23 weeks and more contractions

Well, we had an interesting end of the week this week. Thursday after school, my friend Magen came over and helped me pack up some boxes. Really, she packed boxes and I labeled them. So I didn't get to put my feet up that afternoon, which turned out to be a mistake. That night was our first childbirth class at St. Vincent's, the hospital downtown where my doctor is and where I'll deliver. It's a two and half hour class every Thursday for a month. The teacher is a fun older lady and keeps it interesting. Everyone else in class is due the first part of June through the first of July. I'm the only one with twins and Andrew thought it was funny that I probably had the biggest baby bump in the room. So far, nothing I don't know about and Andrew got the pleasure of watching a video of a live birth, including placenta. We are agreed that part isn't pleasant. :) So we got done with class a little early and got home around 9. We got in bed and I went to sleep while Andrew worked a little. I'd been asleep about an hour when I got up to, of course, go to the bathroom. On my way back to bed, I realized I was having a contraction. That was just before 11pm. Now, the nurse had said before that unless I'm in pain or having 3 or more and hour with a change in pressure, I'm ok to lay down until they go away. And I'm probably having some contractions everyday, but I just don't always feel them. So I laid back down. But I had 4 more in less than an hour. So we called the emergency line for my doctor's nurse and she said I'd better come in to the maternity ward and let them check me. So we get to the hospital about 1:25. They knew I was coming because of my call to the nurse, so we went straight to a room in Labor & Delivery. That is a huge perk of being a patient of a doctor at a hospital. So the nurse check me and said my cervix was not dilated, but I was a little dehydrated. So she got the monitors on me (to watch contractions) and the babies (to watch their heartbeats) and said she just wanted me to drink some juice and water and see if it helped. I could still feel the contractions for some time after that, but they got much less frequent. I was drinking my fluids and they decided to give me a little medication (Brethine) to stop the contractions. About 30 mins to an hour after she gave me the Brethine I got up and went to the bathroom for her to check my dehydration. When I got back in bed I was extremely lightheaded. My blood pressure had tanked when she checked it (50/30) and I started having tightness in my chest. So the nurse left to do something (I don't know what, I was close to passed out) and as soon as she was out the door, Andrew had to hand me the trash can so I could throw up. I really don't think I've been that scared in a long time. Hearing my BP was that low and then feeling as weird as I did, I was seriously concerned for my babies. But I really didn't know what was going on, so I just kept praying in my head. So they decided I should go ahead and get an IV of fluid and stay until the on-call doctor made rounds the next morning. My BP came back up slowly, but never made it up to what it was when we went in (110/90). The lightheadedness subsided and I started breathing easier when I got some more water down. I think maybe the sugar in the juice was too much too fast. So poor Andrew settled into the tiny recliner chair with a blanket and pillow and tried to sleep. Once she got my IV going and readjusted the monitors, the nurse said she'd only come back every now and then to see if I could pee again so she could check the dehydration. So between me calling the nurse to tell her I had to get up to pee, her coming in to see if I could pee again, and her coming in to move the monitor because she'd lost one of the baby's heartbeats when I rolled over, I didn't really get to sleep until about 4:45. And then she woke me up at 5:35 to make me pee again before the doctor got there. I continued having contractions and the nurse would ask if I felt them, but I really didn't after a couple hours. Finally, we talked to Dr. McKee and he said he was confused as to why I had been dehydrated (I drink 64 oz of water a day and that day was no exception), but everything looked ok. He said those were not hard labor contractions, just some brought on by the dehydration, so that was good. I have an appointment with the OB on Thursday, so he was pleased with that. He said not to work on Friday (I had planned to meet the other art teachers to organize our final project) and just to lay around and rest. So we left the hospital about 6:30am. We both got in bed at home and slept until 9, when Andrew got up and went to work. I got in the recliner then and stayed in it all day. And I've been in it again all day today. And I'm getting very bored. :) But Sheila came and packed some boxes for us last night and my Mama will be here this week to keep me company. And I really need to rest and keep the contractions to a minimum so that I can make it to my baby showers (I have one Wednesday at work). But there is only so much you can do from a recliner. And I must say, I'm disappointed that nice weather finally comes and I have to sit inside for it. That is probably the worst part. So I'll be looking into a reclining lawn chair for the new house (we move this Saturday), so that I can at least sit outside in the sun. More ultrasound pictures to come this week! Thoughts and prayers appreciated.