Not quite what we expected... but here we are at the hospital starting the inducement procedure at 37 weeks.
Funny, for me, this is the first time I've been to the hospital during this pregnancy, but Sam has been here by herself a few times over the last two weeks. Not for orientation or planning, but for undergoing non-stress tests (NST). This time around has definitely been different. With the COVID-19 pandemic triggering lockdowns on and off since March 2019, I was only able to be at one doctor/ultrasound appointment. A very different experience from before. That's not to say it has been a terrible experience, just... different.
And I don't like it. I wasn't there for each ultrasound. I didn't get to record the heartbeat. I wasn't there when they determined Sam had gestational hypertension, I wasn't there when the doctor sent to her the hospital for the first NST. That first AST, that was a doozy. Knowing Sam was at the hospital for tests, which the doctor felt were necessary.
"Go straight to the hospital. Don't go home. Go straight there.", it didn't really matter what Sam told me the doctor said after that. The doctors insistence that she wasn't "too worried" or that it wasn't an emergency. I put on a brave face, put everything else on hold, and spent time with Miriam. Try not to worry.
Then two hours pass by without an update. I send a text message... no reply. I call... straight to voicemail. Try to stay calm. Sam calls me a few minutes later and lets me know that they're waiting for more results, but the tests they already did looked good. Relief. 3 hours later, she was released. Mom and baby doing fine.
Yes, a very different experience. The subsequent tests weren't quite as nerve-racking, but still, it's always in the back of your mind as you count exactly how early 34, 35, and 36 weeks is while Sam is gone for 3 to 5 hours for each test. There was some relief when the doctor ultimately decided to schedule the inducement at 37 weeks.
Even though I don't like that I couldn't participate as much as I wanted to, as I said earlier, the experience this time around hasn't been terrible, just different.
I'm thankful that I'm allowed to be in the hospital with Sam for the labor and delivery, more importantly I'm grateful that we have an amazing support system so I can be here.