A tough 24 hours
The last 24 hours have been tough. I've continued to bleed and cramp over the last few days, and unfortunately, the cramping increased in intensity last night. The doctor came to check things out and reported that I was 1-2cm dilated, baby boy was breech and had dropped lower - all pointing that labor could be approaching. Since Clifford is so small (just over 1lb), the doctor explained that things can escalate rather quickly. They transferred me to the 'High-Risk Antenatal Unit' which is just across from the OR so that they can act quickly. They explained I would need to have a classical c-section, meaning all future pregnancies would have to be delivered by c-section. They hooked me up to monitor baby boy's heart rate, all sounded appropriate for his gestational age of 23+6 weeks. Codey and I held each other and prepared for our second baby to enter this world, praying for the best outcome. We know we're in the right place with the best support possible.
To our surprise, the cramping stopped and I woke up this morning feeling pretty normal. We continued to monitor baby's heart rate throughout the day, which looked good. The doctors want to monitor for three hours per day moving forward. I also received a second dose of steroids to help with his lung development and a second dose of magnesium to support his neurodevelopment. Plus, today I'm 24 weeks! Although all of this is so scary, we have to look back and remember this all started at 19 weeks, 5 weeks ago, when the babies were given a 1% chance of survival. It's incredible that we've made it this far, the doctors continue to remind us. So while it's terrifying to think of Clifford coming so soon and the long journey that lies ahead, we are so so thankful that we've made it this far with him, and we're in a place where he will get the absolute best care possible.
This has been a rollercoaster of emotions to say the least, almost like whiplash. One minute things feel good and stable, and the next you think the worst is happening. But, we're still here and we're still hanging on! This has been the most testing time of our lives, and I don't think either of us would get through this alone. I'm so thankful I have Codey with me every step of the way. No matter what happens, we will get through it and know that we've done everything we can.
I'm hoping we can hang on for much longer, but for now, I'll take each day I can get for Clifford to grow. Thank you all for your support and love. We appreciate every one of you.
Sadie
