After the BFP...TTC #1 "Graduates"

[allisonmh]

Can't wait to hear updates from you, Jen! Hope things are going well!!!

 

[savvysaver]

Looking forward to hearing from Jen too!

Flordiasian, how are you doing?

 

[floridasian]

So after two days of no contractions I woke up at 2am with contractions that were anywhere between 4-11 minutes apart. So at 6 am they started me on the magnesium. My experience was very similar to yours - the bolus made me flushed and hungover (I felt like I had too many beers too fast) but fortunately no nausea and no vomiting. They gave me a bucket of wash clothes soaked in ice water to cool me off. After the initial 20 minutes I was feeling much better but still extremely tired and weak. Part of it was because I only slept for 2 hours last night (I was counting my contractions since I woke up at 2 until my nurse came in at 5.) I slept on and off most of the day and I am still tired.

Good news is that contractions have slowed way down - my nurse said she only saw one the entire day I was on the monitor.

I have three monitors strapped on my belly - one for each baby and one for contractions. I also have an IV pole with three bags of fluids going into me. It's a bit annoying that I have to call the nurse every half an hour to go the bathroom because she has to unhook me from everything and then hook me back up. And we always have trouble keeping Baby A still when she hooks me back up so every bathroom break takes like 10-15 minutes!

I'm sure in the end this will all be worth it though!!

 

[savvysaver]

I am so sorry the contractions started back up Floridasian. The magnesium wasn't fun but totally worth it in the end. I had the same monitors hooked up to me and I couldn't feel the contractions but watched myself having them on the screen, after awhile I started feeling something strange at the time the screen showed it was a contraction. Do they have any plans for you? Are you still on the magnesium?

 

[JCM]

Hi!!!
Everything went great. I am exhausted! Charli arrived at 4:16pm at 8lbs exactly 19 3/4 inches. I am so in love with her. She may have a little complication that we are waiting to hear more on in the am from the specialist. She may have a fistula which is worst case scenario and could require surgery. She's in the nicu tonight but I get to visit her anytime I want! DH has been able to formula feed just for tonight and she loves eating so shouldn't be a problem switching when we are ready. We wanted her to have bowels ASAP so Drs could see what's going on with her sooner rather than later.
My surgery was great. I had a great team of Drs and nurses. Loved my anesthesiologist and DH works with him lots so he took great care of me. I didn't puke at all and the spinal went smoothly. What a weird sensation! My tummy is sore but I've already been up and moving to see my little girl in the nicu via wheelchair.

Here she is!
https://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/ah173/jenldomer/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpstl1zq3au.jpg

 

[JCM]

Floridiasain, worth it and I am definitely praying for you.

 

[allisonmh]

She's so precious, Jen!!! Glad everything went well and I hope her little complication ends up being no big deal! Enjoy the time now while she's tiny, bc they grow like weeds!! Keep us updated on what the specialist says!

 

[savvysaver]

Jen, she is beautiful! Congrats! Praying that the specialist has good news for you and Charli can get out of the nicu soon. Glad the c-section went smoothly! Keep us updated when you have time.

 

[floridasian]

Congrats Jen!!! Charli is absolutely beautiful!! Fx'ed there's no major issues and you'll get to take her home soon!!

 

[floridasian]

I was on the magnesium for 24 hours and was taken off of it this morning. Yeah it made me weak and tired the whole time so I'm happy that's done. So now I have two steroid shots and the magnesium so even if the babies were to be born now they should have a better chance of survival. They are keeping me here at the hospital for a while longer though. They didn't say for how long but if I have to guess I would say probably at least till when I'm 24 weeks when viability hits so that'll be Wednesday.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the magnesium will keep the contractions at bay. I haven't felt any even after they stopped the magnesium so that's a good sign.

My plan is just to take it one day at a time and hope for the best!

 

[savvysaver]

Floridasian, glad the contractions have stopped. Hoping it stays like that. Every day that you are pregnant is a great day for the babies to grow and get stronger. I keep thinking about you, hang in there! Praying for you and the twins. Keep us posted!

 

[floridasian]

Baby A's water broke last night at 1:30. However I'm still not even 1cm dilated and I have no cramping, pain or contractions. Ultrasound showed that both babies are still doing fantastic. The pessary was taken out to prevent infection. I'm also given several rounds of antibiotics to prevent infection but it looks like we should be able to delay labor for a few more weeks. I will need to stay in the hospital for the remainder of my pregnancy but that's the best for everyone. The plan is to keep me pregnant until 34 weeks and at that time they'll induce me.

 

[savvysaver]

Baby A's water broke last night at 1:30. However I'm still not even 1cm dilated and I have no cramping, pain or contractions. Ultrasound showed that both babies are still doing fantastic. The pessary was taken out to prevent infection. I'm also given several rounds of antibiotics to prevent infection but it looks like we should be able to delay labor for a few more weeks. I will need to stay in the hospital for the remainder of my pregnancy but that's the best for everyone. The plan is to keep me pregnant until 34 weeks and at that time they'll induce me.

I am so sorry to hear that baby A's water broke and you need to stay in the hospital, but I am glad that you are still pregnant and that both babies are doing good, without contractions, pain, etc. At the hospital they can closely monitor you and delay labor...when I was in the NICU with the twins they had quite a few mom's that they were holding off for a couple of weeks, one mom was there for a few weeks with quads, they were able to schedule the delivery and make sure the team of docs and nurses were ready to go. My girls rooms were next to the doctors meeting room so it was obvious when things were happening in labor and delivery! Thinking of you and hoping you and both babies are doing good.

 

[beaglemom]

floridasian - glad you are still doing well. I know this is not how you expected your pregnancy to go but more important is keeping the babies safe & healthy. I will be thinking of you. Good luck.

 

[allisonmh]

I'm sorry all of that happened, floridasian, but glad everyone is still doing ok! It's defintelu going to be a while in the hospital for you, but I'm sure you're relieved to at least be being monitored and everything. I don't know if it was ever mentioned, but did you work? Is this affecting your job or anything?

Beaglemom, how have you been? We haven't heard much from you lately!

 

[beaglemom]

Sorry guys. I am doing good. I keep up more on the IVF thread. I just had my u/s & baby Derek is doing great. Right now I am in baby shower mode. I am doing it kind of early (July) because of my husband's job. We are doing a BBQ at a park family oriented instead of the typical baby shower. So now I am trying to find wording for the invite about gifts & registries so it has the info people need but also letting them know not required because we are focusing on the celebration not really a shower. Our baby room is almost complete but we have traveled a lot this month so most evenings & weekends we are just relaxing. Hoping t complete it soon & get back on the ball with everything. No real issues except going to bed early & tired by the evening. But otherwise I feel really good.

 

[savvysaver]

Floridasian, how are you doing?

 

[allisonmh]

Floridasian, I hope you and the babies are still doing well!!!

 

[floridasian]

I'm now home but with no babies after 2.5 weeks in the hospital. I was discharged Saturday evening but I was actually not ready to come home just yet.

So to recap - Baby A's water broke Monday morning at around 1:30 AM. The doctors were hoping that the antibiotics would put off labor for at least one week if not many more. Unfortunately it didn't happen that way. Almost exactly 48 hours later true contraction started and this time it couldn't be stopped. They were monitoring me closely and then the doctors came in and told me that Baby A wasn't tolerating the contractions well and her heart rate was dropping. I would need an emergency C Section immediately to get her out.

I was then wheeled to the delivery room where I was so scared that my entire body wouldn't stop shaking. My worst nightmare had come true. There I was, at exactly 24 weeks on the dot, going to deliver my babies.

What happened in the next 24 hours was a blur. There must have been at least 10 doctors that came to talk to me after I came to, but I was still so heavily sedated and extremely exhausted to comprehend anything they were telling me. Most of the details were filled in by DH just recently.

My babies were born at 4:05 AM on June 3rd. Both babies were taken to NICU immediately. We named Baby A Paige and Baby B Kyle. Paige was significantly smaller than Kyle at a little over 500 grams whereas Kyle weighed in at 920 grams.

Apparently Paige was very under developed and had a lot of bruising from both my contractions and the birthing process. Her heart rate was initially only 60 but they were able to bring it up to 90 (still extremely slow). She was also unable to keep oxygen in. At one point I thought one of the doctors came in and told us that she was doing better. However, 10 hours after she was born, we were told that Paige was dying and it wouldn't be fair to keep her going like that and we had to let her go. They brought her into my room and we got to hold her for a little while before she died in my arms.

Kyle was doing very well the first three days. They were able to ween his oxygen level down to 24-26% and thought they could take him off of his ventilator and put him on a bubble CPAP instead. That was a big mistake. He didn't like the transition and they had to put him back on his ventilator. The process really stressed him out and he ended up needing more help than before. Then around midnight last night I noticed that he was moving his arms and legs like crazy. It was cute for the first 5 minutes but then I saw that he was still doing it 5 hours later I knew something wasn't right. We still don't know if it was seizures or he's just aggitated from being on several additional machines but he's now also on a pain medication to see if it would help. Then this afternoon we were told by the nurse that the doctor wanted to talk to us about the head ultrasound they did last night. I immediately knew it was bad news if the nurse couldn't fill us in himself (the nurses always gave us a complete update every time we go in). Kyle had a Grade IV brain bleed in his left brain. They aren't sure about his right brain but it was most likely at least a Grade III on the right.

We were told that he will probably have some type of cerebral palsy when he gets older and most likely will have delays as well. They told us some families would decide not to continue aggressive treatments if the baby's quality of life is compromised like that. It sounds like he might never be a normal kid but how can we give up on him?

He seems to be a little better tonight. The nurse put him on his side when we were there earlier and he's now barely moving around anymore. We also watched the nurse change his diaper for the first time. It was pretty cool to see such tiny diaper being put on. I wish it was me who was changing the diaper though. He also opened his eyes for the first time yesterday and I was able to give him a little swab of breastmilk on his mouth. Trivial things like that I'm sure most people take for granted are now highlights of my day.

Sorry for the late update. It was too painful to write down everything that happened because it was like re-living the nightmare all over again. I still can't believe I lost my little girl. She was so perfect at every single check up. I can't believe she's gone. There's no more movements, no more checking on her heart tones. I thought I would come home with either two babies still in my belly, or two babies in my arms. Instead I'm now home with no babies. It's incredibly hard.

Please pray for my little Kyle to get through this. I have to focus all my positive energy on him now.

 

[beaglemom]

My thoughts are with kyle. I am so extremely sorry for the loss of your little girl. Stay strong little guy.