Thirty-two weeks and two days (the day my water broke with #2) has come and gone and the baby's still safely inside. But this milestone didn't pass completely without incident.
On Monday (32 weeks 1 day) I had mild contractions all day. So mild I'd have ignored them completely if this weren't a vasa previa pregnancy. But they were similar enough to very very early labor (when you think "hmmm, maybe in a couple of days this could become something") and they went on long enough that we decided to have them checked out at the hospital.
They hooked me up to a CTG (cardiotocograph) and measured the baby's heartrate and my contractions for about an hour and a half. The heartrate was beautiful; the contractions were mild but real. A cervical length check late that evening showed my cervix to be unchanged at 3.2 cm, which was delightful news. They kept me overnight for safety's sake, and sometime while I was sleeping the contractions stopped. A second CTG the next morning confirmed a restful uterus. I was sent home with instructions to come right back in if it happened again, however mild.
My husband and I were elated to hear from practically every nurse, resident, and doctor who came by that a big old sheet of paper with my name and instructions written in large, bold letters is hanging in the staff room. This time they all knew who I was!
I slept terribly, but had good company. My roommate, Sylvie, had come in early Monday morning for contractions in week 31 of her twin pregnancy. Hers were significant enough to merit steroid shots and a two-day IV drip to try to stop them. We chatted non-stop for several hours that evening and started back up early the next morning (her IV started pinging just before 7:00 AM, waking us both). Poor Sylvie had to stay at least one more night, but the contraction-stopping drug seemed to be taking effect; I hope she's able to go home today.
My next checkup is Friday morning.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
A Little 32-Week Excitement
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5 comments:
That must have been a scary experience, though it is also nice to find out that the hospital was well prepared.
I was going to say that your husband should mail a 'keep your fingers crossed' post when you have to go to the hospital - but suddenly realized that there won't be time for that of course. I'll just have to keep them crossed another 4 weeks.
:) Thanks for the crossed fingers, I hope they don't get too sore! ;)
And thanks, too, for the link to your birth stories. Matthijs' birth and the first few weeks certainly weren't smooth sailing. I'm glad it settled down quickly thereafter, though.
Of course now that we've had this tiny little scare I'm more confused than ever about whether this staying home idea is a good one. Sigh. I just wish I was one of those people with an incredible intuition, so I'd know when something was up. As it is I've only had a few (maybe three) moments like that in my life.
Hello! We're so happy about the soon-to-be-new-addition to your family. We've also got our fingers and toes crossed for you and think of you a lot.
Sending positive thoughts your way,
Krista & Kevin
I don't think there is a 'good intuition' about these things. If you live that close to the hospital I also think that you are about as quick as when you are *in* the hospital. Even in emergencies they still have to prepare an operating room and transport you there.
If it would take you half an hour to get there (which is reasonable for a normal birth) you'd be better off staying in the hospital. But if it takes you less than 10 minutes there wouldn't be any gain from staying there. If I understand things correctly there is not much they can do in hospital either if the vessels rupture, only operate immediately.
People forget that a stay in hospital has negative side effects too. Hospitals are places filled with bacteria and virusses (virii?). Staying in hospital also means more stress, with bad effects on both you and babyboy, and in all likelyhood you will eat less well.
Cuddling loved ones is another very beneficial thing you'd have much more limited access to in hospital. So *my* feeling is that the good outweights the bad.
Krista & Kevin - thanks for the good vibes! We're excited too. A little too much excitement in this pregnancy, actually, but soon it will all be over and we can settle down to enjoying the new family member.
DM - thanks for the reassurance. Ultimately that's how I feel about it, too. There's a lot to be said for the LACK of stress in one's home environment. I just have to remember to take it easy. Poor Marco has even more to do now than before.
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