Just thought I would update with what's going on since my visit to L&D.
I'm pretty sure the Procardia is no longer working or by body just isn't responding to it anymore. Once I got home from the hospital on Tuesday I started having the stronger contractions again. This of course frustrated the you know what out of me. I took a nice long bath to really try and relax the uterus and it seemed to help.
Wednesday started out good and I stayed in bed pretty much the entire day but as soon as I would get up to get something to eat/drink or go to the bathroom I would start having the contractions again. I called the doc and I'm now on the max allowed dosage of Procardia in a 24 hour period, this means I have to take it ever 3 hours. The first hour or 2 hours are good but that last hour I pretty much contract until I can get the Procardia in me again. She also said that Friday we will be talking about steroids to help with lung development and my only next stop is the hospital.
Today has been a little calmer and the uterus isn't as ticked off but again as soon as I get up to go to the bathroom I will have a contraction. I'm hopeful that the 3 hour Procardia will do the trick now that its been in my system for 24 hours.
I'm pretty down right now. I'm nervous about what's going on, I'm crampy from all the contractions and just down right frustrated with the whole situation. I think this anxiety/frustration stems from what's going to happen tomorrow. I see it going 2 ways: I think if my cervix hasn't changed she will tell me to go home, stay in bed and keep doing what I've been doing for another week. If my cervix has thinned out more or started to dilate I think she will put me in the hospital so that I can get on terb or mag and get the steroid shots to help with the lungs. I REALLY don't want to go into the hospital. I guess only time will tell.
If anyone knows me they know that bed rest is not my cup of tea. I'm a very active person and I have been in bed now for 4 weeks and 1 day. I can handle the bed rest but it's harder to handle the bed rest AND contractions. It makes you start saying things like why am I freaking sitting in bed all this time when I'm just gonna contract! I hate being stuck in this gray area. I feel like it needs to tilt either way but something needs to change, either my body needs to chill out and not contract or it needs to go into full labor so we can do something about it! I'm tired of the in between crap. I know each day is better for Brody and I pray everyday that he stays in there longer so that he can get stronger...I'm doing what's best for my son right now...but damn does it have to be so hard?
I'll update tomorrow after the doc appt.
Til then!
LeAnn
Senior Year
11 months ago
3 comments:
I am sorry the contractions have gotten worse. I know you must feel frustrated and defeated that things are not going the way they should be.
I hope tomorrow's appointment will show that your cervix looks great and you will be able to stay at home. I cannot imagine hospital bedrest.
I have been having some pretty bad cramping lately too, so I feel for you there.
Hi - I commented on one of your previous posts. I did 3 weeks bedrest at home (while expecting twins) and then did 3 weeks in the hospital over Christmas. All of this with a 5 year old son at home too.
I am sorry you are so frustrated and having the contractions.
When I was in the hospital, they gave me Procardia every six hours plus another drug called Brethene on another six hour schedule. So, I got Procardia at 6 & 12 around the clock, and got the Brethene at 9 & 3 around the clock.
Being on bedrest is awful. I shed a lot of tears, believe me. But, I will tell you this: being in the hospitals antepartum unit was awesome! The nursing staff was terrific and they are always happy and chatty. They would bring me special snacks, allow me to order off the cafeteria menu rather than eat the sucky food service food.
They would monitor me on the toco monitors twice a day (unless the contractions got more frequent) but then they were right there to give me the terbutaline shots. Also - when I was admitted at 31 weeks - they immediately gave the steroid shots for the lungs. And then I still made it to 34 weeks 5 days with my twins. That day - the terbutaline, procardia and brethene did not work and they gave me the mag sulfate. It didn't work either - so we delivered. And my twins were absolutely fine at birth.
I tell you this to try and encourage you to hang in there. it is true that you are frustrated.
I am sure that it might also be true that this just hasn't been what your dreamed pregancy would be. I had to accept that too. Neither of my pregnancies were the "barefoot and pregnant, worked right up until the day I delivered" variety. And, I was jealous that so many others had "normal" pregnancies.
Anyway - this will pass and you will have a happy and healthy little baby in a matter of weeks.
Hang in there! Keep venting on your blog too! It is good to get that frustration and stress off your chest.
Hi LeAnn. You know - my twins just turned 9 on New Years day - and I honestly can't remember whether they did the fFn test - though I am sure they probably did. I went on bed rest at home at 28 weeks and I know I had to count the contractions too. I had more than six in an hour and had to go to L&D at Harris downtown. I was fully effaced and a stretchy 3 cm dilated. They wouldn't let me go home. Partly because it was just way too early - but also - my twins were both breach and they were really worried about what could happen on short notice.
I think the fFn is pretty reliable. Still, I know bedrest is awful - but the hospital isn't so bad. If you have a laptop - take it with you if you have to go!
Back around December 13th - I blogged about my pregnancy and bedrest. Go take a look if you feel like it.
Also - I just realized that I apparently found you through Steece's Pieces. I was in contact with Suz during her bedrest. I wrote her today to ask her to write to you. She had a really cool chart that explained in great detail about the advantages of every extra day that Brody can stay in your tummy. I bet she will comment about it to you when she has a few minutes.
Even though this is frustrating for you - please know that you are doing a GREAT job! Someday, this will be a far distant memory. I promise!
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