False Alarm...Thank the Lord!

Well, we had a little bit of a scare today. I went in for my routine (well, routine for me), NST (Non Stress Test) that my OB doctor does on Levi every Friday. This involves putting monitors on my tummy that monitor his heart rate and movement. I have to push a button every time I feel him move. The nurse hooks me all up and leaves the room. I was in there for about 10 minutes, and he wasn't moving much. My doctor came in, her eyes widen, and she said, "Well, it looks like we are going to have to deliver today." WHAT????? I just had an excellent report from the fetal specialist on Wednesday, he said that Levi looks great and that it looks like I could go full term, as long as he doesn't start experiencing any problems. So, to hear this out of the blue, my heart just sank. Of course, my first thought was a C-section because I am still 6 weeks early. She checked my cervix, and I am 2 cm. dialated, his head is down and and he is in position, so I possibly could have been induced. The reason she was thinking I needed to deliver was because the whole time I had been on the monitor, his heart rate was 170. Normal fetal heart rate is 120 - 160. Being a high risk pregnancy, she didn't know if Levi was having problems. So, she left the room to go call my fetal specialist, and I called Jacob. Poor Jacob, that is not was he was expecting to hear..."We have to deliver today." He left work, went home to get our bag (that has been packed for weeks now...just in case), and the carseat. While he was doing all of this, the doctor came back in the room and saw that Levi's heart rate had come down to a normal range, and he began moving around. She said, "Well, maybe we won't have to deliver today"....good words I wanted to hear. She was waiting for my fetal doctor to call her back, so I stayed on the monitors, waiting to see what would happen.

The whole time I kept thinking, "I can't deliver. I've got to get to 38 wks." The fetal doctor said Levi's liver will be good and developed at 38 wks, and the better his liver is, the better he will recover from all of this antibody business once he is born. Now, I know that if Levi is having problems in the womb, then it's better for him to deliver, but he has been doing so well...I just didn't know what to think.

Long story short, the rest of the time Levi was on the monitors, he was doing great, heart rate around 150. My fetal doctor was out of the office today, but his partner and my OB doctor agreed to let me go home and for me to come back on Monday to do another NST and an ultrasound. So, we didn't have to deliver today...WHEW! I told my doctor, "You know I am going to be worried all weekend?" She said, as long as he is moving, that is your best indicator that he is doing well. So, of course I am wanting to feel him move constantly for reassurance, but I have to be patient. He moves frequently. He is so cramped in there, I don't know how he moves at all, but I feel confident that he is okay...I KNOW God's hands are holding him and taking care of him.

I can't even describe the feelings Jacob and I have had today. It was such an emotional roller coaster, one minute everything is fine, the next minute we're having a pre-mature baby TODAY, to the next minute everything is okay.....it was exhausting. We both had upset stomachs for the rest of the day, and took a nice nap together. It just made us realize even more that ANYTHING can happen at ANY moment, especially with a high risk pregnancy.

So, today I am 34 wks. 2 days pregnant. Sept. 10 will be 38 wks....I'm looking forward to that day! Then, I think I can breathe a little easier! I'm 2 cm. dialated and having contractions....Braxton Hicks...they don't hurt...thank goodness. Next week, I go to the doctor Mon., Wed., and Fri......can I just say, "Thank the Lord for insurance and for HMO plans for that matter!!!!" I start back to work on Monday, so I'm praying they will be understanding of all my doctor's appt. The students don't start back until the 25th, so I have another week to get ready for that.

Please keep us and little Levi in your prayers!