A Babies' Story - Part 2
See here for part 1.
At week 38 the monitoring was going well. The babies were like bad renters. Causing problems to everyone around them, but thriving and not willing to leave until someone made them. The Mrs didn't have great blood pressure, but it was under control thanks to not having to spend eight hours a day in the fight club called Hunter's Lane High School. (Her blood pressure took a steep drop as soon as she quit going to work.) During the weeks after she quit working it started to creep up again, but nothing dangerous.
Then the contraction started. Notice I said 'the contraction', singular not plural. One continuous contraction. Not as bad as real labor, but still pretty nasty after about an hour in. So another emergency trip to labor and delivery and we have the verdict. An infection is causing a 'cranky uterus'. That's the doctor's term, not mine. (To be fair, she did use several other more technical terms, but cranky uterus is the one that made the most impression.) Soon we're back home again with some antibiotics.
All this was happening during late December, and we were both hoping the babies would show themselves while I was on vacation for the holidays. But alas, they were already rebelling against parental authority and I had to go back to work on January 2 after nearly two weeks at home. The Mrs. was stoic about being left home alone, but I was pretty concerned.
By the morning I went back to work, the continuous contraction had been gone for a day or two, but cranky uterus was showing signs of returning. When I got home that evening it was back in full force. So once again we made the run to labor and delivery. This time we were feeling cynical and didn't bring most of our hospital kit of clothes and comfort items. That's your first clue that this trip to the hospital is different.
When we got to the hospital and got The Mrs. settled under all the monitoring equipment, concerns over the cranky uterus were immediately forgotten. Turns out her blood pressure was dangerously high and climbing fast. But the babies were still doing great. They were happy in the womb playing loud music, stomping around at all hours, and not picking up after their dog. No labor imminent, but the landlord couldn't take it any more. The doctor recommended immediate, but not quite emergency, Ceasarean. We dithered briefly, but the blood pressure monitor wouldn't allow much room for doubt. The pre-eclampsia was threatening to turn into full blown eclampsia. The numbers broke 200/130 and everyone got real quiet. My worry level went up about a dozen notches when the doctor prescribed an IV to combat seizures and told us at that BP level a 'cardiac event is imminent'.
So no more dithering. The decision to cut was made. Just as soon as they could get her pressure down enough to operate.
To be concluded next time.
At week 38 the monitoring was going well. The babies were like bad renters. Causing problems to everyone around them, but thriving and not willing to leave until someone made them. The Mrs didn't have great blood pressure, but it was under control thanks to not having to spend eight hours a day in the fight club called Hunter's Lane High School. (Her blood pressure took a steep drop as soon as she quit going to work.) During the weeks after she quit working it started to creep up again, but nothing dangerous.
Then the contraction started. Notice I said 'the contraction', singular not plural. One continuous contraction. Not as bad as real labor, but still pretty nasty after about an hour in. So another emergency trip to labor and delivery and we have the verdict. An infection is causing a 'cranky uterus'. That's the doctor's term, not mine. (To be fair, she did use several other more technical terms, but cranky uterus is the one that made the most impression.) Soon we're back home again with some antibiotics.
All this was happening during late December, and we were both hoping the babies would show themselves while I was on vacation for the holidays. But alas, they were already rebelling against parental authority and I had to go back to work on January 2 after nearly two weeks at home. The Mrs. was stoic about being left home alone, but I was pretty concerned.
By the morning I went back to work, the continuous contraction had been gone for a day or two, but cranky uterus was showing signs of returning. When I got home that evening it was back in full force. So once again we made the run to labor and delivery. This time we were feeling cynical and didn't bring most of our hospital kit of clothes and comfort items. That's your first clue that this trip to the hospital is different.
When we got to the hospital and got The Mrs. settled under all the monitoring equipment, concerns over the cranky uterus were immediately forgotten. Turns out her blood pressure was dangerously high and climbing fast. But the babies were still doing great. They were happy in the womb playing loud music, stomping around at all hours, and not picking up after their dog. No labor imminent, but the landlord couldn't take it any more. The doctor recommended immediate, but not quite emergency, Ceasarean. We dithered briefly, but the blood pressure monitor wouldn't allow much room for doubt. The pre-eclampsia was threatening to turn into full blown eclampsia. The numbers broke 200/130 and everyone got real quiet. My worry level went up about a dozen notches when the doctor prescribed an IV to combat seizures and told us at that BP level a 'cardiac event is imminent'.
So no more dithering. The decision to cut was made. Just as soon as they could get her pressure down enough to operate.
To be concluded next time.
posted by W at 5:42 PM
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