Day 21 - Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Dr. Austin decided to have the nurses monitor all the babies heartbeats while they were monitoring for contractions. Up until now the nurses have just been using a handheld doppler and listened to each baby individually for a short time to get the heartrates. The contraction monitor straps around my belly for 30 minutes and charts if I have any contractions. In order to chart the heartrates too, the nurse had to get a portable workstation. The in-room monitor only had two inputs for heartrate and I need three. Then all four monitors are strapped around my belly. The nurse has to move the heartrate monitors around to find three individual heartrates and then hope the babies don't move. The babies don't like the straps, which have to be put on quite snugly. So, they kick and move. The nurse then has to readjust the monitors to get the heartrates again. It is quite an uphill battle. This first attempt went surprisingly well, but laying on my back for 45 minutes with tight straps around my belly is a little painful. Of course, Bill documented the process with pictures. The second attempt this evening did not go as well. Rarely could we get all three babies heartrates at the same time.

Today was Bill's last day of five days off, so he headed back home to take care of things there. I am so fortunate that he is able to spend so much time with me, especially since we don't live very close to the hospital. He has to work the next three days, but will visit after work.

Lately I have not been sleeping very well. Partially because the nurse wakes me up at 1am and at 5 am for medication, but also because it is getting harder and harder to get comfortable. A couple of days ago, after a sleepless night, I said something to the day shift nurse. She said, "Well, did you take a sleeping pill?" What?!?! I didn't know they were available. I have been here for over 20 days and no one had told me this. So, tonight I decided to take one and I was out like a light. I don't even know if the nurse came in at 1am. I will have to try these more often.