Back to the Hospital

      Matt brought the boys down this past weekend and we celebrated Jack's birthday.  I can't believe he is four!!! I remember how much he cried when he was delivered, he screamed from the moment he came out until the moment we were reunited in my recovery room.  I had a c-section, so while I remained getting sewn up and such Matt went with Jack to the nursery to be with him while he was weighed, bathed and so forth...he screamed the whole time! Not cried, no, no, screamed, but once he was back in my arms he settled down.  Now he is a vivacious four year old who while running through the house will, every so often, stop out of no where to give me a kiss!  I am so grateful for his sweet spirit.
       Reminiscing on the past four years I can't help but wonder what the next four years...four weeks.... four babies will be like. I think our world has already been changed dramatically??? ha! We need to buckle up and get ready for this ride.
        On Tuesday I went back into labor and delivery triage with intense contractions.  I was given fluids and meds to try and stop them; unfortunately, hours later of the contractions continuing to come every three to five minutes, my doctor decides to admit me and put me on 24 hours of magnesium. I had not dialated, but with how often and intense the contractions were, he wanted to stop them before they caused me to dilate or one of my waters to break. I had to have a contraction monitor on, plus each baby had to have a monitor on.  My uterus is already stretched to max, and very tender from the contractions, and trying to keep four babies on monitors is nearly impossible. Every few minutes I had a nurse on each side trying to push down and maneuver the monitor to better pick up the baby.  My patience was thinning, and my temperature(metaphorically speaking) was rising.  Being on mag is a slow boiling of your insides! I feel it most in my eyes. If you have every had a candy fireball, you know that once the first bit of sugar/cinnamon coating is off, that's when the real heat kicks in...that is what my eyeballs felt like.  I started sweating, and I got very nauseous. Magnesium also makes your muscles loose, so I had to, despite my protest, have a catheter put it.  I let my nurse know that I had to go to the bathroom and assured her that I could walk the 5 feet to it, but she would not budge on the rules.  So she and another nurse got me set for my catheter, and of course my bladder was so full that when the catheter was attached urine sprayed everywhere!!!  I was pissed...in more ways than one! Now my insides were boiling from the magnesium and my emotions were boiling from circumstance.  I started breathing very loudly with my hands over my face, trying not to loose it on these poor nurses who were scrambling to get me cleaned up. Afterward, they were right back on my belly trying to get the monitors to stay on the babies, and boom, intense contraction.  Having a contraction is bad enough, having a contraction with someone pushing down on your uterus is torture.  She kept apologizing, but said she had to get the babies back on.  The other nurse kept trying to talk to me, "tell me what's going on, breathe, you gotta talk to me." I was using everything I had to be able to breathe...I didn't feel like chatting!  As the contraction let go, the night doctor and medical student came into the room and said "ok, it's time to check your cervix!"  That was it...my breaking point, I was done!  I started bawling, I mean snot and tears bawling.  That poor medical student just stared at me with wide eyes.  The doctor sat on the end of my bed and asked what was wrong.  I muttered through my sobs  "there's  no way anything else can go inside of me... there is too much pressure...I can't do this..." She then said that we should just take everything off, and give me a minute to myself.  I said "can(sob sob sob) it be (snorting back of snot) 20(labored breathing) minutes? She said no problem, got me a cold rag for my head and then asked if I needed some anti-anxiety medication.  I told her no, I just needed some time.  The doc and student left and the nurses got to work unhooking all the monitors. Then one nurse decided to give me a big hug and tell me that God gave me these babies and He would get me through this.  I so appreciated her kindness, but in that particular moment, I just wanted everything off of me.  She said "you see a hug only works if you hug back"  I started crying again and said thank you...but I'm not much of a hugger. She did not take that as an excuse and continued to hug me until I hugged back.  Praise Jesus, He took over that moment and allowed me to hug her and thank her, because the Julie in me wanted to jump out that bed and b-line it out of the room, I was so overwhelmed and feeling smothered. After everyone had left and everything was off of my belly, I continued to cry for a few minutes and prayed for God to give me His strength because I had none left.  My breathing returned to normal and I was able to calm down.  Thankfully I had scored one of the last fans on the L&D floor and had the nurses turn it up before they left.  30 minutes later the nurses returned and asked if it was ok for the doctor to come in and check me.  I agreed, but asked that they wait to put the monitors back on after I got checked, pressure from the inside and the outside just didn't sound like a good idea.  I was checked and still had not dilated. I asked the doctor if we could alternate two babies on, two babies off, my uterus just couldn't handle the outside pressure on it.  Thankfully she agreed, which was great news for my nurses, because they no longer would have to spend their whole night holding and adjusting monitors.  The contraction monitor had to stay on at all times, and we would alternate having A & D and B&C monitored every hour.  That combination was chosen because they are on opposite sides, which reduces the likely hood that the monitors would be picking up the same baby.
           I don't know if it was the magnesium or all the emotions, but I was feeling very nauseous.  I was given some anti-nausea medicine but an hour or so later, I started having that "I'm trying really hard not to have to vomit, but it will be inevitable" feeling.  I let my nurse know and she was able to get me another anti-nausea medicine.  Not two minutes later, I was throwing up.  I had this little bag-in-cup- thing the nurse had set beside my bed, and good thing because I nearly filled that bag up.  As much as I hated being on a clear liquid diet, at that moment I was very grateful!  I felt better afterward, unbelievably exhausted...but better.  That night I was able to sleep about 20 minutes of every hour.  The nurses would come in at the top of the hour to switch to the next set of babies, it would take 10-20 minutes to get the babies on, and I would often have a contraction when my uterus was disturbed.  By the time I was able to fall asleep it was time to switch again.
           I was on the magnesium for 18 hours and although it did not completely knock out the contractions, I went from having a contractions every three minutes to only 1 or 2 every hour(and those seemed to occur when my uterus was disturbed).  It wasn't even a full hour after I was taken off the mag that the contractions started back.  I had been put back on procardia(helps relax the uterus and slow contractions) when I was taken off the mag.  Even on the procardia the time between the contractions was shortening, but I had just been told I could eat, and I wanted to eat so badly.  I am always hungry and love food, even when I'm not pregnant, but being pregnant and pregnant with multiples, one can only go so long without food!  The babies were becoming restless as well.  My nurse had been watching my contraction monitor from her screen outside my room and came in.  I pleaded with her to wait until after I ate before she let the docs know my contractions were picking up. She said she would do her best.  My cousin's friend was in route bringing me lunch.  She arrived shortly after and I ate my half sandwich and soup and enjoyed it as if it were my last meal.  She also brought me a huge slice of chocolate cake!  Just as I was about to dive into the chocolatey goodness the doctor walked in.  I froze with cake on fork mid way to my mouth.  She smiled and told me to go ahead! Since I hadn't dilated they were not going to put me back on the mag but were going to add in Tordol(high dose liquid iv IB Profen), which would help in relaxing the uterus and with the pain.  Only downfall is you can't be on it long, because it will affect the fluid around the babies.  The contractions never stopped, but calmed in intensity and frequency.
           Thursday morning I continued on with the monitoring but was taken off the Tordol.  I was

Baby C
(the only one willing to reveal his face for a 3-D shot)

wheeled down to ultra sound with the plan that if I still had not dilated and babies all looked good(good cord blood flow, were breathing and moving, and showed good fluid) I would be allowed to go back to the RMH(Ronald McDonald House).  Ultra sound went well, but the babies had to have one more NST(non-stress test) done, two at a time, for 30 minutes, before I would be released.  Baby A & D passed with flying colors, but B & C were not being cooperative.  They kept moving off the monitor and Baby C showed a few decelerations. When the doctor looked at their results she ordered that baby C be monitored for an additional 20min and if no decel showed, I could go.  Thankfully he passed!  I finally got back to the RMH around 4pm. I immediately took a shower and a nap!
     
         This whole experience is often surreal and presents many questions.  I am the only advocate for my babies and I try and ask as many questions as possible. Here is what I know:
     - there is no set delivery date(my doctor will let me keep going as long as babies and I are not in danger)
     - my doctor does not anticipate me making it to 32 weeks and will consider 30 weeks to be a home run!  that being said, again he will not choose to deliver me at 30 weeks if everything is going well.
     - areas of concern as the pregnancy progresses are contractions(that lead to dilation and or water breaking) and my blood pressure, pre-eclampsia is common in multiples and very serious as it can lead to a stroke.
     - I am to continue with my weekly ultra sound and doctor's appointment, but if I have contractions like I did Tuesday, or if my water were to break, I go back to the hospital.
     - I am 28 weeks tomorrow and that is a huge milestone for babies!!! every day counts, but 30 weeks is my next goal!

Thank you for your continued support and prayers!

Carrying Grand Multiples is...

     Reflecting back on the week, it feels like more than five days have passed since I have last sat down to write.  26 weeks decided to be a week of big change, I hit a growth spurt, I am assuming that means the babies are now bigger as well; however, I will not find out their weights until this Friday.  We also had our story appear on WSB new's(in ATL)website and Facebook page.  I now understand why celebrities never read about themselves online or in magazines, granted I am not in any shape, way, or form declaring myself a "celebrity," but just from one simple article, that wasn't even broadcast on television, I received a flood of both positive and negative comments from people.  It was interesting on the Facebook feed to sit and watch people have comment wars.  I have and always will give the glory to God, for He is the author of life.  Yes, we received help from doctors, I have never tried to hide that.  So it was interesting when people would comment things like "It's not God...it's called science"  or "I don't know why she's surprised she got multiples with being artificially inseminated, everyone knows you get multiples with that."
 Then believers would argue right back quoting scripture or saying "it's God who gave the scientists their brains to use."  Reading through the comments was a blessing and a curse.  I found myself smiling and then I found times where my face would get hot and I was growing angry. The one comment that lit me up was a man saying "wow, that will be one expensive abortion!"  I just couldn't believe his nerve, I anticipated the battle of believing publicly, God has been preparing my heart for it; after all,  I am called to spread His word and live according to His purpose and scripture is clear that "believing publicly" often leads to persecution.  ~~~I have to interrupt myself here and say how grateful I am that the "persecution" I face is on a surface level.  There are men and women all over the world sharing the gospel of Christ and endangering or losing their lives because of it. They are the true "celebrities" that we should seek to model because Christ is the ultimate "celebrity" through time.  That is not an opinion, that is straight up fact! ~~~~ It was the abortion comment however, that I wasn't prepared for, and the thought of ending these babies made me turn from anger to nausea.  That man needs some Jesus!  I "liked" the comments that were positive and didn't comment on any of the negative...although, I wanted to comment "thank you to those who are sending well wishes and prayers for our family, the world is a better place when people show kindness to others.  For those who do not believe what I do, that is ok, and for those who are "all about the science" you are clearly intelligent enough not to ignore the math! I had a 15% chance to get one baby and I got four!"
        The rest of the week ticked by like normal, Matt brought the boys down Friday, which always makes me feel better! We don't do much when they are here, but the time is precious to me anyway! We did make our way to Target to pick up a few things, I of course drove the motorized cart and Matt had a regular buggy. I am amazed at how many a "few things" at Target turns out to be.  We are in unique period of our lives right now and for all intents and purposes are functioning out of two homes! The bigger and further along I get, the more time I spend in my room with my feet up, which means, although the RMH offers guests all their necessities, for convience sake, we have purchased an extra shelving unit, groceries, and other house hold items to keep in my room.  We will be donating the shelving unit and house hold items back to the house once we are home. I think Matt likes to reorganize my room every time he is here, it gives him something to do!
     This Valentine's day was definitely different.  My valentine brought me chocolate covered strawberries(my fave) and that is actually pretty standard for Valentine's day, but we tried to go to dinner at 5pm as a family and OH MY, I guess there is only one strip of road in Augusta that has restaurants on it, because everywhere was packed...stupid packed! Like brand new restaurant opening packed! So we sat in the parking lot and ordered ToGo!  Good thing the boys were able to watch a movie while we sat, because we waited for an hour and 15minutes.  By the time we got back to the house to eat, we enjoyed our cold food together as a family, and that's all that mattered to me! Although it did help to finish the meal with chocolate covered strawberries!
      I woke up Sunday having some contractions, not baby producing contractions, but just enough to be very annoying and uncomfortable.  Plus now that my belly is bigger, when I sit straight, it rests on my lap!  I hate that feeling!  Anyway, we hang out for the day and the boys headed home before 2pm.  Matt told me to take it easy, he could tell I was battling with contractions, but I wasn't about to let that interrupt my family time!  Around 2:30pm, I was lying on my bed and I was finding it hard to breathe. Not hard enough to cause panic, but I was struggling enough to warrant my attention.  I decided to monitor my bp every 15min for an hour.  All the results were high for me so I called my doctor.  I told him the results are very high for me pre-pregnancy, but I wasn't sure for quad pregnancy.  He said for carrying "grand multiples" an elevated bp is expected, but it was just high enough that he wanted me to go into L&D(labor and delivery) to get monitored and some fluids.  For the first time yet, the nurse was able to get all four babies on a monitor, plus my contraction monitor.  As a result, I had 5 monitors and 9 bands on my belly.  We had to use extra bands to tilt or adjust certain monitors to maintain the babies' heart rate.  My blood pressure was stable while I was in the hospital, but I was still having contractions, some of which were very intense! Several hours later I was stable enough to go back to the house.  I am now taking Procardia 4 times a day to keep my contractions under control and as a side effect, it also lowers bp! Two birds, one stone!  When I went in for my appointment the  Friday previous, my doctor was telling me that he was surprised I hadn't been back in the hospital.  He went on to explain that with grand multiples woman typically are in and out of the hospital frequently as the pregnancy progresses.  He said now it's a race between pre-eclampsia and pre-term labor, one will inevitably win out and cause me to deliver.  In the meantime I will remain here on my bed deciphering which symptoms are "call" worthy.  I have my doctor's cell number and the number to L&D, both of which have told me to call for any reason.  And they have both told me that they expect me to be back multiple times before I deliver.  I really just like getting IV's, wearing  hospital gowns, getting cervical checks, and having goo and monitors placed all over my belly! ;)

Kindness and Questions

          I am becoming increasingly more aware of other's interest and/or fascination in these four little babies.  I have been here at the Ronald McDonald House for exactly one week, and today when I went downstairs I was greeted warmly and then told I had mail....whaaaaat?  I had mail?  Three different letters filled with sweet sentiments and prayers for me, my family, the doctors treating me and the babies.  I am still so amazed at the kindness of others.  I have always been joyful, a lover of life and people, and just...happy, but as I grew older and experienced more of what the world had to offer in sadness, disappointments, loss, etc. I became a bit cynical, guarded and cautious.  I truly feel God is using this journey to show me the love that is still in this world along with the hope, joy, and comfort that others can offer.
         I can't even begin to express my gratitude for the letters, books, lotions, cards, candies, gas and grocery gift cards, baby outfits, cozy socks for me, and donations that people have sent.and I often

blessing/prayer tree

feel very alone (odd seeing as how I am carrying four babies) until I look at those reminders of how I am not alone! People all over the country and beyond are rooting for these babies! and lifting up our family in prayer.  It is bringing me to tears as I type, because I feel so very blessed to get to experience this unique demonstration of love and support!
        I need those reminders for this emotional roller coaster I am on.  Last night I cried for my husband and how he has been thrust into a single parent position, still having to run his business and worry about his wife and four unborn children, who are far away. And of course these past two weeks, our boys have been passing back and forth the stomach virus and strep throat! Causing him to have to stay home from work.  His partners have been very supportive, but my sweet husband truly cares about his company, the people who work there, and the customers that he works with.  He knows they all "understand" but he still doesn't want to let anyone down.  I can relate, because I feel the same way over my company, and I don't know what I would do without my amazing team.  At the salon on Tuesday we had a Redken educator in teaching the staff about the new lines coming out, the educator later emailed me about how impressed she was at the teamwork and leadership my staff exemplified, and how truly lovely they all are!  What a compliment! I am always thankful when our guests compliment our stylist on how much they love their new hair cut or color, but when people compliment their character...it warms my heart!
     
        Subject #2 I thought I would take the time to answer some of the questions that are most frequently asked. Some might sound silly, but I kid you not, all questions that I am including have been asked at least 5 separate times!
                                                              ~quick side bar~
       I always thought FAQ's stood for facts, until one day at work I was navigating a website with my right hand, Shari and we were trying to find out the answer to a question we had.  She told me to check the frequently asked questions tab.  I said that would be so helpful, but I don't see it.  She was standing behind me and said it's there in the upper right hand corner.  To which I replied "all I see is Contact Us, Home, and the "Facts""   She laughed and explained what the FAQ's stood for!
                                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FAQ's:
   1)  Do quads run in your family?   No! I am not a geneticist, but I am fairly sure that quads don't run in any family!  I have answered a few times that "well, my mom's mom was a twin and my dad is a twin..."  and then they respond "oh, that explains it."  I just smile!

   2) When I say "quads" I get:  "no way!!! three babies??!!"  to which I respond "actually there are four in there!" ;)

   3) Are they identical?  Nope, all fraternal! that means four separate eggs were fertilized, no eggs split!  This means that they will not look exactly alike, they will look like brothers and sister, not the same.

   4) Did you do IVF?  Nope! I have PCOS(poly cystic ovarian syndrome), I suffered a miscarriage in January of 2013, and after not being able to get pregnant and having extremely long and heavy periods, my doctor suggested trying a round of Clomid(helps to produce healthy eggs) and IUI(inner uterine insemination). No fertilized eggs were placed in my uterus.  My husbands sperm was placed closer to my cervix, IUI is simply a head start!

   5) Can you tell which baby is which?  yes...sometimes!  they form a cross, baby A lays butt down on my cervix, so if I feel movement down low, I know it's him.  Baby B(our girl) lays with her head to the right of my belly button. Baby D lays back to back with Baby B and across the top of my belly. Baby C occupies the whole left side, he is head down and his feet come up to meet baby D.  They all have parts that meet around my belly button, so movement in that area is hard to distinguish; however, if movement is on one of the outskirts of the cross, I know which baby it is!
 
   6) Are you having a natural vaginal birth?  NNNNNOOOOOOOO!! that sounds horrifying!  there are several reasons why not:  1)all four babies would have to be head down.
2) I have had two previous c-sections and to try and have a vaginal birth after that is dangerous.
3) just the thought makes me cross my legs!
4) there are many complications that can occur with delivering grand multiples and a c-section is the fastest, safest way to get the babies out.

   7) Will you get to have the babies each lay on your chest before they are taken to the NICU?  sadly, NO.  If they are stable enough, they will be wheeled by me, in their isolates, long enough for me to see them.  They will then be wheeled into the hall for my boys to be able to see and family to get a few pictures before they are taken to the NICU.  I pray the babies will be stable enough, because this will be the only time Campbell and Jack will be able to see their siblings until the babies come home :(  

   8) Do you want to have more children?  NOPE!!!!!  I have asked for my tubes to be tied, burned, removed...whatever it takes!

   9) How long will the babies be in the NICU?  Typically, preemies are released around their 40 week due date(where they are full term), that is May 22nd.

  10)  How are you going to handle four?   That is a great question!  and Matt and I still don't have a great answer!  We will do our best!  we will have good days and we will have really hard days, but we will do our best!  I don't think it is possible to be prepared to double a family of four.  It is overwhelming to think about the logistics of it all, the time, schedules, finances! We will struggle, we are not under the illusion that this will be easy, but when we were asked to reduce, to eliminate the lives of two or three of our babies, we said no!  We trusted God to provide then, and we are going to trust Him to provide now!



 
   
       

I Think I Can...I Think I Can

Boys came to visit

 

when boys went home

      This past Friday I went back into Labor and Delivery because I was having contractions.  I was on Magnesium for 13hours(actually a good thing, it was supposed to be 24 hours), I had(and still do) a horrible cough and because my stomach is stretched to the max I pulled , what used to be, my oblique muscle!  Every time I would cough I try and get into a ball(the best I could with my large belly) so my muscle pain didn't hurt so bad. If I was standing, I would end up in a sumo wrestler position holding my side.  When I would hit a coughing spell my contractions would spike, but the Mag and 5 other medications combined were able to calm my contractions and help with my cough.  No worries, the babies all look great!  When I would have a coughing then contraction spell, they would move all around pushing back on their house that's walls were caving in!  Thankfully my Aunt was visiting that day and she, by her own admission, is "persistent yet kind".  So she made sure to find a nurse when it was time for my medication, or when the babies heart tones were supposed to be checked.  She stood over my bed fanning me with a coloring book and feeding me ice chips while I was boiling from the inside out, due to the Magnesium.  The nurses weren't even bothered by her because she was so kind about how she went about it all.  The boys came to visit Saturday and helped lift my spirits.

Our nightly Skype session.
Lucy heard me  and wanted in on the action!

              The hardest part about this whole pregnancy has not been the physical discomfort or the crazy hospital drama, it has been being away from my family. I don't know what I would do without the weekend visits and the evening Skype sessions.  They keep asking me when I'm coming home.  I know it is hard for them to understand the timing of everything...to be honest it is hard for me to understand.  Lying here day after day, I get lonely and frustrated!  I could be doing this from home, I could kiss my boys good night, I could get a hug and kiss from my hubs when he gets home, I could see my fur babies... all the little things I didn't realize I needed to function properly!  I find myself missing the weirdest things, like when my boys bicker with each other over a toy, or when dog scratches at the door when she's hungry, or the very long annoying process that is my husband brushing his teeth(that is one of his OCD things that he has never parted with-the 20minute teeth brushing routine!!!) drives me nuts, but now I miss it.
    I am so thankful that even though I am far away, I have only gone a couple days without seeing a friendly face. Matt and the boys have come to visit, my parents came, and although they got lost for awhile, they still brought me lunch!   Two of my cousins live here.  One, from my mom's side, is the cousin who was waiting for me at the hospital when I first arrived.  She brings me lunch several times a week and we talk about her wedding planning.  My other cousin, from my dad's side, I rarely get to see anymore.  She is married with two girls, her youngest is the same age as Campbell.  Anyway, it's been nice to have some time to catch up with her, and although we have always differed in personality, she loves Jesus and I have enjoyed listening to how He has been working in her life.  Everyone here at the Ronald McDonald House is so kind and we all know we are blessed to be able to stay here. I know the boys will enjoy being able to come visit now that I am here, where they have play rooms, toys galore, and mommy isn't hooked up to an IV and monitors. All in all not too shabby!
    Still at night, after we have Skyped, the loneliness sets in; it's funny because it is around this time that the babies decide to have a dance party.  Last night I just sat there smiling at my belly because I saw various lumps roll across, up and down.  It's so cool to watch them respond to each other.  I have been able to feel those responses from the inside for quite a while now, but to see it happen is just surreal. I think it's God's way of reminding me that although the struggles are real, He is "working for the good of those who love Him."  I do wish I could be at home piddling in the nursery getting it set up,  helping the time go by with eager anticipation, but staring at a wall is just as good;)  I think I'll see if my mom will bring up the handmade baby blankets a friend made for them, they are precious and have each of their names on them.  I know that each day they remain in utero, reduces NICU time by two days(at least that's what I've been told), and that once they are home we will look back at how short this time was and how blessed we are to be home and healthy, but I am one of the most impatient people that I know! and I'm pretty sure that there are more than 24 hours in each day in Augusta.  Maybe I should also have my mom bring up Campbell's Little Engine that Could book! I could use the positive reinforcement to get me up this mountain I'm climbing!

These are 4D pictures of the boys, sweet baby girl was hiding behind a membrane!

Saturday Hospital Stay

         For all intents and purposes, I was in a "hellish" situation with extremely unusual circumstances; however, God was holding me tight.  Most likely in order to protect me from physically harming or emotionally crippling one of His children!  I was at peace enough not to be angry with the hospital or the staff.  Those sweet nurses were literally running around trying to attend to their overflow of patients, yet when they were with me, they were attentive, kind, and reassuring.  As frustrated as I was, I knew it was no one's fault, and being angry or resentful would only make my attitude worse, so I did my best to make the best of this tornado of crazy that I was in...that was until my third roommate came in.
          Now, it could be that it was because I was tired, or it could be that all the issues I had with this third roommate had nothing to do with her being pregnant or in labor so therefore I grew more easily annoyed.  She was having to monitor her urine out put aka pee into measuring cup that attaches to the toilet.  Her urine then had to be transferred into a separate container.  I was graciously patient when I got up to go to the bathroom and there sat her cup o pee, still attached to the toilet.  I knew I couldn't just pee in it, I knew I was not about to handle that cup o pee by myself, so I wheeled my IV pole back to my bed and called for a nurse.  I then waited 10ish minutes for her to arrive and then a few more minutes for her to take care of the cup and then sanitize the peed on seat!  By this time I had to pee so badly my vision was becoming blurred and I had been standing leaning on my IV, so that could have been the cause as well.   As my nurse helped me back to my bed and got all my cords re-attached, I asked if I should be using another bathroom, since this lady had a "specific need."  My nurse told me that she would have a talk with her(my roommate) about how to transfer the urine herself or to call a nurse before she has to go to the bathroom, so someone can assist her as needed.  I thanked her and then tried to settle back in.  Through my burning eyes I tried reading the many text messages coming through my phone.  All best wishes, and concerns from friends and family(let me take this opportunity to apologize if I did not get back to you, I was truly in a haze).  It was almost 10am when Matt arrived, just seeing his face, I felt alive again...and then I started to cry.  All the emotions were bubbling close to the surface at this point, and of course I had to pee.  Matt helped me get unplugged and assisted me to the bathroom only to once again find the "pee cup."  Thankfully, I didn't have to wobble back to my bed, Matt went out and grabbed a nurse.  I loudly asked the nurse if I needed to be using another bathroom, for the sole purpose of the answer being within hearing range of "the roommate." The nurse responded as I hoped she would.  Silly me... I thought that would be the end of it!  Unfortunately, it happened AGAIN!  I was moments away from yanking back her curtain and throwing her cup o pee in her room!  She knew she was sharing that toilet, she had been told multiple times how to handle the cup, yet she still didn't do it!  I can handle a woman in labor experiencing bodily issues (as gross as they were), but this lady was just making me angry!  She had no excuse, she was just being lazy!
           I was still on the contraction monitor and was experiencing uterine irritability(I was experiencing more than uterine irritability, but that wasn't being monitored), so Matt and I decided to pull out the lap top and watch a show on Netflix to occupy the time.  But oh no no, roommate decided to live out an episode of Days of Our Lives when her baby daddy arrived.  I am not being discriminatory or judgmental she(the roommate) referred to her baby daddy as "baby daddy." The drama that unfolded between these two was unreal!  I do not have the time or mental willingness to re-live, in writing, what went down between these two people, but believe you me, it was ridiculous!  Now I know where soap opera writers get their materials from...hospital overflow rooms.  She then starting telling her baby daddy that I was being whiny about the bathroom and that she didn't ask for a nurse to come in and clean the toilet after I had used it.  I wanted to scream across the room "that's because I don't pee on the seat and leave my pee cup for someone else to clean up!"  I looked at Matt with huge eyes, he could tell I was about to loose it!  He held my hand and told me to stay calm, then he reminded me that we are lucky to not have that kind of drama in our life.  Ah perspective!
          I would later get my own room, with my own bathroom!  Praise the Lord, it was glorious! not really, it was a simple hospital room, but in comparison to where I had been...glorious! I was no longer on a clear liquid diet, so after I ate dinner I had a hot shower and I slept all night (minus the several times my nurse came in to monitor or medicate me).  Sunday was a new day and the boys were coming to see me!

Friday Hospital Stay Part 2- reader discretion still advised

        I arrived on what had to be this hospitals busiest baby birthing night. Every labor and delivery room was full so I was wheeled to the back of a small overflow area that was divided by curtains into 4 spaces.  Mine was the smallest space of the other three, but thankfully I had a window!  My cousin and her fiancé, live in Augusta, and they were there waiting on me when I arrived.  I was away from home, but at least I was greeted by a smiling familiar face!  They brought me cookies and a super soft blanket, both would come in very handy.

In my bed, my toes were touching the privacy curtain!
You can see into the next room. Very small space!

        Once I had been checked out by the nurses, one of the doctor's came in to try and place a non stress test monitor on each of the babies, it proved to be an impossible task. The doctor grew so irritated with herself for not being able to make it work, especially after the nurse warned her that it would be too difficult for more than two babies.  Frustrated the Doc asked for the portable ultra sound machine, and was able to check on the babies that way.  By the time all was said and done, it was close to 11pm.  I received a dose of Magnesium to stop the remaining contractions and also it helps the babies neurologically.  Thankfully I did not have many of the terrible symptoms that can come along with magnesium, my only issue was my face felt like it was on fire.  I tried to calm myself and relax...and then the snapping started!  The lady next to me was laboring and every time she had a contraction she would yell her native tongue and then snap her fingers.  I understand grunting, wailing, hard breathing...but snapping?  I just don't see how that is a relief, I'm not passing judgment, I'm just surprised that snapping can be used as a coping mechanism.  The other lady that was in the overflow room had been in a car wreck and starting having contractions, so she had to be monitored for 4 hours. She had no bizarre antics, but she was in the space right beside the bathroom and didn't have her curtain pulled all the way around, so every time I went to the bathroom, I had to turn to the side and enter that way so I didn't see anything that I didn't need to be seeing!
         Trying to go to sleep next to a woman laboring just was not happening!  Plus all the lights were on!  My space had it's over head lights off, but every other space was well lit, and the privacy curtains are see through, big holed mesh for the top two feet.  Not only that, remember the labor and delivery bed I described?  That is what I was lying on, hard, flat, narrow and short "bed."   I couldn't roll onto my left side(typically my most comfortable sleep position) because I had had the steroid shot in that side earlier that day.  When I would roll to my right I couldn't help but be distracted by snappy snaperson on the other side.  I am not a shy person and don't embarrass easily; however, I was extremely uncomfortable with the thought that I was going to hear another woman give birth with nothing but a thin curtain for her privacy.  I then took the super soft blanket my cousin had brought me, folded it, and wrapped it from ear to ear, leaving a flap to hang over my eyes.  Although it did help muffle the noise, I still could not settle down enough to fall asleep.  Finally, around 2:45 am "Mrs. Snappers" was taken to a labor and delivery room. I slowly started drifting until the cleaning crew came in to clean her, now vacant, space.  The smell of hospital grade disinfectant burning my nose hairs, made it hard to sleep.  Moments after the cleaning crew left, the car wreck woman was cleared to go home.  I thought now that I was the only one in the room, the lights would be turned off and I could finally fall asleep, just as that thought finished forming in my head, another laboring woman came in!
         Although she didn't snap when contracting, she and her 4 other family members walked around the entire overflow space, moving curtains, making themselves comfortable.  She then proceeded to go to the bathroom without closing the door, and because she was laboring, she had diarrhea! Not only that, but she felt it necessary to talk with her family as she was blowing it up in the bathroom, grunts and all!  I threw my hands over my ears and prayed that I would not have to pee until a nurse could come in!! I was in shock at how the night was going and started to get emotional, I feared I would lose it!  Thankfully(or so I thought at the moment) the nurse and doctor came in.  The doctor checked my contraction monitor and wanted to do a manual cervix check.  I had no bed pan to lift my  hips up, and she was determined to get this check done quickly (again, they were swamped with women having babies, she kept getting paged).  She told me to ball up my fists and put them under my hips, which is hard to do seeing as how I felt like a turned over turtle and I had my IV in the bend of my left wrist.  I did my best, but it was not good enough, she fought...and I mean fought, to reach my cervix.  I cried out in pain and couldn't breathe.  She continued to force her way to my cervix, I tried so very hard to sit there and take it, but I ended up begging her to stop, I was in so much pain.  She said hang in there for just a minute and praise God, she reached it and was finished.  I was so lightheaded after, my hearing was muted and I just laid there crying, trying to calm myself and take deep breaths.  Would this night ever be over?  The silver lining of my exam and recovery after wards, occupied my mind from my "roommate."  However, now I had to pee!!!  I was helped to the bathroom only to see splattered blood on the floor and diarrhea on the toilet! I spun around, looked at my nurse and asked if someone could clean this or if there was another bathroom I could use.  I was not trying to be insensitive, when a woman is in labor, stuff happens, nasty bodily stuff!  But that is why women have their own labor and delivery rooms! sharing a space during this time, is just not sanitary!  At 5:48am a room finally opened up that she was able to go to.  I slept for 38 minutes and then my new roommate arrived...and she would end up taking the cake...

Reader Discretion is Advised! Friday Hospital Stay Part 1

      Does anyone else miss watching TLC's show A Baby Story or Bringing Home Baby?  When I was pregnant with my older boys, those shows were still in  syndication, and I loved watching them, being pregnant and watching someone else's story, gave me things to look forward to, new ideas, and even made me aware of things I didn't want to do.  Now, the only show on, that has anything to do with babies and birth stories, is I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant.  That show BLOWS MY MIND!  Women can go their whole pregnancy and not know they are pregnant?! No nausea, having to go to the bathroom 100 times a day, no smell or food aversions, largely expanding uterus, feeling their baby move...nothing!  I have such a hard time comprehending this concept and am curious if anyone carrying multiples ever experienced this phenomenon...that would be one heck of a story; however, I'm sure I would watch the entire episode in disbelief.

       The above was the post I had started writing on Friday when my contractions started getting so intense I had to call my doctor.  WARNING: the following post will contain honest details of what I have experienced the past few days.  If reading about certain body parts makes you uncomfortable, I suggest you skip this post.  In going through this experience, I wish I had a raw and real journey to follow so I din't feel like, because this pregnancy hasn't been roses, I was alone in these symptoms and circumstances.

         FRIDAY: hospital stay part 1
   I had my scan at my MFM on Tuesday followed by a cervix check, all were fine.  Afterwards, however, every time I would stand up I would have a fairly intense contraction that would take my breath away.  It would fade after a few moments and I could continue on to where I was going, i.e. the bathroom!  Same was happening on Wednesday and Thursday, although at this point the "moments" turned into minutes.  I still wasn't worried, as they did fade, and I wasn't having any while I was lying down or sitting.  Thursday evening I started having some intense back pain and even while lying in bed I was having some contractions.  I figured as long as they didn't progress in the time in between and intensity, I would be ok.  I slept miserably that night, no matter what position I tried, I couldn't ease the back pain.  Friday morning, I packed Campbell's lunch and sat down in my recliner as Matt got the boys off to school.  I still could not shake these contractions and back pain, I tried a heating pad and Tylenol, neither of which worked.  I attempted to watch tv, knit, and write in my blog to occupy my mind.  My whole belly would get so tight, I could see it contract under my shirt.  I thought I should take a hot shower and let the water ease my muscles.  If I was still contracting after that, I would call my doctor.  Unfortunately I couldn't even finish my shower, I was out of breath and in pain.  I got a towel and called my doctor.  Although I was sure I was having contractions, I still had the idea in the back of my head that I would be told, it's just growing pains from carrying four babies, So I was not totally panicking, I was just in pain.  I called my sister to ask if she could take me to my doctor.  As soon as we hung up my doctor called me back and told me to just go ahead and go straight to the hospital.  Arriving at the hospital I was immediately taken to OBED (obstetrics emergency department) I had all my vitals checked, was put on a monitor(for the contractions) and was awaiting my doctor to come check me out.  There are three doctors in my regular OB's practice, two of which I mainly deal with.  The third, ironically delivered both my boys.  She is an amazing surgeon but just doesn't have the bed side manner of which I prefer in my regular visits.  She is book smart, but comes off flighty in regular conversation.  Anyway, she just happened to be the Doctor on call and was who I was waiting for  (I will refer to her as Dr. A).  By the time she arrived, I was in intense pain and the monitor was picking up contractions and uterine irritability.  Dr A first wanted to ultra sound me to check on the babies, before checking my cervix with an internal exam.  Watching her trying to get an ultra sound machine to work, that she was unfamiliar with, was hysterical.  She kept saying how inept it made her feel.  She talks slow and quite and almost "valley girl like"(part of the reason she comes across as flighty) I couldn't help but feel sorry for her, but I couldn't help but laugh as well.  All in good fun as she was laughing at herself.  Babies all looked great, no sign of decreased fluid and their heartbeats were all in their normal range(145-158). Moving on to the internal exam!!!  We did not have a regular labor and delivery bed in the room(these beds are made to be able to breakdown quickly in case delivery is needed, er go, they are extremely uncomfortable and have no cushion or padding to them(remember this description for later).  Being in a regular hospital bed, I was comfortable, but we had no way of elevating my hips for her to examine me...so her idea is to use a bed pan!!!  My sister and I made wide-eyed eye contact at each other!  Plastic bed pans are not that sturdy and not very big, but we did what we had to do.  I was able to get my hips on top of the upside down bed pan and "relax my legs outward."  Dr. A then turned on her light and said "Oh my God, those are some hemorrhoids, let's go ahead and put in an order of colace for this girl!"  My sister and I died laughing.

this is an image of hemorrhoids
they are swollen vessels coming out of your  rectum
 and are filled with blood and very painful!

I replied,  "it's not due to constipation, I have four babies in there and that creates a lot of pressure, if the babies stay in, something else must come out!"  After the laughter died down, she continued to check my cervix.  I am tall and my cervix is way up high and tilts back, making it hard to reach.  The other main OB's I see, know this and have an easier time reaching it.  I don't know if it was because I was on a bed pan, or what, but she was all up in there trying to find it.  She kept asking me to cough, I couldn't cough because I was laughing, but my laughing seemed to do the trick.  My cervix was still closed!  We swabbed for fluids that would indicate if one of the babies' water was leaking(four babies with four separate sacs= four separate waters).  All looked good.
       Within 10 minutes of my arrival to the hospital, Dr. K(the head neonatologist at the hospital) came in to check on me.  I had spoken with him on Thursday about my concerns with the sudden change in him "not being comfortable with me delivering at that hospital before 30 weeks."  While talking with him, he explained they just didn't have enough man power and enough machines on hand to properly provide the needed care for my babies.  I could tell in speaking with him, that he was disappointed, and did want me to be able to deliver there, but the hospital wasn't willing to assume that liability.   All that to say, I was touched he came to check on me.  He asked Dr. A if she would come update him after she did her exam.  Dr. A got on the phone with my MFM(Dr. Rosemond) to find out how he wanted to proceed with treatment.  Since I wasn't dilated and my waters were in tact, he wanted to keep me monitored and put me on a mild medication to relax my uterus.  He is big on the 24 week viability maker and did not want to go ahead with the steroid shot to help develop the babies lungs until next week.  However, after Dr. A went and discussed treatment with Dr. K he said he(Dr K) would fight to resuscitate the babies if they were born now and would advise going ahead with the steroid shot... so we did! I was thankful that he was willing to fight for my babies(quick props to Dr. K)!  The steroid shot was big and very thick, it was given to me on my left upper leg, almost in the butt region but not quite.  That was one painful shot I could feel the heat as it entered my vein. I just kept muttering under my breathe, that this is for my babies! After I was given the uterine relaxer, my contractions and irritability did calm down, I was still having them, but not nearly to the extent I was earlier.
          Three hours later, Dr. M(one of my regular Ob's)came in.  I was quite surprised to see her, as Dr A was the one, from their office, that was on call.  She explained that she was called in because Dr. A was at another hospital attending a patient and the hospital I was currently at was ready to have me gone.  The board, the head of the hospital and their attorney's had been meeting in the NICU all after noon about my case, and although I showed NO signs of active labor, and was not dilated and my waters had not broken, they(the hospital admin staff) wasn't even willing to let me continue being monitored there.  They called in my OB to tell me that I was getting transferred to Augusta within the hour!!!! I was completely shocked and Dr. M wasn't pleased with their decision either.  She said it wasn't right that they could take two sets of preemie twins but not one set of preemie quads? and I wasn't even in labor!  Both she and Dr. Rosemond felt like Athens had let them down, they are great doctors that know what they are doing, but the hospital just wasn't willing to take any chances.   By the time Dr. M finished talking with me I had 1 hour to call my support system to try and get a plan in place.  I had nothing with me, I was only supposed to be monitored! Not sent to Augusta!  I was so nervous to call my hubs, he does not handle change well...at all!  and all day I had been assuring him I was fine, the babies were great, I was not in labor, I was just being monitored!  Even though the hospital's stand point was "things can change in a split second" and I'm sure there is a bit of truth in that; however, medically speaking, I had not signs of impending doom and pressing circumstances! So I was still feeling God's peace with all of it.  I was not feeling too much peace about having to be transported two hours away with no time to get my things in order.  I didn't even have enough time to get someone to bring me a bag!
             My sweet friend had come by, right after Dr. M had left, to bring me two huge bags of Swedish Fish!!! I explained what had just gone down and jokingly asked her if she wanted to call Matt! She sat with me through all the phone calls, she listened to me cry over my fears of being transported away from my family, she made me smile again, and she stayed with me until the ambulance arrived.  I had a team of 6 going with me.  Normally it is the driver, and one EMT that rides in the back with you.  I had them, plus another guy, plus a labor and delivery nurse, a NICU nurse and a neonatal respiratory therapist!  We were packed.  Everyone was so kind and helped to keep my mind focused on what was the most important thing- getting my babies to the best place possible in the rare case that I had to deliver!  Before we left, the driver and I made a deal, he wouldn't hit any cars or deer, and I wouldn't have my babies in his ambulance!
           In the ambulance I was having contractions every 7 to 9 minutes the first hour of the trip, because it was a very bumpy ride, and every time my uterus was jarred, it contracted.  Once we hit the highway, they slowed down to every 20minutes.  I held up my end of the deal and so did the driver!  We arrived in Augusta in a little over two hours.  I was taken upstairs to labor and delivery and was placed in a very small overflow room with two other women, things were about to get interesting...