January 3, 2013 – Dayspring Disciples

You’d think someone on bed rest would have more time to blog…. huh?

Here is some catch-up. After our busy and fun weekend 12/9 and 12/10 I spent all day 12/11 and 12/12 on the couch. I was struggling with relentless contractions and a fatigue I’d never experienced before in pregnancy! I likened the malaise to when I had H1N1 in 2009. We did basic school as Marie did the out-loud readings for Tabitha and her work. The kids pitched in wholeheartedly as I languished. Am I being dramatic? Um, nope. It was really bad.

I had my first scheduled NST on 12/13 and we saw 3 contractions in the 20 minutes. The perinatologist raised his eyebrows but conceded it was likely an irritable uterus given the fact that it measured close to 37 weeks… and I was only 30 weeks along. I went from there to the OB for my scheduled appointment. I was fully prepared to hear him say I needed to slow down. BUT – see – I felt like I needed him to TELL me to slow down. Otherwise, I know I would have pushed and pushed myself to make sure my kids got to do all the cool things we had planned to do in the Christmas season. Well – he most certainly DID instruct me to slow down. As in – no work, no Christmas shopping, no excessive hospitality. Chill. Out.

That is harder than it sounds.

The next week was spent recovering. I humbly accepted the delicious meals and pizza gift cards from friends, and even held my friend’s baby as she cleaned my bathrooms. Humility. 😛

My NST on 12/19 showed only 2 contractions in 20 minutes.

We got through school. We got through the broken hot water heater. We missed a lot of fun activities – dropped a caroling night, dropped having friends for dinner, dropped a festive evening out. We did get to have one set of friends for dinner on 12/22… mostly because she brought the food.

Then John got 11 days off from work for the winter shut down. The timing was excellent and much needed for us to put our house back together.

Then something incredible happened. On December 26th as I was dressing it suddenly became clear to me that I was smaller. I was climbing out of bed easier. It was easier getting dressed. I was breathing easier. I was smaller. This seriously concerned me. It was the rapid reduction of fluid that made it so Nigel was delivered emergently at 32w3d!

I was scheduled for another NST on 12/27. And I was scheduled to see the NP in my OBs office. Now, I was a little concerned because I wasn’t seeing Dr. Grace (the perinatologist) in his office for the NST; I was to have it in The Birthing Center due to scheduling issues. I was also not seeing my doctor, who knows me well, as he was on vacation. Thoughts bounced through my head: “Should I call Dr. Grace’s office in the AM and share what I think?” “Should I call Peg (the nurse practitioner) in the morning and share my concerns?” “Should I ask the nurse in the Birthing Center to call Dr. Grace?” “Should I stop by Dr. Grace’s office and ask to see him?” But I kept dismissing them and concluded, GOD CAN HANDLE THIS. God cares for me. He doesn’t just look out for those of us who know how to navigate medical offices, etc. He has this covered. So I just worked to not worry and NOT fear.

I left here at noon and headed to Park Ridge. On the way there I started to wonder again if I needed to do or say something. But I just prayed. I remembered the Truth – that God loves Ducky even more than I do. That He knows how many hair are on my head. That not a sparrow falls! I just asked Him to please show up big for me. Please just to show me quickly He was THERE and HE has this all.

So – as this was the first time I’d been in the Birthing Center this pregnancy, I had papers to fill out before my NST. The unit secretary pointed me to a weird little hallway with a few seats and lots of walls and corners. A couple was sitting around the corner from me. A Dr. X came and was talking to them about some procedure and asked them about whether or not she’d had an ultrasound (u/s) yet or seen Dr. Grace yet. She hadn’t yet so they talked and Dr. X called Dr. Grace on this unit “phone” system they all carry. I hear Dr. X say to the couple that Dr. Grace is coming right over. Then after a few minutes I hear Dr. Grace’s voice. I did not see which way he came in from. Dr. X wasn’t done talking to the couple yet so Dr. Grace just said, “Well, when you’re done talking send them over and I’ll do u/s before you start.”

Then he walks away from them in my direction. He sees me and stops to say, “Hi.” He also re-congratulated me on my blood work from last week. In my head I was astonished. I felt tongue-tied. I’m sure I looked like I wanted to say something OR God was holding his feet, because he was just hesitating in front of me. I found my voice and I told him there was no doubt in my mind my belly had shrunk. I told him I was to see Peg at 2:15 and that she would measure me to confirm it. And as I prepared to remind him about Nigel’s history he quickly said he remembered and recounted some of the story. He concluded with saying if Peg or I had ANY concern to just come back down and he’d do an u/s.

I didn’t have to call him. Or stalk him. Or plead with Peg.

God sent the doctor to me. I was just amazed as I sat there. God.Sent.The.Doctor.To.Me.

God has this!

Okay – I’ll speed up to say, I went to my appt. with Peg. I lost two pounds (over Christmas and while on bed rest no less!…) and my belly was almost the same size as it was 4 weeks ago. The belly, my assessment, and the weight loss led Peg to quickly agree an U/S was a good idea. She called Dr. Grace’s office personally and arranged for me to go down there. I had to wait until 4PM, but I was more than fine with that. It was better than going home and heading back in on Friday.

I spent the next 90 minutes waiting, but not worrying. I still had no idea how things were going to turn out. I still had visions of Nigel coming at 32w3d, but I just knew, GOD HAS THIS COVERED. Nothing surprises Him. It might not be happily-ever-after but GOD HAS THIS COVERED.

Finally Dr. Grace came and got me a few minutes after 4PM. The baby looks great. The fluid had dropped by half. I had HALF as much fluid as I did three weeks before!! HALF! But I was still at the upper limit of normal. Ducky was active, had a great heart beat, and offered the doctor no concerns. Where the fluid went is anyone’s guess. They simply can’t explain it. He did feel there was plenty of fluid for the time being and as long as our checks on Ducky are fine he won’t ever say the baby had to be delivered JUST because of a fluid level.

Then this past week, on 1/2, I went in for another NST – no contractions this time! – and for another U/S. My fluid level was a little lower, but Ducky still looked really, really good. Big… but good.

This week on 1/9 I will have another NST and see Dr. Tripp again. We still don’t know how this will end. It’s not over til it’s over. And as any parent knows… it’s never over. 😉

But that is what we’ve been up to.

Homeschooling on ~~house arrest~~ bed rest/modified activity isn’t as bad as it sounds. Housework is probably what is lacking the most around here. The kids do a magnificent job with their chores and over all I am happy to say I have seen really good fruit most of the time. John’s burden is a lot heavier, however. As there are some tasks we just have to leave for him.