Hospital Test Drive

Quick 30 second update:
I was admitted to CDH on Monday due to moderate/severe contractions that I wasn't even feeling, they've given me medication to stop/slow the contractions, steroid shots to help develop the boys' lungs in case of a very early delivery, and progesterone hormones to strengthen my cervix and prevent any additional shortening.  So far, everything is working as it should but we're still not totally in the clear.  The doctors are amazing and I'm in the best place I can be right now.  The boys are all doing well, and we know God's got things under control.  Keep reading for the full story, but for now, that's all the big stuff!

Longer update - hopefully not TMI:
So Monday, 12/12/11, I was scheduled for a routine appointment at CDH with Maternal Fetal Medicine to check cervical length.  These appointments typically only last 15-20 mins. so I was planning to just go there by myself since Ryan had a meeting at work.  Thankfully, a close friend, Jess, had taken the day off work and had no plans, so we decided she'd come with and we'd make a lunch date out of it.  We stopped quickly at one store, had a great lunch at Houlihan's, and then headed to the appointment.  Funnily enough, I was telling her over lunch that even though things were going smoothly, at this point in the pregnancy you never know if you may end up having the babies that day.

Anyway, at the appointment Dr. Steinberg didn't like seeing that my cervix had decreased from 3.6cm two weeks ago to 2.5cm on Monday.  I told him I hadn't felt any contractions or pain...but then again, I wasn't really sure what I was looking for.  He had me hooked up to a contraction monitor for approx. a half hour, and it showed that I was definitely contracting.  I was expecting to feel some cramping or pain, but instead it was just a firm spot on my belly which I kept interpreting as one of the babies shifting positions.  Guess not!  I had one nurse that finally explained it to me in a way that made sense...the uterus contracts and tightens which makes it feel harder so if it's a mild contraction, your belly should feel as soft as the tip of your nose.  If it's a moderate contraction, it will feel like your chin, and if it's severe it will be as firm as your forehead.  I definitely had times when my belly felt like my forehead, so it's such a relief that I now know what to look for.

On Monday, I was 25 weeks and 1 day, so the boys should each be over 2 lbs.  With approx. 6.5 lbs of baby this is all very "normal" and it's pretty common with triplet pregnancies for the uterus to begin contracting at this point.  While the babies are past the first big viability milestone, their lungs are still very far from being fully developed and if they had been born today, they would be looking at a stay in the NICU of several months.  Other triplet moms that I've heard from had similar experiences and then were able to return home and keep the babies cooking for several more weeks, so we're very optimistic.  They immediately admitted me to the Labor & Delivery unit and started medication shortly after.  A HUGE thank you to Jess for going with me, keeping me calm, and staying with me until Ry could make it to the hospital.  Without her, I can imagine how panicked I might have felt. Looks like God knew exactly what I would need that day!

The doctors have me on indomethacin to stop the contractions, so I take that by pill every 6 hours.  They only administer this drug for 24-72 hours, but they want to keep me on it for the full 72 before switching me to something different.  I'm no longer on an IV, but I've got a contraction monitor strapped to my belly and those funny leg wraps that contract & expand to help with circulation.  My ankles look the best they have in weeks, so they do actually work!  They did give me two shots of steroids which will help the lung development of the boys.  There's no need for additional shots at this point, but it could be repeated in a few weeks or as close to delivery as possible.  All three heartbeats look great, and they'll do another full exam before I go home which looks like it won't be until this Friday.  At least this means almost a full extra week of growth for the boys.  The nurses reminded me that every 1 day they stay in my belly, it will take 3 days off the NICU - so by the time I go home, that's 15 fewer days for them!

I've been catching up on some movies, have a stack of books waiting for me, and so far have not minded having to lay in bed all day.  It helps that it looks gloomy and rainy outside though too...there's not much else you want to be doing on a day like this.  Another highlight - I got to shower today, so I'm feeling human again finally.  In many ways, I'm thankful that I got do a "test drive" here at the hospital which will probably make the delivery process a little less stressful.  I now know what sort of things I should pack for my hospital bag, how to order room service, what an IV feels like, etc.  Plus, I'm incredibly thankful they discovered the contractions at my appointment versus being home and not realizing there was an issue.

Another cool thing happened on Monday - Ryan was in the cafeteria and ran into a couple from our "Managing Multiples" class that we took in November.  Turns out they had their twin boys two weeks ago and are staying here at the hospital while their boys are in the NICU.  I think they guys were born at 31 weeks, and they are doing really well.

Once I'm home, I'll be on "moderate" bed rest which will allow me to get up to use the bathroom, eat, and use the stairs once a day.  Other than that, it's off my feet!  That will probably ruin most of our holiday plans, but the health of these babies is worth it!  I'm guessing I'll get lots of snuggle time with Chief, which he'll enjoy before dropping to #4 on my snuggle list :) 

For now, I think that's all the news I have.  Thanks to all of you for your prayers and words of encouragement.  These boys are going to have some amazing friends and family to meet once they arrive...which hopefully won't be until January.  We've trusted God throughout this entire pregancy, so no reason to stop now.  While things can get scary, we know it's all part of His bigger plan!