Update - Baby #4 at 30+ Weeks

Thank you all for your continued prayers.  Here's an update on our current situation.

Today marks 30 weeks and 2 days gestation - 9 days past when we thought we might deliver in the hospital at 29 weeks.  Every day counts, and we are incredibly thankful to still have the baby growing inside!

Not mentioned in the Last Post

Two things:

1.  The hospital stay at 29 weeks did not happen in Fort Wayne.  We were on vacation to visit family in Nashville, Tennessee.  I was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, one of the best places to be if this baby was going to be born so early.

2.  While I was receiving the magnesium sulfate medication at Vanderbilt, I got a phone call from my doctor's office letting me know that I had failed my glucose screening test taken a week earlier and would need to be tested further to determine if I had gestational diabetes.

Wednesday-Monday

We extended our stay in Nashville to make sure things stayed quiet with this baby after being released from the hospital Tuesday evening.  During these quiet days I was able to get hydrated (the goal is 88-104 ounces of water per day - I track it on My Water), do some research on how to keep contractions at bay, start eating high protein/low carbs in case I did have gestational diabetes, rest, and enjoy my family.  The contractions continued, but on an inconsistent basis.

I was cleared to travel by my doctor, so we braved the drive home on Saturday.  The trip was pretty uneventful - lots of water and lots of stops - and we made it back to Fort Wayne safely on Saturday evening.  

Jeremy was still home with us Sunday and Monday, and it really helped to have those two days to get settled back in at home.  Monday afternoon, however, the contractions came back - 7 in less than an hour - and we ended up back at the hospital, this time a local one.  Thankfully things quieted down again and we were sent home that night.

Tuesday

I was able to see my doctor and take the three-hour glucose test on Tuesday morning.  I got to have a surprise ultrasound, which was wonderful.  Thankfully, the baby has looked great throughout this whole ordeal.  She's always had a strong heart rate and moved around a LOT, and now she weighs 3 lb. 9 oz. which is a relief to me.  Still pretty tiny, but there are also lots of babies that are born even smaller than that.  She also measured 4 days ahead of where I am gestationally.  Every little bit helps!  You can barely get a glimpse of her face in the 3D picture below.

Unfortunately, the ultrasound also indicated that my body is still showing signs that this baby could come early.  What an emotional time.  The poor ultrasound tech and later the nurse both got a glimpse of some very raw emotion.  By the time I saw the doctor, I had the emotions wrangled a bit and somewhat under control.  He has a calm demeanor and is very knowledgeable, so I felt much better after talking to him.  A few things that he said:

• This is not a surprise.  We've known that I'm at a higher risk for pre-term birth based on my history.
• No medication will stop labor.  If my body decides it's time to have this baby, then I will have this baby.
• Head to the hospital if contractions continue after taking over the counter pain reliever, lying down on my left side, and making sure I'm hydrated.
• There are no specific restrictions other than being smart and using common sense.  If I wonder if doing something is a bad idea, don't do it.  It's not worth wondering until the end of time if something I did caused this baby to come early.
• Lifting Josie is okay, but minimize it.

Currently

So I've been following the instructions.  I've had lots of help with the kids (especially Josie), and things are looking pretty good right now.  I got the good news yesterday that I do NOT have gestational diabetes, so that is one less thing to think about.  And while it's difficult for me to just stop doing everyday things, I know that the completion of any task is not worth tipping the scales toward pre-term birth.  No task is worth the health of my baby.  

Thank you again for your continued prayers.  I would really love to get to full-term (37 weeks - July 18).  Like I said at the beginning, every day counts.  And the longer we go, the better I feel.  It's still too early, but statistics improve with every passing week and even with every passing day!

I continue to focus on Colossians 1:17 - "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."  Our God is sovereign.