Appointment Update!

So my appointment went... okay. My cervix is measuring 1.7cm which is quite a ways down from 2.4cm last week. My midwife decided to check me to see if I was dilated (I was closed when I left the hospital) and I'm a lose 1cm dilated (and her little noggin was right there!), 50% effaced and Maddy is at a -1 station. They aren't going to admit me to the hospital until there's a bigger change though so I am home (and very happy about that!). She thinks Maddy will be here in about 3 and a half weeks (I'll be 35 weeks then!) but doesn't see me going past 36. Hopefully we make it that long! They aren't doing anymore cervical length ultrasounds because I'm at the point in my pregnancy where you start to thin out anyways so they don't think anymore would really be that reliable as to what is really going on.

I have two big milestones this week alone! My first is tomorrow. Tomorrow is the point in my last pregnancy that my water broke! My next milestone is 32 weeks, which is Friday. 32 weeks exactly is when I had my last baby! It looks like we are going to sail right past those milestones thank goodness! We added a new milestone (well the doctors at the hospital did) and that is 34 weeks, then my 35 week milestone (when I had my 4 year old) and then we hit our 36 week milestone (again another doctor milestone), and then we are full term! I can't believe that we could have her in as soon as 3 and a half weeks! That is SO crazy! I can't believe I will be 35/35 that soon! WOW!

The other day we took all of Maddy's clothing out of the shipping packages and cut all the tags off... Took the swaddles out of their boxes and everything is ready for a good washing. I'm not sure WHEN to start washing though!I don't want to do it too soon but I don't want to put it off another few weeks and then go into labor with nothing washed. We only have a few more purchases that need to be done and they are a diaper bag, bassinet, more diapers, some more hats and socks, bibs, nursing sleep bra, and breast pads. Not a big list at all! We are still deciding on which diaper bag to get from Diapers.com but we decided on the bassinet we want. We are ordering from Diapers.com because I have $20 in credits to use. So when we figure out which diaper bag we are ordering it with the bassinet for free 2 day shipping and what not. ANYWAYS! Here's a pic of the bassinet we are getting!

We are home!

Due to my insurance not wanting to pay for my stay, we came home two days ago and let me tell you, it's been hell! The hospital is just awaiting my return! On Monday my cervical length showed that my cervix was 2.4cm which is .2cm up from my 2.2cm a week and a half before. My insurance thinks that's a great difference and declined payment for my stay. Good news is that Maddy's growth ultrasound showed she gained a whole pound in a week and a half! She weighs about 3lbs. 8oz.! My midwife and all the doctors at the hospital were sure that sending me home will just cause me to have more contractions because of the older girls and us being in a stressful situation with my grandparents and what not. Well, they were right!

I was up until 7am last night/this morning with contractions. Nothing regular but bad enough where I couldn't sleep and had to get out of bed like 30 times and try to relieve some pain by moving just a bit. At around 7am they slowed down a bit and weren't as intense so I was able to get some sleep. Still having a few an hour but they aren't half as bad as last night. I'm thinking I'll be going back to the hospital within the next day or two but don't want to go too soon because if I'm not changed much they won't keep me. I'm kind of at a point where I don't know WHEN to go in because I don't want to go in too soon but at the same time, I REALLY don't want to go too late to where they can't stop my contractions or a baby is on her way out! I'm hoping to wait until my cervical length ultrasound and midwife appointment on Tuesday but after last night I'm not totally sure that will happen.

We are still here!

still at the hospital, still pregnant, THANK GOD! Almost two weeks ago my cervical length scan showed that my cervix wasn't at 1.2cm anymore, it was at 2.2cm! Maddy's growth ultrasound showed that she weighed about 2lbs. 8oz. but was breach. Had a hard night last night... I had a severe headache, blurry vision, and severe cramping but my blood pressure was perfect. Madison's heart rate was in the 170s-190s for almost an hour too which REALLY scared me. They did an ultrasound today to make sure that she was doing ok and they checked several things (fluid, breathing, movement, cord, hands opening and closing, etc.). She passed EVERYTHING! Score was 8/8! It was so cute! She was practicing her breathing the WHOLE ultrasound and we got a little glimpse of her face (Chris took a pic with his phone) and she was moving her lips around and opening and closing her mouth. She looked SO beautiful! So of course, I'm showing her off!

Excuse me, you think I have what?

I need to vent... I think I may lose it! About 2 or 3 days after we arrived at the hospital I started developing a rash on my armpits all the way up to my elbows and all the way down my sides to my hips. Over the last few days I've developed very red itchy bumps and red splotches over several parts of my body. They had a dermatologist come in and take a look and they weren't sure what it was but started me on a steroid cream. That was 4 days ago... The steroid cream didn't work and things are getting worse, spreading, and becoming painful. They are now starting me on a fungal cream because "some" of the splotches look like ringworm. I was completely shocked, where the hell did I get ringworm?! By the minute though everything is becoming more painful and I'm waiting for the doctor to see if they can just do a biopsy instead of waiting for 3 days and then doing one if the cream doesn't work. I was up until 5am being itchy and in pain. UGH!

An update!

We are still at the hospital and we are here for the long haul, here until Maddy comes. We are trying to keep her in until at least 30 weeks, then it will be 32, then 34, then 36 and at 37 or 38 weeks we MIGHT be inducing. My contractions have completely stopped since I was on the mag for 24 hours and they gave me another pill to stop them. I'm still on Procardia, 20mg every 6 hours. I'm getting NSTs twice daily to make sure Maddy isn't stressed and suprisingly I've lost a pound since being here! Thought I would have gained with being in bed 24/7. I'm enrolled in "Bed Rest Bootcamp" and that gives me access to a laptop, board games, books, a daily massage, a daily 30 minute wheelchair ride, and a shower once a day haha They also have movies and I could learn to knit. Thinking about knitting Maddy a blanket.

In the hospital!

Well I am officially admitted to the hospital for hospital bed rest. Here's a little catch up of the last few days... On Tuesday I had my regular appointment, FFN test, progesterone shot, and ultrasound for cervical length. I also had to do my 1 hour glucose (which I passed!), and a Rhogam shot because I'm RH negative. My cervical length went from 3.4cm to 2.7cm in just over a week. At this point they weren't too worried but it was under the 3.0cm that they like to see. When we got home (I live almost an hour away from my midwife's office and the hospital) I got a phone call from my midwife saying my FFN test came back positive which means I could go into labor in the next 2 weeks. She told me that they wanted to give me a round of steroids shots for the baby's lungs as a precaution and that I was to stay in bed, only up for the bathroom. We drove to the hospital and got the shot and had to get a second 24 hours later. She also informed me that the steroids can cause contractions and boy did they ever! I was having contractions that were pretty bad but not regular and they were radiating to my lower back and that hurt SO bad! Well they also wanted me to get another cervical length done today (Thursday) to make sure everything was ok. The ultrasound showed my cervix to be 1.2cm, almost 1cm dilated, and a lot of tunneling on the top, closest to baby. When they pushed on my abdomin the top part was way open. On top of all that, Maddy was breach and they were worried that I might have to have a c-section. Of course they sent me to labor and delivery to be admitted. They're not sure how long I will be here.. a few days, weeks, or until baby is born. They did a growth scan and Maddy weighs about 2lbs. 4oz. Which is right on track thank goodness. Good news is that she got into a head down position and has stayed there ever since. I've been having a couple contractions so they are going to give me more meds to help stop them. My cervix is really sore and they told me that the pressure and soreness might be from her being head down right on my cervix. No change with dilation but I'm about 80 percent effaced which is worrisome because that is very thin. Maddy is doing great, heart rate is fine and she's moving around like crazy. Right now though we can only go a day at a time and hope we can get her to least 34 weeks.