26 Weeks 1 Day

So, my hubby decided I needed some foot care...so sweet. He went out and bought a pedicure kit, nail polish (the girls picked the color) and remover. He spent a good hour carefully prepping my toes for polish and he did a great job.



He also wants to do a hospital "date night" with me. My mom is going to stay over with the kids and he is going to sleep in my room with me. He wants to watch movies and just spend some time together. He has been very supportive during this difficult time...I knew there was a good reason for marrying him :)

I miss my friends and family and can't wait to get back home and see everyone.

My belly is still measuring at 44" around but the babies have dropped...2 are head down, very low and the other 2 are breach at the top. I'm sure I'll get rounder but as of this morning I seem to be "bulging" much lower down than before.

26 Weeks

Made it another week...14 days in the hospital.

After a few hard days mentally, I feel better. Had a nurse I didn't care for 2 days in a row, she made things worse. Hope she doesn't have me again anytime soon.
I get to shower every other day and if things go well (no terbutaline shots) I get to take a wheel chair ride outside. The kids were here the other day when i went outside for the first time, they loved overseeing the big event. It felt amazing to feel the sun on my skin and breath the warm air. I felt renewed!


Our 25 week celebration cake...and Easter :)
I thought I was on a quiet streak with my contractions but the frustrations continue. The doctor did the second fetal fibronectin test the other day, came back positive, not a good thing but not completely predictive. Studies show out of quad pregnancies 35% deliver or go into preterm labor. But we have lots of medication options to fend it off if that happens. The doctors haven't waivered in their attitudes about getting close to our goal of 34 weeks.
Today my contractions spiked again...9 in 45 minutes so they upped the magnesium to 2.5 ml/ hour and gave me a terbutaline shot. I don't feel any different and so far haven't had any side effects from these lower mag levels. The terb is also very tolerable and only makes me a little jittery for about an hour. So far so good.
The next major goal is 28 weeks but we're all certain I'll get way past that. So far no swelling or elevated blood pressure. I lost some weight once being admitted but have gained back those 4 pounds plus 2, not great but alright. 39 pound gain so far.
Won't have another growth scan for 3 more weeks. Glucos test scheduled for whenever I don't have a terb shot...apparently that interferes with getting accurate results.

Pray for another few weeks of pregnancy...

25 Weeks 4 days

Being in the hospital is definitely not my favorite place. After my doctor ordered that I was allowed to shower "if stable" it took the nurses 2 days to finally let me! I felt so frustrated and locked up, like jail might feel. Afterwards though, I feel like a new person with many more weeks left in me...until I want to shower again :) The nurses here are nice but some are just more rigid and uptight than others. My hubby and kiddos visit everyday and lay around with me.  My mom brings me fresh fruit, veggies and snacks to keep up with my organic 4000 calorie diet. I seem to keep losing weight the longer I'm here...it's weird....37 pound gain so far. 
I fill my days with going online with my IPad, cross stitching for the babies, coloring (my aunt brought me an "adult" coloring book...silly, I know but I love it...lol) and knitting; a hospital volunteer comes by every few days to teach patients how to knit certain things, I'm learning to do baby booties. 
I am doing my best to stay positive and admit I have my moments of weakness when all I want to do is cry and run out of here. 
The doctors are still fighting my contractions, daily. Yesterday I was contracting every 2-3 minutes for no reason, they gave me another shot of terbutaline and knocked them out. They still have me on the 2.25 IV magnesium level. I'm assuming if my uterus remains irritable they'll up the magnesium. We're still hopeful to make it to 34 weeks but my only fear is my body is going to keep fighting and after awhile become too powerful for all of these medications. I just pray we get to at least 28 weeks so the babies can have a chance...2 more weeks to go!
I had family stop by all weekend and enjoyed the distraction. I know this will be over soon, a distant memory and real life will start back up. I'm trying to appreciate what this situation has to offer, extra time together and to myself, but I had to admit, I really like and miss my busier life!

25 Weeks 3 Days

Day 10 in the hospital.
The roller coaster continues...
Things have been going well though. My contractions spike then quiet multiple times through each day and night. So, on top of being on continuous IV magnesium, I get shots of terbutaline in my arm whenever I have more than 6 contractions in an hour. There doesn't seem to be an reasoning for the spike, just an unhappy quad uterus. The doctor was hopeful things would quiet down this week but that doesn't seem to be the case. He did however put in my orders that I can shower as long as I'm stable. I'm so excited to know that I could potentially shower up to every other day if things go well. I'm slowly trying to push the nurses to trust me and giving me more freedoms. Up until now they all want to be called when I use the rest room or get up. I know it's a simple thing but a little bit of privacy and leeway would be nice. So far I haven't had any of the expected side effects of the magnesium and have no troubles walking around by myself. If I was fearful I would fall then of course I'd call for help. They are also concerned with me showering, I have a new IV line called a PICC line that's in my upper right arm. It does not have be replaced for months and they can even draw blood from it. Many chemo patients have them usually in an abdominal area. The nurses aren't used to them so it adds an extra level of uncertainty to me being able to bathe. We'll see what happens.

The kids made Easter wonderful and brought their baskets for me to see. We were visited by my Aunt and cousins on Saturday and my sister in law and her two boys came for a visit on Sunday. It was so nice to see everyone and visit.

24 Weeks 6 Days

One day at a time, one day at a time...


The social worker here said to think about my weekly goals rather than farther off goals, it can get too overwhelming. So, my goal is to make it to 25 weeks, I can do that, one more day!
The routine here at the hospital is beginning to be predictable...somewhat. Shift change is 7 so I get a new nurse in the morning and evening. The last few nights have been rough though. The nurse had to come in and wake me up every few hours because I'd had too many contractions. They would either have me use the restroom or give me a shot of tributaline. Last night my contractions really spiked and I had some spotting and cramping. So, they increased my magnesium to 2.5 from 2.25. They're trying the combination of mag, tributaline and oral motrin. My body is putting up a good fight, labor is something it's really good at! Right now, everyday and hour is bringing something different and unexpected. It's just a matter of going with the flow, doing what I'm asked and lying low. I was able to shower yesterday in a chair which was wonderful. Just changing my shirt is a feat, getting it through all the IV lines and monitor cords is a puzzle. At this point I'm only allowed out of bed to use the bedside commode. I spend my days with visitors...my hubby and the kids, my mom and brother, the IM and her children, employees and volunteers from the hospital, reading and doing crafts. I love seeing the kids each day, that's the highlight, but it makes me want to run out of here and be home with them. I just keep reminding myself that although this may feel like a long time right now, it's just a blink compared to the rest of my life.
Tomorrow is a growth scan of the babies...we'll find out how much they weigh and how everything else looks, I'm hopeful all is well.

So, tomorrow will be 25 weeks and my mom came up with a great idea...movie night to celebrate. We're going to have the kids bring in a good movie, blankets and pillows and lay around and watch a movie with me in my room...I'm really looking forward to it. Some of our relatives are planning to come by a visit this weekend as well. Gus gets to be the Easter bunny on Sunday morning. It's hard knowing I don't get to do it or see it but at least I'll know the kids are happy...that's my biggest joy in life!

24 Weeks, in the hospital

Well, after my family spent the week contemplating what to eat or order to celebrate making it to 24 weeks, I landed in the hospital instead at exactly 24 weeks and 0 days. Starting late Friday morning noticed I was contracting more and started feeling pelvic and lower back pressure. Dr. E wanted to see me right away. By late that after an ultrasound confirmed I had funneling, a shortened cervix (from 4.5 to 2.1) and was sent straight downstairs to labor and delivery. After being admitted a few hours later I was started on IV magnesium...if you want a taste of hell, that's the stuff!!! Dr. E decided by 9:30 the next morning I would have my cervix stitched closed. So, I reluctantly entered the surgery room the next morning after not sleeping at all the night before.. With the medication you can't eat or drink, your muscles are practically paralyzed and you have horrible nasal congestion, cotton mouth and nausea, don't let you eat or drink, only have ice chips. The surgery went well but I spent all day in misery. Finally, after 24 hours of torture, they turned the meds way down. I feel almost 100% better. My contractions have gone down and things are looking good. The doctor said after about 72 hours on the mag your body stops having side effects and it can be turned up or down without me noticing...yay. He also said I'm most likely in here for the long haul, at least 10 more weeks, hopefully. Once my contractions have gone significantly down he's going to give the babies the steroid injections for their lungs (just in case they're born too soon). Obviously this was shockingly early to have happened and I was hoping for many more weeks at home with the family but we all know this is the safest place for the babies right now. The kids are looking forward to Easter and I'm expecting many visitors :)
My mom has brought me lots of crafts to do and the kids are going to bring their schoolwork with them each day.

Thanks for all the support and we appreciate prayers for me and the babies. I'll update again soon.

Monitored Contractions

Thought I would share how my contractions have been so far (no trips to the hospital, yet):
03/24: evening 7, retest 7 retest 6
03/25: morning 2 evening 5
03/26: morning 4 evening 14
03/27: morning 2 evening 2
03/28: morning 4 evening 4
03/29: morning 3 evening 3
03/30: morning 4 evening 4
03/31: morning 7, retest 4 evening 5
04/01: morning 3 evening 5
04/02: morning 3 evening 1
04/03: morning 3 evening 8, retest 7 retest 5
04/04: morning 3 evening 3
04/05: morning 6 evening 1
04/06: evening 4
04/07: morning 2 evening 3
04/08: morning 2 evening 2
04/09: morning 4 evening 3
04/10: morning 6, retest 3 evening 2

23 Weeks

Woohoo for 23 weeks! Only 1 more week to go till viability! I know we'll make it to this very important milestone and way beyond.

We've had my IP's here in town for a week now, it's been great. It was wonderful to see the kids again and have the opportunity to visit with them. We have a long road ahead of but I'm so grateful to have them here by my side now.

My weight gain has gone well...35 pounds however I only have 1 more week to go until I hit the 24 week/50 pound weight gain point. Not sure how close I'll get but I'm just proud at what I've done so far, it wasn't easy.

The babies are all doing well, had another anatomy scan on Wednesday.
I am still using the contraction monitor twice daily and things really got out of control for awhile there but since Dr. E has put me on some new medication. Ibuprofen 600 MG and Nifedipine 10 MG...every 6 hours stairsteped every 3. It has been a huge help, almost cut my daily contractions in half. The only downside is I have to wake up at night every 3 hours to take the medication but it could be much worse! The goal is to stay out of the hospital and bed rest at home surrounded by my family. Every now and then I get to get out, my husband will push me at the store in my wheelchair...those are the best moments together with the kids. I also get to visit with my IP's every day since they're so close. It feels good being settled and building relationships with each other. This experience has already changed us so much, the relationship between my husband and I, the relationship between my IP's and I as well as with my family.
If things continue to go well, I'm hopeful that Dr. E might approve a trip with the family to a local amusement park. We are in such a wonderful area with so much to do, I'm just bummed that I don't get to go along and see the kids happy. But, like I said before it could be so much worse.

Keeping a positive attitude and certain things will continue to be well!

22 Weeks

Not a whole lot going on here. My hubby and kids arrived safely after a surprise knock on the door 1 day early. It was a blessed feeling to see their faces and hug on them. We've quickly settled into our place. It's a wonderful environment for the kids and they've loved going to the pool, riding their bikes and having responsibilities like taking out the trash. I was able to get a wheelchair and handicap placard last week so I have gone out a few times. We went to the store and the kids took turns pushing me in the wheelchair, it was really nice. I'm hoping we can take the kids to see a movie at the theater before things change for me. My contractions have been going alright. I have good days and bad days but I can't seem to relate it anything in particular. On a day I was more active and up I would have less contractions than on a day I stayed laying down all day...who knows! Although, I am grateful for the monitor, knowing I always have someone to call and I don't have to spend my time guessing. My IP's are arriving into town this weekend and we are thrilled. I can't wait to see the kids! They are going to be able to attend their first OB appointment with me on Tuesday and an ultrasound on Wednesday. I can't wait to see their reactions to seeing their babies for the first time! So, for now things (hopefully) will remain quiet. I'm hopeful I can stay out of the hospital for a long time to come and look forward to spending my time watching the kids play around the house and at the pool. Dr. E did say that spending time in the pool would be really good for my back and rib pain so, weightlessness...here I come! Say a prayer for many more weeks of growth!