Magnesium is weaning! Updated...

UPDATED for SATURDAY: My Mag is off and I got to eat some pudding and graham crackers! First real food since Monday night. I am elated! Still looking icky due to the no shower in days or getting out of bed - but heck at least if I have to be stinky - I'm a stinky woman who is still pregnant, LOL! My husband only had the camera there because we were worried we might want it if our little girl decided to come during this stay and scare. We wanted to have a camera to take some photos of our little one when she first arrived if need be. Looks like we won't be needing it for that purpose today. I've just taken a dose of procardia and am keeping my fingers crossed that having the Mag turned off and the procardia restarted is going to hold these contractions at bay. Today is a good day. You can tell by our smiles I think.


Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers. It might be pregnancy hormones - but my eyes well up and I get teary eyed reading each of them. You are all appreciated more than you will ever know. Since Tuesday things have been a little rough, but I think we're making some improvements!

Tuesday after nothing seemed to make the contractions stop with the terbutaline or procardia - my OB decided to try to do Mag Sulfate to see if we could prevent us from dilating that would require removing my cerclage and labor progressing. I'm was basically a finger dilated - but it was the rate and intensity of contractions that they were concerned about. I had a nice regular labor pattern going on. As I mentioned, we did the loading dose which runs over 20 minutes. The first 10 minutes of the Mag load is okay - then the next 10 minutes makes you feel like your veins are burning from the inside out and everything else as well, even your esophagus burns. Then when they start you out at the lower dose that runs as a continous drip you actually feel good for the first 30 minutes because it is less than the loading dose was. But then the cumulative effect of the drug begins to catch up and your vision blurs and your muscles get weak. You can't lift your legs too well, and moving around in bed becomes difficult. Usually the baby has less movement as well on the fetal monitor. Our crazy little girl must have forgotten to read the baby owner's manual though because she actually got more active on the Mag! Everyone was a little shocked. But I was like, "That's my girl!"

About 3 hours later they increased my dose because I was still contracting and they were trying to do everything to prevent thing from changing. I thought I felt bad on the initial dose of Mag - but the higher dose makes speaking sound slurred and swallowing difficult. That's why they don't let you eat or drink anything on Mag other than some ice chips if your OB is feeling generous. Mine was so I got some ice chipts which was like heaven when you are so hot from the medication. Contractions eventually began to die down a bit the next day. We then began talking about weaning things down further because you can't stay at the higher doses of Mag for too long, due to harmful effects on mom and baby. Spot didn't seem to mind increaseing doses - it just made her more active! Like I said- our little girl didn't get the memo on how babies should act on Mag - but that is actually a good thing. It was a sign that she didn't seem to be too effected by what was going on out of utero!

Things were soon weaned down on the Mag when the contractions started to die down. Today I'm on the lower dose but doing much better since we 're at the lower rate. Spot continues to look well, and hopefully when the Mag is almost gone I can have some clear liquid diet and get rid of my foley. Next when things are done with the Mag I think that they will let me up to use the bathroom and have some real food! Things may seem to be looking up and I am almost in disbelief. I feel so blessed that four days later on Mag, we're still pregnant. I may be hungry and not smell too well - but who the heck can care. My husband has grown to hero status in my eyes as well as my mom who has seem me at some pretty low moments and have helped me get through them all.

So I'll try to update later tonight if the internet cooperates. Things have been stable for several hours now and I am feeling very positive and optomistic. I would do absolutely anything for this little one and I hope that the powers that be all things to go as beautifully as they have. We are blessed beyond my wildest dreams. And again - thank you so much for all of your support. I honestly think that there is power in good thoughts and prayers - you have helped us all. Meredith - thank you so much for helping me get that other post out there - you have come to mean so much.