30 Weeks!

Well, I am excited that we have made it to 30 weeks today. Still praying and hoping to make it four more weeks.

Things have been fairly quiet, except for the recent diagnosis of mild preeclampsia (aka pregnancy induced hypertension), which if it becomes severe could cause more complications for both me and the babies. So far though, we have been able to manage it with hospital bed rest. If the lower number of my blood pressure reads over 100 consistently for more than 24 hours they will probably want to induce labor.

So now we just have a few more red flags to be watching for at the hospital while we are waiting to get to 24 weeks. If any of the following happens we most likely will have to deliver:

• If I develop an infection
• If my blood pressure is elevated past x/100 for 24 hours
• If I go into labor on my own, although they can give me medications to help stall labor for a few more days

Right now I am thankful to not have to be hooked up to an I.V. and I only have to be monitored twice a day (once every 12 hours). The monitoring consists of me having to lay back while having two fetal Dopplers strapped around my belly, and one thing that monitors contractions (or lack thereof). Usually this takes only 30-45 minutes, but sometimes one of the babies will be very active and the nurses have a hard time tracking him. Monday and Thursday mornings they have to draw blood to check my platelet counts (because of the preeclampsia) and Thursdays I also get to leave my room to go get an ultrasound.

My ultrasound last week revealed that both babies were now head down, which means that I could try to have a regular birth. I think my best chance for not having to have a c-section will be if both babies remain head down and if I go into labor on my own. When Will was born, I had to be induced because of high blood pressure (37 weeks) and the induction failed. Pitocin had no effect on me that time. So if they do induce me this time, I am praying that the pitocin will work so that I can deliver the old fashioned way (with an epidural) Maybe since my water is already broken on one of the babies, it might help me to be able to go into labor this time.

This has been a difficult time on our family, but we have been very fortunate to have friends and family praying for us and sending us some help. We have really needed it! Alex has been traveling from Bristol to Johnson City once a day which is a 45 minute trip and usually the best time for him to visit is after they eat lunch because Will usually will take a morning nap. They get here some time around 3:00 and then stay for dinner (which Alex has to go out and get). It works out best for us to have dinner together here because there isn't enough time for him to run home to feed Will, and if he waits till after dinner to come, they aren't able to stay very long before it's time to go home so Will can go to bed at 8:00. We really appreciate the help that has already been sent to us for gas and food, and if you still want to help, this really is what we need the most help with (beside prayer).

Even if I have the babies before 34 weeks, we will then have to be spending a lot of time here in Johnson City if the babies are in the NICU. At 34 weeks, the average NICU stay is 9 days, which isn't bad compared to what we were first facing when I arrived here two weeks ago.

Anyway, I just wanted to share an update on how things are going. Thanks for the visits too, they really help break up the day. Most of the time I am still in good spirits but there are times when it gets really difficult. Usually the things that upset me the most are related to my lack of control and knowledge of the whole picture of what is going on with us health wise and it is always hard when Will comes to visit and he doesn't want to leave me or he is not interested in me at all.

I hope you are all doing well! I can't wait to be home with Alex and all of my boys (Will, Luke, and Cole).