The Dotsons

Last night was another restless night in the hospital!  I just cannot get any quality sleep/rest here!  Rhett and Caleb left to go home for the night at around 9pm (let's just say that Caleb's schedule hasn't been exactly normal these past few days...but he's been a trooper!).  At around 10:30pm, they hooked me up to the contraction monitor and Aubrey's monitor (they do this for 30 minutes at each shift change).  Everything was still the same...contractions far apart, so the night went on as usual.  Vitals at midnight...then I tried to go to sleep, but got terrible heartburn - ugh!  I called the nurse and she gave me some Mylanta, which helped.  I decided not to take the sleeping meds (Ambien) again b/c I thought maybe I'd sleep better in this more comfortable bed.  I think my mind is just racing too much and add the bathroom breaks and nurse interruptions and it's just really hard to sleep.  Actually, I got up at least once an hour to go to the bathroom...that's the real sleep killer right there. 

Anyway, my night nurse told me that the Mag was going to run out at around 8am so we'd see what happened from there.  I was so tired and groggy this morning that I didn't really think about what time it was or that the Mag was going to run out.....and not long after 8am, I started feeling contractions (not painful, just the tightening).  Dr. Tran came to check on me right around then and I told her about the contractions so they hooked me up to the monitor and sure enough I was contracting (can't remember the frequency) but Dr.T decided to start it back up until after 2pm, which is when it would officially be 48 hours since they started it (from Tues until today)....48 hours is a standard time-frame to run the Mag and Dr. T said that the main reason they were doing it was to give the steroids time to kick in for Aubrey's lungs (which is 48 hours).

Once they started it, I responded almost immediately and the contractions spaced back out.  Not much went on after that for a while.  Rhett and Caleb showed up for lunch and then Caleb got cranky so Rhett put him down for a nap on his nap mat (with the cover that I sewed!).  There wasn't much interruption around this time so Caleb slept for a solid hour, then woke up, and Rhett managed to get him back to sleep for another 45 minutes. I tried to sleep but just went in and out of consciousness...not truly sleeping.  Rhett did some work stuff.

They officially stopped the Mag at 3:10pm this afternoon.  Dr. Tran came by not long after and we talked about the "plan" from here on out.  I am already having contractions (closer than they were with the mag....with it, I was barely having any, really).  I am also feeling these contractions in my back as well as the tightening in my stomach.  They are still not painful, though.  I actually could have potentially gone home tonight but she said if I wanted to stay another night I could.  I'm nervous about going home just yet since we barely stopped the mag so I'm staying another night.

In the morning, she will check my cervix to see if I've dilated (beyond the 3cm I'm already at).  If I have NOT dilated...and my contractions are still far enough apart (15+ minutes, I believe...it's hard to remember everything!), then I am free to go home and wait it out!  If I am dilated and/or if my contractions are close together...then I am staying....and we will have a baby soon.  Well, we could still have a baby soon even if I go home.  There will definitely be no more magnesium - it's just wait and see what happens!  Could be tonight...could be this weekend....could be 2 weeks from now!  Just depends on what my body does!  (and God's timing, of course!)

I originally thought that they'd keep me on the mag til 36 weeks to keep Aubrey in, but I was wrong.  (again, there is so much info and we've talked so many times it is hard to keep everything straight to be honest!).  Dr. T said that the real reason they gave me the mag was to try to keep her in long enough for the steroid shots (48 hrs)...and that time has already passed.  She also said that studies are not showing that mag will for sure prevent pre-term labor....meaning, they could keep giving it to me but I could still go into labor while on it.  And, they don't want to keep me on it for an extended period of time b/c it can build up in my body and cause unwanted side effects/problems.  If I go into labor now, they will not try to stop it.

SO, in short........no more Mag Sulfate....she comes when God decides it's time for her to come!  Now we are just waiting!  Rhett thinks it'll be this weekend....I have no guess but I'm pretty sure we're having a July baby and not an August baby!

I'll try to update again tomorrow when we know more.

Please continue to pray for Aubrey's health and for mine!  Also, it would be really awesome if I did not go into labor tonight because we've planned for Rhett to stay with Caleb another night at home....so feel free to pray for that, too!  :-)  Of course, he'd be up here in a flash if I did go into labor....it just wouldn't be ideal.


(oh, and I have forgotten to mention that we were originally supposed to go to Baton Rouge this weekend for Rhett's sister's wedding!  obviously that is not happening and we are sad to miss it, but the Lord has other plans!  guess we will just have to catch it on video someday....)