33 Weeks!

Hm. I guess I will start off by saying I am so happy to be home, still pregnant and relaxing on my couch! Yesterday was my last cervical ultrasound and I also had a doctors appointment. Having gotten this far, I didn't really think to much of it. I think it was the first ultrasound I didn't hold my breath. Until I saw my cervix, that is. Short. Oy. Measuring from 1.5-2.4 down from 3.5+. Eric and I could read the number on the screen and could tell the tech was concerned. She asked us to wait in the waiting room which is never a good thing. She called my doc to let him know while we checked in with our babysitter and Eric changed his work plans for the evening. We made our way to our appointment (they got us in earlier than we were scheduled) and waited.

Of course it happened to be the same doctor who sent us to the hospital at 23.5 weeks with Addi (and subsequently delivered her) and we chatted. He let us know that this was no where near as scary because I am farther along and it can be normal for the cervix to shorten over time. However, because of my history and the fact I have been contracting/crampy he wanted me to go to the hospital and be monitored and also receive the first dose of steroids for Stella's lungs. We thought this made sense so away we went and did just that.

When we got to the hospital, it was (again) the same doctor we saw the first time things happened with Addi and he admitted me to the hospital. Talk about deja vu! The monitor showed that I was contracting a lot so they gave me two shots- one for her lungs and one to stop the contractions. Here is a little more about the drugs:

Helping your baby breathe
If you go into preterm labor, you'll likely get a type of steroid drug called a corticosteroid. This drug helps your baby's lungs mature so that he can breathe more easily after birth. Steroids reduce any breathing problems your baby may have and help prevent a serious lung disease called respiratory distress syndrome. Steroids also help prevent bleeding in your baby's brain and a serious bowel disease called necrotizing enterocolitis.

Terbutaline

Terbutaline is given for pre-term labor or pre-term contractions. It is important  to understand the difference between preterm labor and preterm contractions. The uterus is a muscle that is built to do one thing: contract. Many pregnant women have crampy preterm uterine contractions that cause them to present to labor and delivery units for evaluation and treatment. Terbutaline is often given in the form of a subcutaneous injection to stop these annoying uterine contractions. The difference between the two- are the contractions changing the cervix?

In my case we weren't sure (and still aren't 100%) but the contractions stopped 20 minutes after taking the drug and I was in and out of the hospital in 2 hours. If they hadn't stopped I would have had to stay overnight. However, I do need to go to the hospital again today for more monitoring, another dose of steroids and an FFN test (they couldn't do it yesterday because I had been checked and had the ultrasound). For now, I am supposed to rest (not bed rest, mind you) and Eric is taking this quite seriously. Such a sweetie. I feel just like I did before I went to the hospital- fine. Yesterday I even felt so good I took a very long walk with my girlfriends and their babies. I also did all of the floors in my house. Maybe I have been overdoing it a bit.

Although the past 24 hours been scary and stressful it is no where near as nerve wracking as last time. I am so thankful to be farther along in my pregnancy and that Stella is safe. The doctor yesterday remarked that she is a big girl- also good news if she is born a bit early and I feel much better knowing she will have had the steroids. 34 weeks is a big milestone, as is 36, so those are our immediate goals and focuses as we move forward. For now, we are just praying for good results tonight and will update soon. Thank you to everyone for the prayers and support!


From my belly: This week our baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance, like Addi.)