Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
27 Weeks 1 Day
Here we are at 27 weeks! Since we have been in the hospital for a month now we thought it might be interesting to some to see a rundown of Nanette schedule. Here goes.
12 Midnight: "Vitals" taken. The nurse's assistant (CNA) takes Nanette's temperature, blood pressure, and heartrate. This essential service ensures that she is still alive---thus, the catchy name.
At the same time, the nurse will come in and use an ultrasound device to measure the heart tones of both babies. Nanette is usually the one to find the hearts with the transducers as she happens to be there every time whereas the nurses come and go.
4am: Vitals and heart tones again. Every four hours all day long at the hours of 12, 4 and 8.
5am: Resident doctor does his or her "Rounds". Round is the right name as it indicates a full circle of one day to the next. It's that moment of the day when we hear music in the air in the form of Sonny and Cher's "I got you, babe" (ref: Groundhog Day). We wake up and know that, yes, we are still here in the hospital.
8am: Knock, knock! "Nutrition, may I come in?" Breakfast is served.
8:45am: After holding on to a few more minutes of sleep, breakfast is actually eaten.
9am: Vitals. Note that the 8am vitals never happened. This is because the nurses went through their 7am shift change which incapacitates them for quite some time. The nurse also comes in about now to give Nanette her pills.
10am: Phone rings. "Hello, this is Linda from internal medicine. Is Nanette ready for her NST?" She is wheeled over to internal medicine (about a 45 second wheechair ride) and the non-stress test lasts about an hour. It consists of the ultrasound and contraction monitors attached to Nanette for the duration.
12 noon-ish: Vitals and fetal heart tones. The 12-4-8 vitals and heart tones usually get off schedule some time between noon and midnight; often one gets skipped.
12:15 pm: Lunch is served.
1-8pm: One or two more rounds of vitals and fetal heart tones. As mentioned above, the schedule has usually fallen apart by now.
5pm: Dinner is served. Nanette usually waits an hour or so until her appetite (for hospital food!) returns.
9-10pm: One final vital and heart tones since the 8pm one was missed. "Don't worry." the nurse assures us, "We will get back on schedule at midnight. See you then!"
TREs: Totally Random Events. These can happen at any moment in the hours from 9am-9pm, but there is no guarantee that these events will happen at all in a given day.
-The attending physician comes to see how we are doing and answer questions.
-The blood folks come to draw blood. They want to draw blood every three days so that the record is "current". I want to introduce them to Google Docs for their record keeping given the seemingly transitory nature of their records.
-Housecleaning. They come to remove trash, take out the linens, and disinfect anything that was once living.
-The charge nurse comes to see how we are liking the nurses. We found out that we can essentially request to have or not have any given nurse. We like these visits.
-Recreational therapist. Jodi is perhaps the most officious person in the building (maybe the state?). She set Jared up with a desk (card table with tableclothe) and a new bed.
-Parent to Parent Volunteer: Becky volunteers to organize activities and gives general support to expecting mothers on bedrest.
-Nutrition (Heather being our favorite) visits or calls to get the order for the next meal. Often the order is put in when they deliver the last meal.
Note that all these routine and random events constitute the normal schedule. When Nanette is bleeding they call in the calvary and have in-room NSTs and more doctors and nurses visit her.
12 Midnight: "Vitals" taken. The nurse's assistant (CNA) takes Nanette's temperature, blood pressure, and heartrate. This essential service ensures that she is still alive---thus, the catchy name.
At the same time, the nurse will come in and use an ultrasound device to measure the heart tones of both babies. Nanette is usually the one to find the hearts with the transducers as she happens to be there every time whereas the nurses come and go.
4am: Vitals and heart tones again. Every four hours all day long at the hours of 12, 4 and 8.
5am: Resident doctor does his or her "Rounds". Round is the right name as it indicates a full circle of one day to the next. It's that moment of the day when we hear music in the air in the form of Sonny and Cher's "I got you, babe" (ref: Groundhog Day). We wake up and know that, yes, we are still here in the hospital.
8am: Knock, knock! "Nutrition, may I come in?" Breakfast is served.
8:45am: After holding on to a few more minutes of sleep, breakfast is actually eaten.
9am: Vitals. Note that the 8am vitals never happened. This is because the nurses went through their 7am shift change which incapacitates them for quite some time. The nurse also comes in about now to give Nanette her pills.
10am: Phone rings. "Hello, this is Linda from internal medicine. Is Nanette ready for her NST?" She is wheeled over to internal medicine (about a 45 second wheechair ride) and the non-stress test lasts about an hour. It consists of the ultrasound and contraction monitors attached to Nanette for the duration.
12 noon-ish: Vitals and fetal heart tones. The 12-4-8 vitals and heart tones usually get off schedule some time between noon and midnight; often one gets skipped.
12:15 pm: Lunch is served.
1-8pm: One or two more rounds of vitals and fetal heart tones. As mentioned above, the schedule has usually fallen apart by now.
5pm: Dinner is served. Nanette usually waits an hour or so until her appetite (for hospital food!) returns.
9-10pm: One final vital and heart tones since the 8pm one was missed. "Don't worry." the nurse assures us, "We will get back on schedule at midnight. See you then!"
TREs: Totally Random Events. These can happen at any moment in the hours from 9am-9pm, but there is no guarantee that these events will happen at all in a given day.
-The attending physician comes to see how we are doing and answer questions.
-The blood folks come to draw blood. They want to draw blood every three days so that the record is "current". I want to introduce them to Google Docs for their record keeping given the seemingly transitory nature of their records.
-Housecleaning. They come to remove trash, take out the linens, and disinfect anything that was once living.
-The charge nurse comes to see how we are liking the nurses. We found out that we can essentially request to have or not have any given nurse. We like these visits.
-Recreational therapist. Jodi is perhaps the most officious person in the building (maybe the state?). She set Jared up with a desk (card table with tableclothe) and a new bed.
-Parent to Parent Volunteer: Becky volunteers to organize activities and gives general support to expecting mothers on bedrest.
-Nutrition (Heather being our favorite) visits or calls to get the order for the next meal. Often the order is put in when they deliver the last meal.
Note that all these routine and random events constitute the normal schedule. When Nanette is bleeding they call in the calvary and have in-room NSTs and more doctors and nurses visit her.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
26 Weeks 6 Days
Bright and early at 7am one of our favorite nurses, Rachel, brought us some hot oatmeal from the Starbucks in the lobby of the hospital (out of her own pocket---this nurse has one foot in heaven already!). She wanted to make sure Nanette was not hunger for her 7:30am ultrasound.
The ultrasound measured the growth of the twins, which we had not measured for 4 weeks. Both babies are growing well. Baby A is about 1070 grams and Baby B is about 960 grams (2.6 and 2.1 lbs). This correlates to roughly the 75th and 35th percentiles. Given the 10% difference in estimated weight, we were worried about possible Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTF), but the doctor said they only get concerned when the difference is over 20%.
If you would like add specificity to your prayers for us, please add to them pulmonary hypoplasia. Due to the lack of fluid in the amniotic sacs, the twins' lungs are high risk for incomplete development. Some doctors told us the risk is highest for pPROM at 18-19 weeks and drops quite a bit by 22-23 weeks. But other doctors pointed out that there is still significant risk when pPROM occurs up to week 26. As a reminder our water broke at 22 weeks and 6 days. We appreciate all the prayers given on our behalf. We have felt them and know that they have been answered.
The ultrasound measured the growth of the twins, which we had not measured for 4 weeks. Both babies are growing well. Baby A is about 1070 grams and Baby B is about 960 grams (2.6 and 2.1 lbs). This correlates to roughly the 75th and 35th percentiles. Given the 10% difference in estimated weight, we were worried about possible Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTF), but the doctor said they only get concerned when the difference is over 20%.
If you would like add specificity to your prayers for us, please add to them pulmonary hypoplasia. Due to the lack of fluid in the amniotic sacs, the twins' lungs are high risk for incomplete development. Some doctors told us the risk is highest for pPROM at 18-19 weeks and drops quite a bit by 22-23 weeks. But other doctors pointed out that there is still significant risk when pPROM occurs up to week 26. As a reminder our water broke at 22 weeks and 6 days. We appreciate all the prayers given on our behalf. We have felt them and know that they have been answered.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
26 Weeks 4 Days
Today Nanette received beads of all shapes and sizes that represent days here, treatments, children, visitors, holidays spent at the hospital, and other events. The beads, which were given to her by the parent to parent volunteer, Becky, are meant to go on a ribbon necklace.
Cindy Davis came and gave Nanette a full hour-long foot massage to help her relax and keep the blood flowing. It was heavenly.
Cindy Davis came and gave Nanette a full hour-long foot massage to help her relax and keep the blood flowing. It was heavenly.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
26 Weeks 1 Day
The highlight of the day was seeing the kids. We had a long visit with all the kids except Eliza, who is in St. George this weekend with her aunt Jeanne. The kids had fun watching the Life Flight helicopter take off from the roof of Primary Children's Hospital. We watched Despicable Me, which Bobbi loaned to us. Listening to Daniel's belly laugh throughout the film was more enjoyable than the movie itself.
Dr. Draper spoke with us this morning and decided to optimistically schedule Nanette to be induced on April 15---34 weeks of gestation to the day. Yesterday Dr. Silver pointed out that since we have made it three weeks we have a high probability of making it several more. We are hoping and praying that we will indeed make it that far.
Dr. Draper spoke with us this morning and decided to optimistically schedule Nanette to be induced on April 15---34 weeks of gestation to the day. Yesterday Dr. Silver pointed out that since we have made it three weeks we have a high probability of making it several more. We are hoping and praying that we will indeed make it that far.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
25 Weeks 6 days
The last 24 hours have been pretty rough for Nanette. She started bleeding pretty heavily late last night and was kept up most of the night getting monitored and checked by the doctors/nurses and by her favorite pastime of worrying. Dr. Major told us that they suspect there is a small placenta abruption that is causing the bleeding.
Nanette requested that I ask everyone who reads this to pray for her to be calm and for her body to behave itself.
This evening, however, proved to be rather pleasant as several of Nanette's sisters and sisters-in-law came over for a nice dinner. The only part nicer than the dinner was the conversation.
She is getting monitored right now and the babies' heart rates look good. Baby A is at 152 bpm and baby B is at 139 bpm. So despite the ongoing bleeding the babies continue to do well.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
25 Weeks 4 days
All good news for the twins today! Nanette got to wash her hair for the first time in about a week. She looks gorgeous, which is no surprise.
Jared camped out at the hospital setting his laptop on a meal cart as an impromptu desk. The recreational therapist, Jody---after many failed attempts in the last two weeks---successfully made first contact with us. She was very helpful in getting a permanent desk (a card table) and a better hide-away bed.
Jared camped out at the hospital setting his laptop on a meal cart as an impromptu desk. The recreational therapist, Jody---after many failed attempts in the last two weeks---successfully made first contact with us. She was very helpful in getting a permanent desk (a card table) and a better hide-away bed.
Monday, February 14, 2011
25 Weeks 3 days - Part II
Nanette's Valentines poem referred to in the last post:
My Home
Within the budding years of youth
I feared the rocky way ahead,
Proclaimed I would not follow there,
But find my own safe path instead.
To friends I swore no risk I'd take.
From lovers' vows I would refrain,
And choose instead a lonely road
Which beckons neither love nor pain.
As I set off I glanced once more
To see the path I'd left behind.
I saw a harbor waiting there
Of peace and cheer and comfort kind.
I found my home within your arms
All safe and warm in your embrace.
Your gentleness and strength - my all
Your tenderness - my mortal grace.
My Home
Within the budding years of youth
I feared the rocky way ahead,
Proclaimed I would not follow there,
But find my own safe path instead.
To friends I swore no risk I'd take.
From lovers' vows I would refrain,
And choose instead a lonely road
Which beckons neither love nor pain.
As I set off I glanced once more
To see the path I'd left behind.
I saw a harbor waiting there
Of peace and cheer and comfort kind.
I found my home within your arms
All safe and warm in your embrace.
Your gentleness and strength - my all
Your tenderness - my mortal grace.
25 Weeks 3 days
Happy Valentines Day.
Nanette's non-stress test (NST) today looked good, or so she was initially told. Both babies had good heart rate elevations, which indicate a healthy response to activity. But then a few hours later the resident doctor ordered a second NST because the heart rate of one baby was "too elevated". So Nanette underwent another hour of monitoring with the promise (threat?) that if she didn't pass she would be spending the night at a Labor and Delivery room, which we lovingly call "The Chamber". Thankfully, she passed the second NST and it's the good life of only being disturbed every other hour all night long.
Nanette also provided a little romance by giving a card with a full four-stanza poem to Jared. She included three dinner mints that she has been saving from her meal trays. Jared had previously given her some movies and a new cell phone. At night we watched the old Jimmy Stewart legal thriller, "The Anatomy of a Murder". It was hospital romance at its finest.
Nanette's non-stress test (NST) today looked good, or so she was initially told. Both babies had good heart rate elevations, which indicate a healthy response to activity. But then a few hours later the resident doctor ordered a second NST because the heart rate of one baby was "too elevated". So Nanette underwent another hour of monitoring with the promise (threat?) that if she didn't pass she would be spending the night at a Labor and Delivery room, which we lovingly call "The Chamber". Thankfully, she passed the second NST and it's the good life of only being disturbed every other hour all night long.
Nanette also provided a little romance by giving a card with a full four-stanza poem to Jared. She included three dinner mints that she has been saving from her meal trays. Jared had previously given her some movies and a new cell phone. At night we watched the old Jimmy Stewart legal thriller, "The Anatomy of a Murder". It was hospital romance at its finest.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
25 Weeks 2 days
A really boring day or two. Thank goodness.
The kids, except for Daniel who was at a birthday party, came to visit yesterday. We had a great time and they discovered that when the couch pulls out into a bed, it leaves a cavity underneath which is perfect for hiding. They instantly called for a game of hide and seek. It was a short game.
The kids, except for Daniel who was at a birthday party, came to visit yesterday. We had a great time and they discovered that when the couch pulls out into a bed, it leaves a cavity underneath which is perfect for hiding. They instantly called for a game of hide and seek. It was a short game.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
25 Weeks 1 Day
Last night was the roughest we've had since our first night here. Nanette started hemorrhaging badly and she was sent to a Labor and Delivery room to be monitored. They gave her Magnesium Sulfate to help slow down labor and for neuroprotection of the twins. She was monitored heavily all night and slept little if at all.
Nanette's uterine activity calmed down within an hour or two of coming to the L&D room. Contractions backed off to 1-2 per hour and the bleeding essentially stopped. So as of this morning, we are scheduled to move back to the "The Suite" in the Women's Special Care Unit. In fact, Dr. Porter just dropped in to say we were free to go (his outgoing comment as he looked at the remains of Nanette's breakfast, "Are those potatoes? I know those aren't eggs!").
Daniel had come up yesterday to have a little sleepover, but we had to call Wade to come and get him at about 10pm. Poor kid! That's twice now that he has had to scrap his plans for a sleepover. We still had a good time watching Sprited Away prior to all the craziness.
Nanette's uterine activity calmed down within an hour or two of coming to the L&D room. Contractions backed off to 1-2 per hour and the bleeding essentially stopped. So as of this morning, we are scheduled to move back to the "The Suite" in the Women's Special Care Unit. In fact, Dr. Porter just dropped in to say we were free to go (his outgoing comment as he looked at the remains of Nanette's breakfast, "Are those potatoes? I know those aren't eggs!").
Daniel had come up yesterday to have a little sleepover, but we had to call Wade to come and get him at about 10pm. Poor kid! That's twice now that he has had to scrap his plans for a sleepover. We still had a good time watching Sprited Away prior to all the craziness.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
24 Weeks 6 Days
Major event today: we got a free room upgrade to the floor suite. We moved to room 2309 and it is bigger and better in so many ways. It has two big windows that look out onto the Salt Lake basin. It's absolutely beautiful (when there is no inversion, of course). Even has a remote for the DVD player. But the best part about the new room is the HVAC. The old room had a noisy large fan that was always on. The new room is on the regular HVAC system---nice and quiet.
They run a tight ship around here. 5am comes and the resident shows up (right on schedule for her daily round) to announce that Nanette will be having an ultrasound today. At 7:30am we get a phone call and within minutes the technician arrives to cart Nanette to Maternal Fetal Medicine. We were back by 8am. Both babies appeared to have very little fluid but they did have bladders---which is what they were looking for.
Nanette is spending her first night alone at the hospital. Let's all pray it goes well for her.
They run a tight ship around here. 5am comes and the resident shows up (right on schedule for her daily round) to announce that Nanette will be having an ultrasound today. At 7:30am we get a phone call and within minutes the technician arrives to cart Nanette to Maternal Fetal Medicine. We were back by 8am. Both babies appeared to have very little fluid but they did have bladders---which is what they were looking for.
Nanette is spending her first night alone at the hospital. Let's all pray it goes well for her.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
24 Weeks 5 Days
Still hanging in there. Nanette is now getting daily Non-Stress Tests (NSTs). This is an extended monitoring of the babies' heartrates.
Everyday counts big at this stage and we are grateful to have made it one more.
Everyday counts big at this stage and we are grateful to have made it one more.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
24 Weeks 4 days
I forgot to mention that we went on a tour of the NICU yesterday. We saw the grand daughters of a coworker of Jared's. They were born at 26 weeks and will be discharged in the next couple weeks.
Today, Isabella and Sam came to visit thanks to Bobbi.
Today, Isabella and Sam came to visit thanks to Bobbi.
24 Weeks 3 days
Today was calm until evening. Nanette started to get really crampy and that made her very scared. Dr. Swensen came and checked on her and decided that nothing had changed and she was not in labor. Nanette calmed down and prayed that she would have no more contractions during the night. She had just one before she fell asleep and no more the rest of the night.
We had a great nurse and aid this evening as well. Nara, from Brazil, told us how she came to America 24 years ago from the generous gift of a rich judge. She recommended "Why We Forgive" by Terry Warner. We will have to check it out, but Nara keeps buying out all the CDs from Deseret Book so it might be hard to find.
Still pregnant!
We had a great nurse and aid this evening as well. Nara, from Brazil, told us how she came to America 24 years ago from the generous gift of a rich judge. She recommended "Why We Forgive" by Terry Warner. We will have to check it out, but Nara keeps buying out all the CDs from Deseret Book so it might be hard to find.
Still pregnant!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
24 Weeks 2 days
Today was a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride. Nanette was hemorrhaging this morning and we were very fearful that she was going into labor. By midday she was having contractions at an unsettling frequency. But by this evening she was back to the normal one contraction every hour or two and the hemorrhaging has slowed down.
The doctors tell us that a slight abruption of the placenta is common with PROM and that some bleeding may continue for weeks.
Lynette brought by a few DVDs and we watched a National Geographic one this evening. We still need to finish the BBC series Lark Rise to Candleford that she got us hooked on.
The doctors tell us that a slight abruption of the placenta is common with PROM and that some bleeding may continue for weeks.
Lynette brought by a few DVDs and we watched a National Geographic one this evening. We still need to finish the BBC series Lark Rise to Candleford that she got us hooked on.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
24 Weeks 1 day
Today was a Saturday and it seemed to go by quickly. In the morning, Nanette took a 20 minute wheelchair ride around the hospital. It turns out, the hospital tour is not a big tourist draw for good reason; but it was great for Nanette to get out of her little room for the first time in eight days.
We had many visitors today and even ordered pizza from The Pie Pizzeria. FYI, a 24" pizza is a HUGE pizza. Luckily we had help from a few nurses to down it. TeriLyn, Jared's sister who has watched the kids this weekend, brought all three boys to the hospital for a pizza party.
For a special treat, Nathan is staying the night. He decided that he is going to fast for his mom to keep those twins safe for as long as possible.
We had many visitors today and even ordered pizza from The Pie Pizzeria. FYI, a 24" pizza is a HUGE pizza. Luckily we had help from a few nurses to down it. TeriLyn, Jared's sister who has watched the kids this weekend, brought all three boys to the hospital for a pizza party.
Friday, February 4, 2011
24 Weeks
We have made it to 24 weeks and still pregnant! It has been a full week since Nanette's water broke.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
23 Weeks 5 days
The nurse this morning could not find baby A's heartbeat with the Doppler device so Dr. Heuser (she is incredible) came by with a portable ultrasound machine. The babies moved in the night and are now stacked on top of each other. Both look great.
The doctor said the fluid in the ruptured sac looks good. Adequate fluid remaining in a ruptured sac has been shown to be a significant factor in carrying pregnancies beyond 25 weeks as well as reducing the incidence of chorioamnionitis and infant mortality. So fluid levels are always on our minds and Nanette drinks plenty of water to help keep herself well hydrated.
We wanted to post a picture of the flowers that people have brought or delivered. The nurse came in and said, "Wow your room smells so good!" And it's true. Thank you!
The doctor said the fluid in the ruptured sac looks good. Adequate fluid remaining in a ruptured sac has been shown to be a significant factor in carrying pregnancies beyond 25 weeks as well as reducing the incidence of chorioamnionitis and infant mortality. So fluid levels are always on our minds and Nanette drinks plenty of water to help keep herself well hydrated.
We wanted to post a picture of the flowers that people have brought or delivered. The nurse came in and said, "Wow your room smells so good!" And it's true. Thank you!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
23 Weeks 4 Days
We gained 2 "free" days today. The due date according to the the LMP (Last Menstrual Period) is May 29. However, the 12 week ultrasound gave us a due date of May 27. Also in the most recent ultrasounds the twins are measuring big so the doctors are going with May 27 as the official due date. This means we are at 23 weeks and 4 days and all the blog titles need updating.
Nanette fell asleep today while her Nook Color was reading a very short P.D. Eastman kids story to her. It was adorable.
I added another page to the blog that details some quick information about PPROM. Check out the link at the upper left side of the home page.
Nanette fell asleep today while her Nook Color was reading a very short P.D. Eastman kids story to her. It was adorable.
I added another page to the blog that details some quick information about PPROM. Check out the link at the upper left side of the home page.
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