Life in the Hospital
So I've been in the hospital for 12 days now for preterm labor. I came in on May 21 because I was having painful contractions every 3-7 min. for a couple hours. By the time I got here, they were about every 2.5 min., and I had gone from a fingertip dilated and 50% effaced on Thursday the 19th to 3 cm. and 80% effaced upon admission. I've been here ever since, and I'm now up to 4 cm. I spent 2 days in labor and delivery before getting moved up to the high risk antepartum floor last Monday. I never left my room until Friday, when they finally said I could do for a daily wheelchair ride for 15-20 min. Now my life is dictated by meds at 12A, 6A, 8A, 12P, 6P, 8P; hour-long monitoring at 6A, 2P, and 10P; and meals at 7:30A, 11:30A, and 4:30P. Needless to say, they don't let you sleep much at this place. My poor thighs look like they lost a fight thanks to all the heparin they're giving me (they take blood clot prevention very seriously around here). My compression stockings and boots are quite the fashion statements too. People say I must be ready to just get these babies out, but every day I can keep them in is 1-2 fewer days in the NICU for them, so I'll stay right where I am as long as I can, thank you very much.
Gabe is staying with my mom except when Neil's off, but she brings him to the hospital when it's time for Neil to get off work, so he can see us. Then Neil takes him back at bedtime. Gabe is loving taking me for rides. Just about as soon as he gets here, he starts asking about taking me for a ride. He even goes out and asks the nurses for a wheelchair. Then he decides where we should go. He could give guided tours of the hospital at this point. He can get to the cafeteria, the fountain, the parking lot, the helipad, Tim Horton's, both gift shops, the patio off the cafeteria, and of course my room. He loves riding the "elegator" up and down to the room. His favorite thing is, of course, seeing the helicopters come and go. He even got to sit in one yesterday (the helipad is at ground level here, not on the roof). He was soooo excited. Gabe and I share my dinner most days. He loves getting to eat in bed with me, though the nurses always laugh at all the food on the bed when they change it in the morning. He's stopped asking every day if I'm coming home with them, but he still asks occasionally. He seems to sort of understand now that I have to stay here until the babies come, but he doesn't understand why they can't come now.
Gabe is staying with my mom except when Neil's off, but she brings him to the hospital when it's time for Neil to get off work, so he can see us. Then Neil takes him back at bedtime. Gabe is loving taking me for rides. Just about as soon as he gets here, he starts asking about taking me for a ride. He even goes out and asks the nurses for a wheelchair. Then he decides where we should go. He could give guided tours of the hospital at this point. He can get to the cafeteria, the fountain, the parking lot, the helipad, Tim Horton's, both gift shops, the patio off the cafeteria, and of course my room. He loves riding the "elegator" up and down to the room. His favorite thing is, of course, seeing the helicopters come and go. He even got to sit in one yesterday (the helipad is at ground level here, not on the roof). He was soooo excited. Gabe and I share my dinner most days. He loves getting to eat in bed with me, though the nurses always laugh at all the food on the bed when they change it in the morning. He's stopped asking every day if I'm coming home with them, but he still asks occasionally. He seems to sort of understand now that I have to stay here until the babies come, but he doesn't understand why they can't come now.
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