Baby Drama

Let me start off by saying that everyone is fine! Well all the drama started Tuesday, April 7. I typically do not work on Tuesdays but I needed to make up some snow days and the younger grades were taking their state test that I was going to help administer.

Jeff had to fly out to OH for work and boarded his plane around 3:45. After school, I was on my way to pick up Harrison from Mimi’s house. I was about 2 miles from her house (4:00). I pulled up to a stop sign and a young girl and a car full of boys hit the side of my car. What? I am at a STOP SIGN! I was fine and I jump out of my car, which has very little damage. She and her passengers where fine as well but her car on the other hand has seen better days. We called the police, she got a few tickets and I was told I was free to go. I pick up H and went home still felling fine. Jeff still has no idea any of this has happened. I call my mom, my sister-in-law and a couple of friends (Carrie and Jennifer) who convince me to call the after hours clinic to let them know that I was involved in a wreck. I call the clinic and I am told that I am far enough along that I need to go to the hospital for observation. (I was freaking out, Jeff is on a plane!) I call my mom crying, she jumps in her car and drives up and Mimi comes over to watch Harrison for me again! I finally talked to Jeff and let him in on all that was going on.

My mom and I get checked into the hospital and everything is good. No contractions, I am not dilated, baby’s heart rate is good, and my blood pressure is good. Oh, by the way, I was just at the doctor’s office on Monday for a check up. They were planning on letting me go in 4 hours because everything was going good. About two hours into my observation, the baby’s heart rate dropped to about 100 beats per minute. The nurse and doctor rushed in and flipped me over to my side. It quickly came back up. However, the doctor decided to keep me overnight.

At 6:45 the next morning my regular doctor (Dr. P) wakes up my mom and I. He tells us everything looks good. The baby is doing great. He decided to go ahead and do an ultrasound and tells me that I would be free to go in a couple of hours. Great! The baby’s heart rate has been good, I feel good, lets get his show on the road.

About 9:00, they finally come and get me for the ultrasound. She was beautiful and active of course. Opened her mouth, opened and closed her eyes, kicked at the ultrasound wand a few times… The technician kept asking me if I had been leaking fluid (which I found very weird). At the end of the test I saw her type in amniotic fluid 7.8 (should be around 28). Not 3 weeks ago when we were going through all of our placenta previa drama my fluid was 20! I asked her about it and she said it was low but it could be normal. She also let my know that the baby had resistance in her umbilical cord 3.1 (should be under 3). We left the ultrasound knowing that something was not right.

About an hour later, a nurse comes in the let me know that Dr. P has ordered another ultrasound. This ultrasound was rechecking the baby’s fluids and checking the baby’s growth. The baby’s growth was good she measured right at 32 weeks and they are guessing that she weights about 4lbs. However, my fluid levels got worse, amniotic 7.1 and the umbilical 3.7 (needs to be under 3). We head back up to the room and start waiting again. My 4 hour hospital visited is quickly turning into a 24 hour hospital visit.

By this time, Jeff is freaking out, his plane was landing back home at 9:00pm. Dr. P calls my hospital room and lets me know that he would be coming in to talk to me in person but he wanted to give me a heads up that he was sending in a nurse to give me a steroid shot because he will be taking the baby early!

He comes in and talks to me and my mom. Our plan of action was an immediate house arrest (not quite bed rest but no more working and that I really should not be leaving the house), a 2nd steroid shot on Thursday, and a non-stress test on Friday. He said I will also be coming in 2X a week for the next 3 weeks and should be doing kick counts twice a day. Around 6, I was finally released.

Well, I got my second shot on Thursday, and Jeff and I meet with the doctor on Friday for the non-stress test and a list of about 15 questions. She passed the non-stress test. We did learn that all of this drama has nothing to do with the car accident. The baby is in some distress even thought she is still really active. She is having to work extra hard to get what she needs from the umbilical cord. If my amniotic fluid gets to 5 she will be taken by C-section. If my levels stay the same he is going to take her at 35 weeks. Our next appointment was this last Monday for an ultrasound, a non-stress test and a reevaluation.

I have never been so grateful that I decided to work on Tuesday, that I was in a car wreck, that the baby’s heart rate dropped, and that my doctor was on call the next morning and randomly decided to do an ultrasound. I was just at the doctors on Monday and because I had not had any signs of distress, this would of gone unnoticed.

We had an appointment on Monday. Our ultrasound showed that my fluid levels had increased. Amniotic was 12 (33-12 is normal) and the umbilical cord was 2.8 (under 3 is normal) and she passed the non-stress test again. So he told me that I was off house arrest and that I could return to work. Jeff and I were in shock at first. The last week had been crazy and going into our appointment on Monday we thought that we might be having a baby with in the next week.

Our new plan is to re-check all of my fluids this coming Tuesday by ultrasound. We are hoping that they continue to increase or stay the same. If that is the case, I should carry her full term.

I feel good; I never knew anything was wrong. Jeff and I are confident that this little girl is not going to enter this world quietly; she is a fighter and our little high maintenance diva!