On 32w3d & hospital bedrest

Well, what an insane couple of days.

Starting around last Sunday, I started feeling "off". Just not myself, nauseous, decreased urine output, and this insanely itchy rash all over my body. I thought maybe it was PUPPs, so I just figured I could hold out until my OB appt on Wednesday. I was taking cold oatmeal baths and using my Sarna lotion but the itching made me want to rip my skin off. I couldn't sleep at all.

At the OB appt on Wednesday, my OB drew lab work to test me for Cholestasis of Pregnancy. I had a girlfriend who had it during her first pregnancy and I knew it was hell for her. I read 1 website on it and then had to stop myself because it sounded so desperate and scary.

I spoke to my OB Thursday and seemed to be getting worse. He wanted me to come in Friday. Friday morning, I started gathering things because I was pretty sure he was going to have me admitted to the hospital again. Sure enough, he wasn't loving what he was seeing. My blood pressure was still creeping up and my urine dip had me at +4 protein (really bad). He said they would be admitting me... I said "but not like to deliver the babies, right?" And he said "we ha w to see what we are dealing with."

I lost it completely.

Thankfully, he was able to talk sense into me, and after gathering some things at home, DH & I went to the hospital.

They started me on steroid shots to help develop the babies' lungs and started monitoring me and the babies immediately. I also started a 24 hour urine collection to monitor my protein. They thought they found some sort of infection, so I was also started on antibiotics.

We then were taken to Maternal Fetal Medicine for a consult with the perinatologists. Thankfully, the ultrasound showed that both babies were doing amazing - 4lb8oz each, their fluid levels were good, and their membranes were still in tact. The perinatologist was not nearly as concerned as my OB about my blood pressure and was actually able to talk my OB down from having me start an awful medication for my pressure (magnesium sulfate).

We would not be delivering the babies that day. I was beyond thankful.

My midwife visited me and said I looked alot better than I did on paper. I was monitored all night, which is difficult and makes it so I can't sleep. As soon as I move an inch, one of the twins move and the nurses rush in to relocate them on the monitors.

I spent all of Saturday on my back so they could trace the babies, which was extremely uncomfortable for me and was raising my blood pressure. I wasn't having much urine output either (which they were monitoring) because of being flat. The results of my 24 hour protein came back and I was at 2460 - pre-eclampsia diagnosis is at 300. It was devastating to me.

We had a consult with a neonatologist on Saturday. She herself is the female half of a boy/girl twin set and she has a set of boy/girl twins - so I felt like she totally understood where I was coming from. She said due to their great size and me being over 32 weeks, she thinks we won't have to worry about the normal major preemie issues. They would still be an automatic NICU admission if born under 36 weeks, but she made me feel more confident about things.

Yesterday, my midwife came back and we were discussing everything. I said "so how long do you think I'll be here?" (Thinking I would be discharged on Monday aka today.) She said "1-2 weeks... Until you deliver."

I have never cried so hard. I knew it was a probability (my OB told me after my last admission that if it happened again, I would be admitted until I delivered), and I know it's the best for me and the babies, but it was still unbelievable to hear her say it. I wasn't going home until I had my babies. I couldn't sleep next to my husband or our dog. I was confined to this hospital.

And besides that, it meant I would definitely be delivering these babies alot earlier than I had ever anticipated... And even though the neonatologist made me feel more confident about it, it is still upsetting. I will have premature babies.

Since then, things have really kind of turned around. I was moved to a less acute care floor and no longer have the 24 hour monitoring of the babies, so I finally slept last night. My blood pressures have been awesome and my urine output has seriously increased. All of my lab work has been great and I don't seem to be fighting infection anymore.

At this point, I'm just catching up on really crappy TV and enjoying keeping my babies baking.