasound, and according to the measurments my fluid levels are at 23cm today, which is a decrease of 5cm since Friday. I'm not buyin' it. They didn't measure the fluid the same way they did in Springfield, so I'm just not very confident that they measured it correctly.

Then we had our "appointment" with my doctor. I kid you not it lasted less than 2 minutes. Let me first say that the typical appt with Dr. P lasts about 30 seconds to 1 minute. My friend Shelby sees this doctor too, so she can back me up on this.

Here's what was said during my 1 1/2 minute appt today:

Doctor walks in the room..

Doctor: "So what did Springfield have to say." (it came out more of a statment than a question)

Me: "About what?" (I was in the hospital for 3 days dude...where do you want me to begin??)

Doctor: "About anything."

*long pause...

Me: "Um...that I had excess fluid and that the baby is measuring large...."

Doctor: "Ok. Well we'll see you back weekly for fluid checks. Then we'll go ahead and schedule your c-section for 37 weeks I guess."

Me: dumbfounded look on face, speechless that he's not discussing anything else with me.

Doctor: As he's writing out my appt for next week, "Do you have any questions?"

Me: "Um....I....well....I guess not?"

Doctor: "Ok, see ya next week." And walks out the door.

Are you KIDDING ME???? Not one single question was asked about my hospital stay. Not once did he ask me how I was feeling now, or if I was having any more contractions. Nothing was mentioned about what the game plan was if I go into labor at home, or if I rupture at home, or what hospital I should go to. He had zero interest whatsoever in my well being. ZERO. Total disregard for my feelings and how I've been handling things.

Is that not CRAZY?!?!?!

So me and Davey talked on the way home, and if I go into labor any earlier than 37 weeks, we're going to Springfield. Even if it's the evening of 36 weeks 6 days, we're heading to Springfield. I'm actually hoping that I go into labor during week 36 just so I don't have to deliver in Decatur. Isn't that sad?

On a good note though, it didn't appear that the fluid levels had gone up any. There were still 2 large pockets of fluid, but they didn't look any bigger than they did on Friday.

And the GREAT news? This little guy now weighs 4 pounds 2 ounces!!! He's in like the 93rd % for his weight! But for his height he's actually measuring a week behind, LOL. So he's apparently short and chubby. :) I have no clue how big this little guy is going to get, but I'm guessing once he gets to the 6 1/2 pound mark, I'm going to either start having contractions, or I'm going to just go into hard labor. That's what happened with the triplets- I got to the size my body thought was full term and I just went into labor. Their combined weights were 5lbs 14oz, but when you add in the 3 placentas and the 3 sacs of fluid I was about the same size I was when I delivered Kadence.

But we shall see. Right now my contractions are few and far between, and I'm really hoping it stays that way at least until week 35. By then, if he keeps gaining at a rate of an ounce a day, he will weigh almost 6 pounds. LOL. Pretty big for a 35-weeker!!

Here is my newest belly progression photo. My belly didn't grow a whole lot from week 27 to week 30 because of all of the fluid that I've lost, but baby has put on about a pound and a half since then! And I'm rounding out quite nicely, it looks like I have a basketball under my shirt now. :)

Tough.

2009-11-08T20:01:00.002-06:00

The last couple of weeks have been tough. Really tough. I'm doing my best to cope with everything that has been thrown my way, but the days just keep getting longer and harder.

I am not a very patient person. I wish I were, but I'm not. If someone could show me a magic ball where I could just peek into the future and know what complications were going to arise, and when I was going to deliver, I could handle this all so much easier. I'm going to go into labor at home? Fine. When? I'm going to have a premature baby? Fine. What week?

I like information. I like it when the doctors are straight with me and tell me what will most likely happen. I like to search the internet for information so that I can educate myself. This not knowing is what's killing me. But there is no way of knowing, no crystal ball to peek into. According to the doctors, my fluid levels will most likely rise back to the level it was at previously by the end of next week. But it might not. Or it may rise by this Tuesday. They just don't know.

For now I'll just take comfort in the fact that tomorrow I'll be 30 weeks. The survival rate for 30-weekers is 95%, with just a 5% chance of long-term disabilities. Also I am thankful that this little guy is so big for his age. If he were born tomorrow he would probably be 4 pounds vs. where he "should" be which is 3 pounds. I am thankful that he has already received his doses of steroid shots for his lungs.

So while I have a lot on my mind, and a lot to worry about, I also have a lot to be thankful for. I need to try to refocus my thoughts to the good things, and try not to worry so much about what could go wrong. It's so hard not to worry though...

Not exactlly what I was hoping for..

2009-11-06T21:58:00.003-06:00

But not horrible either...

I had another appt this afternoon at St. John's with the MFM doctors. They did a scan and found out that while the baby's heart is handling the Indocin just fine, my fluid levels didn't come down at all over the past 3 days. (they remained at 28cm) So, they discontinued the meds because they said they had obviously done all that they were going to do.

So now what?

Good question.

Now it's just a waiting game. 1 of 3 scenarios could happen.

The least likely scenario- my fluid will remain at 28cm for the remainder of my pregnancy and will not rise any more. Very doubtful.

The scariest scenario- my fluid could return to a scary level in just a few days. This would mean lots of contractions again, and most likely pre-term labor.

The most likely scenario- my fluid levels will return to scary levels in approximately 2 weeks. This is what they see most often.

So the plan is that if begin having regular contractions, I get my butt back to St. John's so they can monitor me and assess things. They would still try to stop labor at this point, but with what I'm not sure. Mag again? We didn't really discuss what they would use to stop contractions. If I'm laboring too hard, they will go ahead and do the c-section due to my risk of rupturing.

If my uterus remains calm, then I go have my fluid levels measured via sonogram every week from here on out at Decatur with my regular Ob/Gyn. If it gets dangerously high, then they'll send me to St. John's in Springfield. Most likely I will not be delivering in Decatur- unless of course I would happen to make it to full term.(very doubtful)

Since I've stopped taking the Indocin I've already noticed an increase in the amount of contractions. Fortunately nothing regular yet. But I'm guessing over the next few days I'm going to be having more and more.

I'm trying not to let this news get me down, and am trying to count my blessings. I'll be 30 weeks on Monday, which is 4 weeks further than I made it with the triplets! That's something right?! My big goal is still 32 weeks, so I'm still holding onto that hope. Only 17 more days...

2009-11-03T22:04:00.002-06:00

Well my scan went really well today- lots of good news to report. I’ll try my best to explain things and try to make some sense, I know this is a lot of information to take in. Trust me, I know. ;o) I apologize if it's choppy or if I repeat myself.

- My fluid levels went down from 36 to 28, (they measure the fluid in centimeters) which is a good thing! The normal range for amniotic fluid around the baby is 5-20, so at 36, mine was getting really high. The medicine I’m on, Indocin, is what’s decreasing the fluid.

- They will check my fluid levels again on Friday, and if they’ve come back down into normal range, they will take me off of the Indocin.

- They only like to give Indocin as a temporary fix, and do not like pregnant patients to be on it longer than two weeks. So hopefully this Friday I can stop taking it.

- As I mentioned before, Indocin can cause damage to the baby’s heart. The doctor explained this in more detail today. Basically what can happen is the medicine can cause the baby’s PDA valve to close prematurely. It can be reversible while the baby is still in the womb- simply by taking you off of the medication, the baby’s heart valve may open back up as it should be. But then when the baby is born, the valve can stay opened, which when a baby is born, it’s supposed to close. The way they normally get baby’s heart valves to close when they are born (both Eli and Joey had this problem because they were preemies) is to give Indocin. However, Indocin would not work and they would have to do surgery to close the valve. Sound confusing? It is. Let’s just hope none of that happens.

- If the fluid levels do go down to normal range on Friday, the plan is to take me off of the medication, and to keep checking my fluid levels every few days. There is a good possibility that my fluid levels will begin to rise again, though how quickly they don’t know. The doctor said that typically the levels do not rise as quickly as they went down. So since it took a week for my fluid levels to return to normal, it should take longer than a week for them to go back up to where they were in the dangerous level. We’re of course hoping it takes the fluid several weeks to rise to that level again, but it’s so hard to say what will happen.

- As of today, the baby was handling the Indocin very well. They will check his heart again on Friday.

- The hope is that by lowering my fluid levels, that will hold off pre-term labor at least for a couple more weeks. They cannot give me Indocin again after week 32 because the risks are far too high for the baby after that point. We have not discussed what we will use to stop my labor if I should happen to go into labor again past week 32.

- We really have no long-term plan. For right now we’re taking it 3 days at a time.

- Things are looking much better today than they were a few days ago, but it’s still terrifying when the doctors are throwing words at you such as “rupturing” and “hemorraging” and asking how far away your closest hospital is, and telling you how minutes can make a difference if something goes terribly wrong at home. I hate having to worry about these things constantly. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.

I’m feeling much better about things as far as the immediate future is concerned. Knowing that I should have at least another couple of weeks to keep this baby cooking is such a huge relief. I have been through so many emotions this past week I’m surprised I didn’t have a nervous breakdown to be completely honest with you. But for now I feel that I can breathe again, and know that every single day that I’m able to keep this little guy in is doing him so much good. I’m feeling very confident that I can make it to 32-weeks now. Such a turn-a-round from last week when at 28 weeks 2 days I thought for sure he was going to be born.

Things could change at any minute, but we’ll just keep praying that things keep going in this direction. Of course a full-term baby would be fantastic, but making it to 32 weeks is my first BIG goal that I’m trying to make it to.

Ok, so actually this Friday is my first BIG goal. 3 days at a time my doctor told me...just 3 days at a time.

The Game Plan

2009-11-01T08:09:00.004-06:00

Ok, I'm going to try to line out what the "game plan" is for me over the next couple of weeks. All of this could change at any moment, i.e. if I go into labor again, or if the meds start having a negative effect on the baby. But here's what the plan is thus far:

- I am on Indomethacin (Indocin), 25mg 3x daily. Indocin is used to help stop contractions, and one of it's side effects on the baby is that it reduces the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby. In most cases this would be a very bad thing, but in my case, it would be a good thing because of my overabundance of amniotic fluid is what is causing my contractions.

- Side effects of Indocin on mother are- fatigue, dizziness, and depression. All of which I have had since taking it. But if it keeps the baby in, I'll gladly take it.

- Possiblie side effects of Indocin on baby- it reduces the amount of amniotic fluid by making baby pee less, so they have to keep a close eye on his kidney function. It also could effect his heart by prematurely closing his PDA valve. And the 3rd potentially harmful side effect is a bowel perforation. The side effect to his heart is the most common, and the one I am most concerned about. However, from talking with the doctors and doing some research online, this typically does not occur if they discontinue the Indocin by week 31-32.

- I will be going to St. John's Hospital in Springfield every 3 days while I am on this medicine to have an u/s done to check fluid levels, check baby's kidneys, and check the fluid levels around the baby. If at anytime they find something is wrong, they will discontinue the meds and most likely keep me overnight to see how I handle contractions without the medicine.

- If I go into labor at home, I am to go to St. John's hospital. We will no longer be going to Decatur Memorial during this pregnancy.

- My risk of hemorraging is quite high if I go into labor, so it is very important for me to go to the hospital if I do go into labor at home. The doctor told me that instead of thinning and shortening my cervix, my contractions instead could be effecting my c-section scar by thinning it and tearing it apart. (lovely as that sounds..)

- After they take me off of the Indocin (I'm actually hoping they take me off of it within a week) we'll see how my contractions are and go from there. I'm not sure what the next step will be to stop labor after that, we haven't gotten that far.

So that's all I can think of right now. If you have any other questions, just leave me a comment and I'll try to answer it the best I can.

I have an appt tomorrow at St. John's, so I'll try to post when I get home tomorrow. Hoping and praying the meds aren't having any negative effects on baby, and that they don't keep me in the hospital again. I feel a little bit more comfortable being in the hospital, but at the same time, if they're keeping you in the hospital, it means there is something wrong, and I don't want the either.

Keep checking my Twitter and Facebook for updates throughout the day. Thanks again for the prayers and comments. :)

October 31st Update

2009-10-31T10:08:00.003-05:00

I think many of you know, but I went into the hospital late Tuesday night with preterm labor. I had Davey's dad drive me to Decatur, and Davey (who had just gotten to work) met me at the hospital. I wasn't even sure if I should go in, but finally decided I'd better at least get checked.

After 2 shots of terbuteline, my contractions weren't stopping, so they put me on Magnesium Sulfate, which is a very strong drug given through an IV to try to stop contractions. After that didn't work, they put me in an ambulance and transferred me to St. John's Hospital in Springfield. (the same hospital where the triplets were born)

After hours of very strong, very frequent contractions (I was rating them at about a 6 on the pain scale, and at one point I had no breaks between contractions, one right after the other, just seconds, not minutes apart), they finally began to let up. They would seem to come and go all throughout the day and evening. I'd have a break from contractions for an hour or more, sometimes several hours, then they would pick back up again and become painful and frequent.

During an u/s on Wednesday, they discovered that there is a TON more fluid around baby than there should be. And also that baby is much larger than he should be- he measured 3lbs 3oz, when he should have been right around 2lbs 2oz. They have diagnosed me with Gestational Diabetes, as it seems to be the only thing that fits for extra fluid and large baby- but they're not 100% sure. My blood sugars have been good the last couple of days, so I'm not sure if that's the cause or not.

They started me on betamethasone Wednesday morning, which is the steroid shots for the baby's lungs. Fortunately I got my 2 doses in, which is what they really want before you deliver.

After my uterus finally calmed down yesterday, they decided I could go home on Indocin, which is also a medicine that is supposed to stop contractions. It is a very strong medicine that can be dangerous for the baby, so I have to go to Springfield every 3 days to have an u/s done to check on baby and the fluid levels around the baby. Indocin works by making baby pee less, which is very helpful for my uterus due to all of the extra fluid already. This drug can cause heart problems in the baby,(it can cause the PDA valve in the baby's heart to close prematurely) which is why I have to go in every 3 days for an u/s.

Lots of scary stuff, but we're taking it day by day at this point. I will post an update later about what my instructions are, and what our big game plan is for the next few weeks.

I need to go lay down for a bit now, but I'll keep you posted. Thanks for all of the prayers and comments from those of you who have been following my Twitter and Facebook- it means so much to us. ^_^

Pregnancy Week 28

2009-10-26T20:49:00.005-05:00

You know how the past 27 weeks just flew by? Yeah. Well this week time came to a screeching halt. I find myself counting the days now until I deliver. Last week I would get a backache or something and say, "Only 9 weeks and 4 days to go...", or I'd just be exhausted and say, "Only 9 weeks and 2 days to go..."

I'm defnitely to that point. The point where being pregnant is no longer fun and cute...instead it's uncomfortable and you feel like a whale.

I am so there.

But I am so willing to take the backaches and acid reflux for the next 9 weeks so that we have a healthy baby! Just because complaints have begun does NOT mean I'm ready to give up by any means. I would carry this baby for another 7 months if it meant he would be born healthy.

Signs and Symptoms

- Backaches. Major backaches.

- More acid reflux than I had been having.

- Fatigue keeps getting worse, as expected.

- Contractions were much better this week- hoping it stays that way!

- Baby should weigh in at about 2 1/2 pounds now, and about 15 inches long.

My most recent belly shot taken tonight. See why my back is hurting? ;o)

Pregnancy Week 27

2009-10-19T19:02:00.003-05:00

Hello 3rd trimester! It's been 6 years since I've seen you! I almost made it to my 3rd trimester with the triplets, but not quite.

I had a doctors appt today, the usual- blood pressure (112/60, yay!), pee in a cup (no sugars or protein in urine, yay!) and being weighed (we won't go there). I also had my gestational diabetes test today. The stuff didn't taste too bad (little tip, I chose lemon-lime this time, much better than orange), but it gave me a headache and made me a little dizzy for a while. The baby FREAKED out from the sugar rush, and was kicking me so hard I thought his little foot would come out of my abdomen. Not even kidding. :)

This past 2 weeks my contractions have really picked up, and 3 times this week they've been so frequent I was timing them. Anywhere from 10 min apart, to 4 min apart. After an hour or two they've let up though. I mentioned this to Dr. P, and he said that if they get strong, or if I am ever debating whether or not to come in, to come in right away due to my history.

Not sure if I had mentioned this before or not, but I had preterm labor with Kadence at about 30 weeks. I spent the night in the hospital, and they gave me meds to stop the contractions. I was put on bedrest after that. So triplets or not, preterm labor is apparently something I have issues with.

It's so hard to make that call on whether or not to drive to the hospital or not- especially when it's 9:00 at night. Decatur is an hour and a half away. I'd like to say I can just follow my mommy instincts-I knew something was wrong when I was in preterm labor with Kadence, but had no clue I was in labor with the triplets. I only had 5 contractions in 3 hours, and was 6cm dilated.

I'm not letting myself get stressed about this stuff though. I try not to think about it until the contractions begin, then it's kind of hard to ignore. ;o)

Facts and Symptoms

- Frequent contractions. Hoping they ease up, but not getting my hopes up for that. Braxton Hicks I can handle, they don't bother me. But when I'm timing them, I get a little nervous. I always drink a huge glass of water and lay on my left side when they kick in.

- Back aches! OUCH! Thanks to my big old belly, and the fact that I'm carry really high, my back has been hurting a lot. Heating pads, hot baths, and tylenol don't seem to help when it's hurting a lot. Any other suggestions?

- Fatigue. I can definitely tell the 3rd trimester is here. That energy I had during the 2nd trimester really started to dwindle over the last two weeks. It's 7:15 p.m. and I could totally go to bed right now. :)

- Excitement. ^_^ Just 70 more days until we meet this little guy! Tomorrow it will be 9 weeks, 6 days. So crazy that I can say 9 weeks!!! I never did get around to getting baby things out last week, I really need to get that done soon!

26 Weeks, 2 Days, 4 Hours, 16 Minutes

2009-10-14T20:27:00.003-05:00

Well, I am officially further along now than I was when the triplets were born. Actually at the time of this posting, I have made it 4 hours and 16 minutes further than I did that day. And that's such a great feeling.

Today I only had one "moment" where I broke down. I looked at the clock and it was 2:30. I thought back to the day the trio was born, and figured that at that moment, I was having my ultrasound done to see what was going on. They of course saw Eli's head right away, and sent me back downstairs. Nurses started running around my bed, doctors came in, and they told me I was 6cm dilated, and that I was going to have an emergency c-section. They promised me they'd wait for Davey before they started. Which looking back I know they were just telling me that so I wouldn't freak out even more than I already was. Davey didn't make it in time for their birth- missed it by just 15 mintues. Man that was a scary day...

So I got online and watched the NICU video that I made, and I cried. I cried for what me and Davey went through, I cried for all of the pain that Elijah, Joey and Rowan went through, and I cried for Kadence because I feel that I totally missed her being 3 years old with all that went on that year.

So I had a good cry, wiped my tears away, took a deep breath, and didn't let it get me down again for the rest of the day. I did, however, watch the clock until it read 4:13, the time Eli was born, and 4:14, the time Joey and Rowan were born, and let out a huge sigh of relief when it read 4:15.

26 weeks 2 days was behind me.

I know it sounds silly. And I shouldn't have been worrying about it in the first place... There were, after all, 3 babies in there when I had the triplets- this time there's only one. It was a complete irrational fear, and I know that.

But still...it was a milestone that I needed to get past. It has been a day that I have feared since the moment I found out I was pregnant way back in April. 26 weeks 2 days...I HAD to make it past that day. HAD to. For the sake of my family, and most importantly, for the sake of this little baby boy. I've been here before, and there was no way I was going back. I had to get past this day.

And I have.

And I can breathe again.

Pregnancy Week 26

2009-10-12T15:25:00.003-05:00

As you probably guessed, week 26 holds a lot of emotions for me. I think the most emotional day will be Wednesday, when I'm at the gestational stage I was at when the triplets were born. So I'll save that post for another day- I'm sure I'll have a lot to write on Wednesday, as I'm sure I'll be an emotional mess. ;o)

Onto happier news..

The countdown is definitely on. So crazy to be saying that. Here this pregnancy has just flown by, yet it still surprises me that in a little more than 2 months, we'll be bringing a baby home with us. 77 days. Makes me nervous when I look at it that way. Lol.

Signs and Symptoms

- Contractions have picked up this week for sure. But it's completely normal at this stage of the game. I don't get nervous until they start becoming regular. Twice now they've been 10 minutes apart, and I've had to decide whether or not to call the doctor or not. Both cases the contractions calmed down on their own, thank God.

- The baby should be over 2 pounds now! Yay!! If he's gained an ounce a day since my last appt, he should weigh around 2lbs 5oz today. Give or take a few ounces of course. He's ahead of where his brothers and sisters were! Eli was the largest triplet weighing 2lbs 3oz at 26 weeks 2 days.

- Nesting has begun! With just 2 months left, the nesting phase has hit in full force this week. My bedroom is spotless (that's where the baby will be sleeping for the first few months) and I've made a list of things we need to bring back upstairs. i.e. baby swing, bouncy seat, baby bath tub, bassinet. It's exciting and crazy all at the same time. I'm so glad that I get to experience having a baby in the house one more time. With the triplets every single day went by in a blur. And though life will most definitely be hectic here after this baby is born, I'm hoping I have a bit more time to hold him and really take in that newborn baby stage.

- My little sister is getting married in 12 days!! I had mentioned that my dress didn't fit, and that I was getting it altered. I went in and tried it on and it FITS! Only had to let it out an inch. Thank goodness because that's all she could let it out. Lol!

Kadence's Birthday Pictures :)

2009-10-10T18:12:00.004-05:00

A few pics from Kay Kay's 6th Birthday! So sorry for the lack of posts...I have been posting all of my updates and photos on Facebook- it's so much faster!! But I know a lot of you can't see those updates, so I try to post on here when I get a free minute (or 20...). Takes me about 1 minute to upload all of these on FB, about 20 to upload them here on Blogger. Absolutely ridiculous.

Anywho, Kadence had a great day I think! We celebrated with her class by me taking in some yummy cupcakes- it was so cute to finally meet all of the little kids in her class. ^_^

Then we had a small party here at home with just Mommy, Daddy, the babies, Gaga, Papa, and Sarver Gaga. It was a fun time!

Kadence outside her classroom

The cake I made for her- she loved it!

The gift she had been begging us for- Barbie Salon

My little girl is growing up so fast!!

This is the face of an excited little girl. :)

The boys "hunting" while watching the hunting channel.

Daddy giving the kids rides around the living room

Rowan karate chopping the air with her balloons!

Pregnancy Week 25

2009-10-05T17:40:00.003-05:00

My appt on Friday went great!!

Baby is measuring a week ahead still, and according to the u/s, weighed 1lb 11oz. If you remember, Rowan weighed 1lb 13oz at birth, and Joey 1lb 14oz. So he would now be the exact same size that they were when they were born. That is just incredible to me. I look at this two different ways: I cannot believe that this baby inside of me is that "big" already, and I also cannot believe that the triplets were that small when they came into this world. So crazy!

His head measured 2 weeks ahead (but really only 1 week ahead compared to his body), but she said there is absolutely nothing to worry about. If there were extra fluid on his brain, they would have seen it in the u/s's. She said, "he just has a big head." Ha!

My Mom got to go with me to the appointment, and she was SO excited to be able to see him on the ultrasound. At one point he yawned, and then stretched soooo big. It was absolutely precious. ^_^

Here he is stretching out- see how his neck is stretched out really far and his head is back? So cute!!

My cervix looks fantastic, measuring 3.77cm long.

The countdown is on now...only 12 weeks left until we meet this new little person. ^_^

Pregnancy Week 24

2009-10-01T14:35:00.005-05:00

I'm a few days late posting this, but I don't have a lot of new info to share until my doctors appt tomorrow. (it was supposed to be Tuesday but got cancelled because the doctor had a meeting or something)

I'm doing really well, hardly any complaints. ;o) I'm growing like crazy, and with the baby measuring ahead by at least a week at my last scan, I'm wondering if he's now more than a week ahead of where he "should" be. In a normal circumstance, I wouldn't be concerned about him being a big baby, but with me having to deliver by the time he's 7 pounds, I'm worried that he'll reach that weight before his lungs are mature. But this is just me being a worry wart. Sort of. Lol. It is a valid concern.

I'm going to have the doctor do the gestational diabetes test tomorrow (it's time for it anyway), that might be one of the reasons he's measuring larger. But unlikely since I've never had it in any of my prior pregnancies. We'll see I guess... I'm also going to ask him to do a quick scan tomorrow to see where he's measuring at this point. Hopefully he won't have any problem with doing that.

I'll try and post more tomorrow after my appt!

Pregnancy Week 23

2009-09-21T09:25:00.003-05:00

The biggest thing that occurred this week is that we finally settled on a name! Actually, we have it narrowed down to two names.

During the first couple of months of my pregnancy, I was totally stuck on the name Sam. I tried convincing Davey, but he wasn't feeling it. So then a couple of months ago, I finally gave up on the name Samuel, and I fell in love with the name Ben. Davey wasn't feeling that either.

So a few days ago I said, "Ok, we have to sit down and figure out a name for this baby."

To which he replied, "I like the name Samuel."

To which I replied, "WHAT?!?! That's the name I loved at the beginning!!!"

"Well, it's sort of grown on me now," he said.

I was so happy! Then I paused and said, "Well crap. Now I have 2 names that I love- Sam, and Ben. What are we going to do?"

Davey said that he loves both names also, and wasn't sure which he liked more.

So we decided we're going to wait until we meet him to decide. :) Will he look like a Sam or a Ben I wonder? We both think that Eli could have been a Ben, and Joey could have been a Sam, but not vice versa. Isn't it funny how names work like that?

Facts and Symptoms

- I felt great this week! Fatigue was minimal, and aside from achey bones from my pelvis widening, I didn't have any cramping or pressure to speak of.

- I'm not sure how much the baby weighs this week- babycenter.com says he should weigh just over a pound, but last week he weighed a pound so who knows.

- He should be measuring around 11 inches long now. (again, he's measuring a bit bigger, so this is just a general size for babies the 23rd week)

- Sam/Ben is very jumpy when it comes to loud noises. Especially Davey's voice. :)

- With my ever expanding belly, my balance is a bit messed up. I have to be careful how I step- I find myself tipping over and having to grab onto the wall every now and then. :)

- I'm optimistically cautious at this point. I feel very certain that things will go perfectly until week 37, but also know from experience that things can change very quickly. Some of you may remember that it was week 24 (to the day) that I woke up in the middle of the night hemorraging. That was the beginning of a very scary few weeks for me, which included blood transfusions, the doctors trying to figure out why I hemorraged (eventually discovered one of the placentas tore away from the uterine wall) and being worried about when I would deliver. And just after things finally calmed down and we all thought I was going to be fine, I delivered at 26 weeks 2 days. I of course know all of this was due to the fact I was carrying triplets, but that worry is still in the back of my mind.

- For the most part (like 90% of me) I know that everything will be fine. :)

4 Cute Kids

2009-09-19T11:41:00.007-05:00

Amazed that I got all 4 of them to not only sit still, but also look at the camera?

Yeah. Me too. :)

This one we even got a few smiles. :)

Aren't they cute? I sure think so. :)

Rowan's hair was pulled back into a ponytail (her first!), that's why all you can see is her bangs. Going to take me a while to get used to seeing her face without her hair down, but I'm so excited we can pull it back now.

The weather is gorgeous, I just love this time of year. I step outside and feel the cool air, and smell the Fall air and think, "ahh...pumpkin patch weather." :) I LOVE this time of year.

Remember our trip last year to the pumpkin patch? We had so much fun.

Kay Kay

Joey

Eli

Rowan

The kids have all grown so much this year. Can't wait to go back and take some more photos of them. :)

Maybe Let it out an Inch or so...

2009-09-17T08:09:00.005-05:00

*****Update*****

The seamstress said she could let it out an inch, that's all the extra material there is in the seams to work with. That will work for now, but not sure about 5 weeks from now. Crap. Ashley told me I could wear a shawl, and no one would know that I wasn't zipped all the way in the back. ;o)

As many of you know, my little sister, Ashley, is getting married in October. October 24th to be exact. And I'm very proud to be her chosen maid of honor. :)

Waaaay back in December (it was December wasn't it?) we went dress shopping. And since I knew I'd be losing a bunch of weight, I ordered my dress almost 2 sizes smaller. I was confident that by summer, I'd fit into that dress.

And I did! It fit me beautifully. When I tried it on in April, I was going to have to have the top taken in a bit even because of all the weight I had lost. So yep, I did fit into that dress like I said I would.

Did being the operative word here.

I tried the dress on yesterday, at 22 weeks 2 days pregnant, and it's a bit snug. At least in one part of the dress it is. It fits me beautifully on top, and even fits around the widest part of my belly with room to spare. But there is a seam at the very top of my tummy that just can't accomodate my extra..ahem..girth.

So I'm taking it to a seamstress today, and have my fingers crossed that she can let it out a bit at the top of my belly. And considering I'll be 27 weeks pregnant by then, she may want to let it out 2 inches.

(I Googled to find that dress alteration image at the top, this isn't my seamstress or the bridesmaids dress lol)

He's All Boy.

2009-09-16T07:31:00.003-05:00

Thinking about getting this printed and hang it up in the house somewhere. :)