Hospital Bed Rest

16-11-2011 (24 weeks)

Nov 4th, the day I got admitted (22 weeks)

November 30th- 26 weeks

This wonderful feeling fills me.. Today there was a bedside scan. From morning I was waiting for it, and I had planned to ask doc to show me the monitor during scanning. DrSri came did the scan and I mustered the courage to ask her. She said 'sure', and turned the monitor towards me. First I saw the usual B&W moving unruly waves, then suddenly the tiny body came into focus. My baby was lying on his/her back, very calmly as if sleeping, but moving the tiny hands. the little knees were up, supported on the back and feet. I fell in love instantly. Then the scanner moved ever so lightly inside me and the scene shifted. Now I saw a constantly moving baby, it was difficult to make out the head, body, hands etc. But I saw the baby moving and sort of saw the head. I could almost hear the giggles of a little baby! Then doctor shifted scanner again and I saw what looked like total chaos. Baby C was jumping up and down! A very blurred, constant motion, like a flash, that's it. I was not feeling many kicks, but the baby was certainly kicking. Then the screen was blank as she removed the scanner.

Babies are OK, she said. 'Baby C is very active, that's why you couldn't make out the image. Now you should start counting the number of kicks and mark it on a paper'. So I started kick counting from today. Baby C was jumping and moving like a spear. Me and Ramesh nicknamed him/her 'Chattu'. Baby A was much less active. And surprisingly once I got a real kick from Baby B! Actually that was the only kick, every other movement was just movement, sort of wriggling. I am worried about it. So even if I am doing the kick counting, it is not really making much sense.

01-12-2011 (26 weeks)

Today there was a test to see if I had tendency for gestational diabetics. I was asked to drink two full cups of sweet water. They took my blood samples before and after the test. I got the results soon enough, they said I was low-risk. (It seems my blood sugar level is much less than the standard 140 mg/dL. Besides I do not have a family history of diabetics).

17-12-2011 (28 weeks)

Crossed another milestone. My babies have developed their lungs it seems. I was given an injection for lung maturity of the babies, called Betnesol. I have this habit of going online about every tiny thing- may be because I am jobless, taking bed rest and not allowed to even sit up to write. So all I have is my mobile phone to keep checking internet. I know, it is bad, the radiation is bad. I am praying as much as possible, reading books, but not much, watching TV at times. It is quite boring. Anyway..so while checking net and reading stories of other multiples, I came across this story about a baby born in 27 weeks and survived after a lot of effort from the doctors. Also there are sad stories about babies who could not make it. I feel for the mothers, and the stories are making me get prepared for anything that may come.

Betnesol injection is required only if pre-term labor is suspected to happen within a week. I don't think it will happen, however I did not object when the medicine was prescribed. Its effect will last only for another week. Baby movements considerably reduced after the injection and I was concerned. Nurses said it was only a temporary side effect. They took the fetal heartbeat, and I listened to the beautiful rhythm of fast beating little hearts. My heart leaps with the memory of that music.

20-12-2011

Tomorrow I will complete 29 weeks! Previous night my BP was quite low- 100/60, body became weak and movements became difficult. Now it feels better. Today morning when DrSri came, she was accompanied by a battalion of nurses, and I forgot all the doubts I wanted to ask her. She said that the right due date is March 8th, I have to try and carry at least till February 1st. She asked if I am doing kick counts, if the movements are OK etc. How am I supposed to know if the counts are real baby kicking, or if it is only gas? I wish she spends some time here in peace and talk to me. Then I could ask whatever I wanted to know. At least with DrTC, there was enough time. Then when I was thinking this, DrTC came. When he saw me with the kick count charts he made fun of it saying that 'Goodness! you will need an essay book to mark all kicks from the triplets!' I found that funny, and relieving. He said not to worry about counts being less or more or anything of the sort.

Woke up yesterday morning with a lot of anxiety about upcoming cesarean. There will come a day- emergency or planned- when DrSri will come and say, 'OK, time for C-section! What will it be like! The preparations, the pain afterwards, babies' condition, health, feeding them afterwards, possible infections- a thousand worries hover over me. I do not know what I will have to face after getticg discharged from here.

21-12-2011 (29 weeks)

Successfully completed 29 weeks! Ramesh wrote on his diary:"Today my babies completed 29 weeks on this Earth(his exact words, in Malayalam- ente kunjungal bhoomiyil vannitt inn 29 weeks akunnu). A life in fact forms when it starts pulsating inside the parents, then today is the 29th week completion after I became a dad and she became a mom.."

23-12-2011

I developed a habit of praying early in the morning while lying down. Yesterday for an hour around 5.30 am I prayed while keeping a hand on the belly lying on my left side. All three babies were playing, jumping around! Wonder if they can see/feel each other? Feel me? Afterwards nurses came for the regular check-ups and found that my Hg is low- 9.3. So Iron supplement increased to twice a day. Urine test revealed some bacterial infection, probably due to cervical stitch allergy, and they gave a suppository to use for three days- Clotrimazole, Clindamycin tablet. The infection somewhat scares me, because a friend had a cesarean and she got allergic to the stitch thread, There was too much complication and some major surgery had to be done later to replace the stitch with another thread. I was suddenly running high fever too. And during all this fear and anxiety, a Government order fro Higher Education Department came which made matters worse. Mother tried to make me relaxed- she said we have tried our best, did whatever possible. Now let us wait and see what happens. Anyway, the job is not lost. Whatever financial debts come after this, we can somehow take our time and repay to the Government. Whatever physical problems may come, we will face it and try to overcome. (I was worrying about rejoining the course in July and reapplying for QIP extension in August- the uncertainties of it all). Then gradually I relaxed. Nurses gave Dolo for the fever. And by night I was feeling much better.

My weight is still 75 kg- it was 65 kg in 16 weeks. Doctor suggested eating nuts, cashews etc. and said we will monitor every two weeks.
NEXT... 31 weeks