Down with the kids

Monday was a terrible day, but like most terrible days what really distinguishes it was that it could have been much more terrible - and it wasn’t! I will start the story by assuring you, it all ends well

Sunday night Little Bro vomited. Not just once, but quite regularly from around midnight. Parents around the world will be familiar with the gastro phenomenon. Get toddler up, strip his bed because he has been sick on the sheets, take him to your room at which time he is sick on your sheets, as you change them he is sick on his pajamas, as you change them he is sick on yours!

This goes on in circles until there is some respite in the early hours of the morning at which time you are exhausted, as is the linen cupboard and the laundry door wont shut because it is crammed full of every sheet and towel you own!

Little Bro seemed to pick up and keep some liquids down in the morning, so I thought I’d press ahead with my doctors appointment. My motto with two little kids is - press on, unless you do you never leave the house!

My visiting 21 year old nephew offered to come along and walk Little Bro around the streets while Big Sis and I were with Dr Ob, so I thought it would be ok!

All was going well until Dr Ob announced that he couldn’t find Tertius/Tertia’s heartbeat! He looked really worried. He said it was highly unusual for this to happen at 16 weeks and wanted me to have an ultrasound straight away! He called the ultrasound clinic around the corner and they agreed to see me immediately!

So there we were, Big Sis, Little Bro and my poor nephew (wishing I suspect that he was anywhere but there with his pregnant aunty in a medical emergency!). Little Bro of course was deteriorating and started vomiting again, my nephew was doing a wonderful job comforting him and catching the vomit in a towel!

DSO was of course alerted and made an emergency dash to meet us (on his red Italian scooter of course - so at least he was traveling in style). I became further alarmed (if that’s possible) when we were met at the ultrasound clinic and ushered away from the general waiting area into a ’special room’ with chairs placed in a sympathetic circle and boxes of tissues galore.

“Oh my God, I thought to myself - they’ve put us in the dead baby room!” I was just managing to hold it together for the sake of the kids. Eventually they took DSO and I through, my poor nephew was left to keep the kids in order and keep the towel action up! They put the ultrasound on my tummy and I could see the baby, for what seemed like an eternity I peered at the image and finally timidly spoke up - “Is that a heartbeat?”.

“Oh yes”, the ultrasound guy replied, “a perfectly healthy heartbeat!” At this point I’d like to say I wish he had yelled out straight away - “Babies alive!” But to be fair, DSO and I disagree on how long elapsed before I asked about the heartbeat. Time was distorting for me at that point in time.

So, with the best news I’ve ever heard I gathered the rest of the family from the awful sad little room. There wasn’t time to luxuriate in our relief however, as we then went straight on to see another doctor about Little Bro - who didn’t really pick up until later that night!

So, it was a terrible day containing one particular hour I never want to relive. I would like to spare a thought for all the people who have received bad news in that terrible little room. In the context of the ultrasound clinic its an everyday occurrence, but for the people involved its a giant and life-changing heartbreak.

I would also like to to leave a postscript to my brother - yes you are right, at least it made good material for a blog, and what’s more, I can even blog about it being material for a blog!