Draining

Yesterday was a fun day!! I have been having serious amounts of rib pain due to the very high level of amniotic fluid in my ever increasing belly.
Yesterday at my appointment they said I had reached the severe level and so we needed to do something about it, meaning I needed to be DRAINED!!!

I had to lay with a plastic straw in my stomach, my uterus contracting hard around it, for 30 minutes as we filled up two liters with my internal juices. Lots of fun! Then it was Maddox's turn. Another needle was put in my stomach and then into his abdomen and over 200ml were removed from his little swollen tummy. I really hope we don't do that again. Towards the end I was biting hard on a rag to get through the last few minutes while they pushed and pulled the needle in and out trying to get the rest of the fluid. There was no pain killer folks, and really it wouldn't be too bad if it was quick, but I was laying there for at least 45 minutes not able to move. I'm glad it's over!

I was then sent up to the labor/delivery floor to watch my contractions, which I was having regularly for a few hours. They were basically just braxton hicks contractions and weren't causing me to dilate, so they eventually let me go back to my cosy little dorm room in the Children's Hospital which is connected by a bridge to the Brigham and Women's Hospital. All in all it was a successful draining and I feel much better as I'm sure Maddox does.

Maddox is doing very well and it is possible that he could be done with one surgery after birth. It is possible that he'll need additional surgeries, but the cardiologist said that if he responds well to the first one, that might be all he needs. YIPEEEE!!!! We are worlds away from where we were a month ago. The changes that they made to Maddox's heart during the fetal intervention are helping his heart to get BETTER! It is slowly improving, which is a miracle, and one that the doctors here are recognizing as such. Pretty amazing! I also found out from my OB/GYN doctor here that it is possible that I could deliver Maddox the good old fashioned way and not have to go through a c-section. If Maddox doesn't handle labor well, then of course we'll do a c-section, but it might be possible for me to avoid being cut open, which would be great and would really help with my recovery and being able to focus on my little man after he's born. I'm absolutely willing to do whatever we need to do to get him here, so we'll just wait and see.

I am very happy that I came back up here and know that Maddox and I are in good hands. It is pretty amazing to look back over the last few weeks and see how the Lord has blessed us and directed us to know what to do. This experience has been full of growth and learning and I know we're not done yet, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to see the hand of the Lord so clearly in my life. Thank you so much for all the prayers and fasting. We still have a long way to go, and I would ask you to continue to pray. Our Heavenly Father truly hears and answers our prayers and through Him all things are possible. Miracles do happen and we feel so blessed to have experienced them first hand.