Just a "Routine" Ultrasound

On July 18th I went in for a routine ultrasound that ended up being anything, but routine.  Paul's mom drove down for this ultrasound since twin pregnancies are high risk even if everything is going fine, and Paul couldn't go due to his rotation schedule. He was working in the newborn nursery/nicu that week and the 18th was his late night where he was supposed to work until 7:00pm that evening. Anyway, since it was summer it worked out that his mom could come down and go to the ultrasound so that I wouldn't be alone "just in case it didn't go as routine as we thought it would".  This made Paul feel a lot better about missing the ultrasound. This was the first ultrasound he has missed.

Paul's mom arrived that morning and we had enough time to get some lunch and make "plans" for the rest of the day to work in the nursery a little and go shopping after the ultrasound before heading to the ultrasound. Prior to the ultrasound I was feeling great! I had just gotten home from my shower in Oklahoma two days ago, and unpacked all our goodies. I had no pain, no discomfort, no signs or warnings of anything and the girls had been moving like crazy. However, I always get nervous for ultrasounds. When this one started I could tell that something was wrong right away. The ultrasound tech spent a little longer looking at my body structures than she did the twins, and she took a lot of pictures. She didn't say anything, but when the doc came in to see a live video I knew this ultrasound wasn't going to end as smoothly as the others. First came the good news...the babies looked great!! They were growing as they should, and as the doctors said multiple times "couldn't be any healthier if we wanted them to be". That was the best news of the whole day. The bad news was that it appeared my body was preparing for labor at only 26 weeks and 2 days. I texted Paul constantly the whole time trying to see if he could step out from what he was doing, and get on speaker phone with the doctor so that he could hear from the doc and not me what was going on and have a chance to ask questions I may not think to ask. Unfortunately and ironically, he was in the delivery room suctioning a newborn baby and examining him at the exact same time and couldn't answer his phone as soon as I would have liked. He did call and get to talk to the doc before we left the office though. 

Picture of the girls at the ultrasound. Baby A is on the left and Baby B is on the right.

When we left the MFM office they walked me over to labor and delivery to "get a shot" and then go home on bed rest.  Boy was I surprised when they hooked me up to countless monitors and told me I was having contractions 1 1/2 to 2 min apart. I couldn't even feel them and felt so stupid that I didn't know that I was in labor. I kinda just sat in shock while they explained I would be staying over night at least and hooked me up to an IV of magnesium and covered my belly in gel and monitors. I got my first steroid shot, and they did a fetal fibronectin test. The test would tell them how likely it would be that I would deliver in the next two weeks. If it came back negative it meant it was unlikely I would have the babies in the next two weeks. Unfortunately, mine came back positive which didn't mean I was for sure having the babies within two weeks, but it made it a greater possibility. At the time I didn't realize until later that the doctor was thinking I would deliver any minute now and they just wanted to stop labor long enough so I could get the two steroid shots 24 hours apart. The steroid shots were to speed up lung development in the girls.

Thankfully, Paul's attending doctor let him leave at 4:00pm that night and come see me at the hospital. I think he was a little surprised that I was doing as well as I was; however, I really had no idea what was going on and was in too much shock to be scared or break down until the next day. Plus, I was just happy he was there. His mom ended up being able to stay until Saturday, and Bethany (Paul's sister) was able to visit each night and all day Saturday. That helped out a ton because Paul still had to report to his clinical rotation every day that week and on Saturday. So thankfully I didn't have to be at the hospital all alone and someone could go check on Dasher periodically too.

I don't look my best, but here I am all hooked up and chilling at the hospital.

Thankfully, they were able to stop the contractions with the magnesium, and after I got my second steroid shot the next day they pulled me off the magnesium hoping that the contractions wouldn't come back and I could go home. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. The contractions came back with a vengeance early the next morning, and I still couldn't feel them. Later I found out that was a good thing and might mean that labor is not progressing as much as they thought. So they checked my dilation and I was dilated to a 1. Not a bad deal, but not great. Anyway, my doctor didn't want me to be put back on magnesium since it's not safe to be on for long periods of time so she switched me to an oral medication that I possibly could take at home if it worked. So I started taking that and slowly it began to work. It didn't stop my contractions completely, but it did slow them down and space them out. I was grateful it seemed to be working. After spending some observation time in the hospital for a few days my doc came back by on Sunday and since my dilation hadn't changed she said I could go home on bed rest taking the prescribed medications. Apparently the contractions I was/am still having weren't significant to progress labor.  I was sooo happy, and scared at the same time. I couldn't wait to be at home where it was more comfortable, and I know Paul was tired of going to his rotation and immediately coming to the hospital and sleeping on the most uncomfortable chair/convertible bed ever. He was such a trouper, and even ended up getting a good review from his supervising doctor for that week!!  However, since I never felt the contractions I was nervous I wouldn't make it back to the hospital in time to stop the contractions again. Then my doctor explained that we wouldn't stop the contractions again, but that my next trip to the hospital would be to deliver the girls. While that was a scary thought since it was so early still, it made me feel better about going home and judging my symptoms on my own.

While in the hospital I had tons of phone calls (my mom really wanted to be there, but since she was coming in two weeks anyway, and I felt confident I would still be on bed rest I told her to wait; it's times like these I hate being so far away from family), special deliveries, and a few visitors. God definitely has been taking care of me and the girls through this whole pregnancy, and I could feel his presence, reassurance, and peace all around me from the support from family and friends to the wonderful nursing staff and doctors that took care of me and the girls, and continue to take care of us. As much as I don't like being on bed rest, and it was not in my plans; I feel a huge sense of peace and know that God put me on bed rest for a reason, and that He will guide us through this process.

The nurses loved Paul and one day he came in talking about how hungry he was even though he ate a big lunch. The next thing we knew one of my amazing nurses came back with a sandwich box filled with a sandwich, chips, apple and a drink. Yes Hailey and Hadley this is what your dad did while we lied in the hospital bed hooked up to crazy machines.

Friends from work Anne and Holli came to visit me at the hospital, and brought presents! I sure am going to miss them when I start back to work since Anne took a new job in the medical center and Holli moved all the way to Dallas.

Many thanks to all of those who have been praying for us. Keep praying for us. As I sit to write this I am 32 weeks, and could not feel more blessed by God for making it this far. We are leaps and bounds further along than anyone anticipated or dared to hope, and I firmly believe that it is only by the grace and desire of God we are where we are today.