Hospital visits

I decided to write down what has been going on with this pregnancy (and since I can't get up to get my journal a blog post will do).  Brent and I wish we would have written down what happened with the preterm labor with Hannah so we could compare between this time and then.

First I want to start by thanking my wonderful family because without them I would be unable to do what needs to be done for this baby.  I am so thankful for the love and support that they give me.

At 29 weeks I started having contractions about 20 minutes apart.  The doctor checked me then and thankfully nothing was happening yet.  He put me on Procardia 20 mg every 6 hours.   Not always fun to have to take because of headaches and lightheadness, but worth it if it keeps the baby in.  It definitely helped.  I tried to not do too much.  The contractions slowed down a lot.  It got to the point that I could tell when it was almost time to take the medicine because the contractions would start picking up.

On Friday the 29th, I started having more contractions again.  At this point I am just over 34 weeks.  (I started having preterm labor with Hannah at 34 weeks.)  When I called the doctor's office the nurse told me to go up to the hospital since the doctor was in surgery that day.  The contractions were about 10-15 minutes apart at this point.  I was checked and dilated to a 3 and 70% effaced.  They gave me a shot of terbutaline to stop the contractions and betamethatsone for the baby's lungs.  The first shot helped, but not as much as was hoped so I was given a 2nd shot.  I had to call Brent to come pick me up since I wouldn't be able to drive myself home.  The medicine makes you very jittery and shaky.  The second shot did the trick.  The contractions were knocked out almost completely.  I only had 1-2 an hour the rest of the night.  I was put on complete bedrest, with instructions to go back to the hospital the next afternoon for the 2nd steroid shot for the baby's lungs as well as to see my doctor on Monday.

Woke up Saturday morning (Hannah's birthday) and the contractions started coming about 6 minutes apart.  So we called Grandma Palmer and asked if they would come to pick up the birthday girl and her siblings while we went to the hospital.  So we left Kayley in charge and headed back up to McKay Dee hospital in Ogden.

Thankfully when they checked me there wasn't any change.  But the contractions started coming every 2-4 minutes.  So they gave me another shot of terbutaline.   It helped a little but not much.  After watching what the contractions were doing they decided to give me another shot of it.  It took the contractions to 10 minutes apart but it only lasted about 30 minutes and then they started getting closer.  So the nurse went to call my doctor again and see what he wanted done since it wasn't helping very much this time.  While we were waiting to hear back from him I was given the second steroid shot so I wouldn't have to come back the same day.  The doctor decided to give me a shot of morphine and phenergan so my body would relax and I could get some rest and hopefully that would knock out the contractions.   Well it worked.  I went home and laid on the couch all day and night moving only to go to the bathroom.  Thankfully it helped with the contractions as well.

Today (Sunday) they have been there but as long as I drink plenty of water and stay down they have only been coming about 1-2 an hour.  So I am hoping and praying that this will continue and that the baby will stay in a little bit longer.  The doctor thinks we will be lucky if we make it through the rest of the week without having the baby.  But I know the Lord is watching over me and the baby and that whatever happens it is what He wants.