6/8/06 - 5 weeks pregnant -- bleeding, clotting, cramping. It was not fun and I was sure I was miscarrying. In fact, the RE's office (Reproductive Endocrinologist) thought the same and told me to put my feet up, call if the bleeding got worse and to come for a blood test the next morning.
6/9/06 - blood test came back with numbers doubled -- I will still pregnant and very relieved
6/13/06 - 1st ultrasound at 5 weeks 5 days -- two sacs but too early to see heartbeats
6/20/06 - 2nd ultrasound at 6 weeks 5 days -- two sacs and two heartbeats
July to mid-November 2006- from 7 weeks to almost 28 weeks I had a great, uneventful pregnancy. You know, I had the laundry list of ailments: exhaustion, carpel tunnel, heartburn, bleeding gums, sore joints, did I mention exhaustion? But nothing I could really complain about. I didn't even have any real morning sickness. I started to cut down my work hours and work from home at this point. I had a 90 minute commute each way and it was brutal!11/15/06 - 27 weeks, 6 days -- Had too many contractions in a one hour time slot and visited L&D (Labor & Delivery) for monitoring. Given lots of water and sent home.
11/17/06 - 28 weeks, 1 day -- Contractions woke me up in the middle of the night so we made our 2nd visit to L&D. Given two shots of Terbutaline and fluid. Sent home with oral Terb which I would use throughout the rest of my pregnancy to control contractions.
12/20/06 - 32 weeks, 6 days -- lost my mucous plug - ICK!!!
12/21/06 - 33 weeks -- went to OB's office and was sent to L&D. Positive FBN (fetal fibronectin test - which can predict pre-term labor), shortened cervix, 70% effaced and contractions, but no dilation.
12/21/06 - 12/23/06 -- spent on bedrest in the hospital and given steroids to speed up lung development in the boys, just in case...
12/23/06 - 33 weeks, 3 days -- sent home on strict bedrest
Here's a little side story: the in-laws came up to spend Christmas with us. I spent the better half of my time laying like a beached whale on a 1970's orange, tweed recliner in the living room like I was on display. It rocked!
12/28/06 - 34 weeks -- stood up to go to the bathroom in the morning and my water broke
Birth of Calvin & Hobbes
- 8:00AM -- Go to local hospital where it is confirmed that my water had broken. Saw my OB (who happened to be at the hospital that morning) who gave me the news that I was to be sent via ambulance to hospital with Level 3 NICU -- which I was prepared for if I went into labor before 36 weeks.
- 10:30AM -- Arrive at big city hospital where I waited for my c-section (also not a suprise since Hobbes was frank breech and Calvin was transverse)
- 10:30AM - 3:30PM -- Wait, wait and wait some more. Parents arrive and keep us company while I proceed to eat my own head because I am so hungry - no breakfast, no lunch, no snack, nothin'!
- 3:30PM -- Walk myself into the OR
- 3:45PM - 4:15PM -- Get spinal, go numb, commence barfing
- 4:16PM -- Hobbes is born, continue barfing
- 4:17PM -- Calvin is born, more barfing
- 4:30ishPM -- Saw both boys before they were taken to the NICU, got one family photo in the OR and then barfed a little more for good measure
- 5:00ishPM -- Brought up to my room. Barfing ceased.
Hobbes was 4 pounds, 3 ounces and Calvin was 4 pounds, 9 ounces. They were in great shape for being 6 weeks early and really good size. Calvin was on an oxygen hood for the 1st 12 hours only and Hobbes never needed oxygen. I didn't get to see the boys until the next morning, but my mom took photos when Hubs brought her up to the NICU for a visit. Thank goodness for digital cameras!
I spent 4 1/2 days in the hospital recovering (um, why didn't someone tell me about the bleeding, clotting and constipation from the drugs? Oh, I know, cuz it's disgusting!) and visited the boys as often as I could. Spent new years eve sleeping in a hospital bed with Hubs close by.
After I was released I went back every day to see the boys until they came home. They both spent less than 2 weeks in the NICU before they were home with us.
It may not have been the way I had imagined it, but I brought home two healthy babies and that was all I ever really wanted. Now the hard part began!
