Back in the Hospital Again!

Mindy "I went in for my 19 week detail ultrasound today and ended up having to be admitted to the hospital.
The good news is all three girls check out fine. They are 10 ounces, 10 ounces and 9 ounces and each and each as 10 fingers and toes, 4 chambers in their hearts, 2 kidneys, normal brain development, and everything else in between!  It was so excited to see how much they have grown.  Tony thinks baby C looks like him.  We'll post pictures when we can."

Tony "Baby C does look like me, not only because she's super cute..."

Mindy "As I was saying, the bad news is my cervix went from 3.7cm to 2.3cm in just 10 days.  That was a direct ticket to the hospital.  I was checked out by Dr. Wang once I was admitted and there are a few possible directions the pregnancy can head in.  I may go into surgery tomorrow and have my cervix stitched close.  I may stay here for a couple days for observation and sent home on  bed rest if my cervix lengthens on its own.  I may have my cervix stitched and be on bedrest at home the rest of the pregnancy.  I may have  my cervix stitched and go back to work on a limited basis.  So many unanswered questions at this point.  The doctor will be back at 7 AM tomorrow and we will know more then."

Mindy "You may be wondering what causes the cervix to change so much.  The doctor explained that I measure 28 weeks in a singleton pregnancy and since I'm not a tall person the rapid growth of the uterus puts extra pressure on my cervix. Having a shortened cervix puts me at even higher risk for preterm delivery.  So I'm praying for good news tomorrow and that the pregnancy continues as long as possible.So I'll be at Mercy hospital until further notice.  I learned today the food here is not very good so I hope I don't have to be here very long.

The doctor told me that I need to gain 40 more pounds (24 pounds gained so far).  No way I can do that here."

Tony "I've got a friend, let's call her and ask her how she gained her weight. . . "

Jessica Simpson in two "before" pictures

McDonalds is downstairs in the hospital (really!) and the Mercy cafeteria is awesome; it's like the Bellagio buffet, well, not that amazing, but I will be sneaking in really good food. It's weird how the food they serve the patients and staff are so different. I wonder if it's like those hotel menus where you ask for something then they have like hotel prices so a personal pizza is like $19.95 + 18% gratuity + room charge?" Maybe the insurance companies have something to do with it trying to get you out of the hospital as quick as possible?

UPDATE ... Sort of.

It's 7:40 AM and we're still waiting for the doc to come by and give us the news. Mindy has been had 7 contractions between 5 and 6. Everyone has been super nice, but the follow up with other staffers has been a little hit and miss. Mindy was offered water by one of the staff and the breakfast person just came by to drop her tray off. She's not allowed to eat because she might need that stitch

(eeew, I just punched in cerclage into Google to figure out what it is and I was still on Google images!)

Here's a diagram.

Cerclage is the equivalent of putting a noose around the cervix so the babies don't come out.

Gotta go...Ultrasound Tech is here.

S#$t S#$t S#$t

Her cervix is down to 0.7 cm . . . the nurse is going to call the doctor but it's almost a certainty that cerclage will be necessary. We'll keep you updated. It's 8 and the doc must be on rounds somewhere...

Dawn, one of Mindy's best friends called and suggested a solution so Mindy would not need surgery. Just keep your legs crossed. Thanks for some comic relief!