Chapter 3 "Labor at 30 Weeks"

I just happen to have an ultrasound on the lovely 11/11/11 and Rob just happen to have the day off from school. Coincidence? Or the Lord’s providence?

The ultrasound tech avoided my question when I asked how thinned my cervix was after looking at the screen. I knew something was wrong, I just didn’t know how wrong. So instead of worrying, we enjoyed looking at our baby girl. She was happy and playing and gave us perfect pictures that would soon hang on our hospital room wall.

I was supposed to have an hour before my appointment, so we can go eat breakfast with the grandmas. The tech said she moved up my appt. – sign #2. The front desk must have not had her notes up fast enough because she told us to come back for the appointment. So, another gift from God, we got to have breakfast! My soon to be last meal for 24 hours.

The dr. told me I was in pre-term labor and needed to go strait to delivery. My cervix was 90% effaced and I was dilated at a 1. My cervix had been thinned due to the pressure of the excess amniotic fluid. A condition called, polyhydramnios. The dr. shared she already called the hospital and they were expecting me. We needed to go strait there!

Rob and I drove to San Antonio Community Hospital without the excitement we envisioned for. We were scared. Shocked. Confused. I wasn’t feeling pain, how could I be in labor? I had 2 months to go, how could I be in labor? Why did I have excess fluid, was something wrong with our baby? She was only 3 lbs 5 oz according to the tech, would she be ok? Why is this happening to us? And of course the more unimportant thoughts ran around that still made me cry though. I felt like I didn’t get to truly being pregnant and I had waited SO long for this! I found out late due to our crazy conceiving story and now I was being cut short. I wanted a big belly at Christmas. I wanted a reason to eat everything over the holidays. I wanted to take adorable maternity pics with Parker’s name on my belly and a pink bow. I wanted to still be pregnant!

We tried to calm our nerves as we spoke truth to each other. The Lord’s sovereign gives us exactly what we need and not what we want. And if there was going to be something wrong with our little one, then God saw us fit to be able to give her the care and home she needs!

We went strait to L&D, though we hadn’t even been on our hospital tour or signed the “admitting papers”, they were ready to prick me with my first steroid shot. My Dr. came by soon after and I was at a 3 and still not feeling a thing. The perinatologist came by and did an u/s and our baby showed no problems with swallowing, a common problem with polyhydramnios and also a sign of Down syndrome. Her heartbeat was great and was in no distress. She was just swimming away happy as a clam in the Carribbean.

And so the breathing shots started to stop the contractions, the magnesium, the strict bed rest. And the waiting…