Journal Entry: First Trip to BWH

I sat in the hospital for a few days before Bruce had to come out. And while I laid in a hospital bed, I wrote.

"May 15, 2005: My doctor verified that the baby was in the 15th percentile for weight, so she sent me to BWH for some bloodwork right away. I walked the 6-8ish blocks to the hospital; I had just missed the shuttle and was feeling like a walk was just what I needed anyway. I was choking back tears and trying - to no avail - to stay calm. I was starving by that point, so I choked down an apple.

I'd never been inside Brigham & Women's Hospital, so I was completely lost (my birthing class and hospital tour was scheduled for the following week). I wandered to some general admissions place, where two old ladies quipped about how cute my hair was ("looks just like a little kid's! So cute!") before pointing me to the obstetric admissions office. I told them I needed bloodwork so they sent me to the third floor.

No one was there. I wandered the floor and found a room with a receptionist and asked her where to go. Second floor, she said. They're still open. I went to the second floor, where they said I should call my doctor and ask her. Fifth floor. So I showed up at the maternity ward and checked in. Finally found the right place after a half-hour. Good thing I wasn't in active labor.

I was put in an observation room where I got a hospital gown and a wristband. I peed in a cup, answered tons of questions, and had my blood pressure taken again. Then the nurse strapped two belts on me - one for measuring contractions and one for measuring Bruce's heart beat - and let me lay down.

Scott showed up and brought me dinner. I laid there for a few hours listening to Bruce's heart beat get louder and softer as the contractions came and went. I didn't realize how many contractions I was having! I thought I was having typical Braxton Hicks contractions. But the nurses kept asking me if I felt them, how they felt, and such.

They sent me home to rest for the weekend and I came back Monday for more testing. My blood pressure was 134/95. Back to BWH. I knew where to go this time. The maternity ward was bustling. I sat in the lobby for an hour with four severely pregnant women. One was grimacing with contractions. The others sat reading magazines. A woman walked in and said, "I was told to come back when my water broke. And it did." She sure got priority. I brought one book to read and my journal.

I went from an observation room to a labor/delivery room. They took blood and gave me an IV. I've had more needles stuck in my arms the past 48 hours than in my whole life combined. The night was awful. My blood pressure was up. I had a lot of contractions. I was strapped to a few machines, including an automatic blood pressure cuff that tightened every half-hour. It tried to measure my blood pressure, but it kept messing up because my pulse is too low. It thinks I'm dead."


Looking back, I probably should have packed more than a book and a journal. Luckily, Scott brought me socks, my toothbrush, and a blanket (those thin sheets they give you just don't cut it!). Somehow everything came together despite my lack of preparations and Bruce coming six weeks early. My employer bought the car seat and had it delivered to the hospital. Scott put the crib together and my mom put Bruce's bedroom in order. My sister brought me some preemie clothes. And thank goodness, the hospital sent us home with boatloads of diapers, a boppy, bottles, and all kinds of other gear that I never would have thought of on my own.