One of the doctors just came in and sat with us for a while to talk and answer questions. It was the first time I felt like we weren't getting passed off.
In a nutshell, the answer to the question of how long we will be here is that Tree is the best incubator for the baby and as long as he can stay in there the better. Unless he or Tree is in danger, their goal is to stabilize the environment and keep her pregnant. He will be extracated when it becomes better for him or Tree that he is out.
Interesting bit of info: the amount of time he can stay in there now will double the amount of time taken off his stay after he's born. That is - if he can stay in Tree's belly for a week, he can leave the hospital about two weeks earlier. Rough figures, of course, but comforting just the same.
Terry
Showing posts with label premature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label premature. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Bedside manner
Yesterday, when they told Tree that they were going to give her magnesium sulphate, Tree said that they should make anyone who administers the drug have to take it first to know what it feels like. I think that is a great idea - especially if the nurse or doctor doesn't show any empathy.
Maybe they should be monitored and reviewed and if they show empathy and genuine concern for the people they care for, then they don't have to, but if they treat the patients like a mass of tissue in a petri dish, then they have to be subjected to a series of procedures to keep them in touch with how the recipient feels.
And let's throw some tact classes in there too. For instance, don't tell a woman who is about to have a baby 10 weeeks prematurely that her doctor could have given her a medication that would have probably kept her from going early, but it would be absolutely no help now. Sounds like your advice - absolutely no help now, so why bring it up. Maybe she thought Tree didn't feel miserable enough yet.
Terry
Maybe they should be monitored and reviewed and if they show empathy and genuine concern for the people they care for, then they don't have to, but if they treat the patients like a mass of tissue in a petri dish, then they have to be subjected to a series of procedures to keep them in touch with how the recipient feels.
And let's throw some tact classes in there too. For instance, don't tell a woman who is about to have a baby 10 weeeks prematurely that her doctor could have given her a medication that would have probably kept her from going early, but it would be absolutely no help now. Sounds like your advice - absolutely no help now, so why bring it up. Maybe she thought Tree didn't feel miserable enough yet.
Terry
10 weeks early
Tree started having contractions a couple days ago and got very concerned that there may be something wrong with the baby. Things were better the next day and we decided it was just a bad night and not a reason to be concerned.
She had some more pain and discomfort on the weekend, but this pregnancy has been so good and uneventful, we didn't think much of it.
This afternoon, I got a message that things were getting worse. I shut my laptop down and raced home to take her to the hospital.
We got checked in, they hooked her up to all the monitors, and the baby seems to be doing fine. Tree is dilated to 2 cm and she is still in a lot of pain and having regular contractions - every eight to 10 minutes. They gave her some medication to slow the contractions and try to keep the baby in their as long as possible. I don't know if that means hours, days, or weeks.
Now we wait.
I came home to check on the other kids and try to get some sleep before I have to get them up starting at 5:30 and get them off to school. Then, I have to figure out what I am going to do with the 2 1/2 year old and the 1 year old so I can go back and be with Tree.
And what about work? Hmmm...
I will have my laptop with me and use this blog to keep people up to date as much as possible.
Here we go. The story of baby number 9 begins.
Terry
She had some more pain and discomfort on the weekend, but this pregnancy has been so good and uneventful, we didn't think much of it.
This afternoon, I got a message that things were getting worse. I shut my laptop down and raced home to take her to the hospital.
We got checked in, they hooked her up to all the monitors, and the baby seems to be doing fine. Tree is dilated to 2 cm and she is still in a lot of pain and having regular contractions - every eight to 10 minutes. They gave her some medication to slow the contractions and try to keep the baby in their as long as possible. I don't know if that means hours, days, or weeks.
Now we wait.
I came home to check on the other kids and try to get some sleep before I have to get them up starting at 5:30 and get them off to school. Then, I have to figure out what I am going to do with the 2 1/2 year old and the 1 year old so I can go back and be with Tree.
And what about work? Hmmm...
I will have my laptop with me and use this blog to keep people up to date as much as possible.
Here we go. The story of baby number 9 begins.
Terry
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