Well, as some of you may have heard, we had our first little "scare" on Tuesday. I had been experiencing some intermittent pain during the day, so I called the doctor's office in the early afternoon. I explained the symptoms to the nurse - and she called me back after speaking with the doctor. They asked me to come in later that afternoon - just to check things out.
Being at 23 weeks 6 days, I had a feeling Dr. Donald might want to admit me to the hospital - depending on what he saw. So I called Tim, packed an overnight bag just in case and headed over to the doctor's office.
My blood pressure was a little high - but not high enough for concern. I'm sure a lot of that was from my thoughts of being admitted to the hospital. But the ultrasound showed that the babies are all doing fine and that my cervix (a.k.a. Super Cervix) is still holding strong at 4.7cm. Dr. Donald actually seemed surprised when he saw the measurement on the screen and said, "Well, there's no reason to admit you."
Above are a few pictures of the babies...though as they get bigger and more crowded in my belly, I find it more difficult to decipher the images from the ultrasound. Each shot above shows at least part of each baby's face - or so says Lori the ultrasound tech. :)
As a preventative measure, Dr. Donald sent me home with steroids to stimulate lung development for the babies. At 24 weeks, it's not uncommon to administer steroids for multiples. The chances of carrying the babies full-term for their lungs to develop on their own are slim to none - so administering the steroids now, gives them a better starting point in the NICU when they arrive.
Dr. Donald also explained that the pain I was experiencing was most likely due to pressure on my cervix. I am full-term size now and gravity takes its toll. He's instructed me to spend more time laying on my side during the day. Since I hadn't been laying down at all during the day, its definitely a reasonable request. :) So I've found ways to work on my laptop while laying on the couch at least 1-2 hours per side every day. I won't lie - it is certainly cumbersome. But so far, it's working out pretty well.
Well, because I saw the doctor on Tuesday, we moved our scheduled Friday appointment to this coming Tuesday - Feb 24. They'll measure the growth of the babies (which should each be well over 1 pound by now) and probably my cervix again - just to make sure things are still secure. I'm anticipating more restrictions to my activities and perhaps some "official" bed rest as of this next appointment - but to make it to 24 weeks as well as we have is truly a blessing.
Our neighbor and friend (and former pediatrician) Julie has made some calls to a couple people she knows in the NICU. We're hoping to set up a meeting with some NICU staff to ask a few questions and take a short tour of the NICU after our appointment with Dr. Donald on Tuesday. I'm sure it's a place that can be very overwhelming the first time you see it. I'd rather get that out of the way now - and be able to simply focus on our babies and their health when the time comes. We'll fill you in on that on Tuesday.
We're coming up on the most difficult part of the journey so far and will certainly continue to rely on our family and "extended family" for your love and support. Thank you!!
Love
Kristin & Tim
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