Bedrest

Well, I've survived a week of bedrest (modified a bit)!

Last week, on Thursday, at the end of the work day, I was feeling a lot of pressure and even pain at times really low down in my pelvis.  I was exactly 35weeks and 1 day along.  I called my doctor, who's nurse said if I wasn't having contractions, that it was probably just the baby's position and not to worry about it.  On my way home, I started feeling Braxton Hicks contractions and noticed that during those contractions, the pain was worse...when I got home, I laid down and tried to find a comfortable position to make the pain go away, but ultimately ended up calling my doctor again.  It was after hours at this point, so of course she advised me to go to the hospital. 

My sister was already at the house, since we had been planning to go out to dinner, so she stayed with Colby while I quickly packed a hospital bag, and Robert grabbed the cordblood kit and we left for the hospital.  When we got to labor and delivery, they immediately got me garbed in a hospital gown, took a urine sample, got my blood pressure (normal) and hooked me up to a fetal monitor.  The nurse mentioned I wasn't having contractions, and by now, of course, the pain had gone away too.  We waited through shift change for another nurse, and she came and checked me: my cervix was dilated 3 cm and 70% effaced.  This was unexpected, but doesn't really mean anything, as women can walk around for weeks at 3 cm without going into labor.  But the nurse then immediately said, "I'll go call your doctor, she'll most likely want a c section tonight."  I started freaking out immediately.  I told her, through tears, "wait, hold on, why? my blood pressure isn't high, I'm not having contractions, and people can walk around for weeks at 3 cm dilation!"  She just said she'd talk to the doctor, explain my concerns and see what she said.

While we were waiting on a response from my doctor, one of the nurses came in and told me that I was, in fact having contractions.  My doctor decided that since I wasn't feeling the contractions, they would wait 2 hours and then check me again to be sure I wasn't progressing.  Two hours later I was still at a "good 3 cm" but still having contractions, so my doctor decided I should stay overnight and they'd check again in the morning.  Once they got me into a room Robert left for home, and we decided he would come around 7 am to see what the doctor said.  After a long, and mostly sleepless night in a hospital bed, on Friday morning my doctor came in just before 7 to check me, and I was still at 3 cm, no blood pressure issues, although I had continued contractions throughout the night.  So she sent me home on bedrest and wanted a follow up on Monday.  I was given all my discharge documents, etc, before Robert had even gotten to the hospital.  When I was headed downstairs, he was just pulling up so all in all the discharge was pretty quick and easy.

My doctor did put me on bedrest, since I was only 35 weeks.  I asked if I could at least work from home, and she said I could, since it is just a desk job.  So later on Friday, my dad went to my office and picked up all my computer and papers, and this past week I've been doing just that.  I have also been doing a lot of lying around, and really paying attention to my body, just in case this happens again.  I had my follow up on Monday, and I'm still at 3 cm, so far, so good.  If I can just make it to next Wednesday, I'll be 37 weeks, considered full term, and feeling much better about this baby coming!