Awake

It's 4am and I'm wide awake. I don't know whether it is nerves about tomorrow's scan or just pregnancy keeping me awake. I peed and had a snack and still I'm awake. We toured two hospitals yesterday and got a ton of information. Now it is all swirling around in my head making me crazy. I think it started to occur to me yesterday that I'm actually expected to somehow get these babies out of my belly at some point. And then we're expected to actually take them home and care for them! Both ideas seem like ridiculous concepts at the moment. But then again, most things seem ridiculous at 4am.

As far as the hospital decision goes, I'm leaning towards one of the hospitals (the newer one) with just one concern at the moment. It has a level II trauma center, as opposed to level I. This would seem to matter if something goes drastically wrong with me (as opposed to the babies). I don't know if this is something to really be concerned about or not and plan to ask the doctor tomorrow.

Otherwise, both hospitals have a level IIIB NICU (not sure why the ratings are opposite for trauma versus NICU, but I is highest for trauma and IV is highest for NICU). I think there are only two level IV NICU's in Denver (neither are convenient to us) and all the other hospitals transfer care there to the extent a preemie needs cardiac surgery, etc. The NICU in the older hospital is currently under construction for expansion and our tour guide was unsure about timing for completion and didn't think it would be before the next year or so. I can't imagine construction noise is good for preemies.

The newer hospital also has "family rooms" attached to the NICU where you can spend the night (if you are discharged but the babies are still in the NICU). The guide suggested that this is used for when the babies are close to coming home and you can gain confidence by staying the night with them, but still having the back-up care. The tour guide at the older hospital didn't say whether they have similar rooms. In fact, she didn't say much at all about the NICU, even when asked.

Both have only private rooms, although one hospital has some rooms with private showers and others that share showers. Both have similar amenities in the room (tv, vcr, dvd, wireless internet, etc.). We clocked the trips and both are exactly 18 minutes from our house with no traffic. We've heard good things about both hospitals from mothers who had their babies there, so I think it is probably difficult to make a "wrong" decision here.

Those are the major points I can remember at the moment about the hospitals. Mom came with and took notes for us, so I'll have to look those over for anything I'm forgetting.

I just hope the scan tomorrow shows two healthy babies. Please. Pretty please.