high anxiety

Shelby went to the birthing center today for an appointment where it was planned that she would have another prostaglandin treatment as well as having all other vitals checked once again. After sitting in traffic (the trip took 45 min. instead of 20) she went in and had another non-stress test done. Riley’s heart rate was 80 (a sign of fetal stress, rather than the 110 t0 150 that it usually is). So she was sent over to the hospital for monitoring. She received the prostaglandin there.

I was at work, and I got a call from her (the caller ID said “BEVERLY HOSPITAL”; that got the blood racing) telling me that everything was OK but they wanted her to stay. At lunch I went to see her. Even though she’s feeling like a pincushion (IV inserted, five blood samples taken) she’s doing fine. Aside from being more bored than usual and even less comfortable than usual that is. Hospital beds are not built for comfort. (I wonder what they are built for.) She was having mild contractions that where 2.5 to 3 min. apart. Riley was looking strong during them (praise God!)

At 4pm she gave me the news that she’s definitely staying the night. The mild contractions that she had been having were lessening, so it looks like labor isn’t starting yet. Next they’ll be inserting a balloon catheter into her cervix that will stay there for 12 hours. The hope is that it will stimulate labor. The doctor wants her to stay to the end of his shift (6am) for monitoring. If labor hasn’t started at that point Shelby will get to go home.

There are a bunch of pros and cons here. If she stays and labor starts it means Riley will be born in the hospital, and we’ll have our son to take home with us. Not the optimal location since there is more of a possibility of interventions if she stays there (and it’s not as homey a setting), but he’ll be with us in the outside world quicker. If labor doesn’t start and Shelby gets to go home tomorrow, there’s still the chance of having Riley in the birthing center with the natural childbirth that we have wanted so very much to have. Better location and process, it just means more waiting…

I hate waiting.

So it’s been a day of anxiety for both of us. Shelby has had to spend most of the day in the hospital alone. I’ve spent the day at the office freaking out about my wife being in the hospital. Not fun.

Through all of this our blessing of a baby boy seems perfectly content to stay right where he is. Must be a comfy place.

Hopefully we’ll have more exciting news tomorrow.

Jonathan