Here I am sitting in Boise at St. Luke's to hopefully prolong the time until little Cooper is here.

What started as a normal Tuesday turned dramatic when I started spotting, something I shouldn't be doing at 22 weeks. I immediately went to the emergency room, which resulted in an ultrasound and exam in the clinic. After an exam and ultrasound - it was determined that my cervix was thinning. The baby is fine, normal with a great heartbeat - it's my own body that is forcing me into premature labor.

I was ordered to bed rest. Laying down flat bed rest. No pressure on my cervix to make it thin more. Search and Rescue had to keep me flat from the ultrasound bed to the gurney to a hospital bed. After blood, IV, ultrasound, spectrum, steroids and bed pans I honestly couldn't believe I was in this situation. Being only 22 weeks, St. Pats in Missoula wouldn't accept me, so the next place was St. Luke's in Boise.
Due to weather I wasn't able to fly until the next afternoon via plane and continuing to stay flat. Once I got to Boise, I was subjected to their own tests and ultrasounds. When I finally could settle it hit me in the fact that I was in this position. There are no clear cu signs of this happening or why, the only clue is that I have a "weak" cervix unable to hold the weight or size of a baby.

I had two options. One would be to continue on bed rest and hope I didn't progress. I never had any contractions but I wasn't sure I wanted to take that chance. What if I had just been on bed rest, and my body continued to progress we risked the having little Cooper early, at a stage in which he isn't viable.

My second option was a cervical cerclage, which means they stitch my cervix closed. Since I haven't had any contractions or cramps I was a good candidate for it, plus they don't do it past 24 weeks. The cerclage isn't a guaranteed fix but it works in hope to keep the baby in a little longer, hopefully.


Both options have their risks, and pros and cons. Thursday afternoon I began spotting again which meant my body could be progressing so Tom finally arrived in Boise around 2:30 and I was in pre-op by 5 to get a cerclage.

It was a chance that Tom and I needed to take, while the risk was if the doctor hit a membrane it would break my water and I would lose the pregnancy - the risk was low enough or us to feel some what comfortable. I was so scared and nervous. Afraid of the outcome. Afraid of the unknown. I was risking losing my unborn child yet to save my unborn child. It was a decision in which I wasn't sure which was "right" or "wrong."

I made it through surgery, the only problem was I had spasm in my throat which was making my throat close so they had to put back under to make sure I would be fine. But I am fine and the baby is fine. All went well which is a blessing. Now we play the waiting game. I will be on bed rest until I have the baby. Originally I wouldn't be able to go home to Salmon until 35-37 weeks pregnant, but I may be able to go home Monday which would be a blessing in itself. Somewhere where I would have friends and family to help and of course Tom.

You never know what will happen, when you will need your family and friends and when you will depend on your husband more than ever. But I am grateful for all of it. While I will have to be on bed rest until little Cooper arrives, it is more certainly worth every minute to have our lil man!