Belly Shots and Bedrest : /

SOOOOOOO

Apparently a lot of people were active between the sheets in February. SO ANNOYING AS A LABOR AND DELIVERY NURSE.

The second week of November was Hell at work. I worked Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night and it was the craziest I have ever seen it (in the 6 months I have been there).

we had people coming through Triage and almost every one was admitted to the already BUSY FULL floor. I had 2 patients all 3 days and when I would get one up to postpartum would get another. CRAZY I TELL YOU. NO breaks the entire 12 hours I was there and very little time to do anything, including drink water.

As the work week for me ended (Wednesday morning) I went to sleep to forget about all the things I forgot to do or chart in hopes that what I had just experienced on the floor was just all a bad dream.

So I slept most of Wednesday and then Thursday I was still tired so just slept and hung out. *SIDENOTE: When I am sleeping I don't drink water. Thursday I woke up and had some Chai tea, a sip or 2 of water, a chocolate shake for lunch and then a coke around 4 ish in the afternoon. I know healthy. And no water.

I decided to make dinner and so I got up to cook something and I can't even remember what it was. Oh yes, I do. It was a pot pie (easy) and a cherry pie (because I can't stop eating sweets and my poor baby is probably malnourished already because of this).

I sat back down after I started to cook and felt some tightening that was happening every 5 or so minutes consistently. As a trained nurse in this area I thought, "Braxton Hicks duh, drink water you fool since you haven't a lot and take a warm shower then sit down and relax so they go away." So I did. I drank A LOT of water. Like 9 glasses or something and then took a warm shower and sat back down.

As I sat down I started to play some things I have seen at the hospital. 18 week twins demise, preterm labor on patients less weeks than I, preterm labor on patients greater weeks than I, water breakage SUPER too early and fetal demises. I started to get nervous and kind of panic. Then I remembered that my mom went into preterm labor with both Katy and I at 7 months when she went to her routine doctor appointment and was dilated to 3 cm and started to REALLY freak. Our pregnancies have been very similar and I am just 5 1/2 months pregnant (6 now).

I decided that I should probably call the doctor in the morning just to make sure my cervix hadn't decided to dilate and to make sure everything was ok. Still in the back of my head I thought this is just Braxton Hicks but I've seen and know too much and had to make sure.

Throughout the night I had a few more but all in all they had calm down. So I am currently in between doctors (long story) but the short is that I want to deliver at Baylor Downtown Dallas and not in Arlington or Baylor Fort Worth (where I work). It is close to our house and I get a really good discount because I work for Baylor. Although I LOVE my dr. in Arlington it just doesn't make sense (I had gone to her when I worked for the Rangers and she knows my history and everything).

So the morning.

I call my "new dr." who I haven't seen yet but have an appointment with on Nov 30. to see if I could come in and they suggested that I go to my old dr. because I hadn't established anything with the new one. SO I DID.

I got an appointment with my old dr. at 1130 AM and so off I go.

Got there, waited and then when she came in I described to her what had happened. She immediately looked concerned and said I shouldn't be feeling them right now (which I am not sure she is right about that but we will go ahead and trust her since she has done this for as long as I have been alive). She immediately wrote a prescription for bedrest for 2 weeks since we are/were in the grey area as far as his survival if I was having preterm labor. Usually 24 weeks is considered "viability" which is where the baby would have a chance at survival if born. Anything before that the baby would not live. At 24 weeks, there can still be MASSIVE complications so it is all just scary and made me more nervous.

She checked my cervix and said that it "felt shorter" and that she wanted to do a sonogram of my cervix at 3pm to make sure it was ok.

So I went out to my car and called my lovely husband and mom and started to bawl. I asked Lane to please leave work and come be with me and he did just that. Left a VERY busy day at work and came to sit with me in Arlington until my appointment. Then went to the appointment and provided me with the strength and humor I needed. He is my rock. My crazy nervous hypochondriac self needs him. He is the perfect personality for me as he NEVER worries and is calm always. He is a gift to my life. I love God. My mom use to pray with me when I was a little tiny girl about my future husband. All along it was Lane. Apparently Lane's mom use to pray about his future wife too. Neat story for later.

I called my mom and she left what she was doing immediately to come to Dallas. She was at lunch with her friends and she said, "I'm coming". And 4 hours later she was in Dallas to be with me. Not only did she come to be my comfort but she cooked ALL day so we would have food for the next 2 weeks, organized my kitchen completely and then organized my closet and room. IT WAS AMAZING. She got organizational items, food out the wazoo, etc. There was something in my voice that broke her heart that afternoon and she did what ANY good mom would do and came to be with her child who needed her desperately. I hope I am half as good a mom she is.

The sonogram on my cervix went great! It was the correct length (weird I know) and there were no signs of dilatation or anything suspicious. So she said that she suggests I get my cervix checked every 2 weeks to make sure b/c of my family history.

I was elated and felt relieved. Especially since I didn't have to go to my beyond stressful job for 2 weeks. I am not sure at this time if I will return or not. Lane said I don't have to and I really do feel so responsible for getting our sweet baby here safely and healthy. I have this overwhelming feeling that I have and am responsible for him and that is both the most awesome and scariest feeling in the world.

I go to the new doctor on Wednesday Nov 30th and will discuss with her everything. She may suggest I be on bedrest for a bit longer to make sure. And I would be ok with that.

Belly pic time!

19.4 weeks

20.5 weeks

21 weeks

22 weeks

23.3 weeks (Thanksgiving, looks like I swallowed the turkey whole!)

23.5 weeks