Excitement!

Well yesterday was my first real excitement during my 4 week hospital stay.  Yes, today I am at day 29 and still counting.  

The babies showed a dramatic, almost instantous shift in their heart rate baselines.  While a shift is normal, shows signs of maturity, and is overall a good thing, the sudden shift was a shock and a little scarey for me.  We've see the babies heart rate in the 150s as a rule and all of sudden yesterday it dropped to 110s.  

This drop occured one other time before, but quickly came back up.  Today it continued to dramatically flunctate for the remainder of the afternoon.  My doctor was not alarmed because the rates were still in a normal range.  I knew in my head everything was ok (if not the nurses would be running in), but such a dramatic shift was not what I was used to seeing.

As the evening went on, the rates continued in this new pattern and after seeing my doc I was reassured that it was definitely a switch in baseline and great varibility, showing a sign that the babies contiuned to be healthy and mature a good rate.

Several hours later, a shift in my nursing staff and a drop to the high 90s was cause for new alarm.  I initally was not concerned because it was in the range that my OB had just seen.  The night shift nurses however were concerned and one of the other doctors in the practice was called in (my doc had been up for 24 hours and wanted to come in only if there was going be a delivery).  I asked for my nurse to be blunt about what she thought might happen and she said an impending delivery.  AHHHHHH!!!!  Ok, take a breath.

Needless to say, the next 45 minutes was excitement....from me putting on an oxygen mask, to the IV being prepped, to having to change from my regular clothes to a hospital gown - just in case.  I was prepared for the idea that this could happen and soon, the babies shifted again and brought their heart rates up.  My doc did come in because of course she couldn't sleep not knowing what was going on.

For now, the monitoring belts lay firmly affixed to my belly and the babies baseline remains lower, but the excitement has passed.  My wish for a non-eventful stay has been interrupted, but events are great preparation.