Day Eight

We began Pitocin on or about 12:45a. The process involves constant monitoring and dose adjustments so about every half hour, Zoe must enter the room. She is great at her job and I appreciate her kindness and skill. I’m almost certain that she has forgotten that I’m in the room.

Occasionally, I put words together in sentences, that may be interpreted as reassurance and pride to those in the room. I also listen and watch the baby’s pulse and movements. These sounds are constant.

A fetal pulse typically lies within a range of 110 and 160 beats per minute. I’ve become an expert over the past few days as our medical team conducts the strangely phased “non-stress test”, where they measure baby Fife Myers’ pulse over time, generally 20 minutes. Our team likes to see at least six accelerations, which according to Johns Hopkins are short-term rises in the heart rate of at least 15 beats per minute, lasting at least 15 seconds. Accelerations are normal and healthy. They tell the doctor that the baby has an adequate oxygen supply, which is critical.

Kiddo appears to sleep with a steady heart rate between 117 and 120. He’s likely awake, perhaps listening to our conversations about him and thinking baby thoughts when his rate hovers between 130 and 145. When he’s exited, he likes to sprint around the womb, eluding the monitor contacts with a heart rate of between 150 and 165. For a 4 pound fetus, he has a pretty active social life. When he moves, it sound like he’s moving boxes – picking them up on one side of the womb and dropping them in the other. He does this about once every 5 minutes. I presume he’s packing.

As for me, I’m virtually useless – as almost any other partner is at this point in the pregnancy. Words of support are wonderful, all the books say so. I occasionally help her to the bathroom and make sure her electronics are fully charged.

To see if I’m doing this correctly, I’ve looked at what other websites have to say about this twilight labor time. Most presume a traditional birth or what I call a TV birth, where things happen between 22 or 47 minutes, not including commercial breaks. Technically, we are in hour 144 so these other suggestions may not apply. My goals are to listen, stay our of the way, and let you all know what’s happening.

I’ve certainly gotten a little more sleep than Lara, who has by my calculation received about an hour and change of cumulative rest. I continue to worry about where her strength resides as we move slowly toward active labor. Then, I remember this is the woman who ran marathons, treated victims of the Haitian earthquake, volunteered in Zimbabwe and Brazil, and was an emergency room nurse.

Combined with my television degree from watching 15 seasons of “ER“, and I think we have it covered so far.

Thank you for your support.