Not So Fun-Day-Sunday

First, I just want to say we have been super blessed with wonderful supportive family and friends...our families have been able to rotate shifts here with us in Charleston just to help out at home and we are so lucky to have such thoughtful friends who send us flowers, bring us meals, send us food, send thoughtful cards, or just call/text/email to check in and see how things are going.  Thank you to everyone who has been thinking and praying for us:)  We really appreciate all your love and support:)

Now on to my long winded post...again!

The title of this post is slightly misleading...although it wasn't fun, the fact that we're still here in the hospital, I'm still pregnant, and everything is stable kind of counteracts all the crazy activity that went on around here yesterday.  First, I will tell you about yesterday...the crazy/not so good stuff, before I tell you about all the great things going on:)  I always want to hear bad news before good news so that the good news sounds really really good and you can walk away after reading this feeling reassured.

Sooo yesterday started off pretty normal...I was having contractions which isn't really that different from any other day.  On any given day, I probably feel about 15 hard contractions...although they are hard and really tight, they are not painful if that makes any sense.  I guess I didn't really realize how many I was having, because after about a half an hour on the contraction monitor (everyday I get strapped up the the monitor for an hour), one of the attending ObGyns came in and startled me from my daze (I can't move while I'm on the monitor so I usually sleep or read or something) and asked me if I was feeling all of those.  I kind of looked at him and was like what do you mean?!  He said I was having contractions every 6 minutes or so and that were measuring above 100...literally they were off the paper print out chart.  Like I said, they are definitely strong, but not painful because I'm able to sleep/rest while they are going on.  Although the contractions didn't feel any different than they have been, the increase in frequency was definite cause for concern.  It was about this time that I called Brian and told him to get down here...he got here so fast that his shorts were on backwards!! Haha!!  About 2 minutes later, a nurse came in with an IV and said they were going to treat me for mild dehydration first...I try to drink lots of water, but I know at night I don't because it's a Catch 22...If I don't drink enough it can cause contractions, but if I drink sufficient amounts, I have to get up and pee every hour and never feel rested but, if my bladder's really full, I'll have a contraction.  Anyway, that being said, I probably don't drink enough throughout the night so I've started to work on that.  Back to the drama...so the IV went in (after a few attempts...which is odd since I have crazy big veins - this is also why we thought I might have been kind of dehydrated) and while we were waiting on that, one of the other doctors came in and did some physical examination to see if the contractions were causing any cervical changes indicating delivery.  Luckily, the physical examination had good outcomes with everything remaining stable, as well as a negative fetal fibronectin test which tells us that I have less than a 2% chance of going into labor in the next two weeks.  This test is really only valid in singleton pregnancies, but they use it in multiples too simply because it's the best indicator of labor for single babies so they apply the same result to multiples simply because that particular test and multiple gestations haven't been studied enough to have any conclusive evidence.  Once all these tests were done, the attending called the head honcho ObGyn here and told him what was going on.  Pretty much what ever he says goes so that's what we did.  

*On a little side note, we are super lucky to be here in Charleston as we go through all of this.  The head honcho guy here is highly respected not only from his patients, but all of his peers always tell us how fabulous he is and how if he's not the #1 most knowledgeable guy IN THE WORLD about triplets, he's definitely in the top 3.  He does all kinds of research and conferences around the country and literally almost every single book you can buy about multiples has his name either on the cover or he's referenced...like I said, we're super lucky:)*

So the head honcho told them what to do and that was that.  I was immediately given a shot of terbutaline, followed by a change in medicine back to the indocin (the one that can affect their hearts and kidneys...but no need to worry, I'll only be on it for 72 hours), as well as steroid shots (they burn!!) to develop the babies lungs quicker in case anything happens.  Unfortunately, I had to get a booster of steroids today again but all of this craziness will all be worth it in the end!  After all the medicine was administered, I had been on the contraction monitor for about 4 hours.  At this point, they decided it was necessary to do a NST (non-stress test) on the babies to make sure they were responding well to the contractions and not under any stress.  Lately, I've been getting one of these every week and it's always a challenge because we have to get 3 different doppler sensors strapped around my belly and each one has to be picking up a different babies heart beat, as well as the contraction monitor.  Let me just tell you, Baby C is a stinker already...we can hear her moving around like crazy but we can never find her heart beat and when we think we find it, it turns out that it's usually Baby A or Baby B's that we're actually hearing.  After an hour and a half of positioning and repositioning the doppler sensors, 2 doctors, tons of ultrasounds, and 4 nurses, we finally got everything set up and in position.  At this point, I was told not to move and definitely not to tell them that I had to pee because it wasn't happening.  Luckily, they only needed to monitor them for 20 minutes to get a good idea as to how they were responding to the contractions.  As we expected, everything went fine and the babies look great!!  All in all, everything has now stabilized and things are looking good, but it does look like I've bought myself a ticket to stay in the hospital until I deliver (which I honestly don't mind...especially when things like this happen!)

Let's move onward to the good news/random news!!!

• We had a growth ultrasound done last Monday which showed that all 3 babies weigh in between 2 and 2.4 pounds which is great!  They are in the 40-50th percentile for singleton pregnancies which is awesome for triplets at this gestation.  This is generally the point though that multiples start to deviate a little from single pregnancies simply because the space starts getting super limited...it's like a fishbowl effect.
• The babies look really good for their gestational age.  They are practicing their breathing in there by inhaling amniotic fluid and their heart rates are responding well to their movements...just like adults, we want to see the babies' heart rates increase by 10 beats per minute for about 10 seconds which they all seem to be doing.  It just makes me so happy to see little miracles like this happening and it blows my mind that it's all in this giant belly of mine!
• We're 27 weeks 4 days today (Monday) and there's no doubt in my mind that we'll make it to Thursday and get to 28 weeks which is a huge milestone as far as the babies' lung development goes.
• I'm huge...I gained 8 pounds in a week and have gained about 45 pounds total.  I know some people gain this much with one baby, but I managed to do it before I even his my 3rd trimester when the weight really starts to pack on.  This is what the doctors want though and what studies have shown is the best for the babies:)  That what I tell myself when I have to drink 2 boosts/ensures a day (which I will never drink after this!!!).
• Eating has become a chore...I have to do it but I just don't have room in my squished stomach nor do I feel hungry to eat everything I need to eat.  I have to remind myself to eat some meals simply because I'm not hungry.  
• I don't fit in most of my maternity clothes anymore so my mom had to go out and buy me extra large maternity clothes just to fit over my belly.  
• Every time I leave the room people say the funniest things... for instance one lady yelled at us and said I better hurry up and get back inside because I was about to pop...she could just tell!  I get all kinds of strange looks when I get wheeled outside to the park/garden area and just sit there with Brian (or whoever will take me for that matter) like nothing is going on.  In fact, one nurse today said I should probably just go to labor and delivery, but I told her that we're not ready for that yet.  I told 2 of my doctors about all the stares and comments I get when I go outside and they told me to make something up....something like "I'm part of an experiment...we're trying to see how long I can stay pregnant.  Currently I'm 45 weeks and we're aiming for 50."  I think that's what I'm going to say next time just to see what they say!  I'll let you know...
• I'm getting kind of tired of hospital food...it's good but limited so food from the outside world is fantastic.
• I'm getting kind of tired in general...I know...I know...apparently this it nothing compared to what I will go through when the babies arrive but let me tell you, sleep in the hospital is hard to come by.  I have medicine delivered throughout the night, I have to pee all the time, things get going early around here, and when I'm not eating or hooked up to the monitor, the janitors come in to clean, room service comes and knocks on my door to pick up used trays, my sheets have to get changed, and of course, there's always the welcomed visit from friends, doctors, and family.  
• It's funny when I read the "What to Expect When You're Pregnant" stuff on my phone for the 28th week of pregnancy for a single pregnancy...it says my uterus should be about 3 inches above my pressure cooker belly button... mine is literally in my ribs.  It also says I should have gained about 17-24 pounds...clearly I blew that out of the water.  
• The babies use my bladder as a trampoline and I'm pretty sure they are having a boxing match in there constantly...it wiggles my whole belly!
• I don't have any stretch marks!!
• I really miss sleeping on my stomach
• I've been in the hospital for 6 weeks this upcoming Friday.
• We're still just taking week by week at this point...their rate of survival is now at about 90% which is good but still not ideal.  The longer they stay in there the better so I'll just continue to be a human incubator.
• I can't make heads or tails of the ultrasounds anymore.  Every time I see them, I just see a cluster of arms, legs and heads and I can't tell which one belongs to who.  Oh well!
• I can't breathe...I get winded from doing just about everything.
• My ab muscles are useless...I can't get up from laying down without using the rails on the side of the bed.
• I no longer have a belly button...it popped out about a month ago really.
• I'm in serious nesting mood but can't do anything at home!  We're so glad our parents have been able to help out and set up some of the baby stuff!
• I finally got to see Vida!!  Brian's dad brought her to the garden outside and I was so excited and happy I got teary eyed:)

That's all I can really think of right now...sorry for the novel but it's good for me to get it all out there to look back over later!  Hope you all enjoyed it and maybe learned a little something!

Nice day outside.

Brian made our 3 year anniversary special by dressing up, bringing me roses, and bringing me dinner!

27 weeks pregnant

Big Milestone

As some of you may know, I've spent the last 3 weeks at the wonderful Resort MUSC...or in other words, on hospital bed rest.  I'll spare you some of the details, but basically what prompted this was a check up appointment at the doctor where they realized I was having contractions every 4-6 minutes that I wasn't feeling.  It just so happens that it was Friday the 13th... just our luck huh?  Anyway, having contractions that close together along with a couple of other symptoms qualified me for preterm labor, so I was admitted to the hospital immediately for observation, evaluation, and medication.  I was immediately given fluids as standard procedure as well as a shot of terbutaline and then a powerful dose of a medication called indocin.  The hope was that the concoction of medicine and rest would calm the contractions enough to buy us many more weeks of pregnancy.  Luckily, my body responded well to the medicine and the contractions calmed down after about 2 days.  The first week was kinda scary and unpredictable.  The doctors don't want to tell you everything's going to be ok when they just don't know...unfortunately, for pregnancy, there's no rhyme or reason to why things happen the way they do sometimes.  There was not a definite prognosis that they could give us, so we just took it day by day.  Sitting here thinking about all the uncertainty could definitely drive you crazy and we just wanted the doctors to say "ok, everything's under control, you'll be able to hold on for another 10 weeks now," but that's just not the case!  Instead, they were constantly monitoring and checking me for any signs of change, which was nerve racking too because they would tell me that my next check up would be 2 days from now, so for those 2 days, I would just worry about what the results would be!  Luckily, we know that we have a great team of doctors and nurses working with us...they have all been so wonderful and comforting!  We are also super blessed to have such wonderful families...my mom and dad were able to come and help take care of things at the house and Vida for the first week I was in here, and then Brian's dad has been able to come and stay at our house for the past week and a half, again to help with Vida and just normal everyday household stuff.  I must say I've been super blessed too with a wonderful husband who has spent nights in the the hospital with me as well as comes to hang out with me everyday after work...if I'm lucky he brings me a good dinner too:)  

Ok...back to my hospital stay.  A lot of people have asked me some questions so I figured I'd answer them here!

How far along are you?  

I'll be 25 weeks tomorrow which is a huge milestone!  The first 2 weeks in here were very nerve racking in that the hospital leaves it up to the parents between 23 and 25 weeks as to whether or not you want to resuscitate the babies due to the simple fact that babies born at that gestational age are technically considered viable, although there are many complications, long term and short term, that are probable.  At 25 weeks, the hospital is required to do what they can to keep the babies alive so that takes the burden off of me and Brian.

What have you been doing to occupy your time?

Believe it or not, I have a pretty full day most times...here's what my daily schedule looks like.

6:30 - Generally, around this time there is a doctor that comes in a wakes me up from my beauty sleep just to make sure that everything went smoothly throughout the night

8:30ish - wake up, brush teeth, get dressed, order my breakfast 

9:00 - 9:30 - Sometime in this time frame, my breakfast usually arrives, my nurse comes in to give me my medications, and the tech comes in to take my blood pressure, oxygen level, pulse and temperature. 

10:15 - I finally finish breakfast...it takes a while to eat a lot with such a big belly!!  

10:30 - Doctors come in to do their rounds and make sure everything is going ok and to discuss any important appointments/milestones coming up that I need to be aware of.

10:30 - 11:45 - After I eat and talk to the doctors, the nurse comes back in to hook me up to the contraction monitor for an hour.  During this time, I really can't move a whole lot, so I just lay here and watch TV or read.  

11:45 - Most days around this time, I have my nurse tech come in to change my sheets while I take a shower.  

12:30 - Order lunch

1:00 - 2:00 - Eat lunch

2:00 - 5:00 - This is generally my nap time, reading time, free time really.

5:00 - 10:00 - Brian comes to keep me company and we eat dinner together.

11:00 - Go to bed

12:00 - Get woken up to take my medicine and day is done!

Now that's a day that I don't have any appointments, such as an ultra sound (I get about 4 a week), fetal fibronectin tests, glucose tests, EKGs done on the babies, dietary/nutrition consultations, and NICU consultations.  

I've been a good patient so they gave me outside privileges, so someone can take me outside in a wheelchair.  The best part about it is when we get back in the elevator, everyone thinks I'm in labor and they ask me if it's a boy or a girl...you should see their face when I say, "Actually, it's 2 girls and 1 boy."

Any major hiccups? 

Aside from the babies having the hiccups sometimes, we have had one minor speed bump.  Medications used to stop preterm labor are called tocolytics... although they are not manufactured for that purpose specifically.  Tocolytics generally are used to treat something completely different than preterm labor but have an off label effective use of stoping contractions.  Not many drug companies produce drugs that they can say are 100% safe to use during pregnancy since not many people agree allow their unborn child to be the subject of a science experiment.  Through advancements in medicine though, doctors and scientists have come to realize that the use of many of these drugs have secondary effects on slowing contractions.  The first medicine I was on was called Indocin...it's an NSAID so it's kind of like Advil but it's generally used to treat patients with arthritis.  Consequently, it also does something with prostaglandins which are a big component in contractions.  The drug does have down sides though...it can close the ductus arteriosis between the babies heart and lungs (this closes after birth but shouldn't close while still in my belly) and it can decrease their urine output, which then decreases their amniotic fluid which is essential for lung development as well a many other things.  Luckily, both of these side effects are reversible.  Fortunately, the first 2 weeks on the drug went smoothly...a pediatric cardiologist came down to my room every week to to an EKG on all the babies' hearts to make sure the ductus wasn't closing and an ultra sound specialist would come to check all the fluids of the babies to make sure that wasn't decreasing.  Unfortunately, last Thursday, they saw that Baby B's fluid was low, so I had to quit taking it.  With in 48 hours of stopping the drug, my contractions were back, so the doctors checked the fluid again and it had gone back up...so they gave me indocin again for 48 hours until they checked the fluid again...and it was low.  At this point they started looking into other options...I am now on a blood pressure medicine called Procardia which can be secondarily used to slow/stop contractions...it has no real side effects on the babies but some people don't tolerate the drug itself well.  I, luckily, don't have any of the dizziness, dropped blood pressure or headaches that can be associated with it and it seems to work just as well!

What else...???

• I've gained about 7 pounds since being in here and I'm expected to gain about 20 more.
• My room is like a freezer box because I'm my own incubator.
• Hospital food is pretty good although I'm getting tired of it.
• Doctors are all pretty positive about everything especially since I've been stable for the past 3 weeks
• I feel like I'm in a college dorm room...minus the loft beds.
• I'm starting to be known as "The Princess at the end of the hall" because I told the doctors I had medical students coming in to wake me up at 4:30 in the morning just to ask me how I was feeling...I understand they are just doing their job but seriously??  One of the residents though that was ridiculous so he posted a sign outside my door saying not to other me between 11pm and 7am, unless it's for medicine:)
• I feel pretty caught up on all my trashy reality TV
• I have a view out my window...kind of...I can at least see the sky and what the weather is like.
• I can wear my own clothes...I don't have to be in a hospital gown all the time.
• I sleep great for the most part.
• I don't have stretch marks.
• The babies kick around like crazy and it wiggles my whole belly when they do.
• I miss Vida like crazy:(
• As far as my attitude/sanity towards all this...I figure there's two ways I can look at this:
• I can complain a lot and hate staying in this small little room and cry all the time (don't get me wrong, I have cried...more because I feel helpless than because of the fact I'm on bed rest)
• Or I can be positive about it and realize that although I'm limited as to what I can do, I can have a good attitude with all the nurses and doctors, and know that I'm in here for the health of my babies.  I chose this route:)

24 weeks...google what a singleton pregnant person should look like at 24 weeks 

The "Princess" warning sign on my door.

That's all the pictures for now...we'll try to take some more and put more up!  Thanks to everyone who has been thinking about us and praying for us!  We truly appreciate all the blessings!