Almost 3 weeks ago on a Sunday I began feeling some of what I thought were harmless contractions. They didn't hurt, they were just uncomfortable. But they got stronger and ended up keeping me in bed for the entire day! Kurt wanted me to call the doc, but I insisted that they were nothing, and rest was probably the best thing for them to calm down. Monday morning
Kurt went to work, I took Ashley to school, then I came home. Unfortunately, the contractions were getting stronger and really starting to hurt, so I called my doctor. They told me to come in right away. When I got to the docs office, they put external monitors on me to monitor my contractions and baby's heartbeat. After 20 minutes, Doctor Karlsson came in, and said I needed to be monitored for 20 more minutes. After that she came in and saw the contractions were regular and 4 minutes apart, so she sent me to Labor and Delivery in the hospital. (OK, hunny! I should've listened to you!) There I found I wasn't dilating, which was very good, since I was only 32 weeks pregnant, they couln't stop the contractions, but kept attempting to do so with Terbutaline shots, which were not very much fun at all I might add! The baby's heartbeat decellerated on 3 or 4 occasions to about 90 (the normal rage is 120-160) beats per minute, which had the nurses rush in my room each time. I had no idea what was wrong until a nurse would finally take pity on Kurt and my worried faces. I spent the night in the hospital being continuously monitored and had a BPP (Bio physical profile) on the baby. The worry was that the contractions were stressing the baby out badly, and since they've continued for so long that the baby couldn't handle it anymore. My doctor was consulting with a Peri Natal Specialist (and unborn baby doctor) during this whole ordeal, and they decided the heart decellerations were occuring AFTER some contractions, and that even thought it wasn't a good thing for his heart rate to drop, that it wasn't as much of a worry since he was recovering from it after a few minutes. I was released Tuesday with the same contractions, but had to go to my doctors office for more monitoring and another BPP the next morning. So, Wednesday I went to the docs and had the BPP, then was put on the monitors, and again was sent to Labor and Delivery. GRRR my poor baby! What was wrong? More monitoring at the hospital..... This time I was realeased after a few hours with contractions still 3-5 minutes apart, on the condition that I would return to my doctors office twice a week (Tuesdays and Thurdsays) for fetal monitoring, the hospital on Saturday, and do home FST (Fetal Stress Tests) every day.
After a few appt's I have been lucky enough to be able to slow down my appts to only once per week, but I am on bedrest. The contractions have slowed, thank goodness! The monitors have not seen any more drops in heart rate, and the doctors have decided that when I go into labor again, they won't try to stop it, since I am now 35 weeks and out of the more dangerous times. Just watch, after all of this, what if they end up inducing me! Wouldn't that just be ironic? Ha ha I have been feeling pretty good lately and only have the fake kind of contractions a few times an hour (which can be completely normal), and they don't hurt! =) I have been doing some shopping, cleaning and being out an about more than I was, but I still take it easy when I feel I've had enough, since I'm not as worried about going into labor anymore.
NEXT TIME I GO TO LABOR AND DELIVERY, I WON'T LEAVE TILL I HAVE A NEW BABY TO HOLD! YIPPEEEEEEE |
