Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Bedrest...sort of

Well, I called my doctor last night because I was having contractions about 5 minutes apart. They weren't painful, and were very clearly braxton-hicks, but too regular for my comfort. I tried the old stand-by of drinking water and laying on my left side for an hour to see if they went away....they did not. So, I called the doctor on call and she sent me to the hospital. The nurse hooked me up to 2 monitors, one for contractions, and one for Emery's heartrate, and I sat...Emery did not. She did not at all like the monitor and literally kept kicking it off. Fiesty little girl! Every time the nurse would get the monitor positioned correctly, Emery would twist, move, or kick and knock it right off the signal. That at least kept me entertained while I sat and waited for the next contraction.

After about an hour of still continuous contractions, the nurse came in and said that they were going to keep me overnight and give me 2 shots of brethene (sp?) 30 minutes apart and then oral tributaline (sp?) every 4 hours all night long. These are medications (the same thing, I think, just different ways of giving it) to stop contractions and calm the uterus. Well, it worked and after the first shot I only had a few contractions all night long.

The doctor came in this morning, and said he was going to keep me one more night for monitoring, and I just about cried. I asked if there was any way I could go ahead and go home, since I hadn't been contracting, and the baby is clearly fine (still kicking at the monitor constantly). He gave in and let me leave, but not before a first shot of beta-methadone (spelling again?) which is a steroid shot to mature Emery's lungs in case she is born too early (I had the same thing with Bekah, and her lungs were great when she was born).

I have to go back tomorrow morning for a second steroid injection, and I'm now on the trebutaline every 4 hours around the clock. If anyone has ever had to take that, then you know how awful it is. It makes your heart race and you feel shaky all over. I was on it with Bekah for about 2 weeks and it was pretty un-fun. I'm not looking forward to 3 months of it this time!

I am also on very restricted activity, though not official bed-rest. My doctor says I need to take it easy, and sit or lay down whenever possible (has he met my kids??). I can still work, but no coaching, and I have to be sitting down the majority of the day. Oh, and no lifting, exercising (ha ha!), driving long distances, or intercourse (TMI, I know, but it's 3 months!!). At least it will be easier with 4, 5 and 1o year olds than it was with a 6 year old and a 12 month old.

So, I am almost 28 weeks, and she is NOT ready to be born. I will do whatever is in my power to keep her in and give her the most comfortable home I can for the next 3 months. My goal is 40 weeks, but given that I haven't yet gotten past 36, I am really aiming for anything past that.

I know this is a lot of information, and it is really more for me to remember than for anyone else, but I thought I'd keep everyone posted! Thank you in advance for your prayers for our healthy little girl.