TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains information about infant loss, which may be triggering to some.
To say that Janet Udomratsak is dedicated to her students would be an understatement. Udomratsak, who lives in Lancaster, California, is in her 11th year of teaching — and, just like most teachers, she's finding the start of the school year to be a little different than what she's used to. OK, make that a lot different. Udomratsak is pregnant and on bed rest, and she has been remote teaching her students right from her hospital bed.
At 33 weeks pregnant, Udomratsak is almost in the home stretch.
But so far, her pregnancy has been anything but a breeze.
Udomratsak was admitted to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills on July 4 at just 24 weeks, over doctors' fears that she would deliver her baby early.
"With [my pregnancy] being so high-risk at that point, going home is not a possibility because I need to be constantly monitored just in case I do go into pre-term labor," Udomratsak told Yahoo!.
She's remained on bed rest ever since, hoping to make it to 37 weeks.
After two months on bed rest, Udomratsak is definitely over it.
She's been sharing her pregnancy journey on Facebook for the last two months — right down to her reviews of the hospital food. (Spoiler alert: It ain't good.)
"I think I hit that point where I can't eat hospital food anymore," she wrote in an August 22 Facebook post. "I've been forcing myself to eat only because of baby but man I so wish I could just go out and get food."
Luckily, though, some kind friends and family can sometimes sneak her the good stuff:
Her husband Chris has even occasionally snuck her some In-N-Out:
Still, it's been challenging now that the pandemic has strictly limited hospital visitors.
For weeks, Udomratsak's husband and son could only "visit" by pulling up outside her hospital window and waving from below.
"Today I had a surprise visit!" she wrote on August 12. "This is the closest I have gotten to see these two. This is the first time in 6 weeks I have gotten to see them other than through a screen. Miss them so much!"
She's also been stuck inside for most of the time, though hospital staff did help her take a "trip" outdoors to get some fresh air and sunshine.
Her time in the hospital has also brought up some difficult memories.
As Udomratsak shared on Facebook, she is expecting a rainbow baby this time around, after losing a son named Tyler this time last year because of pregnancy complications.
"Being in the same hospital for the same reason during the same time last year seems crazy but God has healed my heart and brought me joy in knowing that Baby J is doing well and will be with us soon," Udomratsak wrote on August 19.
In the meantime, she's been doing her best to soldier on.
Udomratsak excitedly shared a photo August 16 of her hospital bed, which had been decked out for remote teaching — complete with a "Welcome" backdrop her students could see behind her.
"I'm ready for teaching this year," she wrote. "Had a rough start but I'm ready to go back! This is what teaching from the hospital looks like … Not as cute as my classroom would have been but this will do for now."
The following day, Udomratsak began her first day of virtual teaching … which was definitely overwhelming (to say the least).
"My face says it all," she wrote at the end of the day. "Just finished my first full day doing distance learning and I have no words. I have shut off my computer and I'm just going to lay here in bed for the next two hours before dinner and then maybe plan again. Virtual teaching is hard stuff!"
Udomratsak could have requested leave time, given her current health status.
In fact, she told Yahoo! Life that she would have had to do that if her school, Enterprise Elementary, had opted to return to in-person classes. But because virtual teaching is possible to do from anywhere, she decided to stick with it for as long as she can, hopefully until she gives birth.
"I chose to start the school year with the students because the beginning of the year is a crucial time to make connections and build strong relationships with your students," she said. "When you have that connection, the students feel safe and comfortable with you and that helps with their motivation to do well in class. I didn’t want to miss that opportunity with my class because I was only going to be with them for a short while before I did have to take my maternity leave."
As hard as virtual teaching can be, it's actually what's keeping her going.
"When I am teaching and with the students, they motivate me to keep going on because I see them as my family and it brings me a little joy to have that interaction with them even though I don’t have that with my own right now," she told Yahoo!. "Teaching has always been my passion and when I am with them I am excited to hear their stories and see their passion for learning."
She's also eternally grateful to the doctors and nurses at Providence Holy Cross, who've supported her in countless ways throughout the past two months.
"When I asked them if it was even possible [to go back to teaching] because at the time I was still bedridden and wouldn't have been able to get up, they said it was a good idea because it would get me up out of bed and give me something to do during the day," she said.
"The nurses are so wonderful and supportive of my teaching. They put up signs on the door to let everyone know that I am in session with the students, and have worked out a schedule of bringing me my medications and doing testing during my breaks so that they do not disturb my teaching."
For now, Udomratsak is feeling much more positive about her pregnancy — and meeting her new baby, whom she plans to name James, in just a matter of weeks.
"I feel very excited to have gotten this far in my pregnancy but it hasn’t been an easy journey," she admitted. "I try to stay positive as much as possible even though the situation I am in is not the best."
