25 weeks and 4 days - Grant

Tyler brought my laptop this afternoon so I am finally connected to the word again! The only thing I brought with me last night was a half-dead cell phone, a book, and chap-stick... and I was finished with the book by 6AM!

So... I am at DHMC tonight with good news after a scary night:

Last week I noticed I was having Braxton-Hicks contractions but they were very mild and sporadic so I wasn't worried. On Friday I may have done a little too much (swimming with Caroline and her friend, grocery shopping, house cleaning, cupcake making, veggie prepping, pita chip making and a meeting with Caroline's nutritionist all before hosting bookclub at 6:30!). By the middle of bookclub I was feeling more consistent contractions - still not painful. I ended up being up almost all night with them... mostly just worrying about what they meant.

Saturday I woke up and they appeared to be gone so I had an awesome morning getting pedicures with girlfriends. I came home and took it very easy; I even took my regular 2-hour afternoon nap! However, I woke up with contractions again and was definitely having more than 4 an hour - the threshold prior to 27 weeks when you should call your doc.

I waited until Caroline went to bed and then made the call and went to the hospital as ordered. I was expecting to be told that yes, I was having Braxton-Hicks but I should just drink some more and rest. Instead, it appeared that perhaps I was also dilating and the contractions were occuring more frequently so late last night I was sent to DHMC. Before I left I got a dose of betamethasone (steroid shot in the butt to help Grant's lungs) and nefedipine (pills to stop contractions). Because of the snow the trip took hours...

When I got here they started a second IV so that I could have IV fluid running, as well as penicillin (in case I was/am positive for strep b), and magnesium (stops contractions and good for brain development). They again thought that I appeared to be 1-2cm dilated and this had everyone worried. They did all kinds of tests and then I met with doctors about having a c-section (because of the placenta previa) and having my tubes tied after delivery. The tubes tied part was kind of funny because you feel like you are singing your life away... apparently they just need to cover their butts so that they are accused of practicing eugenics!

I never did sleep last night with all of the monitors and meds, but I was very much looking forward to morning when I knew I'd get an ultrasound to check on baby. Around 11 or so they finally arrived and I got the wonderful news that I do not have nor did I ever have placenta previa! What a relief! I've been worried for a month about the risk of bleeding and now I can erase that from my mind. Next that did a cervical length measurement that looked good, and finally, because I don't have placenta previa, they did a digital exam and found that I hadn't dilated at all but that my cervix is soft and effacing.

They took me off monitors and meds (I was on the "baby-may-come-this-week dose" instead of the "let's just stop contractions dose") and now I am just hanging tight overnight to make sure the contractions have slowed enough for me to go home.

I met with the NICU doc who was very happy with these 2 pieces of news and he said he thought there wouldn't be any reason for me not to deliver sometime between 30 weeks to full term as long as my water doesn't break (which is did with Caroline 4 weeks after going though this same experience).  Grant is very healthy and spunky. He hangs out in a head down position and practices his jabs with my hip bones. he weighs about 1 pound, 12 ounces today which is pretty good for a little guy his age!

Tyler is here at Matt's apartment with Caroline now thanks to many helpers today (Peter, Jeanne, Chris, Chris, Alex and Nicole) who helped him with various tasks so he could get down here ASAP. I have this whole color-coded chart and packing list that I made a month or so ago but I wasn't planning on needing it quite this early! Ty had to do the best that he could on short notice...

Anyway, I hope it will be a quiet night tonight. The magnesium worked with Caroline so I hope it does the same with Grant... we'll be at Matt's tomorrow night because Caroline has morning appointments here at DHMC Tuesday and then back home!