Hospital

Well, the trials of pregnancy continue. After having been bed-ridden for about six weeks during her first trimester Brenna is back in the hospital at the beginning of her third trimester. She was having some spotting and cramping through Friday night, so she called the doc Saturday morning, and we went in so the doc could get a better idea of what was going on. While there, the doc discovered that there was very little amniotic fluid and that the amniotic sack had likely ruptured. One possible reason for such a rupture is infection, and if infection has crept in then the baby needs to be delivered.

So, not good news there. In addition, because Bren is only 27 weeks along she couldn't stay at our normal hospital because they can't handle premies earlier than 30 weeks. So they sent us to Presbyterian/St. Luke's downtown. Apparently, they're the best premie care center around and have a fantastic NICU. We're grateful for that. When we got there, the docs took a look via ultrasound and concurred that very little amniotic fluid was present thereby making it difficult to take a sample and test for infection. So, they put Bren on antibiotics and told her they would watch for normal signs of infection--tenderness, fever, etc. They also indicated that the baby could stay in the womb as long as possible unless one of three factors was present--infection, the body naturally begins the delivery process or the baby is under stress. Well, the body is not trying to deliver, and the baby is not under stress--normal heart rate, normal signs of growth, etc., and because no signs of infection (other than the ruptured amniotic sack) have exhibited themselves, they are not going down the road of early delivery. This is good because 28 weeks is a real bellweather mark in determining how well a premie will do. And, of course, the more weeks tacked on the better and easier the transition from womb to the world.

In addition, the baby is in breach position currently and therefore, they would perform a C-section if they were going to take the baby early. Certainly not the worst thing in the world, but something we would choose to avoid if we can. Also, the baby is only 2 lb 9 oz right now and that just seems so unbelievably tiny. So, Brenna is at the hospital while I and the children are here at home.

The good news is that Bren and the baby both seem very healthy and we have every reason to be completely optimistic that everything will turn out just fine. The bad news is that it looks like Bren has a prolonged hospital stay ahead of her. This will be challenging for many reasons (school, work, emotional, etc.), but it is certainly something we feel we will be able to meet head on.

We have an amazing ward and friends in the community. Our families rally around us, and we feel incredibly blessed. I have felt the Spirit very strongly over the last few days and I continue to be amazed and the kindness and goodness people exhibit. We have seen many Christ-like examples during this pregnancy, and our hope is that we can learn from these examples and reach out to others in like manner. The Lord is good, and I, personally, am grateful for his guiding hand.