Premature labor!

**As an intro: everything worked out well--I'm still pregnant and the girls and I are healthy and at home.**

Wednesday night I was relaxing on my bed, watching a movie (and being a good bebe-gestating machine, might I add!) when I started feeling contractions. They weren't especially painful, but were pretty close together (3-5mins) and they didn't seem to want to stop on their own. After calling the OB, we went to the hospital and they admitted me for premature labor.

The first night was pretty scary--lots of tests, people coming in and out all the time, and so many needles and monitors! It didn't help that it took the nurse five tries to get my IV in (ouch, might I add!) and had a hard time getting blood samples. Eventually she called in reinforcements and the new nurse got everything taken care of. They started me on IV fluids, antibiotics, and a drug called Nifedipine to stop the contractions. My water hadn't broken yet, my cervix wasn't dilated, and the bebes heartbeats were very strong--all very good signs that the labor could still be stopped.

I got a shot of steroids when I arrived too, which are designed to stimulate the bebes lungs and increase their rate of development. During that first night, after confirming that I was having rhythmic contractions, the plan was to use any means necessary (starting with Nifedipine and moving on to harsher drugs if needed) to stop the labor for at least 48 hours. After 48 hours, the steroids would be at full effect and the bebes would have an excellent shot of breathing on their own if they were born then.

After the first day, the contractions had slowed and things were looking up. I was moved to a regular hospital room and the IV, drugs, and monitoring were continued. I had a hard time getting comfortable as I had badly pulled a muscle in my hip a few days before and hospital beds aren't known for their comfort. Every time I moved, a nurse would have to come in and readjust the round orbs which were strapped to my belly to monitor the bebes heartbeats and my contractions. The dose of Nifedipine that they started me on was quite high and I started feeling pretty lightheaded and had a raised heart rate.

By Friday morning, the contractions had basically stopped and my dose of Nifedipine had been lowered to a comfortable level. The girls were still doing great and an ultrasound revealed that they were still squirming happily in their amniotic sacks, oblivious to the craziness around them. Since my cervix stayed closed (though it did thin a bit) and I was responding well to the drugs, I had my IV's removed and was cleared to go home.

I went home Friday afternoon and have been put on modified bedrest (still on the antibiotics and Nifedipine). This means no more going to work, shopping, leaving the house for long periods....if I keep listing, it will go on forever. Suffice it to say that I am in the house all day spending most of my time lying in the bed or on the couch.

The bebes ended up giving me the best Mother's Day gift ever by not making me a mother just yet!