I dont know what is with my body but is yet to figure out how to keep a baby in cooking longer. I'm 29 weeks today and let's welcome the early stage of labor. Im not happy at all, luckly I am only 1cm dilated and my contractions are not regular but they do have a pattern which is not cool or fun! I just hope I can stay pregnant for at least 6 more weeks.
Two days ago we had the most interesting, unforgetable and tramatic experience of our life. Okay, maybe Im exagerating a little but not by much. Two days ago I had the worse sharp pain and pressure that came out of nowhere, without warning. It was matter of seconds I started contracting pretty frequently. In my mind I was in labor and there would be no stopping this baby. The pain started getting more intense by the minutes. I tried all they say to try, laydown on your side, drink water, walk it out etc. They all failed and the pain was only getting worse. By now according to me my contractions were 5 minutes apart and so painful I could barely speak. Got on the phone and called This guy. I needed to see a Dr ASAP, there was no waiting! Luckly, D had no school that day so she came to watch the kids while This guy took me to the ER.
Walking was the worse ever, I never felt this kind of pressure/pain before. So strange! At the ER I was closed. Unfortunately, our ER/hospital here has no support for pregnant ladies what so ever. NOTHING! So they drove me to the nearest Korean hospital that had a NICU (Ajou Korean Hospital). The ride there was bumpy and very unconfortable, but the staffs that were on the back with me were kind and helpful. They were timing my contractions and by now they were 3 minutes apart. This guy were to follow the ambulance there but I knew he would be at least 30 minutes behind because of traffic.
When we arrived at Ajou, instead of taking me to L&D I was put at there ER. They wheeled my bed all the way to the end of the ER hall where I noticed at least 40 beds full of sick koreans. This place was the most scarry ER I have ever been and I was in disbeleif they were about to put a pregnant lady "possibly in labor" around at least 40 other sick, contagious people. (If you think this is bad, just wait till you hear the rest).
They placed me along with the others at the very end of the room, which I assume was the only open spot?!!! This ER room was not only the most nasty, scarriest ER I have ever seen but also the biggest. There had to be at least 40-50 beds placed next to eachother with only about an arm's maybe two the most length distance from eachother. With only curtains to seperate them in case anyone wants/needs any sort of privacy. (not suprised, they dont know what privacy is)
I was chocked and stunned, where they really putting me here? What If I am in labor? I dont want to have a primmie in the middle of all these sick people with who knows what!!! The only people who spoke english was me, 2 staffs that came with me from base and one Korean who spoke half english. Luckly, the Osan staff stayed with me as much as they could. The Korean staff came to take my personal informations. She verified my name, then her second question stunned me. Are you married? When did you get married?
Seriously? did I understand her correctly? I had to look at the Osan staff and ask them if she was really asking what I thought she was. Apperently is something they must know? Then after all the questionare they came and replaced my IV fluids. I mean replaced everything not just the bag. Took the needle everything out...OUCH!!Why, I dont know. This is just a few of the weird stuff they do. Replacing it all was not the part that bothered me the most. What I was really mad about was how she did it. With no gloves one and she didnt even spoke english when I was telling her to stop and put gloves on. UGHH!! At the end of IV change a new nurse came in to take some blook for labs. She just walked to the other side (my only free arm) and didnt even said anything just grabbed my arm and went on with her business. I glanced at her fingers and I almost didnt let her finish, she was too quick before i had a chance to say or do anything the needle was already inside my vain. Her finger nails had dried blood. Yes this is what I said....dried blood, not mine, not fresh...old blood!
Osan staffs had to leave, I was left alone at this ER with only Koreans. Just minutes later a lady came with broken English and told me they were taking me upstairs to labor and delivery. Oh, thank you!!!! She left and a male nurse came to wheel me out of there. We were barely out of the ER, just around the corner, he stops in front of this HUGE door. I assummed it was an elevator or something. Nope, he leaves me there on the hall in front of this door for about 5 minutes. (note, I am in pain, contracting and unconfortable during all this). Then when I thought they were done doing weird stuff a nurse walks in to give me an eco-cardiogram. Yep! now I may be having heart attack or palputations or something. Because they need to check my heart!
He male nurse comes back and the huge door opens. He started to wheel me in, dont panic Boa, might be a shortcut to the L&D. I told myself. Nope, another male nurse comes with the magnetic thing to place other my belly. My natural reation was to push him away and say no. They didnt speak english. I tried my heart out to receive an explanation why in the world do I need an X-ray. Im in early labor not dying!!! They didnt know how to answer me and I seriously doubt they even understood a word I said.
One of them left the room and came back with a translator. She spoke broken english but we were able to communicate. There was no way I was going to get out of that room without an x-ray. She translated and told me they needed to make sure I was okay because of my asthma. I told her was, Im breathing fine am I??She assured there would be no harm to the baby and they needed that x-ray. For what? So you guys can get more money from us stupid americans? Hey lets run every single test as possible out of this lady so we can charge them more!
After the x-ray was overa they finally took me to L&D. I could not beleive I was at L&D! Ladies, even the worse of the worse US L&D is better than this one. My bed was placed on the corner of the hall by a fetal and contraction monitor that had to be at least 20 years old. I was about 10 feet away from the L&D front desk. The nursed closed the curtains around the bed and left. (I am still laying at the ER bed. This is no comfortable bed, no pillow, no nothing. Just a cover sheet). At least my wonderful husband was already there awaiting for me. He said hes been there for almost 20 minutes and wondered where was I. I had to yet tell him all that happened! He wont beleive me, I thought!
This guy and I started investigating our surroundings to find out if this is a normal proceedure for them or they were doing this to me becasue we were Americans. Sadly, all seems to be pretty normal for them. Next to me, about 5 feet away was a room. Where there were 4 beds and the beds were also divided by curtains only and a chair next to the bed. There were ladies there in labor too. This is the room while you are in labor, I had to wonder do you deliver it there too or do they take you else where? Just didnt look like that was the case.
After a few minutes a midwife comes in who spoke decent English. She explained she was my midwife and she was going to check me for pregression. (with gloves on, yay) She explained that my contractions looks 3 minutes apart and seems fairly regular. I was now 1cm! Sucks, but not as bad as I thought I was. I now knew I was not in active labor! I know my body and I know with that much pain, I would progress so quickly I would have had the baby at the ER.
She explained they will keep watching me and come back in 1 hr to check up again. I closed my eyes for an instance, I said a small prayer to heavenly father to please make my contractions stop. About 40 minutes later I noticed my contractions spaced out. Midwife came back and rechecked me. I was still 1cm. She then proceeded she wanted me to stay the night so they can continue to monitore me and do an ultrasound in the AM to check for funniling and possibly consider stitching the cervix. This guy interropeted her and asked: "When you sayu keep her here, do you mean here in this bed at this location?" She gave this guy a look like if he was asking the most stupid question on earth, then replied: "YES".
We looked at eachother in disbelief with a grin on our faces. Then he asked, and where would I stay? She told him they have waiting room with chairs and TV the other side of the room. That was when I just jumped into their conversations and simply said: NO!!!
I told her, If she beleives I was stable and nothing was going to happen tonight that I would go home and come back if needed. I also told her if nothing happens and I dont need to come back I would still follow up tomorrow morning with my Base Dr. I told her I would not be able to get any rest here, on this bed, in the hall with a light on my face all night. I needed to rest and have a good night of sleep. I was already to unconfortable and I didnt want it to stay this way all night. She was not very pleased and told me thats not a good idea. I told her its not an option! Then she said she was going to speak to the head Dr and come back to let us know what she said.
During this entire time, my new IV replaced by the Koreans was leaking off of the opening in my hand and it started to get annoying. This guy went got a nurse to try to fix it. She was so mean and reckless, it hurt so bad!She took the tape off of it and was holding it needle with partial tape like if it was stuck on a wall or a dummy, not a human. She did nothing to stop the leak, all she did was replace the tape. Once the new tape was back in I could tell it was still leaking, seconds later there were IV fluids in a pocket between my skin and the tape. I showed to her, she argued bad saying it was not leaking that it was just air. I had to prove it by moving my arm and showing that air doesnt move haha. I also told her it was not only leaking but it was really hurting. I must have made her mad, because this time she literally waxed me by taking the tape off. She was being so agressive the needle was piercing me and hurting so bad. I had my eyes closed and squeezing This guy's hand. Suddently I felt his strong pressure and a big yank on my hand. I looked and the YV cord was on the floor my hand had blood and the needle was half way out and her left hand was squeezing my wrist so hard to stop and block any bleeding. She then pushed the needle back inside my vain and called another nurse for assist. The nurse brought her a new IV cord and needle connection thing. Then she connected it all together and retaped it. ( All this without gloves on by the way)
I looked at this guy and told him. Thats it, we are going home!! Luckly, the midwife came back just minutes later to deliver the message. The head Dr told her to monitor me for another 2-3 hrs and if no change I could be discharged if I wanted. I said, okay fine! 2 hrs no more than 2 hrs I am out of here with or without your permission. She agreed and said she would be back to recheck in 2 hrs.
Congrations were still coming, luckly they were now 10 minutes apart. I knew that even if I had no more progression with 10 minutes contrations they would not let me go home. So we cheated...by replacing the contraction monitor slightly higher not really tracking much by now! I did this because I knew they were the same kind of contractions I had with Kachow and Chubbs for 3 months before they turned into the real deal. I knew this, but they were not going to listen to me. And if i was wrong and they were the real deal we would know in 2 hrs if i had progressed any.
2hrs on the dot....she comes in to recheck me! Amazing, at least i give them that! On time!!! WOOHOO I did not progress anything at all! Home we go i thought! WRONG! When she said no change I started to sit up and told hubby to get my clothes. She said no, and told me they had to take me back to the ER and they have to discharge me. I thought she was joking. But not, seriously! They did wheeled my entire bed with IV everything back downstairs to the ER with all the diseased people! UNBELIEVEBLE!!!
About 1hr later we were finally on our way home. I was still quiet unconfortable and still contracting about 10 minutes apart. My wonderful husband drove very carefully, making sure he would try to avoid as many bumps as possible. Korean road sucks! I mean everything Korean sucks!
When home, i took a nice warm shower to relax me. Hubby gave me a blessing and just seconds after I felt this huge peace overcome me. Then I knew, Three would not come anytime soon! And we will be okay!!
Next morning we drove to Seoul for my follow up appointment. All is well with three and Dr estimated his arrival the first week of October. Her guess was the 8th! Which will put me right at 36-37weeks. I would love that!!
"EACH DAY CONTAINS ITS OWN CHALLENGES, MYSTERIES AND EXPECTATIONS. DON'T GIVE UP- THE GOOD STUFF ITS AROUND THE CORNER."
After much thought of our routine, boring life here in Korea. This guy and I realized that finally we are close to leave Korea. And yet we have not done much here with the exception of the time when our mamma came to visit. We just absolutely dislike driving/traveling here in Korea. Its such a hassel!! So we never forced ourself to get out and try to have some sort of fun.
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