The Hospital

I called the doctor early the morning of Good Friday to discuss concerns. I was 20 weeks 2 days pregnant. The doctor told me the office was closed that day, so I should go to labor triage at the hospital and they would check me out. I told my husband that I would be going to the hospital, but he should not worry because I was sure it was nothing. We were beyond the risky time of pregnancy anyway. Nothing could be really wrong at 20 weeks. Plus, just three days earlier we had the anatomical ultrasound and everything looked great.

I got to the hospital, filled out paperwork, and waited for someone to check on me. All the while, I was getting more nervous that something might really be wrong. While I waited, I listed to the woman on one side of me take a non-stress test because she was worried that her 7th child who was due in a week or two had seemed to be moving less (the baby was fine the doctor reported), and the girl on the other side who was trying to decide whether her baby should go to the same pediatrician she was going to and her mother debating whether the baby's state insurance plan would cover everything (she was sure her insurance plan wouldn't cover a second generation). My husband called to say that he was going to come to the hospital as soon as he could leave work, but I told him not to rush and to call before he left because they would be doing an exam any minute and I would probably be leaving by the time he got there.

Finally a resident did the exam and found that I was several centimeters dilated with Caiden's amniotic sack poking through. She informed me that the hospital did not consider a baby to be viable until 23 weeks and there was very little chance I would make it that far. She said they would do an ultrasound shortly to see how the babies were holding up. My husband called around that time and I said "Are you coming??" (all I could manage to get out without breaking down). The ultrasound machine was brought in, but then was needed in the OR (apparently the hospital only has one mobile ultrasound unit??), so I waited... When my husband arrived, the doctor explained the situation. We saw the ultrasound and both babies were doing well with strong heartbeats. The doctor decided to admit me. I was placed into a special bed that raised my hips above my head to help keep the babies in.

Shortly after being admitted, one of my doctors (who was on call that day) came in to discuss our options: do nothing and see what happens, initiate labor and deliver the babies, undergo a procedure that would deliver the babies without us seeing them, talk to a high risk obstetrician. We chose to talk to a high risk obstetrician, who presented two additional options: take anti-contraction medicine (I was having contractions, though I didn't feel them) and try to postpone labor, attempt a "delayed delivery" in which we would deliver one baby, then try to stop labor and save the second twin. We opted for the anti-contraction medicine. We didn't want to do nothing and certainly didn't want to choose to lose one or both babies. In the meantime, my doctor had ordered that I couldn't eat anything for the rest of the day, so I forcibly fasted for Good Friday.

By Friday night we had several family members at the hospital with us. My husband, my mother-in-law and I played Uno (but I couldn't lift my head, so they had to tell me what the top card on the pile was and then I would hand them my card to top the pile). Saturday passed much the same. We had another ultrasound, which showed that the babies were still doing fine. However, it showed that there had been no improvement in our situation. I was still several centimeters dilated and Caiden's sack was still poking through. We contacted friends asking for their prayers. My husband told me "If you're not sleeping, you should be praying. Those are your only options."


We had some really special support in our couple of days there. My sister-in-law, who hadn't done any city driving since a bad accident several months before, drove herself to the hospital, braving a drive that even makes me nervous. My grandmother was with us the whole time, keeping my mother sane. My husband never left my side, except a few trips to the hospital chapel. My mother and mother-in-law were with us during (and beyond) all visiting hours. In addition, we had a couple of very special nurses.