A little background:
Aside from feeling like I was 500 degrees all summer, I was enjoying a rather normal pregnancy until about 27 weeks. At my appointment that week, my doctor was concerned that the amniotic fluid was so low and ordered me on bedrest. I wasn't overly worried. In fact, we had plans to go to a Twins game that night with friends and went anyway because I happen to find baseball very relaxing and that complies with bedrest, right? So, I was on bedrest at home for a couple weeks. I worked at home during the day on one couch, and then spent the evening on the other couch with Mike. Then August 30, I was diagnosed with severe oligohydramnios* and the fluid was so low that my doctor sent me to the hospital to be admitted and assessed by the perinatologist. She gave me a shot of steroids to help the baby's lungs develop faster and put her hand on my arm and said, "Emily, I don't know what they are going to say. You might be admitted, you might have to deliver, or they might send you home." That was scary! So, off we went to the hospital, had an assessment with the perinatologist. Our baby girl wasn't moving very much, which concerned her, but she didn't want me to eat anything to try and wake her up just in case I had to have a c-section that night. She wasn't born that night, although everyone kept reassuring us that 29 week old babies do fine. After a couple days, I was discharged. When I asked about bedrest, the perinatologist said he didn't see any benefit. Woo hoo! I got to go home in time to attend my cousin Cait's wedding, where Mike had the honor of officiating and I was heartbroken that I might have to miss it.
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| Mike doing his thing |
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| Mike and the newlyweds, Cait and Zach |
I continued to go about my business, but taking it extremely easy. Then on September 20th, it was the same thing again. I was wheeled over to the hospital. We thought we might have a baby that night or the next day. After a night of being pumped with IV fluids, my fluid went back up to a level my doctor was comfortable with, but she wanted me to stay in the hospital for constant monitoring and IV fluids for as long as possible so that the baby could be more of a "chub head" (her words). It was balance between the baby being best off in the womb until the situation in the womb became too stressful due to the low fluid. She couldn't say when exactly this would be, but she wanted it to be past 34 weeks. After eight days being confined to room 211, the fluid was the highest it had been since this whole low fluid thing started. I was discharged from the hospital, but I didn't tell everyone because I knew that I would be back as soon as I saw my doctor again. Sure enough two days later, September 30, I was back. Same deal as before.
Let me tell you, being on bedrest in the hospital is not easy. Being away from Mike for so long sucked. I missed our dog (but not the cats, in fact, I forgot I had cats). I was only allowed to walk as far as the bathroom and my doctor only wanted me to shower once a week, but I negotiated showers on IV changing days (every three days). I left my room one time, to go on a wheelchair ride with Mike pushing me. It was a beautiful, perfect September day and we did a lap around the hospital. Mike said, "this is our babymoon" and we laughed. Mike came every night after work to spend time with me, and sometimes bring me food that was edible. I had zero appetite from being so sedentary, plus being horizontal all the time just gave me a stomach ache and wicked heartburn. I had no idea what day it was most of the time. Most people won't understand this, but I actually did not get enough alone time in the hospital and that makes me crabby. People were always coming in my room so I never had any stretches of peace and quiet to myself. I continued to work remotely because it made me feel like a normal person and made the days go faster. The weekend before Charlotte was born was a low point for me. It was really getting to me and I didn't think I could do it any longer.
Mike was incredible through it all. He had to do everything around the house that usually takes two people to do and at the same time take care of me. We got to spend a lot of time together over the summer, but not as we had envisioned. No trips to the cottage, or the State Fair, or going out to enjoy our last months of just the two of us. Even though it was really scary, stressful and frustrating at times, I would do it all over again and I wouldn't change a thing because now we have Charlotte.
And that is the end of the background section.
* Do you really want to know? Oligohydramnios is a pregnancy condition where there is less amniotic fluid than there should be. The fluid is measured by ultrasound where they measure the largest pocket of fluid in each quadrant and add them up. Normal is between about 8-21 centimeters. Below 5 is considered oligohydramnios and may be an indication for delivery. My fluid was hovering between 5-7 for a while and was below 5 each time I was sent to the hospital. Oligohyndramnios can be caused by a number of things: a baby without kidneys or a bladder will have low fluid because the fluid is basically peed out of the baby; a placental insufficiency issue may not make enough fluid; a tear in the amniotic sac; pre-eclampsia and some other conditions that the mother may have. My case was idiopathic. Low amniotic fluid can be a very stressful environment for a baby and can result in immature lungs since the baby uses the fluid to practice breathing and inflating her lungs. It can also result in restricted growth. A baby needs room to move her limbs for development of muscles and bones. It can also result in compression of the umbilical cord, which would mean the baby wouldn't get enough oxygen and nutrients. So, plenty to worry about.
Mike is good people.
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