The babies continued to struggle with their feeding overnight so the team decided to put them on an every-other schedule with switching between giving a bottle and just doing a tube feeding. They also have a moving goalpost to deal with, since they are growing and get larger required volumes as they go up in weight. I think that the team will keep up with the every-other schedule tomorrow as well to see if it helps them gain their strength.
The census went down for the NICU and three babies were discharged from the SCN area, which meant that there wasn't enough babies for us to keep our private room. :( Our babies were moved over to the main SCN nursery next door with the others. The staff did what they could for us and put Isla in a small room for a single baby that is technically still part of the main SCN nursery. This will give Alicia some privacy when she pumps. Her brothers are less than 10 feet away right outside her room.
It's been a rough day for Alicia. She woke up with a small bump on her lip which may be a cold sore and was worried that she wouldn't be able to see our children. Fortunately the nurse was able to give Alicia a mask and she's still allowed to do everything she normally would (except kiss them). She got a prescription to help it go away and people can pray that she doesn't have an outbreak. She also got the bad news that feedings haven't improved and that the kiddos were losing their private room, so it was all starting to add up. She got some good baby time this evening and gave Solomon a bath, which has helped to soothe her. Also, Isla chugged her whole bottle while Alicia was feeding her, so that was encouraging as well.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
7 days old
Today marks one week out of the womb for Isla, Solomon, and Simon. All things considered, they are doing amazingly well. Isla and Simon had their hearing checked yesterday and they also passed just like their brother. They all continue to struggle with their feedings, though. They were very tired today and sometimes didn't take their bottle at all. The nurse mentioned giving them a break and doing mostly tube feedings for a day to see if it would help them rest up and get their strength back. We'll discuss this with the doctor tomorrow.
Solomon was put on a small amount of oxygen today. He does fine when he's awake, but he has periodic breathing when he's sleeping hard and his oxygen level will go up and down and dip below the acceptable level. The nurse said that it wasn't dipping to a dangerous level, but it's below where they'd like it to be. The oxygen may give him more energy and help him to eat better. Solomon has been our fiesty little one, but sometimes needs a little help to catch up. He had been having a temperature on the very low end of average and they put him under a warmer for a bit earlier this week to help him out. For the last several days his temperature has been just fine.
The small amount of oxygen that Solomon and Simon are on is okay to go home with, so it's just a waiting game to see when they'll all start eating enough.
Solomon was put on a small amount of oxygen today. He does fine when he's awake, but he has periodic breathing when he's sleeping hard and his oxygen level will go up and down and dip below the acceptable level. The nurse said that it wasn't dipping to a dangerous level, but it's below where they'd like it to be. The oxygen may give him more energy and help him to eat better. Solomon has been our fiesty little one, but sometimes needs a little help to catch up. He had been having a temperature on the very low end of average and they put him under a warmer for a bit earlier this week to help him out. For the last several days his temperature has been just fine.
The small amount of oxygen that Solomon and Simon are on is okay to go home with, so it's just a waiting game to see when they'll all start eating enough.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
1st Family Pictures
(Isla, Solomon, Simon)
Hard to believe they all fit inside her belly.
First family picture
The whole family again
First family picture
The whole family againTuesday, July 28, 2009
5 days old
Alicia has been freed from her captivity, so I'll start counting baby days instead. Another brief update:
At the latest possible moment, Isla had her bilirubin come down and is all clear. Solomon also had his come down, so everyone has avoided the phototherapy (the team at rounds this morning was quite amazed that none of the babies needed it).
Solomon had his hearing tested today, and Isla and Simon will have their hearing tested tomorrow. We didn't realize they could test it so young. The tech put electrodes on his head and little ear pieces in, and she can detect his brainwaves as he listens to the small noises in the ear pieces. He passed and got a fun little certificate.
We missed Simon's bathtime yesterday, but today Alicia gave Isla a bath and I gave Solomon a bath. We had a lot more fun than they did, they didn't enjoy being all wet. They also expended a lot of energy and were pretty tired for their feedings.
It's been ups and downs with feedings. Simon looked to be over his problems with risiduals overnight, but at his late morning feeding he had about 12 mL left in his stomach. He doesn't seem too interested in sucking on a bottle and usually doesn't take more than half if that. Solomon barely made his minimum for the shift overnight and only took 10 mL at his morning feeding. He and was able to take a good amount at his next couple but wasn't going to meet his minimum for the shift and had to get a feeding tube to make up the difference. We're very hopeful that he just had a slow day and will be able keep up now. Isla is having her ups and downs as well. She sometimes takes a full bottle and sometimes takes only a small amount.
So the babies really need work on taking their feedings, it's the only thing keeping them in the hospital. We're hopeful the babies will come home soon, but we really don't know when the babies will be ready.
At the latest possible moment, Isla had her bilirubin come down and is all clear. Solomon also had his come down, so everyone has avoided the phototherapy (the team at rounds this morning was quite amazed that none of the babies needed it).
Solomon had his hearing tested today, and Isla and Simon will have their hearing tested tomorrow. We didn't realize they could test it so young. The tech put electrodes on his head and little ear pieces in, and she can detect his brainwaves as he listens to the small noises in the ear pieces. He passed and got a fun little certificate.
We missed Simon's bathtime yesterday, but today Alicia gave Isla a bath and I gave Solomon a bath. We had a lot more fun than they did, they didn't enjoy being all wet. They also expended a lot of energy and were pretty tired for their feedings.
It's been ups and downs with feedings. Simon looked to be over his problems with risiduals overnight, but at his late morning feeding he had about 12 mL left in his stomach. He doesn't seem too interested in sucking on a bottle and usually doesn't take more than half if that. Solomon barely made his minimum for the shift overnight and only took 10 mL at his morning feeding. He and was able to take a good amount at his next couple but wasn't going to meet his minimum for the shift and had to get a feeding tube to make up the difference. We're very hopeful that he just had a slow day and will be able keep up now. Isla is having her ups and downs as well. She sometimes takes a full bottle and sometimes takes only a small amount.
So the babies really need work on taking their feedings, it's the only thing keeping them in the hospital. We're hopeful the babies will come home soon, but we really don't know when the babies will be ready.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Discharge Day (for Alicia)
Alicia is being discharged today, hooray! The babies are still in the special care nursery (I accidentally called it the extended care nursery yesterday.) Solomon has been eating like a fireman and has earned himself some leeway. If he doesn't finish a feeding now he can make it up in his next feedings and won't have to get a feeding tube unless he gets behind. The doctor brought up discharge for him today, he may be able to come home in a few days!
Simon and Isla need to work on taking their full bottles. Simon hasn't been digesting all of his food, but he seems to be doing better. He had 17 mL left in his stomach yesterday evening, and 11 mL late last night, and he only had a little left when Linda just fed him his late morning bottle today. He took about half of his bottle, which is an improvement since he wasn't taking much by mouth during his feedings last night. Isla is also taking about half of her feedings by mouth and sometimes has a small amount leftover in her stomach. Once they start taking full bottles and digesting it, they'll be on their way out the door.
Simon is the first baby to have his bilirubin go down, so he's all good with that and won't need to be tested again. Isla was at a 9.6 and if it goes up to 10 she'll need phototherapy to help her out. Solomon is still under 9 but it hasn't gone down yet, so he could need phototherapy as well if it keeps rising. We're hoping that they won't need it, but it wouldn't be unusual.
Simon and Isla need to work on taking their full bottles. Simon hasn't been digesting all of his food, but he seems to be doing better. He had 17 mL left in his stomach yesterday evening, and 11 mL late last night, and he only had a little left when Linda just fed him his late morning bottle today. He took about half of his bottle, which is an improvement since he wasn't taking much by mouth during his feedings last night. Isla is also taking about half of her feedings by mouth and sometimes has a small amount leftover in her stomach. Once they start taking full bottles and digesting it, they'll be on their way out the door.
Simon is the first baby to have his bilirubin go down, so he's all good with that and won't need to be tested again. Isla was at a 9.6 and if it goes up to 10 she'll need phototherapy to help her out. Solomon is still under 9 but it hasn't gone down yet, so he could need phototherapy as well if it keeps rising. We're hoping that they won't need it, but it wouldn't be unusual.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Day 20 - evening
Quick update:
Lots of great progress today. All of the babies took a road trip today from the normal NICU nursery up to their own room up in the special care nursery (which is still technically part of the NICU, but one step closer to leaving). Solomon had his IV taken out so all 3 babies are now IV-free. The babies all did a room air test (absolutely no breathing help) and Isla and Solomon passed. Simon wasn't quite ready and is on a very tiny amount of oxygen. It's okay for babies to go home with a small amount of oxygen, so this won't keep him in the hospital.
Isla and Simon still have their feeding tubes in to make up for any part of the bottle they don't take, but they are making progress. Simon didn't keep up with digesting his food today, and still had 17 mL in his stomach at his feeding this evening. He is laying on his side and stomach to help digest and will take a full feeding by bottle later tonight. (It's okay for babies to be on their stomach in the NICU since they are hooked up to so many moniters.) Isla took her whole bottle from Alicia tonight. Solomon has been a champ and still hasn't needed a feeding tube yet. He took his full bottle (30 mL) from me tonight, and will be on 35 mL feeding by morning just like his siblings.
Well talk about final goals at rounds tomorrow, but it sounds like the babies just need to feed and grow consistently and they'll be ready to go home. I know I'm behind on pictures, I'll try to catch up tomorrow.
Lots of great progress today. All of the babies took a road trip today from the normal NICU nursery up to their own room up in the special care nursery (which is still technically part of the NICU, but one step closer to leaving). Solomon had his IV taken out so all 3 babies are now IV-free. The babies all did a room air test (absolutely no breathing help) and Isla and Solomon passed. Simon wasn't quite ready and is on a very tiny amount of oxygen. It's okay for babies to go home with a small amount of oxygen, so this won't keep him in the hospital.
Isla and Simon still have their feeding tubes in to make up for any part of the bottle they don't take, but they are making progress. Simon didn't keep up with digesting his food today, and still had 17 mL in his stomach at his feeding this evening. He is laying on his side and stomach to help digest and will take a full feeding by bottle later tonight. (It's okay for babies to be on their stomach in the NICU since they are hooked up to so many moniters.) Isla took her whole bottle from Alicia tonight. Solomon has been a champ and still hasn't needed a feeding tube yet. He took his full bottle (30 mL) from me tonight, and will be on 35 mL feeding by morning just like his siblings.
Well talk about final goals at rounds tomorrow, but it sounds like the babies just need to feed and grow consistently and they'll be ready to go home. I know I'm behind on pictures, I'll try to catch up tomorrow.
Day 20 - morning
Alicia and I went to see the babies this morning. I fed Isla and Alicia fed Solomon. Isla was very tired and slept through her diaper change and taking her temperature, so it wasn't surprising that she kinda pooped out during her feeding and didn't take the full bottle. She was given the rest through her feeding tube. She took her full bottle last night, so we're hopeful she'll start taking full bottles again. Solomon was a little slow with his bottle but took the full feeding. Since he was taking longer Alicia stayed behind while I went to rounds, and Alicia was able to join us at the end.
All of babies are doing well. They are all going to be "wean as tolerated" on the oxygen today to see if they will be able to go completely off of breathing help. If they still require a small amount of oxygen it's okay and won't prevent them from coming home. Isla and Simon are off of their IV's and are taking all of their nutrition by feeding, and Solomon will increase feedings to catch up with his siblings and will off of his IV by tomorrow morning. Excellent news all around.
The babies may move to a private room upstairs next to the main nursery. It will still technically be part of the NICU, but it would be great to have a room to themselves.
All of babies are doing well. They are all going to be "wean as tolerated" on the oxygen today to see if they will be able to go completely off of breathing help. If they still require a small amount of oxygen it's okay and won't prevent them from coming home. Isla and Simon are off of their IV's and are taking all of their nutrition by feeding, and Solomon will increase feedings to catch up with his siblings and will off of his IV by tomorrow morning. Excellent news all around.
The babies may move to a private room upstairs next to the main nursery. It will still technically be part of the NICU, but it would be great to have a room to themselves.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Commentary : To name a baby, or three
Oh, the naming of a child. To me, it was a first realization of the awesome power and responsibility that I wield as a parent. Alicia and I had been working on names for months, years really, but filling out the birth registration forms and giving the babies names that they'll have for the rest of their lives was almost a scary experience. It was the first of many life-defining decisions that we'll make for our children.
Alicia and I agreed very early in the process that we'd like uncommon but classic names. I can't remember the first time that Alicia brought up the name Simon, but we've both liked the name for a long time now. Alicia also liked the middle name of Benjamin, and I certainly wasn't going to complain. The other boy's name took quite a bit longer (boy's names are hard!). We liked Biblical names, so that helped narrow down the search. We both knew a guy in college named Solomon, and while our little boy isn't named after him, he was likable and didn't ruin the name for us (which is very important). The name really grew on us after awhile, and it was promoted to the "let's see if there's a good middle name for it" stage. Well, the name David came to us almost immediately due to the Biblical connection, and the fact that David is my father's name sealed the deal.
It wasn't difficult to decide who was who while they were in the womb. The Biblical Simon was always eager to prove himself and Baby C was always seemed eager to prove himself during the NST. Also, we knew that Baby C would likely be delivered last, so he'd be the youngest just like his dad and the Biblical Benjamin. The Biblical Solomon is primarily known for being wise, and Baby B seemed to be the contemplating thinker. He also liked to show off his head, which was the first body part protruding from Mommy's tummy.
It's a little ironic because as hard as boy's names are, we found two that we really liked and it was the girl's name that we decided on last. (We kept trying to find a backup name in case they didn't look like a Simon or Solomon but never found one, good thing the names fit!) Alicia brought up Illah awhile ago and I thought it was pretty but I wasn't sold on the name. After awhile I brought up Isla (pronounced the same as Illah) like it was a brand new idea. She let me think the name was my idea for awhile but eventually pointed out that she brought up the name first. I really liked the spelling of Isla because it gave the name a little more meaning since it is derived from island and she was the only girl. The name is Scottish, which is pretty close to the Irish that gives some red hair on both sides of the family. (Apologies to the pureblooded Scots and Irishmen that are horribly offended by that last sentence.) We decided that Isla fits the criteria of uncommon but classic name, with a twist by using a rare spelling. We had several middle names, but in the end I voted for Kay and Alicia agreed. Kay is Alicia's middle name and her mother's middle name, and gives all three of the babies a family name.
And thus Isla Kay (4 lbs 9oz 17.5 in), Solomon David (3 lbs 13 oz 17 in), and Simon Benjamin (4 lbs 11 oz 17.75 in) came into this world.
Alicia and I agreed very early in the process that we'd like uncommon but classic names. I can't remember the first time that Alicia brought up the name Simon, but we've both liked the name for a long time now. Alicia also liked the middle name of Benjamin, and I certainly wasn't going to complain. The other boy's name took quite a bit longer (boy's names are hard!). We liked Biblical names, so that helped narrow down the search. We both knew a guy in college named Solomon, and while our little boy isn't named after him, he was likable and didn't ruin the name for us (which is very important). The name really grew on us after awhile, and it was promoted to the "let's see if there's a good middle name for it" stage. Well, the name David came to us almost immediately due to the Biblical connection, and the fact that David is my father's name sealed the deal.
It wasn't difficult to decide who was who while they were in the womb. The Biblical Simon was always eager to prove himself and Baby C was always seemed eager to prove himself during the NST. Also, we knew that Baby C would likely be delivered last, so he'd be the youngest just like his dad and the Biblical Benjamin. The Biblical Solomon is primarily known for being wise, and Baby B seemed to be the contemplating thinker. He also liked to show off his head, which was the first body part protruding from Mommy's tummy.
It's a little ironic because as hard as boy's names are, we found two that we really liked and it was the girl's name that we decided on last. (We kept trying to find a backup name in case they didn't look like a Simon or Solomon but never found one, good thing the names fit!) Alicia brought up Illah awhile ago and I thought it was pretty but I wasn't sold on the name. After awhile I brought up Isla (pronounced the same as Illah) like it was a brand new idea. She let me think the name was my idea for awhile but eventually pointed out that she brought up the name first. I really liked the spelling of Isla because it gave the name a little more meaning since it is derived from island and she was the only girl. The name is Scottish, which is pretty close to the Irish that gives some red hair on both sides of the family. (Apologies to the pureblooded Scots and Irishmen that are horribly offended by that last sentence.) We decided that Isla fits the criteria of uncommon but classic name, with a twist by using a rare spelling. We had several middle names, but in the end I voted for Kay and Alicia agreed. Kay is Alicia's middle name and her mother's middle name, and gives all three of the babies a family name.
And thus Isla Kay (4 lbs 9oz 17.5 in), Solomon David (3 lbs 13 oz 17 in), and Simon Benjamin (4 lbs 11 oz 17.75 in) came into this world.
Day 18 and 19 of Alicia's captivity
Wow, so much has happened in two days, apologies for not updating the blog sooner. We've been sending out email updates, but we'll stop spamming everyone and use the blog for most updates now.
The big news is that our babies have names! Our girl formerly known as Baby A is Isla Kay Ellingson. Our boy formerly known as Baby B is Solomon David Ellingson. Our boy formerly known as Baby C is Simon Benjamin Ellingson.
I went to see the babies yesterday morning and they were doing great. I was surprised to find Solomon already had his breathing tube removed and was only on a cannula. He also had a pacifier that he had been sucking on. Simon was still on a breathing tube and Isla was still on a CPAP. I was able to attend rounds for the babies (their round table discussion with everyone where they go over how they're doing and decide how to proceed). It was all good news during rounds. Simon had been "weaned like crazy" and they decided to remove his breathing tube and put him on a cannula. Isla was also doing well and they ordered her CPAP removed and she went on a cannula too.
Alicia was switched to oral meds yesterday morning and they are working better. She was able to get out of bed and take a short stroll down the hall early and she sat up and had some breakfast a little later. We took a wheelchair ride to the NICU around noon (and named them!)
We were able to feed Simon his first bottle last night. It is very exciting that all of the babies are able to take a bottle now. Alicia and I went to rounds this morning and the doctor was very happy that she had all good news. The babies are all being weaned off of their oxygen and are now only be on a low dose. All of the babies will be getting progressively larger feedings since they have taken everything so far. The doctor said that she didn't think that breathing issues would keep the babies in the hospital, and when they go home will depend on how soon they can take full feedings. As they start to get larger feeding they may not take it all and need a feeding tube to make up the difference.
Isla hasn't been keeping enough down so she was put on a feeding tube today. It wouldn't be fair to call it a setback, since she's not really taking a set backward, she's just not taking steps forward quite quick enough. The boys are still keeping up with the increased feedings, so we're hopeful that this will continue but it wouldn't be unexpected for them to need a feeding tube at some point as well. The babies can't come home until they can take full feedings for a couple days without the help of a feeding tube.
Alicia's parents are in town so they relieved me from duty at the hospital this afternoon and I was able to head home to get a couple things done, get cleaned up, take a nap, and give Oliver some luvins. (Oliver was also happy to get in on the nap action.) Alicia ended up having a rough afternoon. She postponed pumping because she was going to meet with a lactation specialist for Simon's 3pm feeding. The specialist was late, and Simon was already very hungry at 3pm, and the feeding didn't go well at all since Alicia's milk is just starting to come in (and the specialist wasn't very understanding of this fact), and it all lasted so long that Alicia was late for her pain meds at 3:30pm. It was all just a bad domino effect. Some of Alicia's family came to visit at that time and it was unfortunate that all of that had happened right before they came and she wasn't feeling well.
I got back to the hospital a little after 5pm and we were able to take people over to the NICU to see the babies. There are very rigorous rules for the NICU: no sickness for the last 2 weeks, vigorous hand washing when you enter, only one visitor escorted per parent, only two people per bedside. (We also have the more unusual rule of using the hand gel between babies since we have more than one.) Grandparents of the babies are able to get in without a parent, but they can't escort visitors. So we cycled through the visitors and showed off our precious little ones.
When we were in the NICU Alicia saw what looked like bed that had the name NEMO on it. She whispered to me that she couldn't believe that someone named their child Nemo. The nurse told me last night that they name their scales so that they can be sure to use the same one everytime, so I realized that it was a scale and explained it to Alicia. We thought it was pretty funny.
I dropped off another shipment of the ever-increasing breast milk and spoke with the nurses briefly. All of the babies took their full feedings by mouth tonight, so that's great news. Isla was burped every 5-7 min and that seemed to help her keep it down. We'll go to rounds tomorrow to see how the doctor evaluates things and what the plan of action will be. Alicia overdid it today and is showing some high blood pressure for the first time of her stay, so we hope that she'll get a relaxing night of sleep (with pumping and meds every 3 hours, so a relatively relaxing night).
The big news is that our babies have names! Our girl formerly known as Baby A is Isla Kay Ellingson. Our boy formerly known as Baby B is Solomon David Ellingson. Our boy formerly known as Baby C is Simon Benjamin Ellingson.
I went to see the babies yesterday morning and they were doing great. I was surprised to find Solomon already had his breathing tube removed and was only on a cannula. He also had a pacifier that he had been sucking on. Simon was still on a breathing tube and Isla was still on a CPAP. I was able to attend rounds for the babies (their round table discussion with everyone where they go over how they're doing and decide how to proceed). It was all good news during rounds. Simon had been "weaned like crazy" and they decided to remove his breathing tube and put him on a cannula. Isla was also doing well and they ordered her CPAP removed and she went on a cannula too.
Alicia was switched to oral meds yesterday morning and they are working better. She was able to get out of bed and take a short stroll down the hall early and she sat up and had some breakfast a little later. We took a wheelchair ride to the NICU around noon (and named them!)
We were able to feed Simon his first bottle last night. It is very exciting that all of the babies are able to take a bottle now. Alicia and I went to rounds this morning and the doctor was very happy that she had all good news. The babies are all being weaned off of their oxygen and are now only be on a low dose. All of the babies will be getting progressively larger feedings since they have taken everything so far. The doctor said that she didn't think that breathing issues would keep the babies in the hospital, and when they go home will depend on how soon they can take full feedings. As they start to get larger feeding they may not take it all and need a feeding tube to make up the difference.
Isla hasn't been keeping enough down so she was put on a feeding tube today. It wouldn't be fair to call it a setback, since she's not really taking a set backward, she's just not taking steps forward quite quick enough. The boys are still keeping up with the increased feedings, so we're hopeful that this will continue but it wouldn't be unexpected for them to need a feeding tube at some point as well. The babies can't come home until they can take full feedings for a couple days without the help of a feeding tube.
Alicia's parents are in town so they relieved me from duty at the hospital this afternoon and I was able to head home to get a couple things done, get cleaned up, take a nap, and give Oliver some luvins. (Oliver was also happy to get in on the nap action.) Alicia ended up having a rough afternoon. She postponed pumping because she was going to meet with a lactation specialist for Simon's 3pm feeding. The specialist was late, and Simon was already very hungry at 3pm, and the feeding didn't go well at all since Alicia's milk is just starting to come in (and the specialist wasn't very understanding of this fact), and it all lasted so long that Alicia was late for her pain meds at 3:30pm. It was all just a bad domino effect. Some of Alicia's family came to visit at that time and it was unfortunate that all of that had happened right before they came and she wasn't feeling well.
I got back to the hospital a little after 5pm and we were able to take people over to the NICU to see the babies. There are very rigorous rules for the NICU: no sickness for the last 2 weeks, vigorous hand washing when you enter, only one visitor escorted per parent, only two people per bedside. (We also have the more unusual rule of using the hand gel between babies since we have more than one.) Grandparents of the babies are able to get in without a parent, but they can't escort visitors. So we cycled through the visitors and showed off our precious little ones.
When we were in the NICU Alicia saw what looked like bed that had the name NEMO on it. She whispered to me that she couldn't believe that someone named their child Nemo. The nurse told me last night that they name their scales so that they can be sure to use the same one everytime, so I realized that it was a scale and explained it to Alicia. We thought it was pretty funny.
I dropped off another shipment of the ever-increasing breast milk and spoke with the nurses briefly. All of the babies took their full feedings by mouth tonight, so that's great news. Isla was burped every 5-7 min and that seemed to help her keep it down. We'll go to rounds tomorrow to see how the doctor evaluates things and what the plan of action will be. Alicia overdid it today and is showing some high blood pressure for the first time of her stay, so we hope that she'll get a relaxing night of sleep (with pumping and meds every 3 hours, so a relatively relaxing night).
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Delivery Day!
Alicia had a successful C-section this morning. The surgery was basically perfect, and she is doing well. Baby A (girl) was delivered first and weighs 4 lbs 9 oz. We heard her give a good newborn cry and I saw them carry her over to the warmer. They brought her over for us to see her before she was taken into the NICU. Baby B (boy) was delivered next and weighs 3 lbs 13 oz. He also gave a cry, but it was a little weaker. They didn't bring him over to show us, so we knew that meant he needed to be taken straight to the NICU. Baby C (boy) came last and weighs 4 lbs 11 oz. He also gave a pretty healthy cry and we had a quick chance to see him before he was sent over to the NICU as well.
All of the babies went to the NICU to get help with breathing. Babies A and C were put on a CPAP which has a couple prongs that push air into their nostrils. Baby B needed a little more help and has a breathing tube. Shortly after my first visit they determined that Baby C needed a little more help and they gave him a breathing tube just like his brother. The help they are getting in nothing unexpected for babies delivered at this age. The babies were able to breathe on their own when born but just need a little help to get all of the oxygen they need. I stopped by the NICU this evening and the babies are hardly needing any breathing help anymore and are slowly being weaned off of the machines. The doctor said that they are doing "great". Our baby girl is already sucking on a pacifier and being quite vocal when it's not in.
The OB doctors were happy that they delivered today. They think that Baby B had stopped growing, which means it was time to deliver because he would do better in the NICU than remaining in the womb. The babies had all been very actively monitered since Alicia has been in the hospital and they have all passed daily or twice-daily heartrate and movement tests, so it was unexpected that he was so much smaller than his siblings.
Alicia had serious pain problems today. They normally put morphine in the spinal, but Alicia's allergic to codeine and the drugs are close enough that the anesthesiologist didn't want to risk it. We don't know exactly what happened, but there seemed to be some sort mess up and she was without any pain med from about 11:30 to 1:30 and she was really hurting. The first pain med that came didn't seem to be working at all, and it wasn't until late afternoon that she got a new med and the pain started decreasing. This evening she's down to an expected level of pain for just having surgery -- i.e. still feeling pretty bad, but not in agony.
Alicia was able to briefly stop by the NICU and see the babies as she was being transfered from recovery in L&D back to her normal hospital room. We expect that she'll be able to take a wheelchair ride tomorrow to go spend some time with the babies -- and we'll name them!
We're going to try to get some sleep. The narcotics are really bizarre drugs, where they'll make Alicia doze off mid-sentence but she hasn't been able to stay asleep for more than ~10-15 minutes. Hopefully she can get some rest tonight.
All of the babies went to the NICU to get help with breathing. Babies A and C were put on a CPAP which has a couple prongs that push air into their nostrils. Baby B needed a little more help and has a breathing tube. Shortly after my first visit they determined that Baby C needed a little more help and they gave him a breathing tube just like his brother. The help they are getting in nothing unexpected for babies delivered at this age. The babies were able to breathe on their own when born but just need a little help to get all of the oxygen they need. I stopped by the NICU this evening and the babies are hardly needing any breathing help anymore and are slowly being weaned off of the machines. The doctor said that they are doing "great". Our baby girl is already sucking on a pacifier and being quite vocal when it's not in.
The OB doctors were happy that they delivered today. They think that Baby B had stopped growing, which means it was time to deliver because he would do better in the NICU than remaining in the womb. The babies had all been very actively monitered since Alicia has been in the hospital and they have all passed daily or twice-daily heartrate and movement tests, so it was unexpected that he was so much smaller than his siblings.
Alicia had serious pain problems today. They normally put morphine in the spinal, but Alicia's allergic to codeine and the drugs are close enough that the anesthesiologist didn't want to risk it. We don't know exactly what happened, but there seemed to be some sort mess up and she was without any pain med from about 11:30 to 1:30 and she was really hurting. The first pain med that came didn't seem to be working at all, and it wasn't until late afternoon that she got a new med and the pain started decreasing. This evening she's down to an expected level of pain for just having surgery -- i.e. still feeling pretty bad, but not in agony.
Alicia was able to briefly stop by the NICU and see the babies as she was being transfered from recovery in L&D back to her normal hospital room. We expect that she'll be able to take a wheelchair ride tomorrow to go spend some time with the babies -- and we'll name them!
We're going to try to get some sleep. The narcotics are really bizarre drugs, where they'll make Alicia doze off mid-sentence but she hasn't been able to stay asleep for more than ~10-15 minutes. Hopefully she can get some rest tonight.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Day 16 of my captivity
Today is the last day of my "bed rest" captivity! Hooray!! Tomorrow is the exciting birth of our beautiful triplets. We are so excited to meet them!! The labor and delivery nurses will come in around 5-6 am to get me and start preparing me for surgery in the OR. I will get a spinal block for the procedure so I will be awake for it but numb. Once they have me all prepped they will go and get Ben. He will sit next to me during the delivery. He will have the option to watch the babies being born if he so chooses. Once the babies are cleaned up, he will be allowed to take pictures of them - as long as there aren't any emergencies. The actual c-section will take about an hour and then I will go into recovery for approximately 2-3 hours. During that time Ben will be allowed to stay with the babies as long as there aren't any unforeseen problems with their health. Please continue to pray that the delivery goes well and that the babies are born healthy and can go straight to the regular nursery rather than the NICU.
Dr. J. (Perinatologist) came in to see if I had any questions about tomorrow procedure. We went over the details again and he reassured me that babies born at 35 weeks should not have any long term health problems due to the timing of the delivery. He said the same was for 36 weeks. He also said NICU possibilities were about the same for 35 and 36 week babies so that was helpful to hear. Dr. J., Dr. V., and all of the other Perinatologists I've been seeing agree that 35.0 is the safest option for me and also for the babies. Even the Neonatalogist (Dr. C.) agreed it was the best time for me. This information was helpful. Ben and I are both confident in their decision and believe it is the best for me as well.
The social worker stopped by to see me and gave me information about the Ronald McDonald house in the event the babies are staying in the hospital after I get discharged. She will be on "stand by" for coordinating everything if it's something we end up needing. For now, we're all concentrating on the positive outcome - take home babies!! :) The charge nurse from the MSC (maternal special care) unit came in to let me know that I will come back to this unit/same room after delivery for a couple of days rather than going to the mother and baby unit. The doctors decided to do this because I am at risk for complications due to carrying all of the extra blood, fluids, etc. with the triplets and they have the staff in this unit to watch me closer than the other unit. The first few days they will monitor my heart, lungs, etc. to make sure I am okay. Once I prove to be stable they will move me to the mother & baby unit for the remainder of my stay. If I don't have any complications, they said I could get released on Monday or Tuesday next week.
Ben is coming tonight and will spend the night in my room so he's here and ready to go in the morning. He is bringing his camera, laptop, etc. so at some point on Thursday (when he has time) he will send out an email or post on the blog (or both) to let people know how things are going. If he sends an email, it more than likely will come from my hotmail account. Pictures may or may not be a part of the original email - it just depends on how much time he has. More than likely the babies will not have names yet. We are waiting until we can both spend time with them before giving them a name. Once we have selected the perfect names we will let everyone know. :)
Thanks for all your prayers. We are so thankful for your encouragement and prayer support during this entire journey. We are so blessed to have such fantastic friends and family.
Dr. J. (Perinatologist) came in to see if I had any questions about tomorrow procedure. We went over the details again and he reassured me that babies born at 35 weeks should not have any long term health problems due to the timing of the delivery. He said the same was for 36 weeks. He also said NICU possibilities were about the same for 35 and 36 week babies so that was helpful to hear. Dr. J., Dr. V., and all of the other Perinatologists I've been seeing agree that 35.0 is the safest option for me and also for the babies. Even the Neonatalogist (Dr. C.) agreed it was the best time for me. This information was helpful. Ben and I are both confident in their decision and believe it is the best for me as well.
The social worker stopped by to see me and gave me information about the Ronald McDonald house in the event the babies are staying in the hospital after I get discharged. She will be on "stand by" for coordinating everything if it's something we end up needing. For now, we're all concentrating on the positive outcome - take home babies!! :) The charge nurse from the MSC (maternal special care) unit came in to let me know that I will come back to this unit/same room after delivery for a couple of days rather than going to the mother and baby unit. The doctors decided to do this because I am at risk for complications due to carrying all of the extra blood, fluids, etc. with the triplets and they have the staff in this unit to watch me closer than the other unit. The first few days they will monitor my heart, lungs, etc. to make sure I am okay. Once I prove to be stable they will move me to the mother & baby unit for the remainder of my stay. If I don't have any complications, they said I could get released on Monday or Tuesday next week.
Ben is coming tonight and will spend the night in my room so he's here and ready to go in the morning. He is bringing his camera, laptop, etc. so at some point on Thursday (when he has time) he will send out an email or post on the blog (or both) to let people know how things are going. If he sends an email, it more than likely will come from my hotmail account. Pictures may or may not be a part of the original email - it just depends on how much time he has. More than likely the babies will not have names yet. We are waiting until we can both spend time with them before giving them a name. Once we have selected the perfect names we will let everyone know. :)
Thanks for all your prayers. We are so thankful for your encouragement and prayer support during this entire journey. We are so blessed to have such fantastic friends and family.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Day 15 of my captivity
Today's NST took an hour and a half since the babies decided to take naps during it. I had to stay on the monitor longer because they want to see the babies' heartbeats go up and down due to activity. Well, our kiddos decided it was nap time so I spent a LOOOONG time on the monitors, which is very uncomfortable for me as I'm laying on my back the entire time. I was so relieved to get that over and done with this morning. The results ended up being wonderful and the babies are doing great.
Dr. V. came in this morning to see me and she went over what to expect with the c-section and the risks involved. Since my uterus is stretched out much more than a single pregnancy, they might have some issues getting my uterus to contract back. If this happens, they will administer some strong medication to help with the process. This can be uncomfortable but it is very important. Also, I am at higher risk for heart issues so they will have to monitor me closely to make sure I don't get any fluid around the heart. I'm only higher risk because of the triplets. Blood transfusions are also possible (unlikely though) in the event I lose too much blood. Worst case scenario if I lose too much blood and they can't get the uterus to respond to the meds, they will have to take my uterus. Again, all unlikely but she's required to go over the risks with me. I trust everything will go well. She's an excellent doctor and I'm in good hands.
Dr. J. (Perinatologist) stopped by to see me this morning too. His visit was really quick. He just stopped by to check for swelling, etc. (signs of pre-eclampsia) and also to let me know that the NST was successful today and that the babies looked great. I did have some contractions during the test but not enough to push me into labor. So, Thursday is still the delivery date unless we get a surprise tonight or tomorrow. Dr. J. will stop by again tomorrow morning.
The Neonatologist who will be present during our delivery on Thursday stopped by to see me this afternoon with Dr. V. They wanted to make sure I had a realistic picture of what the babies will need when they are born. While it's possible they will all be healthy and able to go to the regular nursery, it is unlikely. She told me to plan for all three to get admitted to the NICU. She said it is likely they will stay 2-4 weeks after their birth to make sure they can eat on their own, breathe on their own, and also hold their own body temperature. If this happens, I will have to stay in the Ronald McDonald house here in town since driving back and forth from home will not be allowed. We're still praying for a miracle and trusting our babies will be healthier than expected. We want take home babies!!!
I had some visitors today and received two cards in the hospital mail (Thank you Nancy!!). Marie and her kids came to visit in the afternoon and we spent some time talking, etc. It was nice to see her. She restocked my gummy worms too!! :) Later in the evening Krisztina and Brittany came over to visit and brought me some lobster bisque soup... it was soooo good!!
Only one more day to get through before the babies are here!!!
Dr. V. came in this morning to see me and she went over what to expect with the c-section and the risks involved. Since my uterus is stretched out much more than a single pregnancy, they might have some issues getting my uterus to contract back. If this happens, they will administer some strong medication to help with the process. This can be uncomfortable but it is very important. Also, I am at higher risk for heart issues so they will have to monitor me closely to make sure I don't get any fluid around the heart. I'm only higher risk because of the triplets. Blood transfusions are also possible (unlikely though) in the event I lose too much blood. Worst case scenario if I lose too much blood and they can't get the uterus to respond to the meds, they will have to take my uterus. Again, all unlikely but she's required to go over the risks with me. I trust everything will go well. She's an excellent doctor and I'm in good hands.
Dr. J. (Perinatologist) stopped by to see me this morning too. His visit was really quick. He just stopped by to check for swelling, etc. (signs of pre-eclampsia) and also to let me know that the NST was successful today and that the babies looked great. I did have some contractions during the test but not enough to push me into labor. So, Thursday is still the delivery date unless we get a surprise tonight or tomorrow. Dr. J. will stop by again tomorrow morning.
The Neonatologist who will be present during our delivery on Thursday stopped by to see me this afternoon with Dr. V. They wanted to make sure I had a realistic picture of what the babies will need when they are born. While it's possible they will all be healthy and able to go to the regular nursery, it is unlikely. She told me to plan for all three to get admitted to the NICU. She said it is likely they will stay 2-4 weeks after their birth to make sure they can eat on their own, breathe on their own, and also hold their own body temperature. If this happens, I will have to stay in the Ronald McDonald house here in town since driving back and forth from home will not be allowed. We're still praying for a miracle and trusting our babies will be healthier than expected. We want take home babies!!!
I had some visitors today and received two cards in the hospital mail (Thank you Nancy!!). Marie and her kids came to visit in the afternoon and we spent some time talking, etc. It was nice to see her. She restocked my gummy worms too!! :) Later in the evening Krisztina and Brittany came over to visit and brought me some lobster bisque soup... it was soooo good!!
Only one more day to get through before the babies are here!!!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Day 14 of my captivity
I slept fairly well last night. My nurse kept her visits to a minimum to help increase the chance of me getting rest. It worked. She only came in at 8pm, 11pm, and 5am so that was nice. Usually there's at least one more visit in there. I worked today and got a decent amount of work done for my client so that felt good. It definitely helped keep my mind off my pain. As I mentioned before, each day gets much harder. From this morning to tonight I feel that much worse and now am out of breath constantly. My belly is swelling from the pressure and well... it hurts.
Dr. J is the Perinatologist in the hospital this week. He came in to visit me mid-morning and presented a journal article to me regarding triplet pregnancies. The article (along with other statistics he shared) showed that a triplet pregnancy at 35 weeks was acceptable for delivery if the babies have been growing well and thriving in the womb. Fetal, neonatal, and maternal mortality begin to increase in triplet pregnancies extended beyond 35 weeks of gestation. He said he was very proud I was able to make it this far and told me research says it's okay beginning on 35 weeks and 0 days to deliver. He said the best timing for delivery is before I begin to have other complications (high blood pressure, swelling of the feet/ankles, preeclampsia, etc.) Otherwise, healthy babies might be born but then I am too sick to care for them. So, he told Ben and I to consider the research and he would show the research to Dr. V. this morning. He spoke with her and she read his research and agreed 100% that now is the time for delivery since I am healthy and the babies are doing so well. Waiting another week was just increasing the chance of something going wrong. So, they scheduled the babies' birthday for Thursday, July 23rd at 7:45 am. I am the first c-section of the day. At this hospital, babies born at 35 weeks and 0 days are not automatically admitted into the NICU. Since we have triplets, it is common for them to be taken to the NICU for testing to see if they are healthy enough to go to the regular nursery. Sometimes the babies are held in the NICU for 24 hours for observation. Please pray that our babies are healthy and able to go to the regular nursery and can come home with us once I am discharged. My stay will be anywhere between 3-5 days depending on my recovery. The first 24 hours for me will be spent in recovery, etc. I am nervous about the surgery. Please pray all goes well. Dr. V. will perform the surgery and Dr. J will be her assistant. Each of the babies will have a team of nurses and a Neonatalogist. The NICU will also have 1 nurse available for each baby in the event they are born sick and a doctor on standby. It will be a full OR (operating room). Ben will get to be with me as long as it doesn't turn into an emergency situation, which it shouldn't. He will try and take some pics of the babies when he's allowed.
Knowing the babies are coming this week is definitely helpful in dealing with my pain. I still can't believe how much more I hurt every day. Just when I think it can't get any worse, it does. I'm praising God for us making it this far and for our babies doing so well. God is good!
We will update you as we learn more. Hooray - the babies have a planned birthday!! :)
Dr. J is the Perinatologist in the hospital this week. He came in to visit me mid-morning and presented a journal article to me regarding triplet pregnancies. The article (along with other statistics he shared) showed that a triplet pregnancy at 35 weeks was acceptable for delivery if the babies have been growing well and thriving in the womb. Fetal, neonatal, and maternal mortality begin to increase in triplet pregnancies extended beyond 35 weeks of gestation. He said he was very proud I was able to make it this far and told me research says it's okay beginning on 35 weeks and 0 days to deliver. He said the best timing for delivery is before I begin to have other complications (high blood pressure, swelling of the feet/ankles, preeclampsia, etc.) Otherwise, healthy babies might be born but then I am too sick to care for them. So, he told Ben and I to consider the research and he would show the research to Dr. V. this morning. He spoke with her and she read his research and agreed 100% that now is the time for delivery since I am healthy and the babies are doing so well. Waiting another week was just increasing the chance of something going wrong. So, they scheduled the babies' birthday for Thursday, July 23rd at 7:45 am. I am the first c-section of the day. At this hospital, babies born at 35 weeks and 0 days are not automatically admitted into the NICU. Since we have triplets, it is common for them to be taken to the NICU for testing to see if they are healthy enough to go to the regular nursery. Sometimes the babies are held in the NICU for 24 hours for observation. Please pray that our babies are healthy and able to go to the regular nursery and can come home with us once I am discharged. My stay will be anywhere between 3-5 days depending on my recovery. The first 24 hours for me will be spent in recovery, etc. I am nervous about the surgery. Please pray all goes well. Dr. V. will perform the surgery and Dr. J will be her assistant. Each of the babies will have a team of nurses and a Neonatalogist. The NICU will also have 1 nurse available for each baby in the event they are born sick and a doctor on standby. It will be a full OR (operating room). Ben will get to be with me as long as it doesn't turn into an emergency situation, which it shouldn't. He will try and take some pics of the babies when he's allowed.
Knowing the babies are coming this week is definitely helpful in dealing with my pain. I still can't believe how much more I hurt every day. Just when I think it can't get any worse, it does. I'm praising God for us making it this far and for our babies doing so well. God is good!
We will update you as we learn more. Hooray - the babies have a planned birthday!! :)
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Day 13 of my captivity
Last night was one of my longer nights without sleep. I had contractions all night and they were pretty strong but not enough to push me into labor. By 5 am they had settled down and I barely had any all day today. Docs say this can continue from here on out. We still don't know if I will go into labor soon or if I will make it all the way to 36 weeks. Time will tell.
Dr. H. stopped by this morning to see me and can tell that I am extremely uncomfortable. She tried to give me another pep talk and explain how important it is to hang in there for the babies. I understand this... it's just hard when I am so miserable. I have 11 days left until I am 36 weeks. This doesn't sound like a long time to many people but to me it's a very, very long time. Each day I get more and more uncomfortable. I can't imagine how I will feel in 11 days. I'm just taking it one day at a time.
Ben and I enjoyed being together this weekend. Ben went to Bravo to pick up spaghetti for lunch. It was a nice change from the hospital food. We shared that meal and both enjoyed it. Bravo is so good!! :) We took a nap this afternoon since we both slept pretty bad last night. Hopefully Ben can get some good rest now that he's back home. He left today around 5 pm. I already miss him and can't wait until his next visit.
Have a great night.
Dr. H. stopped by this morning to see me and can tell that I am extremely uncomfortable. She tried to give me another pep talk and explain how important it is to hang in there for the babies. I understand this... it's just hard when I am so miserable. I have 11 days left until I am 36 weeks. This doesn't sound like a long time to many people but to me it's a very, very long time. Each day I get more and more uncomfortable. I can't imagine how I will feel in 11 days. I'm just taking it one day at a time.
Ben and I enjoyed being together this weekend. Ben went to Bravo to pick up spaghetti for lunch. It was a nice change from the hospital food. We shared that meal and both enjoyed it. Bravo is so good!! :) We took a nap this afternoon since we both slept pretty bad last night. Hopefully Ben can get some good rest now that he's back home. He left today around 5 pm. I already miss him and can't wait until his next visit.
Have a great night.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Day 12 of my captivity
Ben showed up last night about 8. It was so nice to see him!! We didn't really do a whole lot except for catch up on what's been going on in Santa Fe, Oliver's appointment, etc. We got to bed at a decent time since my nurse came in fairly early - that was a nice change. They sometimes come in after 10 and I'm usually in bed before then... just another interruption during the night.
My morning nurse came in about 7 this morning and I was awake waiting for her. She did the NST and the babies look great. Baby B had hiccups the entire time so it sounded pretty funny. :) My blood pressure continues to stay low so there aren't any current signs of pre-eclampsia. The NST test showed that I was having constant contractions but they aren't powerful enough to dilate my cervix even more (still uncomfortable though). The sonographer came to do the BPP and all three of the babies were breathing and looked fantastic.
Dr. H. came in this morning to see me and she said that she still thought it could be weeks before I go into labor (3 cm dilated). She can tell that I'm extremely uncomfortable and said that she can fix that (by delivering them) but doesn't want to jump the gun until the babies are ready to come out. She didn't do another cervix check today. They won't do another one until my contractions become painful - which means that the cervix would be dilating.
Ben and I were pretty lazy today. We ate lunch together and then both decided to take a nap. We slept about 2 hours. It must have been our wild game of Life before lunch that wore us out. Ben bought it at Target and we had fun playing the game. I didn't do as well as him. He retired with $1.2 million while I only retired with $45,000 (which was only b/c the bank forgave the interest on my loans). It's a fun game.
Tonight we're taking it easy and watching a movie. :) Perhaps a Frosty from Wendy's too. :) Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are so grateful for each of you.
My morning nurse came in about 7 this morning and I was awake waiting for her. She did the NST and the babies look great. Baby B had hiccups the entire time so it sounded pretty funny. :) My blood pressure continues to stay low so there aren't any current signs of pre-eclampsia. The NST test showed that I was having constant contractions but they aren't powerful enough to dilate my cervix even more (still uncomfortable though). The sonographer came to do the BPP and all three of the babies were breathing and looked fantastic.
Dr. H. came in this morning to see me and she said that she still thought it could be weeks before I go into labor (3 cm dilated). She can tell that I'm extremely uncomfortable and said that she can fix that (by delivering them) but doesn't want to jump the gun until the babies are ready to come out. She didn't do another cervix check today. They won't do another one until my contractions become painful - which means that the cervix would be dilating.
Ben and I were pretty lazy today. We ate lunch together and then both decided to take a nap. We slept about 2 hours. It must have been our wild game of Life before lunch that wore us out. Ben bought it at Target and we had fun playing the game. I didn't do as well as him. He retired with $1.2 million while I only retired with $45,000 (which was only b/c the bank forgave the interest on my loans). It's a fun game.
Tonight we're taking it easy and watching a movie. :) Perhaps a Frosty from Wendy's too. :) Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are so grateful for each of you.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Day 11 of my captivity
Today has been an interesting day. I barely slept last night. I am sooooo uncomfortable and can't seem to find a position that feels right without my belly being in pain or my hips. I also didn't feel well all night - kind of like I was getting sick with the flu. The NST went well this morning and showed no signs of trouble for the babies. Everything looked fine with their heartbeats. The monitor did show that I was having contractions but I wasn't feeling them. I have so much pressure in my belly that it's hard for me to feel them now.
Dr. H came in to see me this morning around 9 am and immediately knew I wasn't feeling well. She said I didn't look myself and that I reminded her of when she went into labor with her first child. She decided to do a cervical check just to see if there were any changes and there were. My cervix is 1 cm dilated. So, I am in the beginning stages of labor. According to Dr. H. this could last days or weeks before the babies come - so no one should jump in their car and drive down here or you might be disappointed!! All she said is that they won't do a c-section unless I get to 3 cm dilated. They checked my cervix again this afternoon and it was still 1 cm. I am still feeling icky so they asked me to take a long nap today and log off of work. I never did fall asleep but I did rest. I think sleep will just be hard from here on out due to the major discomfort I'm experiencing.
Brittany and Krisztina came to visit me this afternoon. They brought milkshakes from the Route 66 Diner. It was yummy. It was nice to see them - a highlight of my day since I had been in bed forever. They stayed for about an hour and then headed off to go shopping in town. They will come back next week to visit. I so appreciate them driving down to see me!!
Ben is coming tonight to stay with me. I can't wait to see him. He took Oliver to the vet and Oliver's sore just needs to get watched for changes. If it doesn't get better in a couple of weeks we will need to take him back. He did get his shots while he was there so he's up-to-date now. The best news of the appointment is that Oliver has lost weight!! He went from 22 lbs last year to 19.5 this year! Hooray!!!
Dr. H came in to see me this morning around 9 am and immediately knew I wasn't feeling well. She said I didn't look myself and that I reminded her of when she went into labor with her first child. She decided to do a cervical check just to see if there were any changes and there were. My cervix is 1 cm dilated. So, I am in the beginning stages of labor. According to Dr. H. this could last days or weeks before the babies come - so no one should jump in their car and drive down here or you might be disappointed!! All she said is that they won't do a c-section unless I get to 3 cm dilated. They checked my cervix again this afternoon and it was still 1 cm. I am still feeling icky so they asked me to take a long nap today and log off of work. I never did fall asleep but I did rest. I think sleep will just be hard from here on out due to the major discomfort I'm experiencing.
Brittany and Krisztina came to visit me this afternoon. They brought milkshakes from the Route 66 Diner. It was yummy. It was nice to see them - a highlight of my day since I had been in bed forever. They stayed for about an hour and then headed off to go shopping in town. They will come back next week to visit. I so appreciate them driving down to see me!!
Ben is coming tonight to stay with me. I can't wait to see him. He took Oliver to the vet and Oliver's sore just needs to get watched for changes. If it doesn't get better in a couple of weeks we will need to take him back. He did get his shots while he was there so he's up-to-date now. The best news of the appointment is that Oliver has lost weight!! He went from 22 lbs last year to 19.5 this year! Hooray!!!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
34 weeks today!! (Day 10 of my captivity)
Today marks another huge milestone for the pregnancy and babies! We are 34 weeks pregnant today - two weeks beyond the average delivery of triplets. Praise God for His faithfulness!
My blood pressure remains under control and I continue to move forward without any swelling, rapid weight gain, vision changes, etc. - all signs of pre-eclampsia. Dr. V's partner came in today and said it was obvious my body was made to carry triplets with how well I am doing. Funny. I am that much more uncomfortable today than I was yesterday. I am having a harder time catching my breath now that the boys are jumping on my lungs. Each day has it's challenges.
I had a BPP (biophysical profile) and NST done this morning. They didn't take long. All the babies look great and the sonographer commented on how big the babies look in comparison to my scan last Thursday. She thought they might be closer to five pounds each but since the BPP doesn't do the measurements, she didn't know for sure. Either way, it is obvious by both the growth of my belly and the ultrasound today that they have grown since last week. Ben noticed a difference in my belly from Friday night to Saturday morning last weekend and a bigger difference from Sunday to Tuesday night when he made his surprise visit. I guess from this point forward our children are concentrating on growing... a good thing!
My friend Rebecca came to visit me this afternoon. She works at the UNM hospital and stopped by on her way home. It was so nice to have that break built into the day. I really enjoyed her company. She even brought me dinner so I didn't have to eat the hospital's version of a grilled cheese sandwich! Hooray!! Tomorrow Brittany and Krisztina are coming down from Santa Fe to visit me in the late afternoon/early evening. Ben might come down on Friday night but hasn't decided yet. He has some stuff he wants to get finished around the house and Oliver has a sore on his belly that might need a vet appointment. Either way, the babies and I are anxious to see him again!!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Day 9 of my captivity
Having Ben here made my day extra special. :) He spent the night and worked remote from my hospital room today. It worked out well because I was also working but we could both be together. I love it when he visits!!
Today was another uneventful day for the pregnancy, which is a good thing. My NST (non stress test) took FOREVER this morning because baby C was not cooperating. He was mad about the monitor pushing on him so he kept rolling around and they kept losing his heartbeat. Now, in a perfect world the NST should only take 20 minutes and they measure the babies' hearts the entire time. Mine took well over an hour because of baby C. I was in a lot of pain. I can't move during the procedure or they will lose the heartbeats so being on my back that long is hard. It feels like my ribs are breaking and my back is getting crushed. Not fun. I was thrilled when they came in to take the machine off me... instant relief. As for the results, they were fine. Baby C was just a little difficult today. I had some contractions but nothing out of the ordinary so there's nothing to worry about.
Dr. H came in and we did our best to get a "release" for the Harry Potter movie. She thought we were pretty funny to ask and said she would give me one but the hospital no longer allows it. I guess insurance companies were getting mad about it and denying claims. That obviously would be a problem if our insurance refused to pay for my hospital stay so we didn't go. Bummer. We were so looking forward to going to the movie this week. I guess we'll just have to go after the babies are born. :)
Ben talked me into getting a belly cast here at the hospital. The volunteer services department comes to your room and they cover your belly with plaster that hardens into a cast of your belly. It was a little painful to take off since they didn't use quite enough lubricant underneath the cast but after a few quiet tears, I got it removed. It's now drying on a table in my room. In two days the volunteer department will come back with paint so Ben and I can paint the cast this weekend when we need something to do. While I have no clue where or what to do with the finished project, I'm glad Ben talked me into doing it. It will be a nice thing to look at down the road. A reminder of God's many blessings in our lives - 3 precious babies and a successful triplet pregnancy.
The MSC unit that I'm staying on just hired a massage therapist. She's supposed to start on Monday. She came in this afternoon to meet the staff and my doctor (Dr. H) grabbed her and asked her to give me a back massage tonight before she left. She came in about 6:30 and gave me a hip and back massage in my room. It was a nice treat. I guess I will be getting another one on Monday too. :)
Tomorrow is another big milestone for us - 34 weeks!! Only 2 more weeks to go. Please continue to pray for the babies, Ben's travel back and forth to the hospital, and for my pregnancy and comfort. I am getting extremely uncomfortable now and each day gets that much harder. Two weeks to many people sounds like a piece of cake but to me it's two more weeks of increasing discomfort and pain. I know it's worth it but I need your prayers!! Ben too! We're on our way to take home babies!! Praise God!
Today was another uneventful day for the pregnancy, which is a good thing. My NST (non stress test) took FOREVER this morning because baby C was not cooperating. He was mad about the monitor pushing on him so he kept rolling around and they kept losing his heartbeat. Now, in a perfect world the NST should only take 20 minutes and they measure the babies' hearts the entire time. Mine took well over an hour because of baby C. I was in a lot of pain. I can't move during the procedure or they will lose the heartbeats so being on my back that long is hard. It feels like my ribs are breaking and my back is getting crushed. Not fun. I was thrilled when they came in to take the machine off me... instant relief. As for the results, they were fine. Baby C was just a little difficult today. I had some contractions but nothing out of the ordinary so there's nothing to worry about.
Dr. H came in and we did our best to get a "release" for the Harry Potter movie. She thought we were pretty funny to ask and said she would give me one but the hospital no longer allows it. I guess insurance companies were getting mad about it and denying claims. That obviously would be a problem if our insurance refused to pay for my hospital stay so we didn't go. Bummer. We were so looking forward to going to the movie this week. I guess we'll just have to go after the babies are born. :)
Ben talked me into getting a belly cast here at the hospital. The volunteer services department comes to your room and they cover your belly with plaster that hardens into a cast of your belly. It was a little painful to take off since they didn't use quite enough lubricant underneath the cast but after a few quiet tears, I got it removed. It's now drying on a table in my room. In two days the volunteer department will come back with paint so Ben and I can paint the cast this weekend when we need something to do. While I have no clue where or what to do with the finished project, I'm glad Ben talked me into doing it. It will be a nice thing to look at down the road. A reminder of God's many blessings in our lives - 3 precious babies and a successful triplet pregnancy.
The MSC unit that I'm staying on just hired a massage therapist. She's supposed to start on Monday. She came in this afternoon to meet the staff and my doctor (Dr. H) grabbed her and asked her to give me a back massage tonight before she left. She came in about 6:30 and gave me a hip and back massage in my room. It was a nice treat. I guess I will be getting another one on Monday too. :)
Tomorrow is another big milestone for us - 34 weeks!! Only 2 more weeks to go. Please continue to pray for the babies, Ben's travel back and forth to the hospital, and for my pregnancy and comfort. I am getting extremely uncomfortable now and each day gets that much harder. Two weeks to many people sounds like a piece of cake but to me it's two more weeks of increasing discomfort and pain. I know it's worth it but I need your prayers!! Ben too! We're on our way to take home babies!! Praise God!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Day 8 of my captivity
I can't believe I've been here a week already. Ewh. At least I've been able to sleep the last two nights. My doctor gave me Benadryl two nights ago and that seemed to work. I was pretty tired last night so I decided to go without Benadryl and it worked just fine. I slept a decent amount. Hooray!
Dr. H (Perinatologist) came in this morning to see me and said everything continues to look good with the babies and myself. She gave me another pep talk about getting to week 36 and how great that would be. They've decided to take me off iron vitamins since my iron level is perfect and I'm close to delivering in the next two weeks. The original plan is still in place. They will not stop labor if it starts and if I begin to develop pre-eclampsia they will deliver. If I make it to week 36, July 30th will be the babies' bday.
The NST (non-stress test) went well this morning. The babies' heartbeats are all strong and the contraction test showed uterine irritability, which is expected when you're this far along! The longer the contractions stay at bay, the closer I'll get to 36 weeks.
I enjoyed my visitors today. It was so nice to see them! Happy Birthday Camille!!! Thank you for the wonderful Il Vicino lunch - yummy!! Also, thank you for the roses, spinach salad, and CLOTHES!! I hope you did something special for yourself today!! :) Marie and I had a lot of fun too! It was so nice to have her visit. She brought me a goodie bag filled with awesome treats. I have my own special stash now so I won't complain about the food for a while. :) She also brought me two books to read! Today was a good day. I have been spoiled by friendship and treats!! Thank you ladies, you made day 8 of my captivity one to remember!! :)
Another huge surprise today is Ben!! He showed up tonight to spend the night and will work remotely from here tomorrow. I am soooo excited! I missed him so much! Hooray for surprises!! :)
Dr. H (Perinatologist) came in this morning to see me and said everything continues to look good with the babies and myself. She gave me another pep talk about getting to week 36 and how great that would be. They've decided to take me off iron vitamins since my iron level is perfect and I'm close to delivering in the next two weeks. The original plan is still in place. They will not stop labor if it starts and if I begin to develop pre-eclampsia they will deliver. If I make it to week 36, July 30th will be the babies' bday.
The NST (non-stress test) went well this morning. The babies' heartbeats are all strong and the contraction test showed uterine irritability, which is expected when you're this far along! The longer the contractions stay at bay, the closer I'll get to 36 weeks.
I enjoyed my visitors today. It was so nice to see them! Happy Birthday Camille!!! Thank you for the wonderful Il Vicino lunch - yummy!! Also, thank you for the roses, spinach salad, and CLOTHES!! I hope you did something special for yourself today!! :) Marie and I had a lot of fun too! It was so nice to have her visit. She brought me a goodie bag filled with awesome treats. I have my own special stash now so I won't complain about the food for a while. :) She also brought me two books to read! Today was a good day. I have been spoiled by friendship and treats!! Thank you ladies, you made day 8 of my captivity one to remember!! :)
Another huge surprise today is Ben!! He showed up tonight to spend the night and will work remotely from here tomorrow. I am soooo excited! I missed him so much! Hooray for surprises!! :)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Day 7 of my captivity
Today was just another day in the hospital. There isn't a whole lot new. I am not having contractions and the babies are doing really well. They've grown a lot from Thursday last week. Doc says to expect about a 1/2 lb a week of growth for each of them from here on out. Well, they must have had that growth spurt over the weekend - my poor tummy is SORE and much, much bigger!!
The Perinatologist came to see me this morning. She still says I am her text book triplet Mommy. She is very proud of me. She went over my labs with me and praised me on my nutrition results. (a lot of the thanks goes to Ben - my Food Nazi) :) I guess my levels are perfectly normal and she said even the majority of her single pregnant Mommies are anemic and I'm not even close. She just kept saying how amazing it was. :) Hooray!! She asked if she could do anything to make me feel more comfortable and I told her she could carry my belly for the day. She offered to take one off my hands and when Dr. V's partner (a male doc) came in he asked the same thing. I told him since Dr. H was taking one baby off my hands for the day he could carry the other two. He thought that was pretty funny. :) Too bad it wasn't possible - my poor back needs a break!!
I got my shower today and it felt nice. I took my time and while blow drying my hair, a friend of mine came to visit. She and I used to work together at the hospital in SF. She now works at this hospital. Anyway, she asked if there was anything she could do to make my stay better and I said not really. She asked how the food was and I said it was pretty bad. I told her I missed good food and the occasional milkshake. She laughed. A while later Cathy walked into my room with a milkshake!! She ran off to the famous Route 66 Diner to get me one. I was so surprised and started laughing because I just emailed a friend of mine to say how nice one sounded. ha ha ha.
Ben's office mate from work and his wife (Brian and Brittany) stopped by this afternoon to visit. They were in town to drop off some friends at the airport. They brought me some magazines and a book filled with various types of puzzle games. It was nice to see them.
I worked today from the hospital room. It's so nice having that distraction throughout the day. It definitely helps the time go by faster. I got another surprise today - an edible fruit/flower arrangement from Andrea and Paul! YUMMY!! Thank you! I ate some and then asked the nurses to put it in the main refrigerator for later. What a wonderful treat and SOOOO much better than the hospital food!! What a special day of events. :)
Tomorrow I am having two more visitors - Camille and Marie - two friends from the SF area. Camille is bringing me lunch! I can't wait! Marie is coming later in the afternoon to hang out. It will be nice to see them both. :) Ben is planning on coming again this Wednesday. I'm anxious to see him again too.
Enjoy your Monday!
The Perinatologist came to see me this morning. She still says I am her text book triplet Mommy. She is very proud of me. She went over my labs with me and praised me on my nutrition results. (a lot of the thanks goes to Ben - my Food Nazi) :) I guess my levels are perfectly normal and she said even the majority of her single pregnant Mommies are anemic and I'm not even close. She just kept saying how amazing it was. :) Hooray!! She asked if she could do anything to make me feel more comfortable and I told her she could carry my belly for the day. She offered to take one off my hands and when Dr. V's partner (a male doc) came in he asked the same thing. I told him since Dr. H was taking one baby off my hands for the day he could carry the other two. He thought that was pretty funny. :) Too bad it wasn't possible - my poor back needs a break!!
I got my shower today and it felt nice. I took my time and while blow drying my hair, a friend of mine came to visit. She and I used to work together at the hospital in SF. She now works at this hospital. Anyway, she asked if there was anything she could do to make my stay better and I said not really. She asked how the food was and I said it was pretty bad. I told her I missed good food and the occasional milkshake. She laughed. A while later Cathy walked into my room with a milkshake!! She ran off to the famous Route 66 Diner to get me one. I was so surprised and started laughing because I just emailed a friend of mine to say how nice one sounded. ha ha ha.
Ben's office mate from work and his wife (Brian and Brittany) stopped by this afternoon to visit. They were in town to drop off some friends at the airport. They brought me some magazines and a book filled with various types of puzzle games. It was nice to see them.
I worked today from the hospital room. It's so nice having that distraction throughout the day. It definitely helps the time go by faster. I got another surprise today - an edible fruit/flower arrangement from Andrea and Paul! YUMMY!! Thank you! I ate some and then asked the nurses to put it in the main refrigerator for later. What a wonderful treat and SOOOO much better than the hospital food!! What a special day of events. :)
Tomorrow I am having two more visitors - Camille and Marie - two friends from the SF area. Camille is bringing me lunch! I can't wait! Marie is coming later in the afternoon to hang out. It will be nice to see them both. :) Ben is planning on coming again this Wednesday. I'm anxious to see him again too.
Enjoy your Monday!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Day 5 and 6 of my captivity
I (Ben) came down to the hospital yesterday to visit Alicia. She ordered me a guest tray and we ate lunch together in her room. The spaghetti for lunch wasn't too bad, but the Fancy Feast -- oops, I mean meatloaf -- for dinner was a little suspect.
We had a NICU tour in the early afternoon. One of the charge nurses took us around the facilities and showed us a baby that was nearly 4 lbs. It was pretty amazing to imagine that Alicia has three babies even bigger than that inside of her belly. The babies have had a growth spurt since her scan on Thursday. Her belly is expanding and she is increasingly uncomfortable.
Alicia got wheelchair privileges today. Her doctor agreed that she needed to get out of her room for some fresh air. I took her outside for a little bit, but it was pretty warm today so that didn't last too lunch. Her favorite part was having lunch at Subway downstairs. It was wonderful compared to the hospital food.
Alicia had another NST (non-stress test) this morning and the babies are still doing great. They also moniter her contractions during it and there weren't any at all. When she came in last Tuesday her contraction moniter was very active, so things have really settled down. All of the Dr. V's partners that are covering for her this week are raving about how great it is that Alicia is still pregnant and doing so well for triplets.
I'll be heading back home today and will probably come back on Wednesday to spend the day with Alicia. We'll continue to keep you updated as things unfold. Thanks for all of your prayers.
We had a NICU tour in the early afternoon. One of the charge nurses took us around the facilities and showed us a baby that was nearly 4 lbs. It was pretty amazing to imagine that Alicia has three babies even bigger than that inside of her belly. The babies have had a growth spurt since her scan on Thursday. Her belly is expanding and she is increasingly uncomfortable.
Alicia got wheelchair privileges today. Her doctor agreed that she needed to get out of her room for some fresh air. I took her outside for a little bit, but it was pretty warm today so that didn't last too lunch. Her favorite part was having lunch at Subway downstairs. It was wonderful compared to the hospital food.
Alicia had another NST (non-stress test) this morning and the babies are still doing great. They also moniter her contractions during it and there weren't any at all. When she came in last Tuesday her contraction moniter was very active, so things have really settled down. All of the Dr. V's partners that are covering for her this week are raving about how great it is that Alicia is still pregnant and doing so well for triplets.
I'll be heading back home today and will probably come back on Wednesday to spend the day with Alicia. We'll continue to keep you updated as things unfold. Thanks for all of your prayers.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Day 4 of my captivity
We made it to Friday!! By tonight at 7 pm the full benefits of the steroid injections will have been met! Hooray!! I saw Dr. V. this morning and she was pleased to hear that my cervix had lengthened a bit more since being hospitalized. It sounds like there are no plans to send me home though. I will be here for the remainder of the pregnancy. She leaves for vacation tomorrow for one week - she gets back next Saturday. She feels pretty confident the babies won't make an appearance in the next week but it's too hard to really know. I could be on bed rest for another 3 weeks in the hospital before the babies are born. It just depends. We're taking it a day at a time but right now, things look good.
I got my shower privileges last night - hooray!! I got to take a nice bath in a garden tub so that was relaxing. Then they let me blow dry my hair, etc. It felt nice to have that luxury back (although they don't let me walk - I have to be wheeled everywhere.) Ben came in this morning and really brightened my day. It was so nice to see him again. He even brought me a homemade smoothie - yummy! I was happy because breakfast was nasty so I ended up getting a nutritional smoothie instead. :) Ben brought some of my pillows from home so now I feel a little more comfortable. Sleep continues to be a problem but last night I slept a decent amount (4-5 hours). My nurses do a great job of only waking me when it's time to take my medications. Otherwise, they leave it up to me to page them at night if I need help with anything. I'm still having a hard time getting comfortable but a big part of that is the weight of my belly. I still can't believe how much the babies weigh already - WOW!
A Nurse Practitioner from the NICU came down to visit with Ben and I this afternoon. They went over the typical issues you can expect with babies born at 33 weeks. Mainly it sounds like breathing and eating are the main factors. They are really busy right now with 56 babies so a tour wasn't an option for today. We will try and get one this weekend so we can see the unit and also look at babies born at 33 weeks.
I got moved to a new room again. This is a private room but it does have two beds. This way, Ben has a place to sleep when he wants to stay overnight. The other room looked bigger because it was one bed with two big chairs but we appreciate the extra bed for when Ben can stay over. I'm sure his back will appreciate it too. The chair in the room that pulled out into a bed wasn't very comfortable. Ben checked it out this afternoon and it was pretty sad. The chair was rather squeaky - he kept thinking I was saying something but I was sleeping. We got a good laugh at that later. Ben also got to enjoy his first gourmet hospital meal. The dietary manager for our floor ordered him a guest tray free of charge. That was very nice but he agrees - not the best food. :)
Well, I hope you all have a great Friday night. Ben and I will try to update the blog as more news is known. We're praying for an uneventful weekend. Next week will be much of the same - I will work when I have time and then the rest of my day is usually taken up by monitoring the babies, appointments in my room with the physicians, etc. I'm not enjoying living in bed but I understand the importance of it and will continue to do this for each of our precious babies. I would much rather spend my extra days in bed than deliver earlier and watch them struggle in the NICU! In fact, we were just told that some babies born at 35 weeks go straight to the regular nursery and can avoid the NICU all together. Wouldn't that be a wonderful surprise/miracle!! We haven't given up on praying for take home babies!!
I got my shower privileges last night - hooray!! I got to take a nice bath in a garden tub so that was relaxing. Then they let me blow dry my hair, etc. It felt nice to have that luxury back (although they don't let me walk - I have to be wheeled everywhere.) Ben came in this morning and really brightened my day. It was so nice to see him again. He even brought me a homemade smoothie - yummy! I was happy because breakfast was nasty so I ended up getting a nutritional smoothie instead. :) Ben brought some of my pillows from home so now I feel a little more comfortable. Sleep continues to be a problem but last night I slept a decent amount (4-5 hours). My nurses do a great job of only waking me when it's time to take my medications. Otherwise, they leave it up to me to page them at night if I need help with anything. I'm still having a hard time getting comfortable but a big part of that is the weight of my belly. I still can't believe how much the babies weigh already - WOW!
A Nurse Practitioner from the NICU came down to visit with Ben and I this afternoon. They went over the typical issues you can expect with babies born at 33 weeks. Mainly it sounds like breathing and eating are the main factors. They are really busy right now with 56 babies so a tour wasn't an option for today. We will try and get one this weekend so we can see the unit and also look at babies born at 33 weeks.
I got moved to a new room again. This is a private room but it does have two beds. This way, Ben has a place to sleep when he wants to stay overnight. The other room looked bigger because it was one bed with two big chairs but we appreciate the extra bed for when Ben can stay over. I'm sure his back will appreciate it too. The chair in the room that pulled out into a bed wasn't very comfortable. Ben checked it out this afternoon and it was pretty sad. The chair was rather squeaky - he kept thinking I was saying something but I was sleeping. We got a good laugh at that later. Ben also got to enjoy his first gourmet hospital meal. The dietary manager for our floor ordered him a guest tray free of charge. That was very nice but he agrees - not the best food. :)
Well, I hope you all have a great Friday night. Ben and I will try to update the blog as more news is known. We're praying for an uneventful weekend. Next week will be much of the same - I will work when I have time and then the rest of my day is usually taken up by monitoring the babies, appointments in my room with the physicians, etc. I'm not enjoying living in bed but I understand the importance of it and will continue to do this for each of our precious babies. I would much rather spend my extra days in bed than deliver earlier and watch them struggle in the NICU! In fact, we were just told that some babies born at 35 weeks go straight to the regular nursery and can avoid the NICU all together. Wouldn't that be a wonderful surprise/miracle!! We haven't given up on praying for take home babies!!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
33 weeks today!! (Day 3 of my captivity)
Today (Thursday) marks a very important milestone for the pregnancy - 33 weeks!! Praise God!! We're hoping to get at least one more week with them inside. Any more and that would just be an added benefit and miracle!
Last night was better than the night before. I think my combined sleep was somewhere b/w 4 and 5 hours - much better than the 1 1/2 the night before. I only had about three contractions all night so they are under control for now. Praise God! My morning started early with a visit from the lab at 5 am but I was already awake. They had a hard time getting blood so after failing twice on my left arm (two different spots) they went for my left hand - ouch! Luckily that worked and they went on their way. About 30 minutes later I was given my morning meds and was able to sign onto work within a reasonable time this morning. :)
I've already had a visit from Dr. V (general OB) and she thought things looked good. She said they gave me the Terbutaline shot last night because they wanted to get me through the steroid period to protect the babies. After Friday they more than likely will not fight labor if it begins to happen due to the dangers involved as I previously mentioned in yesterday's post (pulmonary edema, etc.). She said her gut feeling is that week 33 will be uneventful and we'll start to see some changes by week 34-35. She said if I am able to make it to week 36 they will schedule the c-section for that particular day. She said there's no point in going beyond that for safety reasons but also because the babies will have already received an extra boost from the steroid shots. It looks like the babies will have nice birthstones - Rubies. :) (Of course Ben pointed that out to me!! Rubies are one of his all time favorite stones!)
I had my measurement ultrasound today over lunch. They wheeled me over to the medical building where the Perinatologist's office is located. It took approximately 2 1/2 hours to get through the measurements. The babies are all growing exceptionally well. They are all over 4 lbs now which is incredible!! Way to go babies!! Baby A (girl) is our smallest - 4 lb 2 oz, 16 " long, and 38th percentile. Baby B is now our biggest - 4 lb 6 oz, 18 " long, and 49th percentile, Baby C is 4 lbs 4 oz, 17" long, and 42nd percentile. The doctors were super pleased!! The other bit of great news is that my cervix has lengthened again after being on hospital bed rest for the past few days. I was admitted because it went from 3.5 cm to 2 cm and now it's back up to 3.5 cm. Hooray! Unfortunately, the doctors want to keep me here the remainder of the pregnancy so I guess this hospital room will be my home for the next 1-3 weeks.
Ben is coming tomorrow (Friday) to spend the day with me in my room. Hooray!! He is going to work remotely from the room while I work. It will be so nice to have him here. I can't wait to see him! He's also bringing me some of my own pillows so I'm hoping this will continue to help with my sleep - although, each night I'm able to sleep a little more and more. Praise God.
Day 2 of my captivity
Tuesday night was rough for me. I didn't sleep a whole lot - maybe 1 1/2 hours sporadically throughout the night. The nurse offered to give me sleeping pills but I didn't want to do that yet. I figured it was the combination of being away from home, missing my hubby and kitty terribly, and learning to get comfortable in a horrible hospital bed (is that even possible!?).
The main reason for lack of sleep was contractions. I was having about 3 an hour and they asked me to page them if it got to 4+. Well, by 3 am they were 5+ and very consistent and strong!! I'm still taking my Nefidipene medication (which helps decrease contractions) and it wasn't working - they were getting stronger and closer together. My nurse monitored me for 1 hour and they were getting worse so she paged the on call OB doctor (not my doctor). The doctor ordered me a shot of Terbutaline. It's a shot that goes directly in your arm (similar to a flu shot). This seemed to do the trick although it made me feel horrible. It was like I just finished a 12 pot of coffee in a matter of minutes and my heart was racing. Ugh. We could see on the monitor that within 15 minutes the contractions were already beginning to subside. Whew. We were nervous.
My Perinatologist came to visit me mid-morning on Wednesday. He said he didn't want me getting more shots of Terbutaline and made this very clear to the nursing staff. For a woman pregnant with one baby this medication is fine but when you're pregnant with twins, triplets, or more it increases your chance of pulmonary edema, etc. Dangerous side effects. He said if I started to have another "episode" of contractions he would prefer that I was moved to labor and delivery for monitoring. If this happened during week 33, he would order a Magnesium Sulfate IV - which isn't pleasant at all. This is also hard on the body but effective. Basically he said our "target date" is a moving date and right now they want to get me to 34 weeks at least. If I went into labor now they would try and prevent it. Once I hit 34 weeks they might not stop it if the babies are doing fine and I am as well. Either way, he said Ben needs a bag packed and ready to leave at a moments notice in case the delivery turned into an emergency. Otherwise, he would miss the birth. Doc said it's amazing I've made it this far already w/o complications and every day beyond today are "bonus days" for the babies. He also said a baby born at 33 weeks typically spends 2 weeks in the NICU. Not bad. We're still praying for take home babies and a couple more weeks of them inside.
The rest of the day was uneventful. I worked all day and only had to take a few breaks when the nurses came in to dispense medications or take my vitals. In the next day or so the NICU staff will come down and discuss what to expect if the babies are admitted to the NICU after birth and also give us an idea of what they see with babies born at the current 33 gestational mark. If I'm lucky, they will also give me a tour of the unit and show me some babies that are born in the same window - 33 weeks. I am looking forward to this "field trip". It will help me mentally prepare.
Last night I was moved to a larger room. Praise the LORD! It's twice as big and much more comfortable looking. Ben even gets a bigger pull out bed for when he decides to stay over. Hooray! I also got a present from one of the nurses. She gave me three cross stitch bibs to make that have 3 peas in a pod on them. She said it can get boring here and when she saw those she thought of me. Too cute! I don't have a clue how to cross stitch but I guess I'll learn quickly. I told her I referred to them as my three sweet peas and she was super excited. She had no idea - great minds think a like! :)
I'm praying for my shower privileges to start today. I will feel so much better once I'm showered and cleaned up. They're making me wear hospital gowns right now so it just makes you feel sick when you're not. Oh well - it saves my clothes from all that ultrasound gel. :) I will email out my hospital room phone number so people can reach me if they need to. I am trying to use my cell phone for work and Verizon to Verizon only otherwise I will burn through our minutes too fast this month.
Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers. I will send out another update when I have time.
The main reason for lack of sleep was contractions. I was having about 3 an hour and they asked me to page them if it got to 4+. Well, by 3 am they were 5+ and very consistent and strong!! I'm still taking my Nefidipene medication (which helps decrease contractions) and it wasn't working - they were getting stronger and closer together. My nurse monitored me for 1 hour and they were getting worse so she paged the on call OB doctor (not my doctor). The doctor ordered me a shot of Terbutaline. It's a shot that goes directly in your arm (similar to a flu shot). This seemed to do the trick although it made me feel horrible. It was like I just finished a 12 pot of coffee in a matter of minutes and my heart was racing. Ugh. We could see on the monitor that within 15 minutes the contractions were already beginning to subside. Whew. We were nervous.
My Perinatologist came to visit me mid-morning on Wednesday. He said he didn't want me getting more shots of Terbutaline and made this very clear to the nursing staff. For a woman pregnant with one baby this medication is fine but when you're pregnant with twins, triplets, or more it increases your chance of pulmonary edema, etc. Dangerous side effects. He said if I started to have another "episode" of contractions he would prefer that I was moved to labor and delivery for monitoring. If this happened during week 33, he would order a Magnesium Sulfate IV - which isn't pleasant at all. This is also hard on the body but effective. Basically he said our "target date" is a moving date and right now they want to get me to 34 weeks at least. If I went into labor now they would try and prevent it. Once I hit 34 weeks they might not stop it if the babies are doing fine and I am as well. Either way, he said Ben needs a bag packed and ready to leave at a moments notice in case the delivery turned into an emergency. Otherwise, he would miss the birth. Doc said it's amazing I've made it this far already w/o complications and every day beyond today are "bonus days" for the babies. He also said a baby born at 33 weeks typically spends 2 weeks in the NICU. Not bad. We're still praying for take home babies and a couple more weeks of them inside.
The rest of the day was uneventful. I worked all day and only had to take a few breaks when the nurses came in to dispense medications or take my vitals. In the next day or so the NICU staff will come down and discuss what to expect if the babies are admitted to the NICU after birth and also give us an idea of what they see with babies born at the current 33 gestational mark. If I'm lucky, they will also give me a tour of the unit and show me some babies that are born in the same window - 33 weeks. I am looking forward to this "field trip". It will help me mentally prepare.
Last night I was moved to a larger room. Praise the LORD! It's twice as big and much more comfortable looking. Ben even gets a bigger pull out bed for when he decides to stay over. Hooray! I also got a present from one of the nurses. She gave me three cross stitch bibs to make that have 3 peas in a pod on them. She said it can get boring here and when she saw those she thought of me. Too cute! I don't have a clue how to cross stitch but I guess I'll learn quickly. I told her I referred to them as my three sweet peas and she was super excited. She had no idea - great minds think a like! :)
I'm praying for my shower privileges to start today. I will feel so much better once I'm showered and cleaned up. They're making me wear hospital gowns right now so it just makes you feel sick when you're not. Oh well - it saves my clothes from all that ultrasound gel. :) I will email out my hospital room phone number so people can reach me if they need to. I am trying to use my cell phone for work and Verizon to Verizon only otherwise I will burn through our minutes too fast this month.
Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers. I will send out another update when I have time.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Day 1 of my captivity
I'm 32 weeks and 5 days along today. My appointment this morning showed a shortened cervix from 3.5 cm last Thursday to 2 cm today, and it is 50% effaced. While I'm not in pre-term labor, I have been admitted to the maternal special care unit at the hospital. Today is day one of my captivity.
I received my first shot of steroids which will help mature the babies' lungs. I will receive another shot exactly 24 hours after the first, and within 48 hours of the first shot the full benefits will have been realized. For now, it's been hurry up and wait. They will be monitoring me and the babies at least once a day. All of the doctors are pleased that I had made it this far until I was admitted, and they were pleased at how I finally came to the hospital (in a non-emergency way).
With the exception of a shortening cervix, everything else seems to be good. All of the tests indicate that the triplets are doing well. There's been a body part of Baby B that has been very easy to feel so Ben and I have been pressing on it to help wake him up when we needed to count movements. We learned today that the body part is his face, sorry Baby B!
We don't know how long I will be here, it could be a couple weeks or a couple days, but it sounds like I will be here for the remainder of the pregnancy. My doctor won't jinx things by saying that it will still be weeks before I deliver, but I can tell that she's thinking it.
We'll try to update the blog as we have time. Please keep us and the babies in your prayers.
I received my first shot of steroids which will help mature the babies' lungs. I will receive another shot exactly 24 hours after the first, and within 48 hours of the first shot the full benefits will have been realized. For now, it's been hurry up and wait. They will be monitoring me and the babies at least once a day. All of the doctors are pleased that I had made it this far until I was admitted, and they were pleased at how I finally came to the hospital (in a non-emergency way).
With the exception of a shortening cervix, everything else seems to be good. All of the tests indicate that the triplets are doing well. There's been a body part of Baby B that has been very easy to feel so Ben and I have been pressing on it to help wake him up when we needed to count movements. We learned today that the body part is his face, sorry Baby B!
We don't know how long I will be here, it could be a couple weeks or a couple days, but it sounds like I will be here for the remainder of the pregnancy. My doctor won't jinx things by saying that it will still be weeks before I deliver, but I can tell that she's thinking it.
We'll try to update the blog as we have time. Please keep us and the babies in your prayers.
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