It all started as a routine doctor appointment. Thursday morning, I headed up to the North side of town to visit both of my doctors. I had plans to go to Trader Joes as normal, maybe shop around Lenox and then head back home. First stop was the maternal fetal medicine doctor for an ultrasound checkup. Each week they would do an ultrasound and get a "score" for how Harper Kate was doing in the womb. This week, as I went back there I had a tech I hadn't had before. She was older and seemed to know what she was doing. She was extremely thorough and I remember her looking at Harper Kate's lungs multiple times. Then, she mentioned she didn't see her lungs "moving." Apparently babies don't really "breathe" in the womb, but seeing their lungs moving means that everything is going fine inside. She mentioned that she would continue watching and that it was probably just taking a few minutes. I think I sat there FOREVER! It certainly felt like it. Eventually the tech went and got the doctor since they didn't see HK's lungs moving. At this point, the only thing I'm worried about at this point is that I'm going to miss my OB appointment. haha..If you know me, this does not surprise you. :) The doctor was very calm & didn't make it seem like an emergency. I waited in this small room for about 30 minutes before the doctor told me that they would put me back in this room and continue to monitor HK's heart rate & I was to push a button each time I felt her kick or move. So, I sat there for about 45 minutes. At this point, I have alerted my mom, mother-in-law & Jarod that I am still in the doctor's office. I talked to my dad (an OBGYN) & he felt like there wasn't much to worry about. So, after talking to him I felt better and just figured I'd have to keep waiting, then they would let me go home.
Now, a pause in the story. My personality is such that I am quite OCD. I always have things done long before they are due, I keep things organized and have a plan for most everything. This pregnancy did not follow with my personality AT ALL! Normally, Harper Kate's nursery would have been ready months ago, but with everything happening with her, some days it was difficult to get things ready. I guess getting things ready made it certain that she was coming, and now thinking back, I think I always had a fear something would happen and she wouldn't be ok. So, maybe putting off getting the nursery ready, packing for the hospital was a protective thing for me. I tell you all of this to lead you into the next part of the story.
My in-laws were all ready to come for the weekend. We were going to paint the nursery and finish all the details. Hanging pictures, putting up the monitor etc. They were coming on Friday afternoon and would stay until Saturday. As I talked to my mother-in-law on the phone she wondered if they should get ready to come earlier. I said, NO! I'm sure I'll be going home in just a little bit & I would see her tomorrow afternoon. Little did we both know I would see her the next day, but not at home.
After sitting in the room being monitored for 45 minutes, the doctor still did not feel like things were ok. She wanted me to go to the hospital to be monitored. EXCUSE ME? I am by myself up on this side of town, Jarod is at lunch with his co-workers to which he did not drive himself, and my family is 2 1/2 hours away. On top of that I wasn't allowed to drive myself to the hospital. The office is connected to the hospital the doctor said. She wanted me to walk to the hospital and check myself in. She wanted to make sure I went straight there. Oh my word...are you kidding? Here I am, 37 weeks pregnant walking myself through the tunnel that connects to the hospital. The hospital that I was supposed to take a tour of on Sunday! This was Thursday...this is so backwards I tell myself.
I walk to the hospital, get all checked in, get hooked up to the monitor, call Jarod and tell him just to come up to the hospital whenever he can. Not an emergency. I lay there, watching TV, talking to my mom, mother-in-law, whomever I could get on the phone. My dad still felt as though they would let me go after the night. I continued telling everyone not to panic, that I would call them when I knew something. My mother-in-law went ahead and got them all packed just in case & my mom was on standby ready to come if I called. Jarod called after he got done with lunch & back to the office (I had texted back and forth through the lunch). He told his boss what was going on and headed out. EXCEPT...remember me saying I hadn't packed for the hospital? :) Oops...Jarod had to go home and pack us for the hospital. Luckily, my mom and sister Carrie had come a couple weeks earlier and helped me pack Harper Kate's bag, so she was ready. I had set out a couple of outfits for the hospital, but that was it. Poor Jarod. He was at home, trying his best to hurry and pack me & him for our overnight stay. At this point, I had a thought I might not go home the next day so he packed for a little longer just in case. Then, he drove the 45 minutes back to the north side of town to be with me.
The doctor came in the room later in the afternoon and said they would continue to monitor me and if Harper Kate's lungs did not start moving they would probably go ahead and do a c-section the next day. We had already scheduled a c-section for her to be born a couple weeks later. Her head measurement was large and a c-section was the safest route for her to be born. I didn't have a strong feeling about that. It was completely fine with me. I wanted what was the best for Harper Kate, so I defered to the doctors on that one.
Jarod & I watched the Alabama basketball game on TV, ate Chick-fil-A and went to bed, still pretty confident we would head home the next day. Our parents were on alert and ready to come at the minute we called. My dad had surgeries scheduled for the next day and a few patients to see. He didn't cancel those b/c he was pretty confident everything would be fine too.
Little did we know we would meet our precious miracle the very next day...
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