The scare of my life
Today started out as any normal day. I woke up, got ready for work, went to work, stopped and got a snack on the way out, and spent the day out at my fire. It was a crazy busy day, hotter than you-know-what, I had lunch with my replacement at work, A, and my investigator, G at a Mexican place, and stopped on the way home to get a Gatorade.
I got home and realized around 6 pm that I hadn't felt my daughter move all day.
Panicked of course, I get online and start reading about fetal movements and what is customary at this point in the pregnancy. I stalk one of my pregnant friends online and ask her what I should do. She recommends that I eat and drink something cold. I get a Popsicle and down a full glass of tea. Nothing.
I call the on-call doctor and ask her what I should do. She tells me to eat a light dinner, drink a cold drink, and lie down for a while, but if the baby doesn't start up pretty quick, she wants me to go to Labor and Delivery at the hospital just to be sure. I try that and lie down for about forty-five minutes. I felt a few flutters, but nothing like I've felt the last few weeks. I call P (who is at his parents' house) just to let him know, and I can tell he's scared to death. He tells me to get ready and he's coming home to take me to the ER.
Does everyone remember the last time I was at the emergency room of my hospital??????
Anyway, it all turned out fine. They got me right into a private room, slapped a fetal monitor on me and a blood pressure cuff, and I got to joyously listen to my daughter's heartbeat uninterrupted for about forty-five minutes. It was the best sound I've ever heard. And surprisingly, my blood pressure is way down...116/63. I was very pleased to see that.
And of course, what does the little twerp do as soon as I get in there and her heartbeat is being monitored? She starts kicking me. HARD. So hard it comes off as static on the monitor. I was really relieved that we went in, but at the same time I felt kind of embarrassed, like I was making something out of nothing.
I think the worst thing about the whole night was seeing the worry on my husband's face. It was the same expression that he had the night I miscarried. I just don't know what I would have done if I had lost this baby. I went back tonight and reread my blog entries from after the miscarriage. And being in that ER...it was just too eerily familiar.
But the best thing about tonight was realizing that my daughter was okay and seeing my husband's look of relief when he realized that she was okay...hearing her heartbeat nice and strong on the monitor...and the nurse telling me that I have a "gorgeous baby girl" in there. At first, we were like, "Hello, did you do an ultrasound when we weren't looking?" but she told us that the heartbeat patterns are what she was calling gorgeous...they were fluctuating just like they should.
And of course, what is she doing now? Kicking me. HARD!
This is probably as good a time as any. I don't think I had posted the name we decided on in my blog...we were kind of holding off until she was born to announce it. But when we went and registered and the Target and Babies R Us peeps asked for the baby's name, P went ahead and told them what it was...so I guess we're safe.
*drum roll*
We're going to name her McKenna Lauren. If the ultrasound was wrong and it's a boy (which I seriously doubt), he'll be Diego Xavier.
The other cool thing about tonight was that I got to tour the labor and delivery area and see where I'll be giving birth. (Yes, I'm a dork and hadn't seen it yet. I mean, come on, let's get serious...it took me weeks just to register!!!) The rooms are VERY nice. Very big. Very clean. Very pretty. Beautiful hardwood floors.
Let's just hope my water breaks in the middle of the night or on the weekend and not in the field when I'm with A. Somehow I think she won't take it well. She told me today when we were in the field that she just started screaming when the last friend she was with went into labor. I'm going to have to come up with a plan to relax her so she can drive me to the hospital...either that or just have her drive her own car to ALL of our fires in October and just have P come get me, wherever I am.
Anyway, that was our exciting night.
I got home and realized around 6 pm that I hadn't felt my daughter move all day.
Panicked of course, I get online and start reading about fetal movements and what is customary at this point in the pregnancy. I stalk one of my pregnant friends online and ask her what I should do. She recommends that I eat and drink something cold. I get a Popsicle and down a full glass of tea. Nothing.
I call the on-call doctor and ask her what I should do. She tells me to eat a light dinner, drink a cold drink, and lie down for a while, but if the baby doesn't start up pretty quick, she wants me to go to Labor and Delivery at the hospital just to be sure. I try that and lie down for about forty-five minutes. I felt a few flutters, but nothing like I've felt the last few weeks. I call P (who is at his parents' house) just to let him know, and I can tell he's scared to death. He tells me to get ready and he's coming home to take me to the ER.
Does everyone remember the last time I was at the emergency room of my hospital??????
Anyway, it all turned out fine. They got me right into a private room, slapped a fetal monitor on me and a blood pressure cuff, and I got to joyously listen to my daughter's heartbeat uninterrupted for about forty-five minutes. It was the best sound I've ever heard. And surprisingly, my blood pressure is way down...116/63. I was very pleased to see that.
And of course, what does the little twerp do as soon as I get in there and her heartbeat is being monitored? She starts kicking me. HARD. So hard it comes off as static on the monitor. I was really relieved that we went in, but at the same time I felt kind of embarrassed, like I was making something out of nothing.
I think the worst thing about the whole night was seeing the worry on my husband's face. It was the same expression that he had the night I miscarried. I just don't know what I would have done if I had lost this baby. I went back tonight and reread my blog entries from after the miscarriage. And being in that ER...it was just too eerily familiar.
But the best thing about tonight was realizing that my daughter was okay and seeing my husband's look of relief when he realized that she was okay...hearing her heartbeat nice and strong on the monitor...and the nurse telling me that I have a "gorgeous baby girl" in there. At first, we were like, "Hello, did you do an ultrasound when we weren't looking?" but she told us that the heartbeat patterns are what she was calling gorgeous...they were fluctuating just like they should.
And of course, what is she doing now? Kicking me. HARD!
This is probably as good a time as any. I don't think I had posted the name we decided on in my blog...we were kind of holding off until she was born to announce it. But when we went and registered and the Target and Babies R Us peeps asked for the baby's name, P went ahead and told them what it was...so I guess we're safe.
*drum roll*
We're going to name her McKenna Lauren. If the ultrasound was wrong and it's a boy (which I seriously doubt), he'll be Diego Xavier.
The other cool thing about tonight was that I got to tour the labor and delivery area and see where I'll be giving birth. (Yes, I'm a dork and hadn't seen it yet. I mean, come on, let's get serious...it took me weeks just to register!!!) The rooms are VERY nice. Very big. Very clean. Very pretty. Beautiful hardwood floors.
Let's just hope my water breaks in the middle of the night or on the weekend and not in the field when I'm with A. Somehow I think she won't take it well. She told me today when we were in the field that she just started screaming when the last friend she was with went into labor. I'm going to have to come up with a plan to relax her so she can drive me to the hospital...either that or just have her drive her own car to ALL of our fires in October and just have P come get me, wherever I am.
Anyway, that was our exciting night.
posted by Erica at 10:53 PM
MoiraKatydid
emgonz
emgonz@msn.com
7 Comments:
(((HUGS))) I'm so happy that baby Mckenna Lauren is okay!
Same thing happened to me with DS2 - that's when we found out we were having a Ryan instead of an Elizabeth. Glad everything is okay!!
Erica, I am glad you did what you did. At least you have peace of mind. I had the same thing happen with DS. He was due June 29 and was born July 3. In that week, he barely moved. With my high blood pressure I was monitored every other day. I told the dr. my concern and she sent me straight off to the hospital. They did an ultrasound and all it was was that DS was in position and had hardly any room to move around.
I also love her name. It is so unique and pretty just like she will be. Best of luck!!
Thank goodness everything is great!! The larger babies grow, the less room there is to move around. The best way I can describe it is that the flutters and twists you used to feel from the baby will become pushes and shoves as she grows! LOL!!
I LOVE the name McKenna Lauren-- great choice!!
Now-- put your feet up (yeah, right!!) and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy- she'll be here before you know it!!
Oh sweetie, I am so glad that the wee one is kicking :) She was probably just having a little rest or a very long snooze :-)
So glad to hear that you and the little princess are doing well!
::chuckles to self at her own similar experience:: Oh, the memories. I did *exacly* the same thing with L, at just about the same point in my pregnancy, only we had trouble finding the heartbeat, which was terrifying. They even had to break out the buzzer to make him move. That worked! So glad everything is okay. And I love the name! :)
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