On a Jet Plane

September 26th I was 36 weeks, Matt was on his way to Boise to be with me and the Army was on our back to have the baby. ARE YOU CRAZY! 36 weeks is still a preemie. Now I know why so many woman get inductions the pressure is crazy how they drill into your brains. My husband only had 4 days to spend with me due to the fact that he's in the Army and they weren't allowing him to come be with me even though our son could possibly end up in the NICU. I really didn't think they understood the circumstances. Anywho on this day I booked the wrong flight for the wrong day. I booked it on accident for the default day instead of the day I wanted. So when Matt arrived at the Fayetteville tiny dinky airport to fly out at 4AM his flight didn't exist. He only had 4 days of leave and I managed to screw up a whole day. Luckily they rebooked it and he flew out at 7pm would arrive in Boise at 11pm. I was having regular contractions so I thought maybe this would be the day even though I didn't want it to be and I wanted my husband with me. He was like life support during labor with my first and I didn't think I could do it without him. At around 7 I told my mom I think we need to go in just to see what's going on. I have appointments with my doctor every Tuesday but I felt like something weird was going on and consistent kidney pain and I even took a bath to see if they would calm down. I didn't think they were contractions at all in fact I didn't even think I was in labor just felt pressure but no biggy, I was feeling that everyday and I was getting further along to be expected.  My kidney's were killing me though and I just wanted them checked out. We went and stopped by to pick my brother up on the way to St. Luke's in Boise. I told Matt I was going in to see what they had to say and I would keep in touch. I went in and got all checked out. They got me all checked in and didn't even have me in the system yet. Apparently my records hadn't been forwarded.  I got checked into the triage of the Labor and Delivery Department and my mom and brother and Desmund had fun in the waiting room. I got my gown on and laid on my back the worst position ever to be in if you are having contractions. It closes the pelvic back up so being on bedrest this was the worst possible position anyway. They hooked me up to the contractions monitor and I had to do a UA.  The pain increased of course and the nurse came in and checked and asked where it was hurting I said just my kidney's are killing me and she told me watch the screen and said well those are contractions honey! They called my doctor and understood my situation and didn't want to break my water or anything they did a light pelvic exam which was alright because my water hadn't broken yet and the baby was like right there so she didn't have to do much. I was only a 2 with 80% effaced and at a Station +2 for sure now and staying there. The doctor said I had two choices I could have this baby within 24 hours or so or I could take the pill he gave me to stop the contractions and wait some more. I said take the pill my husband isn't going to be here for another hour! Seeing that I have babies really fast and hour may seem like a short amount of time for you 30+hour laborer but with my first I had him in 2 hours flat! So an hour was not enough time for husband to come. So the doctor said go eat lots of food get some rest and take the pill and don't touch your husband! Haha! He knew I hadn't seen him in about 2 months at this point and had been on bedrest for 5 months now. So me, mom and my brother Josh went to the pink drive in, the famous West Side. I had never eaten there except at the fair which I missed so we were going to eat lots of food like the doctor said and go to bed! I ordered everything I could think of. They have a pretty fancy menu for being a drive in. I finally got my Idaho Potato Ice Cream Spud, a scotch and soda extra large a spicy burger since I had a back up pill I could finally eat spicy food! And some Potato wedges with blue cheese and buffalo sauce! By the time we got home Matt was on a plane to come see me. I told him everything was fine and I'd see him soon and could possibly have the baby anytime so to chill out and don't worry about the Army! But we were going to try to keep him in until Saturday! Once the baby was born we could always get a Doctor's note to stay longer. 37 weeks was OUR goal!!

The Goose that laid the golden egg.

I can't imagine carrying around an egg in your hoohah for a while. Well ok so I know what that feels like because that's pretty much the image that is describing my current position of the baby and has been for quite some time now. He is less than .77 centimeters from escaping. That is more than a Zero station on the bishops score. Which is why I'm not suppose to walk, sit or stand in case he would like to escape it's not that hard. The doctor is monitoring me closely because in the position he is in if he gets too big he won't be able to survive that long so we just have to make sure he comes out when he's ready and not when my failing body thinks so rather than be sooner or later. He just keeps saying I'm surprised you made it this long. Since my original measurements put me at delivering before 28 weeks for sure! No doubts about it. But I followed what the Koreans said on the whole bed rest/hospitalization recommendation and have been getting my progesterone shots every week since 21 weeks. I'm 34 now so the baby is healthier and able to survive which is a miracle from the man upstairs. Carrying an egg like that since probably conception because I can't carry and now the weight of the baby and dropping makes it even lower. How LOW can you go well a +2 means he's escaped so hopefully that won't happen but that's what we are waiting on. He said I only have about an hour of labor if that since Desmund came in 2 hours record timing. Plus he's already um THERE. So contractions are scaring me right now. They come and go and aren't regular just sporadic usually when I'm hungry. Anything can set me off like a bump in the road literally. So now we just wait and hopefully the husband will get here sooner than later and everything will be fine!! So TWO MORE weeks. But I really wish I could go into hibernation for those two weeks.

One in a million.

So my doctor was so surprised at how neglected I was in Korea. I thought my first pregnancy was bad but this one. I seriously only was seen once by a doctor for a prenatal when I first found out I was pregnant. So one thing of blood work. I peed in a cup to get a positive pregnancy test and that's it. I pee in a cup everytime now and the good thing is they can catch an infection right away. So with my first they never did that and I had an infection for 3 weeks or maybe longer but that led to preterm eventually. So this time we caught it right away and he said I have a bladder infection definately but possibly a kidney stone and began to tell me the treatment for kidney stones during pregnancy. Then I said I already passed two with this pregnancy. He says Im glad I make your appointments an hour long. I continue to amaze him. Lol. He ask how I was treated I told him I wasn't I passed them with some help from my favorite barley tea lol. And then I say I had two with my son as well and they gave me an IV and sent me home and didn't tell me I had an infection until 3 weeks later tested me again and I was fine. He says and these were army doctors?! Lol. I told him I wish I could have gone to the korean doctors and he said they have amazing medicine treatments for stuff like that. WHO would have known that! So I have to take antibiotics which I'm not fond of since we combatted thrush for 10 months. So I'll do everything I can so I don't get it this time and we should be fine :) I'm glad I have a doctor that prevents things! Of course that is his job as a high risk doctor with a fancy name. So I'm 32 weeks and haven't had any contractions this week. Doing good so far! Thank god Im in America!

I made it to America!

Well after getting to the states I started having cramps so we went to urgent care then they told me to go to another urgent care and then I got transfered in an ambulance to the main hospital. Korean ambulance rides are crazy compared to american. They both make you sign a waiver but at least the american one speeds! Well after going there they did a FFT test to tell if I was going to have the baby they are about 98% accurate. They hooked me up to a contaction monitor and man it had more lines that Ive ever seen. The ones at our army hospital and the korean hospital were pretty old fashioned compared to this one. They even put a pillow behind my back because laying on your back is bad amazing! I even got a meal while I was there! The doctor fought with us on a cervical exam even though we were totally against it she would't give it up and did an intravaginal ultrasound and I measured 2.9. We thought well we are in the ER she should know what she's doing and she wanted to see if I had dialated any. Well today at my doctors appt. he said that is a no no like we thought for sure. But was haopy no one had done one but the ER here and surprised about that one even. He said she should have known. She told us I didnt need to be in bed rest anymore and I didn't need the shot but needed to be seen asap.

Dr. Awesome
So I got into a specialist the best in Idaho. He kept me waiting but of course he had a good reason someone went into labor, so I waited a half an hour. The nurse brang in a care package the ones Ive heard about but since I gave birth in a korean hospital I never got one. They give you a formula sample and then for breastfeeding moms they give you those vitamins. So I was left with my ptsd about hospitals and formula in a room with four walls staring at everything I was pushed on the first time I had a kid, I was freaking out at this point sitting waiting for the doctor ready to put my clothes on and run! So as I got up after about an hour of waiting ready to put my clothes on a run to the waiting room since I couldn't handle the magazine adds of everything we don't use or formula ads I hear a male doctor. So I jumped back on the table good thing because he opened the door and said knock knock instead of knocking! Not like he wouldn't have seen it or anything later but still. Anyway we got down to business he asked me anything about everything, and then concludes with I can't believe you haven't gone into labor yet! Haha. I measured at a 3.4 this time which is great but if I start contracting it can go to half of that so that's scary.

So weekly visits include FFT tests, progesterone shots, ultrasound and bed rest. He gave me a pill in case I have 4 contractions in an hour and he said he would take care of me until 36 weeks and then I'm free! Problem is I'm stuck in Idaho and husband is across the country in our new house. He may deploy in October after he gets done with school in 4 weeks from now. So we will see these next weeks are crucial. Travelling can throw me off and send me into labor but so can breastfeeding and I'm still doing that! The korean and my new doc said it was fine people have been doing it for years he said. Good ending to a visit! So should I stay or should I go? I won't have anyone to take care of me in N.C or on the plane or for my son while at the hospital and no guarantees husband will be allowed time off or leave to come see me in Idaho what a sticky situation. But yay we made it to 30 weeks!!

And thank you to my doula influence Tonya! I don't think I could have made it at all.

The Good news

So Friday I couldn't really get up it felt like I had just had a baby and I could barely walk. Anytime the baby moved I flinched my stomach muscles were so sore. I couldn't use my abdomen to get up even though I wasn't suppose to be but there was no way I could make it to Yongsan by myself if I couldn't get up by myself let alone walk. So I called up my Doula and she said go to St. Mary's it's closer and find out what's up. So I missed my Friday shot and I called St. Mary's and they said come in and they would get me right in Saturday morning was a good day to come in if I could wait that long. So I hydrated and passed out in front of the air conditioner for about 3 hours I felt so groggy. I had taken my second dose of medicine for my infection the day before and noticed it dehydrated me immediately. So I just needed to make up for that. I began doing my routine of Barley Tea I go to for pretty much everything and it's a miracle. Within the night I was finally feeling better and not like I was dying anymore. I couldn't move without becoming out of breath before. So in the morning I felt better but still sore and couldn't walk but I didn't feel like I had a hangover anymore so that was good. So we got in the car and all set to go and there was traffic so it took us like an hour to get there. I couldn't walk at all and my legs were going crazy car rides really suck at this point. So my husband got the wheelchair and we went in and got an ultrasound and tests.

My husband was freaking out of course making sure they knew what they were doing and they knew what I had and stuff driving the poor ladies nuts no wonder they don't allow men in there! So they did the contractions machine and 0 contractions this time even though my stomach was hard as a rock which usually isn't good. But everything was fine. The whole time the monitor thing was on Baby Boy was kicking it and hurting me of course. Then they did some test swabs and then the outside sonogram and the belly sonogram. Good news is she checked my cervix length like 10x and it's at a 3.36 and said I didn't have it anymore! Which is great! So the progesterone shots were working! The baby was fine he was very active and right on schedule.

So we leave next Monday and I will go to see an OB in Boise and see what all this really means but I don't need my shots anymore as long as I'm monitored. So that's good! But so far I haven't been seen by any doctor except St. Mary's the Korean Hospital. So we pretty much know nothing about anything and would really like to talk to someone that knows a little more on the topic! But at least I'll be good to fly. I still can't walk he is super low and they said all the pain was because my Uterus was growing and I can't stretch out since I'm on bed rest but to keep doing what I'm doing because it's working! So wheelchairs are mandatory now and it feels so much better when I use one anyway because walking hurts. Not sure I want to have 10 kids now!

The ride to Yongsan.

Why would you transfer high risk woman two hours away to a hospital instead of going to the closest hospital which is only 30 minutes away? Along with they don't have diddley squat when you get to this Army Hospital. People really need to access this situation more. It's like they don't approve you going to Koreans because it's in Hangul when they get your records. Which is what I've been told several times. Well god forbid we do live in KOREA!! So today I'm off to get my shot it's dreadful Friday again. Which means I'll probably miss the 10 o'clock bus and leave at noon get there at 2 and leave and 4 hopefully if I don't miss that bus then back by 6 or 7 at night! My husband is outprocessing so we can leave here so he can't come with me but he does take care of our son and can bring him with him. So that's a plus. It's just a long, boring ride by myself and too much thinking time. On the lovely bus I speak of it's like a big tour bus and it's in Korea of course so they all drive like those crazy drivers you see on the highway who go in and out of traffic 3 times. Well they all do that here so it's crazy when your in a bus with air shocks! So we will see how this week goes.

Last week I missed my appt with the doctor on Wednesday and I needed to reschedule and they don't have any openings for another 5 weeks so I'll wait til I get to the states I guess. So it's been 7 weeks since I was actually examined to check how short my length of cervix is. We were wondering if it shortens over time or what. Because I was already half of what it should have been when I was 20 weeks. So we will go get an ultrasound tomorrow and find out everything at the local Korean OB. Good thing you can just walk in and it's cheap!

The weeks to come..

26 weeks
I'm one week away from my third trimester! First goal after my weekly goals of getting to the next week is making it this far. I already feel 40 weeks even though I haven't felt that before but I've heard it's horrible and quite frankly this is getting worse every week. The baby boy sits super low I can't bend over, I can't lean on things, I can't put my pants on that part of my belly for fear he'll come out with an imprint of a button or something on his head. The nurse was really nice though she told me not to put any pressure on the baby because if you do he will move and if he's low he will move lower. I'm guessing this is kind of like a ground hog burrowing into his caves. I can't be in the car for more than an hour without having crazy leg spasms from sitting instead of laying. Not sure how the plane ride will go but at least I can get up every hour to stretch. It feels as if I have restless leg syndrome if I sit in the car or ride the bus for that long. Constant pressure of fullness and stretching but I can't exercise to help my body stretch so it does not feel so good. With my last pregnancy walking relieved all pain and now I'm stuck on the couch and I can't even move that muscle or it hurts. I may look fine but it feels like I have a baby living inside of me but that was just put there sideways in the wrong position. The left side is the only side I can pretty much lay on at this point. I'm really not even that far along I can't believe my restrictions. We went shopping and we shopped fast 15 minutes then down to the coffee shop to sit and have a break. I'm sure this is how old people feel all the time. Although my brain is fine and I'm more than energetic to do anything this body of mine just isn't with me these days. I just feel so helpless I can't move quick or get up I have to roll already I'm not even the size of an oompa loompa yet! My poor son at least he has a great nanny and a great daddy to hold him and comfort him because I'm stuck on the couch which really sucks. But it's great to watch him he's learning all kinds of new things every day.
We are getting ready to leave today with have 13 days left and only two fridays left yippee! I'm really laying low for reals so I can at least make it to America before something happens and I can maybe get some delicious food too!

So I will be staying in Idaho for 4-5 weeks. From my 28 weeks to 33 weeks. Apparently your body knows when you went into labor the first time. I had my son at 35 weeks went into preterm around 34 so these two weeks I should not be moving anywhere. Then the weeks after probably shouldn't be moving anywhere either. The problem is I'll be in Idaho my husband will be out of school and we need to get me to North Carolina along with who the heck is going to take care of me and my son while we are there since there is no one we know there. I have to get my shot weekly so I can't be changing locations every few weeks you can't just walk in a doctor and get one. I may just have to have this baby in Idaho. Which wouldn't be a bad thing my husband can take leave and spend it with friends but his family is in OK and he really wants to see them. My safe spot is in Idaho and he has to be there for the birth he is my one and only support he does an amazing job and while he freaks out I calm him down and while I freak out he tells me what's next we are a great team! Plus he's smart and I don't have to tell him anything, he knows what we want and what to tell the doctors and such. I really need him there along with it's his son too. It's really important to us both and with all this crazy traveling I hope he's there. I have planned for a Doula just in case if he isn't there while I'm in Idaho if he was in school or something. But this is our big dilemma. Especially with the great doctor I'm going to be seeing in Idaho I could make it all the way to 37 weeks or beyond with her help and ideas! I think it's better to keep the baby boy in and growing that to risk it and travel. Preemies are no guarantee they will need help with breathing or anything and even though Desmund was our little angel he was alot of work! It would be nice to have a some what full term easy baby and maybe get a real birth and not a surprise. Although surprises are amazing lil Desmund is the best surprise we could have ever gotten! At least we know the routine and how it all works out and we are trying to prepare for every scenario!

Houston we have orders!

We got our orders, finally came through. We got Ft. Bragg and my husband gets to go to Airborne school right away. So we leave earlier than expected. Good thing because they had me as a normal pregnancy able to fly til 34 weeks. I was told to not fly after 28 just to be safest. So then the drama unfolds. Apparently it's been sitting on a desk for about 2 months now YaY for letting us know our Deros date changed. So now guess what we are leaving in 19 days! Overseas it usually takes 30 days to clear. The soldier has to go to each building and get a signature it's kind of like a really messed up treasure hunt but at the end you get to leave! So now that our son was not on the orders, which is why they had been delaying giving them to us or something, which we've been trying to get him on them for hmmm...he's 13 months now. So we got our orders amended and everything is good we got our shipment of household goods scheduled for the Friday before we leave the following Monday and everything better get done! So now that, that stresser is out of the way the next big stress begins. I'll be 28 weeks when we fly. My husbands school is 3 weeks and he gets a week for travel to drive all of our stuff from Idaho including our car to North Carolina. I'll be staying at my mom's house in Idaho so that's great. They have a Perinatologist which is whom I'm suppose to be seeing anyway. They specialize in high risk pregnancies and also keeping the baby in for as long as possible! So that is a huge difference I really needed one of those! I will get my shot the 29th before we leave which will be a bit difficult since our HHG and all our final paperwork has to be done that day. Then we have no place to stay because we will have no place to sleep. So I was planning on just staying at Yongsan for the night in the lodge but I'm not sure that will happen now. Our lodge at Casey is totally booked and there is one hotel we could stay at I guess but again with the traveling not really my friend. I have no idea how that Friday will pan out but maybe I can go get my shot on Thursday instead. You have to the shot the same day every week if you switch it up you have a risk of complications. So right before a big trip probably not the best thing ever! We fly out that Monday we are home free and hopefully everything will be great!

Oh and about those side effects not listed on the print out....

So I've been getting Progesterone Shots for about 4 weeks now. Every Friday I go in they check my vitals I get the shot, check the vitals again and I'm good to go. I always get a sheet with the side effects on it and what to watch for. BUT they never told me what happens when you get TOO MUCH progesterone. They are also suppose to be tracking this and doing blood tests and they haven't. There can always be too much of a good thing. So in this case I went in told them what I had going on this week. She recommended a prenatal girdle. Got one..then said hmm yah you should see the doctor right away. So I recieved my shot and then went to the waiting room thinking it wouldn't be more than a half an hour. At this point I went by myself. Taking a 1 year old on a day trip to Yongsan and back with the husband in charge is alot of baby scheduling so left the boys at home and I went bright and early with my friends since they had to go there too. We stopped to get breakfast at McD's. The first time I had gotten to eat McD's breakfast in almost 2 years!  Amazing. So after we made it there around 9:30 I got my shot now it's about 10 and I was waiting in the waiting room. The nurse kept coming in and saying just a while longer. Well it was 12:30 before they saw me and I had missed two buses at this point I was freaking out. It was the first time my husband has been alone with my son all day long before in fact I think the longest time he's been alone with him maybe an hour! So I finally get to see the doctor and I just happen to get a good doctor that wants to examine me. She walked in started to explain herself and I stopped her mid sentence jumping for joy please do an exam!! They never examine you here they usually ask you 20 questions and send you home with Ibuprofen...

So apparently because of all this progesterone I got an infection and that's super bad if your pregnant and can possible have this baby at any moment. So there was no other choices than to give me the good stuff for meds she gave me two doses said to take the first if it doesn't go away within 4 days to take the second. The drug isn't really good during pregnancy but the infection wasn't good either especially if I went into preterm or something bad happened it would only make it worse.

So after a long day I missed the 2:05 bus and had to wait another hour for another bus so at 3 I left I got home around 6 because of the never ending traffic in Seoul and the horrible monsoon season rains. Also I had lost my ID the week before so now that I had to take the bus home I had to get off at each post and walk to the ID place and scan my fingerprint. The bus driver almost left me once then once I got to our final destination he totally didn't even wait for me and left me. Need I remind you walking makes the baby fall out even more! I had to walk all the way to the car couldn't make it that far so I stopped for a pit stop at the Gateway Club. For a normal person walking from Gate 1 to the Gateway club isn't that far. But after walking all day and not getting a wheelchair which I should have abused that privilege, I now know what a bird feels like before delivering an egg I think. So I'm never doing that one again!  I get home and the boys are sitting playing WoW having the time of there lives didn't miss me at all!  So I went and passed out in our nice comfy bed next to the air conditioner.

The mest up medical system of the Army in Korea.

20 Weeks
Well I begged and bargained and I got my progesterone shots.  I just did alot of research and that's what was highly recommended so I pushed for it and I got a referral to our big fancy army hospital in Seoul called 121.  It's a two hour bus ride there so for someone who is suppose to be laying down in bed only on her left side and only allowed to get up to go pee that seems a bit ridiculous.  But they wouldn't give me a referral to the closest hospital who I've been seen at ALOT and they have my medical records already.  Apparently because it's Korean and not an army facility you have to be one of the chosen ones. Which makes no sense to me since I already have all my stuff there and they can provide me with everything and more and it's only 30 minutes away from where I live so in case of another emergency I would go there anyway.  They are also educated I might add.  I got to talk to a doctor on the phone from 121 she told me I was not at high risk unless I miscarried a baby in my 2nd trimester according to her standards of Incompetant Cervix.  Also I should not be on bed rest nor do I need a cerclage but if I really really wanted to get the shots that would be ok but she was hesistant about that saying that if I had a girl it might turn into a boy because of the progesterone.  Lets see here keeping a baby in or letting it come out way to early.....not that hard of a decision!  Along with I had done tons of research at this point.  She just seemed like an uneducated idiot to me.  I have little faith in Army doctors. They really don't have alot of education they mostly get it from hands on experience as I've come to find out and usually take things alot more lightly that they should in all circumstances and also ibuprofen apparently fixes everything if it's 800mg because they prescribe it for everything over here!  She refused to give me a cerclage unless I went into preterm labor earlier than 30 weeks.  Which I would not be at that hospital anyway if that did happen.  A cerclage is when they sew you up because your body cannot keep the baby in because they are pretty much falling out at this point whether they want to come out or not.  So I got to talk to a doctor and I got my prescription for my progesterone shot. I was to recieve them until 36 weeks or until the baby comes of course.  Also I got an appointment for 5 weeks later to see this doctor ya know since I wasn't just in the ER and didn't have something serious going on I most certainly didn't need to be check out again at all to see if things had gotten worse or not....

21 Weeks
I went to 121 to get my shot. I walked in the pharmacy to fill it. Waited over 30 minutes. Then the pharmicist said" Aren't you from Casey?". I said "Yes but they make me come all the way here for this shot". He was really nice he wanted to give me 5 viles so I could it done at the TMC but then he was informed after I said sweet see if you can do that! He was told no Casey does not handle those things. He still questioned them saying we don't have nurses there and I said yes but we only have one OB so I think that may have to do with that. The pharmacist manager dude replied yes because she's high risk she has to come all the way here for one shot every week. Stupid because all I do is bring the vile to the nurse she checks my vitals then I get the shot in my bum then I go wait for 20 minutes to see if I have a reaction, checks my vitals, then I'm good to go.  The whole time it takes is 1 hour for me to fill the prescription then go get the shot then wait.  At this point we took the bus and of course since it took so long we missed the next bus by 1 minute! If we were to take the bus for all my shots it would equal $180. They have a free bus but we always manage to miss it. Also the doctor told me that a wheelchair was unnecessary. Just wondering how it's unnecessary since she also said I didn't need to be on bed rest I just needed to take it lightly. So I'm gonna go with the Korean doctors on this one seeing that walking from the front of 121 clear to the back to the OB puts me out of breath, ready to pass out and I can feel the baby dropping and it takes some time to get him back up in a good location! Really the whole point is to keep the baby is you would think she would be with me on this one. So after a long day or traveling AGAIN. It takes me all weekend to recuperate!

The Ticking Time Bomb.

I feel as though my precious baby boy, bun in the oven, has suddenly turned into a bomb. One you cannot turn off and will explode at any moment in time. How can I be excited about something I don't know what to expect. All I can do is pray for his safety to stay inside and cook a little longer taking one day at a time for a healthy baby. 


The Story Begins
On Saturday evening around 8pm June 18th, 2011 I was sitting on the couch, Desmund was asleep next to me. I was watching tv. The house was calm, my husband was in the field, I felt a contraction immediately IGNORED it. Denial is my first instinct. Then 45 minutes later it happened again lasting a good 5 minutes. I went into complete panic no this could not be happening again! I know what this is! Panic Attack begins, balling my eyes out starts, breathing heavily, Desmund is still sleeping. So I call my husband who is currently in training at a different location. Then I call my friend she says you just need to listen to the babies heart beat and make sure everything is ok. So we she comes and picks me and Des and we are off to the horrible dreadful TMC. We get there and tell them I'm having contractions I'm 20 weeks. They consult and then say you should go to St. Mary's either we can take you via Ambulance or you can drive on your own. From my last experience in preterm labor going in the ambulance was not the American version of going in an ambulance. Especially while having contractions lying on your back strapped down in an ambulance that slams on there breaks every 5 minutes or less and you have to sign a waiver before you get in it, and you only reach maybe 35 miles an hour! Taxi's are much faster here they speed, run reds which is ok here and you get there in one piece because they do some crazy stunt driver stuff. Well good thing my friend had a car we got there is 30 minutes and Desmund slept like the whole time. We got checked in right away and brought up to the OB department and seen immediately. Very nice considering I usually have to wait in america. They did a transvaginal ultrasound right away followed by the normal abdominal ultrasound. In the states it's rare they do the transvaginal so I've been told. They did it right away and knew what was wrong within 5 minutes of me being in there! AMAZING! So in conclusion she said I could be hospitalized or since I had a baby I could go home but had to be on permanent bedrest. So I said yes I will go home. Only problem was I have a 1 year old and my husband is in the field. Hoping my amazing friends would lend a hand and sure enough they did! Surprisingly two nurses were still there that had been there when I had my first son just one year before! They remembered us! That made me comforted alone.


So then the journey to get my husband home began. His family told me they should let him come home and so I went with that and we got him home the next day by 11am. Don't know for how long but he's home since I'm not allowed to get up or do anything but potty breaks. 


Conclusion
And what does this all mean. I have an insufficient cervix which is a short length of cervix at 20 weeks the normal is 4 to 4.5. Mine is a 2.2 which puts me at a 20% risk of delivery before 28 weeks and a 25% risk of having an early preterm labor. Early meaning before 35 weeks. My son Desmund was born at 35 weeks I went into preterm labor at 34 weeks 2 days. At least we know what is wrong with me now and why I carry babies so low!

Treatments
Now what do we do? Well since we are in Korea I have to go to Army doctors but I'm working on finding out if they have things closer than our nearest hospital two hours away by bus. I need progesterone anything they do shots or gel treatments and also a cervical cerclage. Where they sew you up so the baby doesn't fall out anytime soon. I'm 20 weeks and they usually place the  stitches in around 14 weeks unless you go into labor and dilate. So right now we are calling and waiting. There is no time for the waiting game but man these army docs suck!! And unfortunately I don't speak Korean or I'd be on the phone trying to find anyone near us with the progesterone. 


We were suppose to be PCSing early out of Korea but for now we are stuck until this baby decides to come and hopefully that will be at least 20 more weeks! So hopefully Desmund will be our only preemie in Korea but we shall see! Hoping for the best. Praying for the best!
=Stuck Here=