OK, I have to admit I am bored now.
I've finished the book I was reading, it's a beautiful day outside (record setting high temps possibly??), nothing is good on TV, and I don't feel like being creative with my coloring book. (Yes I really have a coloring book- don't laugh!! It's actually quite relaxing. I am rediscovering a long lost hobby.)
I just wish I could be back to normal life. I know that this is all for the very best for baby while she grows, becomes stronger, and more ready for the world each passing day, and I just have to remind myself of this fact constantly. The doctors and nurses are all encouraged by our progress- 29 1/2 weeks is SOOO much better than 26 weeks when you are looking at a possible premature delivery. However, I am confident that we can hold on longer, hopefully at least another month, before baby girl makes her grand debut into the world.
I guess it's just hard when there is so much going on in our lives right now. I wish I could help more! Tony and I in are the process of moving, as we sold our townhouse just two days before I had to be admitted to the hospital. There are many odds and ends to be tied up before the sale actually closes, let alone all the details to work through with moving and getting set up in our new house. We opted to rent instead of buy, a difficult choice initally, as it is such a great time to buy a house right now, just not in our current situation! We found a house in Bothell to rent for 6 months, which gives us the option to buy a house in the late fall or early winter. Hopefully it will still be a buyer's market! Crossing our fingers...
I also want to let you all know how much your love and support has helped me through this situation! I absolutely love your thoughtful messages, phone calls, and especially your visits, those of you who have been able to come and see me. THANK YOU for being there for me. I don't think I would be sane right now without all your support!!
Well, I suppose I'm feeling a little less bored now. It always helps to express yourself. :)
I hope all of you are well and enjoying this wonderful, if not extremely uncharacteristic, hot and sunny weather in the Pacific NW.
More soon.
~Andrea
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Day 16 - 28 weeks and 3 days!
Just finished my bed exercises and am feeling pretty good! I can feel baby girl moving around in there, kicking the walls of my belly and letting her presence be known. I think she will be a fighter, an active, sassy little girl who has a strong will and determination to conquer the world.
I had some good visits today from Mom and co-workers, Menaka and Gretchen. After the visits, which were around lunch time, I was so drowsy I actually took a nap. Now, I have been trying to avoid doing this as I know it will make it just that much tougher to sleep through the night! But I have been waking up quite a bit at night the last few nights, every few hours, maybe in preparation for when I will have to be on this sort of schedule after little one comes??
The sun finally came out, late this afternoon, and is filtering in through my hospital window, lighting the leaves and petals of the lovely plants brought in by friends, and casting a warm glow through the room. I am so glad that I have a nice view from my hospital room. The lush green trees and expansive sky greet me peacefully every day. They remind me that someday, whether it be a few weeks or a few months, I will be able to go out and take a walk again. That sounds so good right now.
I met with the neonatal nurse practioner today, and she went over the different services at the NiCU and scenarios that may happen when baby comes. Hopefully, we can make it to 32-34 weeks, when she may not need much intervention. The last thing to come into place, other than respiratory independence, is feeding. The suck/swallow ability develops at around 34 weeks, when baby will be able to eat without a feeding tube. I really hope she is big enough and strong enough to come home with us shortly after arriving! Hang on baby girl, hang on!!
I feel a contraction coming on. A relatively mild one. As long as it stays below 5 or 6 an hour, the nurses aren't too concerned! I usually have between 0-4 per hour. Sounds like a lot doesn't it? Today has been pretty good though, I've been averaging about 0-2 per hour. I'd rather not have any at all, but my Dr. has told me that it is relatively normal at this stage of the pregnancy to have some contractions. They are mostly the "Braxton Hicks" kind, sort of like false contractions that don't really do anything. The strong or more frequent ones are much more concerning.
Well I think I'll read for awhile now. I'm reading this great book called "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen, about a traveling circus in the Great Depression. It's calling my name.
More later-
Andrea :)
I had some good visits today from Mom and co-workers, Menaka and Gretchen. After the visits, which were around lunch time, I was so drowsy I actually took a nap. Now, I have been trying to avoid doing this as I know it will make it just that much tougher to sleep through the night! But I have been waking up quite a bit at night the last few nights, every few hours, maybe in preparation for when I will have to be on this sort of schedule after little one comes??
The sun finally came out, late this afternoon, and is filtering in through my hospital window, lighting the leaves and petals of the lovely plants brought in by friends, and casting a warm glow through the room. I am so glad that I have a nice view from my hospital room. The lush green trees and expansive sky greet me peacefully every day. They remind me that someday, whether it be a few weeks or a few months, I will be able to go out and take a walk again. That sounds so good right now.
I met with the neonatal nurse practioner today, and she went over the different services at the NiCU and scenarios that may happen when baby comes. Hopefully, we can make it to 32-34 weeks, when she may not need much intervention. The last thing to come into place, other than respiratory independence, is feeding. The suck/swallow ability develops at around 34 weeks, when baby will be able to eat without a feeding tube. I really hope she is big enough and strong enough to come home with us shortly after arriving! Hang on baby girl, hang on!!
I feel a contraction coming on. A relatively mild one. As long as it stays below 5 or 6 an hour, the nurses aren't too concerned! I usually have between 0-4 per hour. Sounds like a lot doesn't it? Today has been pretty good though, I've been averaging about 0-2 per hour. I'd rather not have any at all, but my Dr. has told me that it is relatively normal at this stage of the pregnancy to have some contractions. They are mostly the "Braxton Hicks" kind, sort of like false contractions that don't really do anything. The strong or more frequent ones are much more concerning.
Well I think I'll read for awhile now. I'm reading this great book called "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen, about a traveling circus in the Great Depression. It's calling my name.
More later-
Andrea :)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Day 9 in the Providence Antepartum Unit
Well, I now have a week under my belt here at the Providence Pavilion for Women and Children, Antepartum (you know, opposite of Postpartum) unit! I am feeling good today. I haven't had any contractions and this morning I actually got to take a shower! The little things we take for granted every day are so much more meaningful here in the hospital, I have to say!
I am writing this blog to keep my family and friends informed of the progress of my bedrest experience here in the hospital. If you had asked me a week and a half ago if I ever dreamed that I would end up on bedrest, hospitalized, looking at many more weeks of staying as still and horizontal as possible, I would have said you were absolutely crazy. Loco. No way! I still have three more months to live my life, work, play, and focus on selling, buying a house, packing, and moving before baby girl arrives!!!
This all started on Monday, May 11th. I had an ultrasound after work that day, just a routine ultrasound to check baby's development. This was an ultrasound that I had essentially requested, as they are not always done at this point of the pregnancy. There were a few things from the 18-week ultrasound that the doctor agreed that we should check up on around 26-28 weeks. So on this day, I was 26 weeks and 2 days pregnant.
Baby girl was looking great, moving her little arms and legs, showing us that her heart and brain are developing fabulously well. The problem came at the end of the study, when the technician scanned down to get a better view of my cervix. She quickly ended the study, and before I knew it, my doctor was calling me on the phone, telling me I'd better sit down. He then preceded to tell me that my cervix was open and I would have to come to the Providence Pavilion to be admitted to the hospital! He said I could go home and pack a bag first, but we came right to the hospital instead, not wanting to risk anything! They wheeled me out of the ultrasound room in a huge wheelchair and then Mom and Tony whisked me away to the hospital.
After I got settled into my room, my doctor came to visit and explained the situation, and told me that I would not be going back to work. This was a very big shock to me, as I thought I might be down and out for a few days, and then return to work after that. He told me that I would be in the hospital for a few days before undergoing some tests to see how everything is progressing, then decide what the plan would be from there.
Tuesday, May 12th, I stayed in bed all day, with the exception of bathroom and sit-down shower privilieges, and had some good visits with family and coworkers (friends had not yet been informed). Wednesday, May 13th, was the day I went through multiple tests, one of which was another ultrasound at the Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit with the perinatologist, Dr. Barford. Unfortunately, things had progressed a bit since Monday's ultrasound and my cervix was now 70% effaced and 1 cm dilated. Basically, there is very little keeping baby from coming right out and saying Hello World, I am here, much too early!
The doctors placed me on very strict bedrest from Wednesday thru Friday, where I was not to leave my bed at all. I was on IV fluids, a catheter, strong meds to keep the contractions at bay. Those were not fun days. Not at all. However, by Friday I was feeling better and the contractions had slowed down. They let me have bathroom and sit-down shower privilieges again. Hallelujah! I also received a laptop loaner from the hospital on Friday. I felt human again.
So here I am, 9 days in, feeling much better about everything, and prepared for the long haul here in the hospital. I am just focusing on doing what is best for little girl and keeping her as safe and sound as she can be. Now if my uterus will just cooperate we'd all be happy!!!
I will write more soon.
Sincerely,
Andrea
I am writing this blog to keep my family and friends informed of the progress of my bedrest experience here in the hospital. If you had asked me a week and a half ago if I ever dreamed that I would end up on bedrest, hospitalized, looking at many more weeks of staying as still and horizontal as possible, I would have said you were absolutely crazy. Loco. No way! I still have three more months to live my life, work, play, and focus on selling, buying a house, packing, and moving before baby girl arrives!!!
This all started on Monday, May 11th. I had an ultrasound after work that day, just a routine ultrasound to check baby's development. This was an ultrasound that I had essentially requested, as they are not always done at this point of the pregnancy. There were a few things from the 18-week ultrasound that the doctor agreed that we should check up on around 26-28 weeks. So on this day, I was 26 weeks and 2 days pregnant.
Baby girl was looking great, moving her little arms and legs, showing us that her heart and brain are developing fabulously well. The problem came at the end of the study, when the technician scanned down to get a better view of my cervix. She quickly ended the study, and before I knew it, my doctor was calling me on the phone, telling me I'd better sit down. He then preceded to tell me that my cervix was open and I would have to come to the Providence Pavilion to be admitted to the hospital! He said I could go home and pack a bag first, but we came right to the hospital instead, not wanting to risk anything! They wheeled me out of the ultrasound room in a huge wheelchair and then Mom and Tony whisked me away to the hospital.
After I got settled into my room, my doctor came to visit and explained the situation, and told me that I would not be going back to work. This was a very big shock to me, as I thought I might be down and out for a few days, and then return to work after that. He told me that I would be in the hospital for a few days before undergoing some tests to see how everything is progressing, then decide what the plan would be from there.
Tuesday, May 12th, I stayed in bed all day, with the exception of bathroom and sit-down shower privilieges, and had some good visits with family and coworkers (friends had not yet been informed). Wednesday, May 13th, was the day I went through multiple tests, one of which was another ultrasound at the Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit with the perinatologist, Dr. Barford. Unfortunately, things had progressed a bit since Monday's ultrasound and my cervix was now 70% effaced and 1 cm dilated. Basically, there is very little keeping baby from coming right out and saying Hello World, I am here, much too early!
The doctors placed me on very strict bedrest from Wednesday thru Friday, where I was not to leave my bed at all. I was on IV fluids, a catheter, strong meds to keep the contractions at bay. Those were not fun days. Not at all. However, by Friday I was feeling better and the contractions had slowed down. They let me have bathroom and sit-down shower privilieges again. Hallelujah! I also received a laptop loaner from the hospital on Friday. I felt human again.
So here I am, 9 days in, feeling much better about everything, and prepared for the long haul here in the hospital. I am just focusing on doing what is best for little girl and keeping her as safe and sound as she can be. Now if my uterus will just cooperate we'd all be happy!!!
I will write more soon.
Sincerely,
Andrea
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