Latest Update

I'm a little less drugged up now so hopefully I don't miss any of the details:)

Saturday I ended up losing some of my mucus plug-didn't think too much of it since you can lose it up to 6 wks prior to going into labor. I'd been having BH contractions for a few weeks but Sunday they started getting painful, alternating between a sharp stabbing pain and really bad menstrual cramps which reminded me alot of the cramping I had with Bella when I was in actual labor. Sunday evening I started having diarrhea. I had a few conference calls to do so I figured I'd start piling a few things up here and there to get ready to pack my bag and call my OB when the calls were done. I got about half way thru the 2nd call and ended up calling the OB because I could barely hold a conversation when I was having a contraction. They had me come in immediately.

I met my mom at the OB's office where it was determined I wasn't dilating (YAY) but they went ahead and put me on the monitors just to check things out. OB was hoping I was just having a bad tummy bug. Monitors showed hard contractions every 3-4 minutes so the OB shipped me off to the hospital.

Got to the hospital (LOVE the new OB wing at Northwest-the rooms are just like the suites at Willow Creek), got hooked up to the darn monitors which was still showing contractions. Ben left work early to go pick up Bella from school and bring her to the hospital so I could see her before she went down for her nap. She wasn't too sure what to think of Mama laid up in bed with weird tubes but gave me kisses and ate a good lunch. They gave me my first shot of Brethine (same as the Turbutaline that they gave me with Bella) which didn't phase the contractions. I think my mom took Bella home so she could have a nap (everything kind of starts faded together). Got my 2nd shot of Brethine about 20 minutes later-no change. Last shot of Brethine-nothing.

The contractions were now lasting at least a minute each and coming every 2-3 minutes and definitely increasing in intensity (PAIN). It reminded me alot of the contractions I had with Bella when my epidural wasn't working. I also started getting a really bad headache that made it hard to focus on getting thru the contractions. They decided to start magnesium sulfate to get the contractions under control. The nurse (totally awesome chica that I really hope is there when I deliver) warned me that it would make me feel really warm and like I had the worst flu ever. I just wanted Hunter to be ok and to stay in there baking as long as possible so whatever the side effects it would be worth it. WOOOO buddy that warmth kicked in REAL quick!!!! At first it was like taking a shot of vodka-just all over warmth, but then it didn't stop and just kept going all over my entire body and kept getting hotter and hotter. It felt like a sunburn from the inside out-weirdest feeling ever!! I dealt with it, used ice water rags to keep cool and they gave me some Stadol and Phenegren to deal with the pain and nausea, so I just slept most of the time.

The contractions were still coming, not as often or as hard but still definitely there. They gave me two rounds of steroid shots to bump up Hunter's lung development (thats when I started to worry). The flu part of the magnesium kicked in and I felt like I'd been hit by a Mack truck-it just plain sucked. Plus I had a stupid catheter in so I couldn't exactly get up and move around. The contractions were easing up a bit so they decided to start weaning me off the magnesium on Tuesday morning. Sure enough, soon as it started leaving my system, the contractions started right back up. They checked me again and I wasn't dilating at all. They did an FFP to see if I would be going into labor within 2 weeks and it came back negative so they decided to let me go home on strict bedrest with Tylenol for pain.

Bella was VERY happy to have her mama and daddy back home yesterday!! I was still pretty much out of it yesterday and tried to rest as much as possible. I feel like my body and this pregnancy has done a 360-I get tired so easy and out of breath, especially during contractions. I'm really having to limit myself as just getting up to check emails seems to kick my butt. I have my next OB appt on Monday morning. We're hoping Mr. Hunter can keep baking til the first week of December-I'll be 37 weeks by then and he should be doing great!!! Looks like that mama instinct of Dec. 5th might just be a possibility.

Bella has made us so proud! Her lil world has gone topsy turvy this week and she has handled it like a champ! Thank you to everyone that has pitched in to take care of her and meals and everything around the house-ya'll mean the world to us!!! I'll try to check in and update as much as possible-expect lots of updates cuz I'm getting bored!