A Scare

It's been a while.  School started about a month ago and with it went all my free time.  No seriously, ALL my free time.  So anyway, I am 27 weeks and feeling great.  He was kicking like crazy, no swelling, no heartburn, everything was good.   A couple days ago his movement slowed way down, but that had happened before and within a day he was back to his normal self - so I forced myself to continue on with life and not worry about it.  However, the lack of movement continued yesterday and still today.  To further my worry I started having what I think were braxton hicks contractions and all the movements I did feel were lower than they had ever been.  Finally, we get to today and he would not move at all.  I ate and laid on my left side to see if that would get something out of him, but no.  I pushed and prodded and poked - nothing.  Finally we had to leave for the beach for a young men/young women beach trip and I told myself to just go and eventually he would move - wrong again.  I drank coke (and I hate coke) and laid down on a blanket - still nothing.  I ate more - again nothing.  So it had been three days of decreased movement and about half a day with none.  I was really starting to get worried.  I finally gave in and called Kaiser to see what I should do.  The labor and delivery nurse told me to go to the nearest Kaiser and get monitored which of course scared me even more.  I thought she might tell me to go eat or drink juice and lay down or something.  So I pretty much broke down right there on the beach and bawled like a baby while Mark and other wonderful friends got a GPS, some food, and a car for us.  I was also fortunate enough to be surrounded by men who could give me a blessing.  The nearest Kaiser happened to be the Bellflower medical center - a rather ghetto looking hospital.  It was about 30 minutes away and the whole ride over still no movement.  Anyway, ghetto or not, the labor and delivery people were great.  They got me right in, put on a fetal monitor and wouldn't you know it the kid starts moving like CRAZY!!  I felt like an idiot.  They kept saying things like, "Well, he's sure active now."  I promise this is the first time I've felt him all day!  I swear!  They did reassure me that I had done the right thing by coming in, but I still felt a bit embarrassed.  Anyway, embarrassed or not, I am glad I went in because it reassured me of many things - the baby was alive and moving, I had plenty of amniotic fluid, I was not having contractions, and I was not dilating (even though the doctor thought I might be because he was sitting extremely low - so I was right about that).  I think the blessing definitely helped.  I may never know to what extent, but I am sure it did.  So, the scare was averted and all is well.  The doctor said I have a very healthy pregnancy and all is as good as it possibly could be!  I am so grateful!  

So when I got home I googled the hospital trying to find pictures that would show its true ghettoness and lo and behold I find that Octomom had her babies there!  So ghetto or not - that hospital has quite the history!