Thursday evening 1/29
We had another ultrasound today, and just got done reviewing the results with our high-risk pregnancy doctor, Dr. Drake. When we first saw my cervix today it was closed! I didn't even know that I was looking at my cervix at first because I haven't seen it closed in a long time! This of course meant that the baby's foot has also moved from out of my cervix so that it CAN close! Praise the Lord! In fact, the baby had his little legs, feet and arms above his head, blocking his face, so we couldn't get a good look at his cute profile. As the ultrasound progressed, however, my cervix started to open up again to the same point that it has been opening in the past two weeks, so our elation was short-lived. But we are still glad that things haven't gotten any worse since we were admitted to the hospital almost two weeks ago. The general conclusion is just that my cervix has decided to be weak (or dynamic as the doctor would say) and no amount of pressure, or lack of pressure, will change that. Because of this, doctor Drake has decided to cut back the amount of medicine I'm taking to reduce my amniotic fluid.
Dr. Drake has decided to go ahead and introduce a little more activity into my daily schedule--yay!! This means I get to take chair showers now! They have to be short, but I'll take what I can get! I guess I'll have to learn to shower in under 15 minutes! haha! After a weekend of chair showers, Dr. Drake wants to check me again on Monday (Feb. 2nd) to make sure I'm doing okay with the increase in "vertical time". Other than my chair showers though, I have to stay horizontal all day.
For the first time tonight, we kind of got a good idea of when I might be leaving the hospital to continue my bed rest at home. If the ultrasound looks good on Monday (Feb. 2nd), then Dr. Drake will let me take a couple of wheelchair rides each day to kind of mimic the activity I might have going home in the car or sitting up for meals. She will then check me by ultrasound again on Thursday (Feb. 5th), and if everything looks good, then she plans on sending me home! So, the earliest we will be home, might be around Feb. 5th-8th maybe! That is the best-case scenario. We pray that my body will keep up with the activity increase so that we might be able to go home soon. God knows best what I need, so we trust Him to give the doctors wisdom on when to send me home. If I were to go home, I would continue to see Dr. Drake weekly for ultrasounds to make sure everything is still okay.
Thank you for your continued prayers and concern. We are so thankful to the Lord for putting this baby's delivery "on hold" and sustaining things at a comfortable status quo for the last two weeks. We continue to pray for more time for the baby in my tummy. Like I said in an earlier blog, 28 weeks is kind of the goal for us now. We were told that at 28 weeks, the baby has 100% chance of living. We celebrated 26 weeks yesterday, on Wednesday! Praise the Lord, we're almost there!
Dr. Drake has decided to go ahead and introduce a little more activity into my daily schedule--yay!! This means I get to take chair showers now! They have to be short, but I'll take what I can get! I guess I'll have to learn to shower in under 15 minutes! haha! After a weekend of chair showers, Dr. Drake wants to check me again on Monday (Feb. 2nd) to make sure I'm doing okay with the increase in "vertical time". Other than my chair showers though, I have to stay horizontal all day.
For the first time tonight, we kind of got a good idea of when I might be leaving the hospital to continue my bed rest at home. If the ultrasound looks good on Monday (Feb. 2nd), then Dr. Drake will let me take a couple of wheelchair rides each day to kind of mimic the activity I might have going home in the car or sitting up for meals. She will then check me by ultrasound again on Thursday (Feb. 5th), and if everything looks good, then she plans on sending me home! So, the earliest we will be home, might be around Feb. 5th-8th maybe! That is the best-case scenario. We pray that my body will keep up with the activity increase so that we might be able to go home soon. God knows best what I need, so we trust Him to give the doctors wisdom on when to send me home. If I were to go home, I would continue to see Dr. Drake weekly for ultrasounds to make sure everything is still okay.
Thank you for your continued prayers and concern. We are so thankful to the Lord for putting this baby's delivery "on hold" and sustaining things at a comfortable status quo for the last two weeks. We continue to pray for more time for the baby in my tummy. Like I said in an earlier blog, 28 weeks is kind of the goal for us now. We were told that at 28 weeks, the baby has 100% chance of living. We celebrated 26 weeks yesterday, on Wednesday! Praise the Lord, we're almost there!
Elizabeth, I found you!!! I sent you an email awhile back and I thought I scared you when I said maybe I could come over and play games with you, when I didn't hear back from you. I saw Mollie at Walmart today and she told me you were over there. I do continue to pray for you all the time. I'm glad you are in such good hands, you know Dr Drake and the Lord's. Please take good care of yourself and little "Baby Smith". Love you guys and will follow up on you here on your blog. God knows where you are and is ever so much there with you. Love you always, Aunt Kathy
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