After I slammed the beverage, the lab tech led me to the ultrasound room for my 24th week growth check.
So, amazingly cool ultrasound tech! I saw the sign in the room that said: "We ban all forms of photography and video, including cell phones. Thank you for your cooperation." When the tech came in I asked about FaceTiming B & R so they could see the babies, too. The tech said that legally they can't allow it, but due to my circumstances of being a surrogate, she would check on it.
When she came back, she said that she has a way around the rule. I can use her phone to FaceTime them. She wanted them to be able to be involved as well. How fabulous of her to offer that!
R was available to FaceTime and the boys put on a great show! They are doing well. Brady is 1 lb 12oz, his heart rate is 153 beats per minute. Cohen is 1 lb 11oz, and his heart rate is 155 beats per minute. They are measuring perfectly for where they are gestationally.
After the boys' measurements, we hung up with FaceTime with R and the tech said that she would then check my cervix. I asked if it was long and thick and she said "nice and closed... Oh, wait. (Long pause) I need to call a doctor in here." Then she pressed the button on the wall. You know, the emergency call button.
Yeah, that's never good.
Dr Stecher was in the room a minute later and things started going really fast. She took one look at the screen, asked what the measurement was (1.4cm at the thickest), looked at me and said "has Dr Wagner talked about bedrest?"
Huh? What? Hold on here! Someone fill me in on the looks I'm seeing on their faces!
She then told me that although my cervix is completely closed, it's thinning out way more than it should be at this point. It should be between 3.5-4.0cm. Mine is currently at a 1.4cm. She said this could be from the silly infection I had last month, or just the way the babies were lying in me (Brady is head down, Cohen is transverse, or sideways kind of making a "t" across my belly.) They really don't know why or how this could be happening.
She talked to me about meds to help with this issue: betamethasone shots today and tomorrow, an antibiotic to ward off any pending or lingering infection that might be causing the issues, continued progesterone. She scheduled an ultrasound for Monday so we can see if I'm continuing to thin out or if bedrest and meds are stopping it. She said we will talk further on Monday and more indepth about the bed rest and restrictions, depending on the test results.
Oi vey, that's a lot to take in! I think I was in a bit of shock and had her explain it again to me.
After all of that, I still had my glucose test to take. Thankfully, that was the one thing that went well today. The number needs to be under 130. Mine was 78. Perfect! No need to worry about gestational diabetes for me!
Then, the lab tech gave me the first shot of the day. Yup, a good ol' needle in my fanny to end this crazy morning!
As I left the clinic, my mind was racing. I need to call B & R, Shawn, the Agency, talk with my boss... All while I was shaking. Of course the stupid sugared fruit punch would have to kick in as I was trying to process everything!
I called R and recapped that the babies looked good, measuring perfectly. I passed the glucose test and my blood pressure is fabulous (117/60). Then I explained about everything that happened after we stopped FaceTime. R took the news in stride, which is what I was expecting (thankful for that, by the way!) I was nervous enough for all of us!
I then called Shawn and had pretty much the same conversation, with a little more "what do we do with the kids?" thrown in. We decided to wait until we know what kind of bed rest I will be having before we decide what to do with our preschooler when it comes to preschool and my bed rest.
I then had to go to work and tell them what is going on. Thankfully, I had the foresite to send a text to my site director letting her know things were not going as planned and that I needed to talk after the appointment. It kind of clued her in that something might be wrong and my note from the doctor wouldn't be as big a shock. She was wonderfully supportive as I explained about my morning and asked that I keep her informed how I and the babies are doing.
So, that's what's going on with me. Now that I've stopped shaking, I'm trying to figure out how I am with all of this. I'm trying not to freak out or be too worried about everything. I know that doesn't help any situation. As I told Dr Stecher, if bed rest is what is needed to keep the babies healthy and growing safe, then that is what I will do. I do know that there are different degrees of bed rest: total rest where you must be lying down and can get up only to use the bathroom, or limited varieties where you can get up to eat, bathe, etc, but nothing strenuous, and everything in between.
I've got some sewing and beading to do for my daughter's flower girl dress, I enjoy reading, we have Netflix, and we hadn't made big plans for the weekend, so I think I'm set for now. After Monday, we will see what happens and for how long and I will take it from there.
Now, if I can just get my nerves to calm down, things will be all right! Hang tight, boys! I'm hoping to be with you another couple of months before you meet your parents. I want more time with little miracles!
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