Bed Rest
I went for a third trimester ultrasound and found the ultrasound tech concerned. She had me see the on-call doctor. My cervix was short and dilated slightly. This all signaled impending labor. I was only 31 weeks along though, still in the danger zone. I could have possibly stayed at that stage for another month or go into labor that day. The doctor stepped out of the room to call his colleagues down at Riverside Hospital on Columbus. The doctor was a specialist.
My doctor had considered placing me in the hospital, but there was no real benefit to doing so. I didn’t have five kids and no transportation to the local hospital. So he decided I needed to be on bed rest at home. I was passed the point where they would consider sewing my cervix shut and they didn’t want to give me steroids at that point. If they knew for sure I was going into labor they would give me the steroid to mature Sebastian’s lungs. They may still give those to me, but just not then. So all they can really do is order bed rest and watch me closely. The doctor said I was only to get up to eat and pee. I told him I would do my best to follow his advice, but a lot depended on getting family to help me out with Ana.
I returned home with the news. My mother-in-law couldn’t stay. She had an interview at at 4pm. Jason was at his own interview out of town, so I couldn’t start bed rest right away. I tried to rest, but Ana was bored, tired and grumpy. We ordered a pizza and waited for Jason to get home.
The next day my mother came over at 10am to help out. And so began the rotation of my Mom, Jason’s Mom and Jason helping out with Ana, while I laid in bed feeling frustrated. I hated not being productive. Everyone mentioned how envious they were that I got to spend all day every day in bed, but it was no vacation. I tossed and turned, unable to sleep most of the time. I wanted to read and write, but I was unable to focus, so I mostly watched TV and DVDs. No one came to visit and so I felt rather isolated and lonely during my bed rest.
A few days passed and I started having random contractions. They never became regular, so I didn’t rush to the hospital. But when I went for a follow-up ultrasound a short time later, the doctor sent me to labor and delivery to be monitored. I spent three hours lying in bed while they kept track of contractions and Sebastian’s movements. He kicked an awful lot during that time, which was good. The doctors gave me a shot for my “irritable” uterus and discharged me. I went home.
I went back to the hospital the next day for another exam. My doctor came by and did a pelvic exam. They tested the fetal nectin. It came back positive, which meant I was likely to deliver in the next two weeks. They gave me steroids to mature Sebastian’s lungs. I was sent home, but I had to return later that night for another steroid shot. Though I wanted Sebastian to be healthy when he arrived, I was more than ready for him to arrive already.
I went back to bed ret feeling as if I would permanently be pregnant and remain in labor limbo forever. I was happy to be able to give Sebastian the extra time in there, but I felt like he was stretching me to my limit. Then my Inflammatory Bowel Disease flared up and I spent nearly as much time in the bathroom as I did in bed. Every time I went, I felt like it was bringing on contractions. Then my wrists began to constantly ache due to pregnancy related carpel tunnel syndrome. I was mess and nearly in tears for a very long week.
As I began to efface, I joked that my vagina had a runny nose. The discharge was constant, unlike losing my mucus plug in its entirety with Ana. Nausea increased, as did general indigestion and heartburn. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could endure.
carilynn27 