I am 31 weeks and 5 days pregnant with my second set of twins. This week has been quite an adventure. Last Tuesday November 25, I drove myself to the hospital after I dropped the boys off at preschool. I thought I was going into premature labor. Fortunately, after 6 hours of monitoring and several “invasive” assessments of whether my contractions were putting me into labor, I was sent home. The good thing is now I know what contractions feel like. I believe I have been feeling them for weeks, but I am always so busy and moving around that I did not realize I was having them. The doctor said for me to continue exercising and doing what I have been doing. Yay!! It would have been crushing for me to hear the words: bed rest. His only recommendation was to pay attention to how I am feeling.
One of my sons has gotten in the habit of taking his clothes off during nap time. Most of the time I have to help him get dressed, but on Wednesday afternoon, he treated me to an amazingly funny display:
He had put his shirt on upside down and inside out, he pulled his underwear up over one leg and put his pants on backwards. I have not laughed that hard in a long time!!
Thursday, November 27, we celebrated Thanksgiving with my in-laws. We had an excellent time, with lots of yummy treats! I made Paleo Chocolate Pie with Raw Graham Cracker Crust with a coconut cream whip on top. This recipe also freezes really well.
On Friday, we went out in search of a Christmas tree. We found an awesome pre lit tree at Home Depot. The boys had a great time decorating the tree and the front porch. It was neat seeing their excitement at all the lights and decorations.
On Sunday, we went on a family nature hike. This particular hike has a lake that the boys can access from the trail. They love digging their sticks in the mud and throwing rocks and leaves in the water. It gives me great joy to see them enjoying the outdoors.
On Tuesday, we had our last CSA pickup at Hilltop Farms in Willow Springs, NC. In addition to picking out a delicious assortment of organic seasonal vegetables for our box, the boys love to feed the horses carrots.
On Wednesday, I had a Mother’s massage at a local spa. Unfortunately the therapist was not skilled in prenatal massage, and the experience was less than enjoyable. Thursday was another busy day, filled with errands and cooking. I was pretty tired when I went to bed on Thursday night.
FRIDAY morning was the big day!! I woke up at 4:30 to do my mobility workout. When I went to use the bathroom, I had some blood tinted discharge in my underwear. I did not have any cramping or contractions, but I was scared enough to wake my husband and go to the hospital. We arrived at 5:15 am on Friday and I have been there ever since. The girls look great, lots of movement and good heart rates. My cervix was still in tact, but they found traces of amniotic fluid on one of the exam slides. This prompted them to admit me to the hospital on modified bed rest, aka jail. I have to take a course of antibiotics to prevent preterm labor and minimize the possibility of developing an infection. Of course, I did NOT want to take antibiotics, but this is a time that I felt I must turn my care over to a fantastic team of doctors.
What I am I doing to make sure I maintain good gut health while in the hospital?
I am taking a double dose of probiotics between each dose of antibiotics all of my regular supplements for methylation support and prenatal supports. Homemade bone broth twice daily, raw milk yogurt with gelatin once daily, 8 oz home brewed Kombucha throughout the day, 4 oz beet kavas throughout the day and plenty of nourishing fats from avocado, coconut, sardines and pastured egg yolks. I am able to move around my room and do light stretches, so I practicing some light mobility matrices, emphasizing breathing.
This is a twist in the plans that was not expected. I did not expect to be hospitalized with the possibility of the girls spending the first few days-weeks of their life in the NICU. But, I am making the most of it and feeling blessed that I have access to the high quality care.
Until next week….