Well, I spent almost four weeks out of the hospital, baking the wee one on bedrest at home and doing an OK job (I guess)...and then 32 weeks hit.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the magical 32 week mark came, and I could no longer take ibuprofen. I was also taken off of strict bedrest. In combination, that probably doomed me. Even though I had been starting to feel a lot of the break-thru pain and contractions earlier in the week. After the ibuprofen, I was feeling a lot more lower back pain (rhythmic even), and just owies in general (I won't elaborate, just because it's a way, way TMI thing).
So I called the office this morning to ask about the contractions, and the possible loss of the mucous plug (OK, so that might be TMI). No office visit, just right to OB triage. But I figured that I had some time, so I waited for Mike to go with me (and got in a shower and stuff). I could have driven myself, in theory and practice, but the last time I did that, I ended up not being able to drive back. Call it superstition or some special Murphy's Law stipulation.
Anyway, Mike got home, we got on the road and got to the hospital around 1ish. Got all of the check-in paperwork done, and then we waited. Triage was filled to the gills! So we sat out in the waiting room (which we saw a bunch of other pregnant women either waiting, or several that were being sent home). Given that I've been the way I've been for the morning and last night and so on, it wasn't a huge deal...unless something weird happened, I wasn't going to drop a baby in the lobby all of a sudden.
We got called back and after a little bit more of a wait, got hooked up to the fetal and contraction monitors. As dumb luck would have it, no sooner than everything gets hooked up and readings start appearing...here comes a contraction. Ha! Quick cervix check and I'm at 4cm! The nurse says that they'll monitor for about 10 minutes or so and come back. That turned into more like an hour, where there were another couple of "big" contractions (still not painful, mind you) and a few more that neither Mike or I know whether they count or not. Quick bathroom break for a urine sample (and general relief purposes!) and multiple attempts at blood pressure (wonky cuff!), and then a chat with the doctor.
So Dr. Mayer comes in and I reiterate the same story leading up. Backing up, while waiting, they had ordered another dose of ibuprofen (which I'm fine with...the stuff is great and has been wonderful for random other pains, as I learned when I had to stop taking it!). I also forgot to mention that along with ibuprofen, I got a shot of terbutaline. They warned me that it might make my heart race and overall feel like I had about 100 cups of coffee...and it delivered! After a few minutes, I was almost giggly, laughing at myself for how wired I felt. But it did the trick, and contractions magically disappeared. Anyway, we chatted with the doctor a bit more, and had the option of hanging out for just a little bit, with the promise that we'd have to come back tomorrow for a check and monitoring anyway, or keep me overnight and see how I react to the nifedipine.
I stayed...getting settled into a room a few doors down from the one I was in last time (Pod C on the 3rd floor again!)...and Mike left to get the boys and stay with them for the night.
At that point, the terbutaline was fizzling out and they were getting ready to give me the nifedipine (which is given every 6 hours). The caveat to the latter is that it's a blood pressure lowering drug...and my blood pressure is usually on the low to good side. It had to be at least 90/60 (for BOTH!) so that I didn't pass out or anything. First check...nope. Second check about 30 minutes later...100/55, so nope! I got some food into me, got up to use the bathroom and they checked a 3rd time and that was the magic one! I passed and got my pill a little after 7:15pm. The time between the drugs had me clocking contractions 5 times. OK, 5 times an hour not too bad I guess!
After doing a little video chat with the boys and all of that good stuff, I've just been hanging out. Nifedipine is doing it's thing hopefully, and last report (it's been a while!) was 2 contractions per hour in the first 2 hours.
I guess as far as hiccups go, this is hopefully pretty benign and the next 4 weeks will be uneventful!
Friday, July 05, 2013
Thursday, July 04, 2013
32 Weeks and Counting!
Well, I guess I've been slacking off once again on the blog posts. But the past few days I guess I've been too tired to really be in the right mood to do it before bedtime. And I'm lazy. And did I mention tired?
So in the past few days, and probably last week, I've been way more tired than I have since this whole bedrest stuff started about four weeks ago. I guess it's to be expected at this point in pregnancy, it's tremendously hot outside and with just being sedentary and all of that. I almost feel like if I was on the go, that I might have more energy, but who knows.
With all of that, Monday and Tuesday I was having the occasional bouts of some pretty solid cramping, with the now-typical contractions coming at most a few times an hour. But, as I've said before, they do come and go, and it isn't all the time (some hours there are none). I've tried my best to eliminate any of the factors that could possibly contribute to any false labor contractions, such as making sure I'm hydrated, bladder empty, and so on and so forth. The catch with the water thing is that in order to stay hydrated, I drink water all the time. But it also makes it so I have to use the bathroom frequently too to keep my bladder empty, and the cycle continues.
Wednesday, doctor's appointment day and my favorite day of the week, was yesterday and things were changed up a little (as I knew they sort of would be). The ultrasound to measure fluid levels went well (measuring 12cm of fluid, which is lower than the 18cm of last week, but it's to be expected that there are fluctuations, and the fluid decreases as the baby gets bigger). Heart rate was 144, so good there too. Then to the appointment (which, in the afternoon, they're always late...but oh well). Got weighed (and 1lb down from last week...weird, especially considering that it was at the end of the day and had eaten not long before), blood pressure is still about 100/60 (which is great) and all of that good stuff. No cervix check, so I'll assume it's just stayed the same at 3cm like it was last week.
Now, I said things would be "changed up a little" in the sense that I knew that I couldn't take ibuprofen anymore after 32 weeks (which, is today!). But the doctor I saw (Dr. Hebets, hadn't seen her in the office since the sub-chorionic hemorrhage and at a regular check around 12 weeks...but did see her at the hospital) mentioned that nothing was going to replace the ibuprofen (both Mike and I sort of figured that), and also she didn't agree with total, strict bedrest doing any good. So I'm free to leave the house, walk around the grocery store or Target or whatever. Can also do light chores around the house...so that's pretty awesome!
So last night after cramping pretty hard most of the day (including twice where I had to stop for a few minutes and wait for the pain to subside), I took the last doses of ibuprofen and said a fond farewell...I'm kind of sad to not be able to take it (not that I want to take it every 6 hours!), but I like having the option to take it if I have a headache or something mundane.
Onto today...which is also the 4th of July...we hit the magical 32 week mark! At least I was able to get up with the kids, do some dishes, do some laundry, and get some things cleaned up so we could place all of the furniture in it's new home. There's still a LOT to do, but at least I can help out with that stuff now.
In the interest of having this entry flowith over with verbiage, which it already has, I'll end it here. I figure I'll eventually get to a bunch of other stuff that's on my brain right now (that I'm seriously trying hard not to keep from upsetting myself with and just breaking down crying one of these times), but that's for another time.
So in the past few days, and probably last week, I've been way more tired than I have since this whole bedrest stuff started about four weeks ago. I guess it's to be expected at this point in pregnancy, it's tremendously hot outside and with just being sedentary and all of that. I almost feel like if I was on the go, that I might have more energy, but who knows.
With all of that, Monday and Tuesday I was having the occasional bouts of some pretty solid cramping, with the now-typical contractions coming at most a few times an hour. But, as I've said before, they do come and go, and it isn't all the time (some hours there are none). I've tried my best to eliminate any of the factors that could possibly contribute to any false labor contractions, such as making sure I'm hydrated, bladder empty, and so on and so forth. The catch with the water thing is that in order to stay hydrated, I drink water all the time. But it also makes it so I have to use the bathroom frequently too to keep my bladder empty, and the cycle continues.
Wednesday, doctor's appointment day and my favorite day of the week, was yesterday and things were changed up a little (as I knew they sort of would be). The ultrasound to measure fluid levels went well (measuring 12cm of fluid, which is lower than the 18cm of last week, but it's to be expected that there are fluctuations, and the fluid decreases as the baby gets bigger). Heart rate was 144, so good there too. Then to the appointment (which, in the afternoon, they're always late...but oh well). Got weighed (and 1lb down from last week...weird, especially considering that it was at the end of the day and had eaten not long before), blood pressure is still about 100/60 (which is great) and all of that good stuff. No cervix check, so I'll assume it's just stayed the same at 3cm like it was last week.
Now, I said things would be "changed up a little" in the sense that I knew that I couldn't take ibuprofen anymore after 32 weeks (which, is today!). But the doctor I saw (Dr. Hebets, hadn't seen her in the office since the sub-chorionic hemorrhage and at a regular check around 12 weeks...but did see her at the hospital) mentioned that nothing was going to replace the ibuprofen (both Mike and I sort of figured that), and also she didn't agree with total, strict bedrest doing any good. So I'm free to leave the house, walk around the grocery store or Target or whatever. Can also do light chores around the house...so that's pretty awesome!
So last night after cramping pretty hard most of the day (including twice where I had to stop for a few minutes and wait for the pain to subside), I took the last doses of ibuprofen and said a fond farewell...I'm kind of sad to not be able to take it (not that I want to take it every 6 hours!), but I like having the option to take it if I have a headache or something mundane.
Onto today...which is also the 4th of July...we hit the magical 32 week mark! At least I was able to get up with the kids, do some dishes, do some laundry, and get some things cleaned up so we could place all of the furniture in it's new home. There's still a LOT to do, but at least I can help out with that stuff now.
In the interest of having this entry flowith over with verbiage, which it already has, I'll end it here. I figure I'll eventually get to a bunch of other stuff that's on my brain right now (that I'm seriously trying hard not to keep from upsetting myself with and just breaking down crying one of these times), but that's for another time.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Day 23 at Home
Sunday, June 30th
Three weeks, one day at home
So we've come to the end of June...pretty safe to say I won't be having a June baby! In any case, the month of June has gone by slowly, and somewhat depressingly. It didn't start off well (after having gotten marching orders at work)...got worse in the first week (hospitalized for 4 days), and everything has been in sort of a holding pattern for the remainder of the month.
Anyway, moving forward. Today started out like the typical weekend day. Although two of the cats started getting into it with each other right outside our bedrooms, waking up the kids. Luckily, they went back to sleep, despite a good couple of minutes of Stat yowling at the top of his lungs. Breakfast, television/computers/playing, Mike doing laundry, and so on and so forth. Oh yeah, and it's really hot out.
I've also been noticing when I wake up in the morning after not having taken ibuprofen overnight that there's always a steady cramping when I wake up (and before the ibuprofen kicks in). Things are still tight during the day, and depending on how I sit, the intensity of any contractions is different...still there, regardless. But, on the good side, the number that I was really feeling all over today was less than the day before.
On the side of "weird", today I noticed these purple stretch mark things on the underside of my belly. Mike had noticed the purple blotches and I remember him pointing them out to me, saying that they looked like bruises...but I hadn't seen them myself until I looked in the mirror. They don't look like the white, usually thin and vertical stretch marks I've gotten before (these are much wider?). If that's what these are...
Well, here's to another week...only a few more days until the magical 32 week mark!
Three weeks, one day at home
So we've come to the end of June...pretty safe to say I won't be having a June baby! In any case, the month of June has gone by slowly, and somewhat depressingly. It didn't start off well (after having gotten marching orders at work)...got worse in the first week (hospitalized for 4 days), and everything has been in sort of a holding pattern for the remainder of the month.
Anyway, moving forward. Today started out like the typical weekend day. Although two of the cats started getting into it with each other right outside our bedrooms, waking up the kids. Luckily, they went back to sleep, despite a good couple of minutes of Stat yowling at the top of his lungs. Breakfast, television/computers/playing, Mike doing laundry, and so on and so forth. Oh yeah, and it's really hot out.
I've also been noticing when I wake up in the morning after not having taken ibuprofen overnight that there's always a steady cramping when I wake up (and before the ibuprofen kicks in). Things are still tight during the day, and depending on how I sit, the intensity of any contractions is different...still there, regardless. But, on the good side, the number that I was really feeling all over today was less than the day before.
On the side of "weird", today I noticed these purple stretch mark things on the underside of my belly. Mike had noticed the purple blotches and I remember him pointing them out to me, saying that they looked like bruises...but I hadn't seen them myself until I looked in the mirror. They don't look like the white, usually thin and vertical stretch marks I've gotten before (these are much wider?). If that's what these are...
Well, here's to another week...only a few more days until the magical 32 week mark!
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