Day by Day

Today was a good day -- thanks to a good night's sleep. The good night was made possible by an NST result "textbook" in its clarity, in the words of our favorite nurse. The NST monitors the babies' heartrates and requires a measurement of two points of acceleration 10 bpm over the average rate during a 20-minute span (do not depend upon these descriptions if you will soon be taking the MCATs). The challenge for the nurses is lining up three monitors on the surface of the belly with three babies' hearts simultaneously even as the babies shuck and jive below. Watching the nurses try to pull off the feat is a bit like watching Rocky trying to catch three chickens.

We have learned the only way getting the NST done is if Momma sits up the whole time, and that is taxing.

Mom's vitals, meanwhile, are in a good holding pattern above any necessity at this time to deliver, so the doctors will be making their decision on a day-by-day basis, and we are getting acclimated to this being's Momma-to-be's new temporary home.

One of the MFM (maternal fetal medicine) doctors that is part of the team monitoring the situation came by to visit yesterday. He said that a mother of triplets making it to 31 weeks is a "mammoth" achievement. Thinking of the size Momma has reached, we have been amused by his choice of words. As the nurses change shifts, we continue to meet new personnel, although we think after more than 72 hours here we are on the verge of knowing every nurse in the labor and delivery unit. One after the other, they ask, "How many babies in there?" and we say, "Three," and they say, "Wow, and you've made it to 31 weeks?!" It IS a mammoth achievement.