This is Hudson pulling my finger towards his.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Home Sa-weet Home!
Much to our surprise- we are finally home and there aren't words to describe how great it feels! The doctor came in this morning and said that I had the option to stay another day, but that if I wanted to go home, that he would give me the okay! We figured since we're only 5 minutes from the hospital that it would be fine to go ahead and go home. Thanks to my mom, Grace and Elizabeth... we got to come home to a clean house! It was so nice to just relax and not hear beeping noises and answer to nurses and see other walls besides the hospitals.
Hudson is doing very well. He is off oxygen and just on "room air" which is still being pumped through his nose, just so he doesn't have to put so much effort into breathing while his lungs are still developing. He has a tube where his umbilical cord was that they use to take blood out--so they don't have to keep pricking his foot. He saw the cardiologist today and they did an ultrasound of his heart and he said it looked perfect. Really the only two things they are paying attention to is his lung development and feeding. He has been feeding just with an IV up until today. They gave him his first dose of formula/breast milk through a feeding tube, just to see how well his stomach handled it and how well he processed it and he did great, so he will continue to feed through that unless there are any changes. They will probably wait another week or so to try and feed him with a bottle, just until his coordination is a little better. He is already taking well to a pacifier so that is a good sign.
It's sad that we don't get to come home with him, however it would be so overwhelming right now- it's just worked out better that he's staying there for the next couple weeks. It gives us time to get his room together and get the necessities we need. It also helps for me to get my strength back- it's amazing how much it takes out of me just to walk to the kitchen. I feel like I'm on his sleeping schedule already... I can barely go a couple hours without having to take a nap. I guess I better get used to that, ha.
We have a couple of videos that we are trying to load and we'll keep the pictures coming! Hopefully by the end of the week he will have less tubes hooked up to him so that we can get better pictures and hold him more.
Thanks everyone for all the prayers- we are all doing great considering what all we've been through. We are so happy he is here and making great progress!
Hudson is doing very well. He is off oxygen and just on "room air" which is still being pumped through his nose, just so he doesn't have to put so much effort into breathing while his lungs are still developing. He has a tube where his umbilical cord was that they use to take blood out--so they don't have to keep pricking his foot. He saw the cardiologist today and they did an ultrasound of his heart and he said it looked perfect. Really the only two things they are paying attention to is his lung development and feeding. He has been feeding just with an IV up until today. They gave him his first dose of formula/breast milk through a feeding tube, just to see how well his stomach handled it and how well he processed it and he did great, so he will continue to feed through that unless there are any changes. They will probably wait another week or so to try and feed him with a bottle, just until his coordination is a little better. He is already taking well to a pacifier so that is a good sign.
It's sad that we don't get to come home with him, however it would be so overwhelming right now- it's just worked out better that he's staying there for the next couple weeks. It gives us time to get his room together and get the necessities we need. It also helps for me to get my strength back- it's amazing how much it takes out of me just to walk to the kitchen. I feel like I'm on his sleeping schedule already... I can barely go a couple hours without having to take a nap. I guess I better get used to that, ha.
We have a couple of videos that we are trying to load and we'll keep the pictures coming! Hopefully by the end of the week he will have less tubes hooked up to him so that we can get better pictures and hold him more.
Thanks everyone for all the prayers- we are all doing great considering what all we've been through. We are so happy he is here and making great progress!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Happy Birthday John Hudson!
Well made it almost to 33 weeks and little Hudson decided he couldn't wait any longer! We went so much farther than I ever thought we would, and had just gotten to the point to where we had surpassed everyone's expectations so much, that we laughed and said I might even go full term! Ha!
Yesterday was jammed packed with all sort of events, but somehow seemed to pass by quickly. Early Monday morning I *thought* I might have had some contractions but wasn't sure, so they hooked me up to the monitor and sure enough I was. They gave me an 2 extra doses of my medicine and that didn't seem to do anything so they said that I might have built up a tolerance to the medicine pump I was on. The doctor checked me and I was dilated 2 centimeters. That was the first time I had been dilated. They still seemed pretty confident that they could stop the contractions at that point. The doctor then ordered me on the dreaded Magnesium. The poor nurses had warned me that it was going to make me feel awful. In their words, they said "You're going to feel like you have the flu". Sure enough, they were right! I was on the magnesium and was not handling it well, and on top of that had to deal with contractions. Needless to say it was the worst I have ever felt in my life and I have tremendous respect and empathy for women who are on it for days at a time!
The doctor came in on hour 3 of the magnesium and said since he's almost 33 weeks and that the contractions were still coming, so he wanted to go ahead and call it and get this baby out. It was the best news I had heard the entire pregnancy. The first thing he did was shut off the magnesium. I almost immediately felt better. The next thing he said was, you are 3-4 centimeters dilated so you can have the epidural whenever you want. This day was just getting better and better! I quickly said that I wanted it ASAP, and about 5 minutes later (around 5:30pm), they gave it to me. About 20 minutes after the epidural, he broke my water and checked me again and I was already at 6 centimeters so he said it wouldn't be long. I felt great! They had to give me extra doses of the epidural because it was only taking to the right side of my body, but after everything kicked in-- I was more relaxed than I had been the entire pregnancy. It was smooth sailing from then on! The waiting room was filled and people were taking bets on his ETA and weight. Conrats to Beau for guessing 8:33pm on the dot, and Grace for guessing the exact weight, 4lbs 11oz! I was way off; I had 9:14pm and 4lbs 6oz. Oh well :)
We got to go back around 11:45pm to see him and they said he was doing well. Everything that he's being treated for was to be expected. He's on oxygen and a feeding tube. We won't be able to hold him or have skin-to-skin contact for at least a couple days. We are just so happy he's here. After everything, the only thing I feel is relief. I'm glad it's over, I'm glad he's healthy and glad I can go home in a few days!
They said best case scenario, they will let him come home at 36 weeks, which is 3 weeks from tomorrow. They won't consider sending any baby home before that time, so she said that was pretty standard. She said to be prepared to take him home then, however if he has any changes it could be until mid-September. She just said you never know.
Here are the first pictures we got of him--just a few hours old! In case you can't see in the pictures, he has blondish hair and is pretty filled out for his weight. We think he has my nose and Blake's toes... we don't think he has either of our eyes though, ha. There will be lots more to come! (By the way- we can't really see the resemblance of either one of us. I'm sure that will change though!)
Yesterday was jammed packed with all sort of events, but somehow seemed to pass by quickly. Early Monday morning I *thought* I might have had some contractions but wasn't sure, so they hooked me up to the monitor and sure enough I was. They gave me an 2 extra doses of my medicine and that didn't seem to do anything so they said that I might have built up a tolerance to the medicine pump I was on. The doctor checked me and I was dilated 2 centimeters. That was the first time I had been dilated. They still seemed pretty confident that they could stop the contractions at that point. The doctor then ordered me on the dreaded Magnesium. The poor nurses had warned me that it was going to make me feel awful. In their words, they said "You're going to feel like you have the flu". Sure enough, they were right! I was on the magnesium and was not handling it well, and on top of that had to deal with contractions. Needless to say it was the worst I have ever felt in my life and I have tremendous respect and empathy for women who are on it for days at a time!
The doctor came in on hour 3 of the magnesium and said since he's almost 33 weeks and that the contractions were still coming, so he wanted to go ahead and call it and get this baby out. It was the best news I had heard the entire pregnancy. The first thing he did was shut off the magnesium. I almost immediately felt better. The next thing he said was, you are 3-4 centimeters dilated so you can have the epidural whenever you want. This day was just getting better and better! I quickly said that I wanted it ASAP, and about 5 minutes later (around 5:30pm), they gave it to me. About 20 minutes after the epidural, he broke my water and checked me again and I was already at 6 centimeters so he said it wouldn't be long. I felt great! They had to give me extra doses of the epidural because it was only taking to the right side of my body, but after everything kicked in-- I was more relaxed than I had been the entire pregnancy. It was smooth sailing from then on! The waiting room was filled and people were taking bets on his ETA and weight. Conrats to Beau for guessing 8:33pm on the dot, and Grace for guessing the exact weight, 4lbs 11oz! I was way off; I had 9:14pm and 4lbs 6oz. Oh well :)
We got to go back around 11:45pm to see him and they said he was doing well. Everything that he's being treated for was to be expected. He's on oxygen and a feeding tube. We won't be able to hold him or have skin-to-skin contact for at least a couple days. We are just so happy he's here. After everything, the only thing I feel is relief. I'm glad it's over, I'm glad he's healthy and glad I can go home in a few days!
They said best case scenario, they will let him come home at 36 weeks, which is 3 weeks from tomorrow. They won't consider sending any baby home before that time, so she said that was pretty standard. She said to be prepared to take him home then, however if he has any changes it could be until mid-September. She just said you never know.
Here are the first pictures we got of him--just a few hours old! In case you can't see in the pictures, he has blondish hair and is pretty filled out for his weight. We think he has my nose and Blake's toes... we don't think he has either of our eyes though, ha. There will be lots more to come! (By the way- we can't really see the resemblance of either one of us. I'm sure that will change though!)
Thanks so much to everyone for all the prayers and sweet wishes! So far so good, and we will continute to post is progress! We can't meet for Hudson to meet all of you!
Monday, July 27, 2009
What Time Is It?! Gametime!
We are having the baby tonight! Please direct questions to Frank/Lisa McLeod.
Frank-901-428-5538
Lisa-901-428-5534
Frank-901-428-5538
Lisa-901-428-5534
Blake's 1st Post
Allison has handled the blog for the most part, but I am taking a shot at now to give everyone an update. Last night Allison started having contractions, and they got worse the morning. I left 2-a-days and came up to the hospital and learned that these were a little stronger than normal.
The T-pump and the shots were not working, so Allison is now on the dreaded Mag Wash. The Mag Wash makes it very difficult for any of your muscles to contract, including the uterus. The downside to this is that it makes you feel like you have the flu, so combined with contractions, it is pretty miserable.
We are also now in a labor and delivery room because if the contractions are not stopped, labor is a possibility. There is not a need to flood the hospital waiting room, but I will send out the word via text to both families and friends when it is "gametime." I might have time to put a quick entry on the blog, but I'm not promising anything.
That was pretty simple. I wanted to put some sort of picture on, but if I put a current picture of Allison on here, she would kill me. I decided to put up a picture of Rusty that looks like Dean Cain just to at least have a picture with my first post. Enjoy!
The T-pump and the shots were not working, so Allison is now on the dreaded Mag Wash. The Mag Wash makes it very difficult for any of your muscles to contract, including the uterus. The downside to this is that it makes you feel like you have the flu, so combined with contractions, it is pretty miserable.
We are also now in a labor and delivery room because if the contractions are not stopped, labor is a possibility. There is not a need to flood the hospital waiting room, but I will send out the word via text to both families and friends when it is "gametime." I might have time to put a quick entry on the blog, but I'm not promising anything.
That was pretty simple. I wanted to put some sort of picture on, but if I put a current picture of Allison on here, she would kill me. I decided to put up a picture of Rusty that looks like Dean Cain just to at least have a picture with my first post. Enjoy!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Funny story...
So, it's been about a month now that I've been here. I thought I would share what we think is a funny story. Maybe it's just funny to us since I don't get out much (actually at all, haha).
The medicine I'm on to regulate my contractions has a side effect of jitteriness (I'm pretty sure that is not a word, but you get the picture). So, in order to sleep at night they give me sleeping medicine to counteract the shaky feeling. Well, it does SUCH a good job that I usually don't remember what goes on after it kicks in, right before I go to sleep. For those of you who don't know, sweet Blake got a big air mattress and sleeps next to my bed at night. Well every couple of mornings, Blake will tell me something ridiculous that I did the night before, of course, me not remembering a thing--which is a really weird feeling. I thought I would share what he told me this morning. I had pulled some chap stick out of my drawer today, which I guess reminded him of what I had done the night before. He said that he had been asleep for a bit late last night and woke up to something tracing the outside of his lips... he opened his eyes to see me reaching down to his face applying chapstick on him! He said he looked at me and asked what I was doing and I apparently told him that he looked like he needed some. Wow. Whatever in the world possesed me to do that, I have no idea... but I thought maybe some of you would get a kick out of it-- I sure did.
Other than yesterday, no new developments on Hudson-- everything is still looking great! Thanks again for all the prayers!
The medicine I'm on to regulate my contractions has a side effect of jitteriness (I'm pretty sure that is not a word, but you get the picture). So, in order to sleep at night they give me sleeping medicine to counteract the shaky feeling. Well, it does SUCH a good job that I usually don't remember what goes on after it kicks in, right before I go to sleep. For those of you who don't know, sweet Blake got a big air mattress and sleeps next to my bed at night. Well every couple of mornings, Blake will tell me something ridiculous that I did the night before, of course, me not remembering a thing--which is a really weird feeling. I thought I would share what he told me this morning. I had pulled some chap stick out of my drawer today, which I guess reminded him of what I had done the night before. He said that he had been asleep for a bit late last night and woke up to something tracing the outside of his lips... he opened his eyes to see me reaching down to his face applying chapstick on him! He said he looked at me and asked what I was doing and I apparently told him that he looked like he needed some. Wow. Whatever in the world possesed me to do that, I have no idea... but I thought maybe some of you would get a kick out of it-- I sure did.
Other than yesterday, no new developments on Hudson-- everything is still looking great! Thanks again for all the prayers!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Hospital Stay- Day 27
Okay, so to catch you up on the last couple days. Not a whole lot has gone on. I've had a few ultrasounds this week for random reasons. They did a biophysical test Monday, which is an ultrasound test that looks at the baby's heart rate, movements, muscle tone and breathing. He did really well on that... got a "perfect score" as the doctor said. He's breathing really well for his stage of development, probably because of the steroid shots. They did his weight and measurements today and he weighed in at........ (drumroll)......... 4lbs 3oz! So looks like just 2 people guessed right on the poll.
When they put me on the monitor this morning, Hudson had a heart deceleration. Basically his heart rate dropped for a bit. Sometimes this can happen randomly and sometimes it can mean the baby is in distress. They did another biophysical today to see if anything had changed, and from what the ultrasound tech said, I think everything is fine and it was just random. The doctor will ultimately look at the results. She said they will continue to monitor him throughout today and if it happens again, they will repeat the biophysical tonight to see what could be causing it. No need to worry though, even if he comes soon, he's far enough developed to where he will be fine. Here is a picture from Monday, this has been the best picture they can get. He buries his face during the ultrasounds and we haven't really gotten a face shot in the last 5 ultrasounds we've gotten! He has his arm up by his right eye and the little ball looking things by his left eye is the umbilical cord, you can also see it down the left side of the pic--it's a little blury. You can really only see part of his nose and lips.
That's about it-- everything else is still going good. My t-pump is still holding off contractions. I had a couple contractions Sunday because my pump turned off without me knowing but they figured it out in time. It means I would probably be having contractions if I wasn't on this medicine--which means it's doing its job! They will probably wait another month before they take me off the medicine. Okay, that's all for now... congratulations to the 2 people who guessed the right weight! :)
When they put me on the monitor this morning, Hudson had a heart deceleration. Basically his heart rate dropped for a bit. Sometimes this can happen randomly and sometimes it can mean the baby is in distress. They did another biophysical today to see if anything had changed, and from what the ultrasound tech said, I think everything is fine and it was just random. The doctor will ultimately look at the results. She said they will continue to monitor him throughout today and if it happens again, they will repeat the biophysical tonight to see what could be causing it. No need to worry though, even if he comes soon, he's far enough developed to where he will be fine. Here is a picture from Monday, this has been the best picture they can get. He buries his face during the ultrasounds and we haven't really gotten a face shot in the last 5 ultrasounds we've gotten! He has his arm up by his right eye and the little ball looking things by his left eye is the umbilical cord, you can also see it down the left side of the pic--it's a little blury. You can really only see part of his nose and lips.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Big day!
Let me just start off by saying that today has been great!
I have some beautiful flowers to look at and I was able to go outside for the first time in 22 days! A couple weeks ago I asked if I could go take a tour of the NICU (since there is a chance Hudson might have to be there, if he's born before 36 weeks) and they said I did not have wheelchair privileges, so I wasn't able to go. Well, Grace and my mom talked me into asking the nurse if I could go outside if I had Blake lean me back in the wheelchair the whole time, since I was ordered to lay down indefinitely. At first she said no (evidently someone else had already tried that) but I think she could see the disappointment and agreed to at least ASK the doctor. She called and the doctor gave the okay for me to be wheeled outside for 15 minutes! I was so excited! It was like Christmas! They wheeled me outside and I enjoyed a few minutes of fresh air and sunshine, then went back inside. I asked them if I could use part of my 15 minutes to see the nursery. I had been here so long and never got to see the nursery. That was really neat. There were so many cute sleeping babies. On the way back we made another quick detour outside to a balcony for a last whiff of fresh air. It was one of the best things I've been able to do since I've been here. Here is a snapshot of my Kodak moment of the day...
I'm on day 52 of bed rest! I can't believe it's been that long. Just 4 more weeks and they will consider letting me go home. The first thing I'm going to do (after I give my dog a big hug) is take a nice long bath... then maybe run around the block a few times. :)
Other than all that excitement, nothing new to report! Hudson is growing a lot! We get his measurements and weight again Wednesday. Feel free to take a guess (in the right column) as to how much he will weigh in!
I have some beautiful flowers to look at and I was able to go outside for the first time in 22 days! A couple weeks ago I asked if I could go take a tour of the NICU (since there is a chance Hudson might have to be there, if he's born before 36 weeks) and they said I did not have wheelchair privileges, so I wasn't able to go. Well, Grace and my mom talked me into asking the nurse if I could go outside if I had Blake lean me back in the wheelchair the whole time, since I was ordered to lay down indefinitely. At first she said no (evidently someone else had already tried that) but I think she could see the disappointment and agreed to at least ASK the doctor. She called and the doctor gave the okay for me to be wheeled outside for 15 minutes! I was so excited! It was like Christmas! They wheeled me outside and I enjoyed a few minutes of fresh air and sunshine, then went back inside. I asked them if I could use part of my 15 minutes to see the nursery. I had been here so long and never got to see the nursery. That was really neat. There were so many cute sleeping babies. On the way back we made another quick detour outside to a balcony for a last whiff of fresh air. It was one of the best things I've been able to do since I've been here. Here is a snapshot of my Kodak moment of the day...
I'm on day 52 of bed rest! I can't believe it's been that long. Just 4 more weeks and they will consider letting me go home. The first thing I'm going to do (after I give my dog a big hug) is take a nice long bath... then maybe run around the block a few times. :)
Other than all that excitement, nothing new to report! Hudson is growing a lot! We get his measurements and weight again Wednesday. Feel free to take a guess (in the right column) as to how much he will weigh in!
Friday, July 17, 2009
*31 Weeks*
Sorry, it has been a couple of days since my last update. Nothing terribly new to report. We are a little over 31 weeks (out of 40)... and things are still going great! Everything is measuring the same, which is great. One of nurses I had when I first got here went on vacation and came back and was surprised to see me still here... so it's definitely not out of the question to say that it's a miracle I'm still here.
Well, here's just a little bit of what's going on this week!
This week, Hudson measures about 17 inches long. He weighs about 4 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's moving a lot, too. All this moving is a sign that he is active and healthy.
We get another ultrasound this coming Wednesday and will more than likely get his measurements and exact weight again. I'm very anxious to see how much he's grown!
Well, here's just a little bit of what's going on this week!
This week, Hudson measures about 17 inches long. He weighs about 4 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's moving a lot, too. All this moving is a sign that he is active and healthy.
We get another ultrasound this coming Wednesday and will more than likely get his measurements and exact weight again. I'm very anxious to see how much he's grown!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Bathtime in the sink!
So, thanks to my dad, here are some old pictures of Blake and I when we were younger! We had this one of Blake from the slide show at our wedding, and it happened to be that one of the earliest pictures that he found of me, didn't look all that different!
I was born 6 weeks early (weighing in at a whooping 5lbs, 12oz!), and there weren't a lot of pictures from when I was born. Since it was unexpected, the main pictures they do have from shortly after that, are on slides.
It was fun to look at these and see who Hudson might resemble. I think it's safe to say he will definitely have a full face of cheeks!
(Blake)
I was born 6 weeks early (weighing in at a whooping 5lbs, 12oz!), and there weren't a lot of pictures from when I was born. Since it was unexpected, the main pictures they do have from shortly after that, are on slides.
It was fun to look at these and see who Hudson might resemble. I think it's safe to say he will definitely have a full face of cheeks!
(Allison)
(Blake)
If I am correct, my next ultrasound is Wednesday. They will just be looking at his development and checking the fluid levels and all that great stuff, so hopefully he will cooperate and we will get another good face shot to see what he looks like again!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Hospital Stay- Day 18
This entry will be short and sweet!
Not a lot to update... which in this case, is a good thing! Things have been pretty quiet since yesterday. Hudson is still doing great and growing. He's been moving around a lot this weekend (probably because of the steroid shots).
Haven't had any contractions lately, just a lot of heartburn, chocolate pudding and frosted flakes (not together though)!
Overall, it's been a good ending to the weekend!
Not a lot to update... which in this case, is a good thing! Things have been pretty quiet since yesterday. Hudson is still doing great and growing. He's been moving around a lot this weekend (probably because of the steroid shots).
Haven't had any contractions lately, just a lot of heartburn, chocolate pudding and frosted flakes (not together though)!
Overall, it's been a good ending to the weekend!
Friday, July 10, 2009
7 months pregnant!
So here's a picture of my belly, for those of you wondering how big I am! In this picture, I am 30 and 1/2 weeks OR 7 months exactly. (By the way, I took this on the way back from the bathroom, so I wasn't breaking the rules :)
Hospital Stay- Day 17
Well as you can see, the blog got a little bit of a face lift! If any of you know me, you know I love color (especially turquoise), so I decided to change the layout up a bit. When I changed the blog up, some of my boxes were deleted, so I re-posted some of the poll questions in the column on the right, as well as some new ones for anyone who wants to take a guess.
Yesterday evening I started having contractions. Dr. BK (the high risk doctor) came to see me and said that my body might be becoming tolerant of the pump, as it did the Procardia. He said if I continue to have contractions, he will either switch me back to the Procardia to see if that makes a difference, or he will put me on a Magnesium drip (IV). From what I understand, this basically relaxes all my muscles in my body, to keep my uterus from contracting. It also is used to push all the other medications out my system. There are some nagging side effects to it, so they don't like to use it unless they absolutely have to. It is very important for me to stay hydrated, otherwise, it can cause me to contract. Yesterday I was feeling nauseous, more than normal, and without realizing it, got dehydrated. So they gave me an IV early this morning, and that calmed everything down.
For more information on it, you can click on this link:
Click here for more about Magnesium in pregnancy
Yesterday, I received a Betamethasone shot and will receive another one today. I have only had 2 in the past and they were at 24 weeks. This is a steroid that targets the lung development of Hudson. I wasn't really sure why they gave it to me because I was under the impression that he was on target developmentally, however the doctor told me that it was pretty standard for someone in my situation to receive 2 more shots after 30 weeks.
My doctor also told me today that they will no longer be measuring my cervix weekly. She said at this point it poses more of a risk that anything. They don't want to do any unnecessary exams because that can trigger contractions and she said even if it did measure shorted, their treatment for me wouldn't change. I'm okay with that; it makes sense. It will just be hard not knowing anymore. She said the next time they will measure my cervix will probably be at about 34 weeks (in 1 month).
I wanted to clarify something that may be a little confusing. The Fetal Fibronectin test that they run to test labor contractions in the next 2 weeks, does not test my cervix. So that test tells us that the contractions I'm having now, are just "pesky" contractions (as my doctor calls them, not to be confused with Braxton Hicks contractions) and I don't think they really know why they are happening. So even though I'm not experiencing labor contractions (which is good!), the contractions that I am having can still cause my cervix to thin, which is still a concern. Does that make sense? The test is supposedly a pretty good indicator and leaves like a 2% chance of the contractions I'm having sending me into labor in the next 2 weeks. That just leaves the scenario of these pesky contractions causing me to go into labor only because they are thinning my cervix. Another thing my doctor told me is that potentially, I could go into labor without having any contractions. The good thing is that the last 2 weeks, my cervix hasn't changed; so bed rest is helping and as long as I continue to do what I'm doing, we're hoping the outcome will stay the same.
Here are some differences between Braxton Hicks contractions and true Labor Contractions (from About.com):
I don't know if I posted before but another thing they want to look out for is blood clots in my legs (which is common for anyone on bed rest). I'm seeing a physical therapist periodically and she gave me some exercises to do along with some lovely stockings I wear!
To wrap up, here is a little about what is going on with Hudson at 30 weeks:
A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in my tummy. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light, but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)
That's all for now!
Hospital Stay- Day 16
What a morning!!!
1. Bed rest
2. Procardia (pills to prevent contractions)
3. Up the dosage of Procardia (from 1, to 3 times a day)
4. A shots of Terbutaline (to stop contrations)
5. Max dosage of shots of Terbutaline (3 shots within 45 minutes)
6. Terbutaline pump
7. Terbutaline pump + extra shots
8. Alternate between the pump and Procardia
Later!
The nurses monitor me and the baby twice a day on the contraction/heart monitor machine. Usually in the morning and evening. This morning was quite eventful. I woke up around 6am to Blake's snooze alarm repeatedly going off, then around 7am our floor had a fire drill.... you can imagine how much fun THAT was! Luckily I didn't have to leave the room, but the sound of the blaring siren (which went on for about 20 min) and all the nurses talking outside was NOT fun trying to sleep through. After that, I was just about to get back to sleep when my pump started beeping, meaning that it was almost out of medicine. So I called the nurse to let her know. She had to order another refill from the pharmacy so I laid there listening to the annoying beeping noise for about another hour. Then, of course, my phone is ringing, making all kinds of noises... luckily I can silence it. (Sorry to those people who called me early this morning, lol). The cleaning lady then came in and did her daily routine, I really usually enjoy talking to her (Ms. Polly) but this morning she could tell I just wanted to sleep. After she left, I had just gotten back to sleep when my nurse came in and harassed me because I hadn't eaten my breakfast, so I explained to her (almost in tears, that I was so annoyed and tired) that I just wanted to sleep. So she said she would make sure no one bothered me AFTER she put me on the monitor and checked my vitals. At this point, I was just so tired of any kind of noise. I just wanted silence. Every part of me just wanted to play dead so that she had to move me herself, and I wouldn't have to put any effort into it... but something in me said the hospital is no place to joke around like that, haha. So she hooked me up to the monitor and for the first time, I was annoyed to hear Hudson's heartbeat. I get to hear it several times a day, but whenever I am on the monitor, it's 30 min at a time. So I put my pillow over my ears and was determined to make myself fall asleep. The nurse came in about 20 minutes later and woke me up and I was so excited because I thought, finally, I'm through and can really go back to sleep, when I heard her say "are you feeling those?"---- great... meaning contractions. Her name is Lori and she's one of my favorite nurses, and one of the ones I have the most, so I feel like I can be honest with her... so I just looked at her with an "Are you kidding me?" kind of look and told her that I wasn't feeling anything but tired. She gave me an extra does of my Terbutaline (which makes me jittery) and said I would have to stay on the monitor for another 20 minutes. It was hard to lay still after that. So after she took me off the monitor and the contractions stopped, I decided to go ahead and get up and start the day. So after I ate my blueberry muffin (to appease Ms Lori!) I decided I would tell y'all about my morning.
There's really been no other change in the last couple days, which is good. One of the doctors came to see me this morning and sat down (which rarely happens) and just talked to me and asked me if I had any questions or concerns. She reassured me that none of the medicine I am on is affecting the baby. She also told me that the steps they usually take in situations like mine (when someone continues to have contractions) are...
1. Bed rest
2. Procardia (pills to prevent contractions)
3. Up the dosage of Procardia (from 1, to 3 times a day)
4. A shots of Terbutaline (to stop contrations)
5. Max dosage of shots of Terbutaline (3 shots within 45 minutes)
6. Terbutaline pump
7. Terbutaline pump + extra shots
8. Alternate between the pump and Procardia
She said a lot of times, your body can get used to the Procardia, so if you've been off it for a bit, they like to go back to that if the pump isn't working, and she said potentially, I could just alternate between the Procardia and the pump. She said, more than likely, I would be on the pump until about 35 weeks, unless they need to take me off of it.
So that's been my morning so far. I am excited though, my lunch just got here and it's fried catfish with *extra* hush puppies :) and lots of chocolate pudding! Hopefully the rest of the day is a little less exciting that the first part.
Later!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Hospital Stay- Day 14
Well, today has been a busy day!
This morning they ran another fetal fibronectin test, and it came back negative! That pretty much means that the contractions I'm having, more than likely, aren't pre-labor contractions, however, they still want to manage them because any kind of contraction can effect my cervix.
They also did an ultrasound to measure Hudson's development/weight and to measure my cervix. The doctor determines the official measurement, but out of several measurements, the ultrasound tech told me that the lowest they got was .6, and the highest they measured was .9. So bed rest is doing its job!
When they measured him today, Blake and I had bets going. My guess is that he would weigh in at 3lbs 2oz and Blake guessed 3lbs 5oz. Turns out, he weighed in at....................... 3lbs 8oz!!! So about 3 and 1/2 lbs! Its so funny to me that 3 and 1/2 pounds seems so big to us compared to preparing ourselves to possible have a 1 and 1/2 pound baby, at one point. It's hard to think that he could possible make it to 6 or 7 pounds-- that seems so big to us, but is really only the size of an average baby. The average weight for a baby at 30 weeks (which is what I am today) is 2lbs 9 oz. So he's definitely not slacking!
They tried to get a picture of Hudson's face, but man was he being stubborn!!! They tried so many times and even had this little buzzer that they said usually makes them move, but he didn't budge. He was moving his whole body around, except for his face, so all we got to see this time was the back of his head. They did get us a picture of his little foot, which was something! (It might be hard to make out, his foot is right in the middle with his toes on top).
I see 2 different high risk doctors and about 5 different OB's. They all have different opinions, but some of them have said that if I am still doing well at 35 weeks, they will TALK about letting me continue bed rest at home. That would be wonderful!
Right now I'm still on the pump and although it is making me a bit jittery, it's working great. I have only had one contraction since I've been on it, which is a great improvement. Other than that, everything else is going great!
Thanks for the prayers and hopefully Hudson will continue to improve!
This morning they ran another fetal fibronectin test, and it came back negative! That pretty much means that the contractions I'm having, more than likely, aren't pre-labor contractions, however, they still want to manage them because any kind of contraction can effect my cervix.
They also did an ultrasound to measure Hudson's development/weight and to measure my cervix. The doctor determines the official measurement, but out of several measurements, the ultrasound tech told me that the lowest they got was .6, and the highest they measured was .9. So bed rest is doing its job!
When they measured him today, Blake and I had bets going. My guess is that he would weigh in at 3lbs 2oz and Blake guessed 3lbs 5oz. Turns out, he weighed in at....................... 3lbs 8oz!!! So about 3 and 1/2 lbs! Its so funny to me that 3 and 1/2 pounds seems so big to us compared to preparing ourselves to possible have a 1 and 1/2 pound baby, at one point. It's hard to think that he could possible make it to 6 or 7 pounds-- that seems so big to us, but is really only the size of an average baby. The average weight for a baby at 30 weeks (which is what I am today) is 2lbs 9 oz. So he's definitely not slacking!
They tried to get a picture of Hudson's face, but man was he being stubborn!!! They tried so many times and even had this little buzzer that they said usually makes them move, but he didn't budge. He was moving his whole body around, except for his face, so all we got to see this time was the back of his head. They did get us a picture of his little foot, which was something! (It might be hard to make out, his foot is right in the middle with his toes on top).
I see 2 different high risk doctors and about 5 different OB's. They all have different opinions, but some of them have said that if I am still doing well at 35 weeks, they will TALK about letting me continue bed rest at home. That would be wonderful!
Right now I'm still on the pump and although it is making me a bit jittery, it's working great. I have only had one contraction since I've been on it, which is a great improvement. Other than that, everything else is going great!
Thanks for the prayers and hopefully Hudson will continue to improve!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Hospital Stay- Day 12
Well, I've made it almost 2 weeks here and still have my sanity, so I'm thankful for that!
There has been a little excitement this past week. I continued to have contractions about every night so they bumped me up to the maximum dose of Procardia (3x's a day) to prevent the contractions. After a day or two of that, the contractions started up again. Then most recently, three out of the last four nights I have received shots of Terbutaline to stop the closer contractions. My doctor told us today that sometimes when someone is on Procardia for awhile, your body can get used to it, making it less effective. So his solution to this is to put me on a Terbutaline pump (T-pump). This is a device, comparable to an insulin pump, that would release small doses of Terbutaline throughout the day/night into my leg. They are putting me on the pump today, and that will replace Procardia. There can be some annoying side effects that come with it, like being jittery and elevated heart rate, however, when I have had the shots, the only side effect I've experienced is the jitteriness. Hopefully it won't be as bad since the doses are smaller.
Tomorrow, they will do another fetal fibronectin test, measure my cervix and also take Hudson's measurements to see how he's developing.
My doctor was telling me about another woman he treated who had a cervix that measured .3 (a mm shorter than mine) and they sent her home at 35 weeks, and she held out until 39 weeks. That was encouraging.
That's all for now! I will let y'all know the updates tomorrow when I know them!
There has been a little excitement this past week. I continued to have contractions about every night so they bumped me up to the maximum dose of Procardia (3x's a day) to prevent the contractions. After a day or two of that, the contractions started up again. Then most recently, three out of the last four nights I have received shots of Terbutaline to stop the closer contractions. My doctor told us today that sometimes when someone is on Procardia for awhile, your body can get used to it, making it less effective. So his solution to this is to put me on a Terbutaline pump (T-pump). This is a device, comparable to an insulin pump, that would release small doses of Terbutaline throughout the day/night into my leg. They are putting me on the pump today, and that will replace Procardia. There can be some annoying side effects that come with it, like being jittery and elevated heart rate, however, when I have had the shots, the only side effect I've experienced is the jitteriness. Hopefully it won't be as bad since the doses are smaller.
Tomorrow, they will do another fetal fibronectin test, measure my cervix and also take Hudson's measurements to see how he's developing.
My doctor was telling me about another woman he treated who had a cervix that measured .3 (a mm shorter than mine) and they sent her home at 35 weeks, and she held out until 39 weeks. That was encouraging.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Hospital Stay- Day 6
Well, today marks 29 weeks!
This morning, they measured my cervix again, and out of several measurements, the shortest they got was .6, so it was a little better than last week! That really doesn't change anything, I'll continue to be on bed rest and they will measure my cervix weekly until they decide otherwise.
Earlier this week, one of the nurses took Blake on a tour of the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) where Hudson will go if he is born earlier than 37 weeks. I wasn't allowed to go since I'm supposed to stay in bed, so when Blake came back, he told me all about it. He said there were lots of "cute babies" and he even saw one that was 1lb 10oz. He said it was the smallest baby he's ever seen!
Above is a picture of Blake's souvenir from the NICU--a preemie diaper. (Next to my ipod so you can see the size)
They didn't measure Hudson this time, and probably won't until next week, but he's more than likely coming up on 3lbs. He pretty much never stops moving and continues to look good on the monitor. My nurses are very sweet and are doing a great job of taking care of us.
Here is a little more about what is going on this week with Hudson's development:
Hudson now weighs in between 2 1/2 and 3 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain, and his bones are soaking up lots of calcium. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited into his hardening skeleton each day.
Sorry I don't have a picture for this week, they didn't print me out one, but I did get to see him and he's looking great!
Thanks again for the prayers and all your support! :)
This morning, they measured my cervix again, and out of several measurements, the shortest they got was .6, so it was a little better than last week! That really doesn't change anything, I'll continue to be on bed rest and they will measure my cervix weekly until they decide otherwise.
Earlier this week, one of the nurses took Blake on a tour of the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) where Hudson will go if he is born earlier than 37 weeks. I wasn't allowed to go since I'm supposed to stay in bed, so when Blake came back, he told me all about it. He said there were lots of "cute babies" and he even saw one that was 1lb 10oz. He said it was the smallest baby he's ever seen!
Above is a picture of Blake's souvenir from the NICU--a preemie diaper. (Next to my ipod so you can see the size)They didn't measure Hudson this time, and probably won't until next week, but he's more than likely coming up on 3lbs. He pretty much never stops moving and continues to look good on the monitor. My nurses are very sweet and are doing a great job of taking care of us.
Here is a little more about what is going on this week with Hudson's development:
Hudson now weighs in between 2 1/2 and 3 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain, and his bones are soaking up lots of calcium. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited into his hardening skeleton each day.
Sorry I don't have a picture for this week, they didn't print me out one, but I did get to see him and he's looking great!
Thanks again for the prayers and all your support! :)
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