Ready or Not... Here I Come

February 14 (Surprise! Surprise!)
I braved the snow & ice to make my weekly doctor appt & ultrasound. Then WHAM! Dr White informs me that I will be having the baby within the next 24 hours due to growing concerns about growth restrictions and preeclampsia. They consider preeclampsia when 3 conditions are met: high blood pressure, protein in urine and severe swelling. I had all 3 symptoms. I was wheeled over to Christ Hospital and they immediately started mag (magnesium sulfate) through an IV. Good thing I didn't know what mag was - I'll spare everyone the details. They also gave me a shot to help the baby's lungs. I was then transported to Good Samaritan Hospital by ambulance and admitted to their Special OB Unit. After arriving there, the urgency decreased. Good Sam sees more high risk pregnancies than Christ Hospital.

February 15 (Time to Relax)
After an ultrasound & BPP at Good Samaritan, the doctor determines that they won't be delivering the baby at this time. Ideally, they'd like to deliver him around 34 weeks which means 2 weeks of bed rest in the hospital. The good news - they'll stop the mag and I can at least watch TV, read or surf the web. I'll be closely monitored - fetal heart beat 3 times per day and daily ultrasounds. If the baby's health changes, they may deliver him earlier than 34 weeks. They administer the second shot for the baby's lungs, too.

February 16 (How Quickly Things Change)
After the mag is stopped, I'm a whole new person. I am a functioning human being who can push myself up in bed and turn over. I can even shower and use the bathroom on my own. They decide to do ultrasounds twice a week instead of daily. Things are looking good or so I thought... After listening to his heart beat in the early afternoon, the doctor doesn't like the last 10 minutes of the report so I am scheduled for a BPP (Biophysical Profile) at 2:30P. The baby is scored on a scale of 0 to 8 during the BPP. He's consistently scored an 8/8, but not today... He scores a 4 out of 8. After returning to my room around 3:30P, the doctor has a party waiting for me. They will be doing a c-section immediately.

So, Carson James arrived 8 weeks early at 6:33P on Friday, Feb 16. He weighed 2 lbs and 6.8 oz. He was 15 inches in length. He was tiny, but feisty. He has continued to breathe on his own and requires no medications. We are grateful for him and his health. He has wonderful nurses in the NICU at Good Samaritan and they expect him to stay there for the next 4 weeks or longer if necessary.