Hospital bed rest

Well, Thursday, Sept. 13 (27weeks 1day) I went in to have my bi weekly ultrasound to check my cervix and to see how much the boys have grown.  My cervix shortened to 0.76cm (which is very short) and I was admitted to the hospital on bed rest.  They gave me steroid shots (one on Thursday night and one on Friday night) for the boys to help their lungs mature quicker.  I was also put on Magnesium Sulfate to stop my contractions.  The first 4 days were rough, the magnesium sulfate (M.S.) makes you sleepy, messes with your vision and gives you headaches...there are other symptoms but these are the ones I had and they were mild luckily. 

So early Monday morning, my contractions were pretty intense and getting stronger and stronger about 3 minutes apart, they bumped my M.S. dosage up to 3.5grams (usually the highest they go is 3 grams) and put a foley catheter in.  I contracted at that rate for about 4 hours.  I was scared I thought- Why isn't the M.S. working? I don't want them to come yet they are so little. This is it we are having them!  THANK GOD they contractions started to space out around 4:00 am by 8:00am they spaced out to every 8-10 minutes and were less intense.  After that they put the M.S. down to 3 grams and watched me for the rest of the day. Tuesday my OB tried to go to 2.5 grams of M.S. but by the end of the day I was contracting about every 5 minutes so he put it back to 3 grams and I've been there since.  Monday my head/vision was more with it and Tuesday even better  and Wednesday was my best day as far as my vision and head go.  Thursday and Friday I felt more sluggish but my contractions were much quieter, the same with today.  I still have a hard time focusing my eyes most of the time but the contractions are less frequent and less intense.  We still aren't sure which contractions are changing my cervix.  They don't want to check me unless there is reason to, and my next ultrasound is on Thursday so we'll see where things are at then.

This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do.  But I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep these boys safe.  We've worked too hard, and have come too far to give up now!  Our OB reassured us if the boys' come now we will be walking out of here with normal healthy children (unless something crazy happened) so that was nice to hear, however we want them to stay in as long as possible, getting to 29, 30 and 32 weeks would be the best (if not longer). 

I will probably be in the hospital until delivery.  The earliest my OB said he'd let me go home would be 30 weeks or more like 32 weeks, and he said he gave me a 5% chance of leaving here pregnant at 32 weeks to go home.  So most likely I can count on this being my home for quite a while.  I'd rather have me laying here for more weeks with them in me than them laying in isolets for weeks on end.

We are staying strong and know its worth all of our energy and strength, because we have so much love for them.  They are so wanted and so loved.

Mrs Red's transfer

The days after my retrieval I took it easy. Did some housework here and there but for the most part I rested. My hubby wanted me to just relax and even offered to do most of the chores, I still helped until I felt nauseous. Everyday I've been waking up at 630 to take my progesterone shot, we decided that early morning would be easiest for us to be consistent with the shots. We've tried midday which I is just really hard to time/remember and then we've tried after work to evening which doesn't work for us either because we never have a consistent schedule and who likes to stop in the middle of spending time with each other/friends/family to take a shot and then answer questions? No, we are always home in the morning and rarely leave the house before 630 so this was the easiest solution.

Monday was transfer day and I had a list of instructions, at 630 took progesterone shot, second to last dose of antibiotic and methylprednisolone (sp?), then a little before 8 I took a shower, changed my estrogen patch (vivelle dot) because it fell off AGAIN! Then at 8 sharp I had to insert a medicine called "endometrim", I didn't know I needed this pill but my doctor gave me samples the day of the retrieval so I wouldn't have to go buy it. After I took it I just laid there for like an hour. Then at 1030 I was told to empty my bladder and immediately drink 24-36 oz of water. I was feeling incredibly nauseous so we went to the store to get me a second bottle of water and crackers. Then off to the clinic! Had to be there at 1130 and got there right on time. After a short wait they took me back to the same procedure room as the retrieval.

The embryologist came in and gave us our full day 3 report, most of my eggs were doing great! I had quite a few bigger than 8-cells but they like to transfer 8-cells so they picked 2 of the 5 8-cells and showed us pictures of them.

One of our 8-cells!

Then she left and I undressed from the bottom down and the sonographer came in and checked my bladder. My ovaries were still HUGE and were pushing my uterus and my bladder so she said she was going to wait to call the doctor so that my bladder could fill more and push my uterus into a better position. It looked all squished.

Then we heard the page for the doctor and he came in with the nurse and the sonographer. He explained that the embryologist would load a syringe with a little solution, an air bubble, the eggs, another air bubble, and some more solution. They would put in a speculum, clean off my cervix, then put in a catheter with a removable center, they would then put in the catheter with the embryos and we would watch the sonogram for the air bubbles since they can't see the embryos. Then they would take out the syringe catheter and check it under a microscope to make sure they stayed inside. Once they get the all clear they would insert the other endometrim tablet and then have the nurse empty my bladder and then I'd lay there for 30 mins.

So everything pretty much went as they described but it was really uncomfortable. They had me sit not with my legs in stirrups but like the child birthing pose.... It was odd... LoL hey hubby was holding one leg and the sonographer held the other.... Irony... Anyway that helped relieve the pressure I was feeling. Then everything else went "normal", we watched them inject them and then we got the all clear the first try, they took out the uterine catheter and gave me one to pee.

Then it was just me and my hubby. We just talked the rest of the time about how with all the technology and whatnot, there's only a 70% chance, and the rest is entirely relying on God. It wasn't a negative conversation in the least. It's just amazing how no matter what, God has it all in His hands. All we can do now is pray and hope its His will.

I go back on May 14th for progesterone and estradiol levels and then on May 21st for my pregnancy test. I'm staying home on bed rest through Wednesday and debating if I want to work from home Thursday and Friday.

And Ashley was right, there is NOTHING good on TV.. Lol

Fellow cyster

Please pray for my SIL who is also a fellow cyster, she's at the hospital right now. She's 7 weeks pregnant with her second (first took, 9 years and turns 2 tomorrow). She had 4 mc's before she spent her pregnancy with her first on bed rest for 7 months.

She's a strong woman.

-Mrs Red