Two Week Hiatus From My Bedroom, Part 3

From the "Looking Back" Series...

I laid on the ultrasound table looking at a TV that was mounted up on the wall . On the screen, there were my babies. They were already little superstars. My husband and I were anxiously waiting for the specialist to come into the ultrasound exam and give us any information about what was going to happen. When the tech was finished, she stepped out and returned with the specialist.

I didn't know what to expect. I have never seen a specialist before. But in walks a well put together man probably in his 40's with a warm smile and a bedside manner that quickly eased both me and my husband. He examined me and confirmed that I was two centimeters dilated. He then asked if we knew the sex of the babies and when we told him no, he said, "Okay, but I need to know." So, he scanned the babies for their gender and immediately stood up and said, "They are going to be fine. If they are delivered tonight, they will be just fine." Wow, confidence. It was the kind of confidence that the midwife the day after Christmas had. Just, don't worry, everything is going to work out here. And anyone knows that no one can truly predict an outcome, but when he said that it was like he was wearing a cape and was Super Specialist! Okay, weird, I know...

Looking back, it makes perfect sense why he would have to know the sex of the babies. Boys and girls differ when it comes to lung development. Girls' lungs are usually developed much earlier in utero than boys. If I would have had this knowledge at this point in time, I probably would have understood that I was carrying two girls without him having to tell me.

The specialist ended our visit with letting me know that I was getting a steroid shot to help speed up lung development in case we were to deliver early. Also, I wasn't going anywhere until Sunday afternoon when he would evaluate me again.

So, I was moved to a holding cell...I mean, patient room and I spent the weekend being monitored, being waited on by great nurses at the hospital, reading, watching TV and getting visitors. It was kind of like a resort, but it was a hospital...No big deal, Sunday was just around the corner and then I would get to go home after I received the second steriod shot (you have to have two within 48 hours of each other.) I would be back in my own bed in no time...right?