Update

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts, prayers and concerns. Here's the scoop for those I haven't filled in.

On Tuesday November 18th I went in for an ultrasound to measure the length of my cervix. Although everyone suspected that my water broke early with the last pregnancy because of the trisomy, we wanted to make sure we weren't missing anything. We expected this to be fairly uneventful, have the ultrasound everything would be good and I would go home and call it a day.... not quite how it happened. The ultrasound tech saw something on the screen that didn't make much sense to her so she called the doctor in. He examined further and what was discovered was that the amniotic sac had started to creep through my cervix.... not good!

Within an hour I was admitted to the hospital on bedrest (my drs office is in the hospital so it was a matter of just wheeling me upstairs). At that point I was 21 weeks and 6 days pregnant, way to early to go into labor and have things turn out well. The plan at that point was to keep me on bed rest (although they got me up to weigh me each morning and let me get up to go to the bathroom). We hoped that by resting and working against gravity things might recede back up where they belonged. After a couple of days an ultrasound showed that that hadn't happened.... on to plan B.

Elkhart General (the hospital I was in) is not nearly as well equipped to handle extreme premies as South Bend Memorial Hospital is. Unfortunately they couldn't help much until I was atleast 23 weeks along and even then they have 3 doctors, one of which won't take patients until 24 weeks.

Day by day we prayed and hoped that we could make it another day and gradually we did. Once we made it to 23 weeks the doctors called South Bend but the dr who was on call was the one who wouldn't take patients until 24 so we had to wait. The next day (thanksgiving day) they called and the doctor on call would accept us. An ambulance transfer was arranged for that afternoon.

So here I lay now. In South Bend Memorial Hospital, on STRICT bedrest (yep, using a bedpan) tilted with my feet higher than my head. An ultrasound this morning showed that things are holding pretty steady, it doesn't appear things have gotten worse which is great. I've been given 2 steroid shots in hopes of helping to mature baby's lungs.

Our next milestone comes on Wednesday (dec 3) when we reach 24 weeks. At that point chances of baby surviving outside the womb go up dramatically.

So thanks again to everyone who has been praying for us. Please continue, I know we are hoping and praying with all of our might.