On Monday 11/9/09, at our weekly appointment with Dr. Asrat's office in Newport Beach, they noticed that Tara's cervix length had shortened a bit. Her next appointment was supposed to be in two weeks, but they decided that she should come back in one week (today), just in case. That turned out to be a very good decision.
At her appointment the next week (11/16/09), they observed that her cervix length was fluctuating between 1-2 inches, very short for 25 weeks, and that the fluctuations were signs that she was currently experiencing contractions (though she could not feel them).
Tara was taken across the street to Hoag Hospital where she was quickly given a series of medications aimed at stopping/limiting her contractions, as 25 weeks was far too early for her to deliver. The immediate treatments worked well, and we were given the following news: Tara would need to remain on bed rest at the hospital until giving birth, or until she reached 34 weeks, whichever came first.
Tara's mother Carole had been staying with us for several weeks already, as Tara was on bed rest at home and I was travelling to Sacramento every week for work. With our new mission ahead of us, I was allowed by work to stop travelling, and the three of us moved in to a small room in the Antepardom unit at Hoag. The nurses were great, and at one point we got updated to the largest room in the unit, which helped make the stay a little more comfortable.
To make a very long story short, Tara made it to 34 weeks, Carole and I managed to not kill each other, and on Wednesday 1/13/10 we all went home together. This was an amazing accomplishment for Tara, as much mental as it was physical. A 34-week baby was now entering the zone where, with some time in the NICU, it would have a good chance for survival. Tara was to remain on bed rest, on her meds, for two more weeks (36 weeks). This was now our new goal. She almost made it...
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