ultrasound at 26 weeks
after 99 days of complete bedrest, finally, in my arms.

Jodie Grace Wynonna, age 9!

Today is a busy day in our castle.Today is also Jodie Grace Wynonna’s 9th birthday. Jodie was destined to be born on May 14. In September 1995, when I found out that I was expecting and the due date was May 30, I told Bill that this baby could come anytime in May as long as it wasn’t the 14th.I knew that this would be my last pregnancy so I was determined to enjoy it completely. I said that too so it pretty much set me up for the wild ride that was to come. First there was hyperemesis gravidarum….what? You know morning sickness? Well, this ain’t that! Hyperemesis is constant and much more than just nausea. I was running for any bathroom and paying homage to the porcelain gods several times a day for the next 7 months.. Like my pregnancy with Zoë, Jodie grew and thrived very well inside of me despite what was happening to me. But that’s not all, we’re not through yet…..around 24 weeks gestation, I was noticing a lot of back pain that was much like the back labor pains I felt when I had Abigael. I tried to rationalize it away telling myself I was “older”, a mom to 3 busy kids and working in a physical and stressful job. I just needed to rest. One of my co-workers noticed my discomfort as well and insisted I get it checked out right away. I tried to reassure her, and myself, that I was fine; just tired. She called me the next day and asked if I had called my doctor. I’m glad she did because the back pain was no better. I promised I would call my doctor. of course i was still trying to tell myself and her that it really was nothing. I told the advice nurse the same thing when I called. I told my doctor the same thing when he examined me. When I saw the look on his face after the exam, I realized that it wasn’t nothing. I was 1 centimeter dilated and I had a contraction as he examined me. So I was sent home to complete bed rest, with orders to stay in bed getting up only to go to the bathroom or to come to the doctor’s once a week. I was also given pills to take every 4 hours to try to stop my contractions and a home monitor I was to strap to my belly three times a day to measure my uterine activity. I was in shock. There was no way in my mind that i could do this. I had a 9 year old who had a busy schedule with school, basketball and other activities. I had a three year old who was turning 4 at the end of the month and I was busy planning a big party for her at Chuck E. Cheese. I had a 2 year old who always wanted me to hold her regardless of my growing belly. My husband was busy with his new job as foreman and also was directing a musical with a cast of 70 people. I could not be on complete bed rest! Yet I was. We had a lot of help from friends. Our church made arrangements for meals to be delivered 4 days a week. Some of the ladies set up a schedule to come to my house and pick up the kids and take them to school, preschool, and daycare. Another lady at church who ran a licensed daycare offered to take Zoë and Abigael on the days that they weren’t scheduled for daycare. Several ladies in my Bible study group set up a schedule where they would come to my house once a week and clean. All I had to do was stay in bed and gestate. I was so overwhelmed with fear, helplessness and awe for the love shown to us that I pretty much spent the next two weeks crying. After my 26 week doctor visit, it seemed that things were settling into a predictable pattern. My doctor told me that the plan was to continue treating me this way until around 34-35 weeks. I remember going home thinking I would never make it. Two nights later, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling Jodie kick me. As I lay there in bed patting my belly where she nudged me, I suddenly felt a pop, then a gush. I had soaked our bed. Great! I thought to myself what a mess I am thinking I had some sort of accident. As I got out of bed I was aware of two things: my very full bladder and fluid running down my legs. It wasn’t what I thought it was. I fully understood what this would mean so I did what I do best,; I rationalized to myself that my water did not break. I then hooked myself up to my monitor and ran a strip. The monitoring nurse called me back right away and asked me what was going on because I was contracting every 5 minutes. I told her I felt a little crampy and I guess my water broke. She told me to go to the hospital immediately and she would call my doctor.So I woke Bill up and told him what happened. A comedy of sorts began as he questioned what did I mean that I “thought” my water broke. So did his mother when we called her to watch the kids. So did his boss when Bill called in sick for the day. I guess everyone thought I should know since this was my 4th baby. The thing is my water never broke on its own before so I wasn’t exactly sure. As I was being admitted into the hospital, I knew for sure it did indeed break as the nurse put in my IV. I began to cryand asked her which neo was on knowing where my baby would end up. It took a couple hours to slow my contractions down to 1-2/hour. I was now dilated to 3 centimeters and 75% effaced. With my history of fast labors, I potentially could have this tiny baby anytime. I was petrified.The one bright spot of the day was i got to see Jodie yet again on ultrasound. This was a very extensive exam as the perinatologist wanted to see how much fluid I had, where the tear in the amniotic sac was and how well were Jodie’s kidneys functioning. The doc concluded the exam presenting me with a 5 x 7 photo of Jodie’s profile in a frame. He told me to keep this by my bedside to remind me what to focus on while we tried to “buy” at least 2 more weeks to improve Jodie’s chances. The next twelve weeks, hooked up to a monitor to a medicine pump, in bed only allowed a shower once a week was a roller coaster ride. One day things were going well. the next we were thinking this was it, that she was coming. Bill and the girls were on that ride with me as my bed rest adventure took its toll. As one week became two, became 4 became two months, three months we were all shocked that Jodie remained where she was despite my contracting through the medication and despite the slow leaking of amniotic fluid that persisted until around 30 weeks gestation. We were all grateful, but at the same time shocked. An ultrasound at that time showed that Jodie somehow had wedged the tear closed with her back. The next 8 weeks flew by, although day to day still seemed boring and endless for me. At 36 weeks, my OB allowed me out of bed, off the medication pump and off the monitor. He examined me and told me I was now 4 centimeters dilated and 100% effaced. We both were certain I would be holding my baby very soon. Week 37 came and no change. My doctor offered then to induce me at 38 weeks if i wanted…of course I wanted. Week 38 came and still no sign of that baby. I was contracting again but all they accomplished was making me very uncomfortable and unable to sleep. I reminded my advocator that he said he would induce me. He said he would the next day if i wanted. Wait. The next day was may 14, our anniversary. Tomorrow would be fine I told him. We got to the hospital bright and early. The neat thing was the nurse who admitted me was the same nurse who admitted me the night my water broke. We both shared happy tears over my making it to term. The doctor came in and, ironically, broke my water!Four hours later, at 8:58 am, Jodie Grace Wynonna was born. She cried before her body had emerged from me. She was pink, healthy and screaming her little head off until she was at my breast nursing. She weighed 7 lbs 10½ ounces and was 20 inches long with apgars of 10 and 10…..yes, I know that is impossible. But she was a 10 and 10. Everything else was impossible about this pregnancy, so why not the apgars? This was the toughest marathon I was ever in. But today and everyday of Jodie’s wonderful life, I say it all was/is worth it every time she smiles. Happy Birthday Jodie Gracious! I love you with all my hearts!Mommy