Unexpected Hospital Stay

FYI- this is a long post. To say the least November has been what I'd like to call an eventful but yet uneventful month.
Saturday the 12th of November I had so much I had planned to do. Being admitted to the hospital was not on my list! I had woke up that morning and to our surprise started bleeding pretty bad, which is really really scary. Every reason flashed through my mind as I hysterically cried and cried. Shane being the level headed one packed Colson up to stay with my aunt and took me to the hospital. If things couldn't get more crazy on the way to the hospital I started to have pretty bad contractions.

When we first got to the hospital they just had me there for "observation". They got my bleeding to stop, but since my contractions started to get worse and 3-5 minutes apart they had to admit me. First they started giving me shots in my arms every 20 minutes. Supposedly the shots were for slowing down the contractions but they didn't work, so they started giving me a stronger medication by mouth which once again didn't slow my contractions. By this point they checked me for the second time and I had dilated from basically nothing to 2 centimeters so they decided it was time to start doses of steroids to help the baby's lungs in case they couldn't stop labor. As for their next attempt to stop labor they were going to start me on Magnesium. At this point I really had no idea what was about to happen to me for the next 30 hours. I should have known that it wasn't going to be good, when three nurses came in and started hooking up IVs and monitors and one nurse had me start filling out paperwork and signing release forms as fast as I could before they started giving me the magnesium.

Within 3 minutes of starting the magnesium I started feeling like I was on fire. I was sweating and they kept putting cold wash rags on my head. Next, I started feeling really sick and what do you know the wonderful Quizno's sandwich Shane had brought me was no longer in my stomach. After that I slowly began to loose control of my arms and legs. I could barely move. It was the worst thing I've ever experienced. No lie, I would have rather gone into full on labor without an epidural it was that bad. I would not wish magnesium on my worst enemy. I was only supposed to be on the magnesium for the next 24 hours, but it ended up being longer than that. Through this whole ordeal the blood lab would come in and poke me and take my blood. My arms were so bruised. I'd like to think of myself as a pretty tough girl, but it got to a point where I just wanted to cry when they would come into my room.

Well, I made it the 24 hours without delivering so they could give me the last dose of steroids for the baby. (Did I mention those shots were "peanut butter shots" and were given in my rump) Once again not fun!!!! They finally started to lower my magnesium levels which was wonderful!!!!! After they completely took me off the mag. they started giving me the meds I had been taking the day earlier.

In the end my doctor released me that Tuesday afternoon. But with the condition that I was still on medication and I had someone at home to help me with Colson for two weeks until I reached 36 weeks. (Once I reached 36 weeks they wouldn't stop my labor) Mom to the rescue. My mom has been here with us for the past two weeks which has been absolutely wonderful. She's washed dishes, done laundry, cleaned, bathed Colson, helped cook, changed diapers, picked Colson up and down for me you name it. It's been a huge help to not only me but to Shane as well so he could keep as focused as he could on school.

I am now 36 weeks and we could not be more excited that the next time I go into labor we get to see our sweet baby boy!!!!