The pregnancy of my fourth child proved
to be the most challenging of all for
me and my family. I dealt with
hyperemesis that was to last up until
the 28th week but fortunately, I kept
myself out of the hospital this time
for that. Actually, I was feeling
pretty good and enjoying what we knew
would be my last pregnancy. At around
24 weeks I started having really bad
back pains. I commented to a colleague
at work that it felt like the way I
felt before I had my last child. She
told me that I should call my doctor
right away. I just brushed it off
thinking I was just tired from working
and caring for my three active
children. But the back pain got worse
over the weekend so I finally called my
OB who had me come right in.
I honestly thought that he would tell
me that I just needed to rest more and
that would be that. This would not be
the case. It turned out that I was in
labor and was dilated to 1 centimeter
and 50% effaced! He sent me home with
oral terbutaline, a home monitor and
complete bedrest. I was only allowed up
to use the bathroom or to go the my
next OB appointment in 5 days.
I was in shock! I honestly did not know
how I could possibly stay in bed with
three children at home who needed me to
chauffer them to and from school,
preschool and all the things that three
children ages 9, 3 and 2 needed. I had
to plan my 3 year old's birthday party
in three weeks. I promised her a big
party with all her friends. My husband
just got a promotion at work and was
working extra hours to finish an
important project. Plus he was also
directing a musical drama with a cast
of seventy. In my mind I saw no way
that bedrest would be possible.
For the next week or so I cried and
cried. I tried to stay in bed but in my
mind, no one could care for my family
except me so I was really only "taking
it easy". By the time I reached 26
weeks gestation, I had accepted the
fact that I was going to be down for
the rest of the pregnancy. I was still
contracting so I was still taking the
terbutaline.
One night that week I woke up to
discover that my bed clothes were
soaked. I honestly thought, with much
embarrassment, that I had wet the bed.
When I got out of bed, I realized that
my bladder was full and I felt fluid
running down my legs. My water broke! I
should have woke my husband right away
and called the doctor but I didn't. I
was too scared. My worst nightmare as
an RN in the Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit had come true. My mind flashed on
every 26 weeker that I have cared for
over the years. I just could not
believe that my baby would now be the
micro- preemie in our unit at work. I
definitely was panicking. I knew I
needed to calm down so I pulled out my
Bible and opened to wear I had been
studying earlier that day in Proverbs.
I left off at Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in
the Lord with all your heart and lean
not on your own understanding." I
really felt like this verse was
speaking to me.
My understanding told me that my baby
was facing pretty grim odds right now
and it terrified me. I prayed for
strenth and courage no matter what
happened. Then I woke up my husband and
called the doctor. When we got to the
hospital, the reality of it all set in
again. I was hooked up to IV
terbutaline. The monitor showed my
contractions coming every four minutes.
Vag exam showed I was dilated to 2
centimeters and 75% effaced. They gave
me betamethasone, IV antibitoics and
called for the perinatologist. His exam
showed that the baby was doing okay for
now. He told me the next few hours
would tell what to expect.
I continued on the antibiotics, terb
and twice daily betamethasone shots for
the next two days. Fortunately, I had
stablilized. I was no longer
contracting but the monitor was showing
a lot of uterine irritability. I also
continued to leak fluid. After a lot of
discussion, my doctor, husband and I
decided that home would be the best
place for me. We understaood that we
were now just trying to keep the baby
in as long as possible. I was sent home
with my uterine monitor and a
subcutaneous continuous terbutaline
pump which was attached to my thigh.
This was to keep my contractions down
to my allowable threshold of four per
hour. I was to be on strict bedrest
only getting up to use the bathroom.
Our home situation had not changed but
my focus had. All I could think about
was keeping my baby inside of me as
long as possible. The longest I knew of
professionally was two weeks. That was
my goal. I was able to keep focused
thanks to tremendous help form our
church family. By the time I was
settled into my own bed at home,
arrangements were made for meals to be
delivered three times a week to our
family, someone was going to be coming
over in the morning everyday after my
husband left for work to help get my
children ready for school and daycare
and then to take them there. Once a
week, someone delivered groceries to
our home from a weekly list my husband
made out. Twice a month someone came
over and cleaned my house for me. A
couple moms of friends of my 3 year old
offered to help my husband plan and
host the best birthday party for her.
Besides all this physical support I was
receiving emotional and spiritual
support as well. Everyday I received
phone calls, cards, letters and visits
from people to encourage me. My baby
and I were placed on various prayer
lists, actually by the end of the day
when my water broke, I had people all
over the USA praying for us. By the end
of the week I had people all over the
world praying daily for us.
Week after week went by and my doctors
and I were surprised to think that I
might actually "make it". I did have
a few close calls where we thought this
was it but adjusting my terbutaline
pump always stabilized the situation.
At 36 weeks, my doctor reluctantly
allowed me to progress to modified
bedrest and the t-pump remained. My
rationale was that my last baby was a
36 weeker and was fine, in fact she
went home with me 24 hours after birth.
At 37 weeks, he allowed me to remove
the t-pump and he performed the first
vaginal exam since that night 11 weeks
prior. I was now 3 centimeters dilated
and 100% effaced. He hugged me and
congratulated me for beating the odds.
My baby would be full term!
She was born one week later on our 13th
wedding anniversary. She weighed 7
pounds 10 1/2 ounces and had apgars of
10 and 10 and was perfect in every way.
We named her Jodie Grace. Jodie means
God is gracious. We truly felt that
Jodie was a miracle that would not have
been possible were it not for God's
grace. Jodie Grace is now 2 1/2 years
old, beautiful, smart as can be and a
source of joy and delight to all that
know her.
our web page:
http://members.aol.com
/loscarb/index.html
|
|