In Good Hands

Reaching Week 25 was a milestone but I didn't want it to be eventful. That night I began feeling lower back pain for the first time. Initially I shrugged it off as too much bed rest. Then it hit me: contractions, the serious kind!!! By the time it was all said and done, I landed in the hospital and will no doubt be here for the rest of this pregnancy. Cervical length had dropped to 0.7cm, Baby A's head was easily palpated while it bore down, all while contractions squeezed in on the situation. The immediate action was a bolus of magnesium sulfate and shot of terbutaline to get the contractions under control. A neonatologist stopped by to explain to me and Ben what we could expect of a 25 week old baby should things progress. Since then (about three days) I have been on continuous mag sulf and uterine monitoring. The contractions are now random and things have really quieted down. We are so grateful for every single day. According to one source, a baby's chance of survival increases 2-3% each day they are able to stay in utero between week 24-26. Between the neonatologist and perinatologist here there are 60+ years experience in dealing with situations like ours and although no one can predict an outcome, they have explained how everyone with high order multiples gets to this point, it is just a matter of when. To have 25 weeks at home was great. In addition, I'm gestating a mere four babies. A couple doors down from me there is a mom with quintuplets and upstairs in the NICU is a quintuplet set. There should be a club. The next big goal is to keep contractions at bay and reach 28 weeks. A thousand thank yous to each of you who keep us in your prayers and thoughts. Ben and I feel supported and cared for in a million different ways by you.

 Other Stuff
A bed is a bed and that is where I gotta be so here are a few positives by being in the hospital: 1. Monitoring--I would be at home trying to decipher if I was feeling a real contraction or not. Here, the monitor picks it up and if there is a problem, a trained professional responds to it. A total relief to my paranoid prego brain! 2. Each morning a team that includes a neonatologist, perinatologist, nurse, social worker, case manager (and whoever else) assesses and keeps tabs on the situation. 3. If anything major happens I'm here--no frantic rush to the ER. Hallelujah!

First picture: The beautiful view from my hospital bed: Elisa and Pastor Ray, Housemate Sheryl, my mom Donna. Elisa was contacted by our friend John Mark who lives in Phoenix. She is the queen of networking! Within a short period of time she had matched us up with Sheryl and her husband Ron who graciously opened their home to us during this pregnancy.
Second picture: Baby B yesterday morning with a sibling's head

butting into her from the left.