Pre-Term Labor Diagnosed at Week 26

Preterm Labor at 26 Weeks

Well, Broden flew to Orlando on Thursday so I drove to Elma to be with my parents for a week or so. Wednesday morning around 1:30 AM I started to get really painful lower back pain. At 7AM I took a bath to relax the "so-so" contractions. They did not ease up, but they were not painful nor did they slow down. Around 10AM the girls and I got into the hot tub for a bit. I had completely lost my apetite (Very Strange since I eat everything in sight 24 hours a day). I talked to my mother and asked if she could be home sooner than later. I decided around 2PM to get a stress test done at St. Peters Hospital in Olympia. They started monitering me and the contractions and discomfort level started to get worse. Medicine did not stop or slow the contractions down SO they contacted my perinatologist in Spokane and told him the situation. He said I needed to be transported ASAP to Tacoma General and I was diagnosed pre-term at 26 weeks. I still had not told Broden anything about what was going on. I was afraid he was going to be mad at me for spending money (Hospital Bill) - isn't that silly?!?!
I called my parents and my dad came and followed the ambulance from Olympia to Tacoma and stayed with me all night in Labor and delivery. By the time I got to Tacoma the contractions were pretty intense. Thank God my dad was there because I do not remember much. By the time they did an exam I was dilated to a 2 and was completely thinned out. Jackson's head was pressed firmly against the cervix. They started a magnesium bag (brutal stuff) and boosted the drip level up to 3. Finally, the contractions started to slow down.
This started Wednesday and today is Friday and I am still in Tacoma. I was taken off of magnesium this morning around 8AM and started tributalane(?). I will be here for at least 1 more night and tomorrow day.
Babies are doing very well, though. They are not under any stress and have been closely monitored throughtout all of this. My body just does not have any more room to grow. My skin on my belly has turned a pinkish purple color and is numb. I do not have any stretch marks, though. I do have little popped blood vessels along the front of the belly. The skin is very tight and at touch it feels like a constant contraction-very very hard. The uterus measure from top to bottom 37 cm (37 weeks) and the top of the uterus is right under my bra-literally. I actually was pushing feet away from my bra this morning!
I do not know what the plan is for the next three months, but Broden flew into Seattle yesterday at 2PM and is now at my parent's house in Elma with the girls. I am on permenent bed rest from here on out which means IF I go back to Spokane, Broden cannot go back to work. That just isn't possible since it will be for 10 more weeks and he cannot take the next 10 weeks off.
SO, that is what our current situation is :) I will write more as I learn more :)