Tribe for bedresters and high risk pregnancies - Page 13

[zejh]

Hi, chel!

Originally Posted by Zevy

...

Nice to meet you. And I'm in Boston, if any of you are in that general area.

I'm in Medford, myself. 26 weeks, 27 tomorrow. I also had some serious bleeding early on--almost the entire month of June I was either bleeding or spotting, and had two ER visits. Then my fluid levels started showing up extremely low. So, if it's not one thing, it's another, right? *sigh*

[Zevy]

Well, if I were not on bedrest, I'd come visit. Where are you having your baby?

Right now I just have the cervical issues. I just hope this is all I'll have to worry about...

[zejh]

Originally Posted by Zevy

Well, if I were not on bedrest, I'd come visit. Where are you having your baby?

Heh, same here! I was originally going to be at Mt Auburn--I started with midwives, but after the second ER visit they switched me over to the office OB, and recently she switched me over to the high risk OB I'd been seeing at ultrasounds, so now I'll be at Beth Israel. (Possibly for a long time, since they want me to check in by 32 weeks--they might want the baby out by 34 weeks, we'll see.) (Honestly, though, I actually am much less annoyed seeing the high risk OB than the regular OB)

Right now I just have the cervical issues. I just hope this is all I'll have to worry about...

Yeah. I'm in the middle of a 24-hour urine collection (which, granted, is easier when I'm just sitting around home all day than if I had to be using public or semi-public facilities...) and tomorrow morning at my appointment I'll be doing the 1-hour glucose test with the bright orange drink. (I just realized I ought to check if it has dyes I'm sensitive to... bright orange drinks have always done weird things to me...) At any rate, I'm hoping both of those turn up nothing of interest.

[CaliMommie]

Lorelai June was born at home on Sept. 29th after 5 1/2 hours of labor! She was 9 lbs, 6 oz and has a TON of dark hair!

[chel]

Originally Posted by CaliMommie

Lorelai June was born at home on Sept. 29th after 5 1/2 hours of labor! She was 9 lbs, 6 oz and has a TON of dark hair!

congrats!

glad to hear of another success story!


all is goings as well as can be expected for me. my cervix went from 1.3 to 2.7 so the bedrest and progesterone is working. MD actually went ahead and schedued my appts for the next 4w as oppose to making them week by week. Though it looks like I'll still be in the hospital towards the end, which is most likely going to be over Thanksgiving and/or Christmas.

[Amandamarie]

Congrats Calimommie Beautiful name

Chel- Wonderful news

Zejh- I drank the fruit punch version.Maybe they'll have it. Still probably has artificial stuff in it though. Hope you pass the test.

40 weeks today. Baby's at 8 lb's and I'm 4 cm dialated. I'm scheduled to be induced on Monday.

[chel]

Originally Posted by Amandamarie

40 weeks today. Baby's at 8 lb's and I'm 4 cm dialated. I'm scheduled to be induced on Monday.

wow, amazing to think of how hard you try to keep them in and then can't get them out. Congrats for making full term!

[Mamatoto2]

Hi,
I'm new here. I'm on day 3 of complete bed rest following a heavy bleed on Wed. @ 15 weeks. I had a smaller, but significant/bright red bleed at 8 weeks and was Dx with a subchorionic hemorrhage at that time. After Wed's bleed we know that I now have TWO SCHs, and the first has increased in size from 8 weeks (it was getting smaller at 9 weeks, but I guess things change). I am seeing a perinatologist for another US on Mon. I have a feeling that I'll be on bed rest for quite a while, and I'm already so sore

I look forward to learning the tricks of the trade from you all!

[chel]

welcome Mamatoto2
wish I could offer some wisdom, but don't have any myself.

[justmandy]

Welcome, sort of. I really wish you weren't here, just off having a lovely problem-free pregnancy. But since that's not in the cards, I'm glad you're here.

Well, the only things I learned so far is to take it one day at a time and to celebrate each week.

Saturday is my "promotion" day so every saturday I announce to dh "I'm X weeks now!" and I feel really good about that, I congratulate myself on keeping baby in a little bit longer.

The one day at a time thing is harder, but I find I can't plan like I want to so I need to chill. I hate it but it's what has to happen right now.

Oh, one last thing that helps me is having a goal date. I asked my mw when would be the soonest I can have a homebirth and she said November 29, just 7 weeks. I really like having a goal to work towards...even if my "work" is doing nothing at all

[girlzmommy00]

Congratulations on the new babies. It's so nice to see happy updates here.

I wish I had one to share. I was in the hospital 2 weeks ago with my suspected ulcer (severe upper abdominal pain & vomiting). The pain & vomiting continued after going home (I've been throwing up constantly since May) so my OB had me get a Zofran infusion pump. The pills weren't working well enough & the ins wouldn't give me as much as I needed.

The upside is that I am not throwing up anymore. I'm still nauseated quite often but I have a home health nurse service I can call 24-7 to give myself a "demand dose" or a boost of meds. They just increased my usual dose this morning so hopefully that will help, too.

The down side is that I have to change the cath lines myself every 12 hours & the cath stays in 24-7. That means sticking myself with a needle to insert the catheter every 12 hours. I just got this on Wednesday the 7th but already had 1 site get infected. I have a nice infection in my upper thigh & just started antibiotics this afternoon which make me nauseated. Just what I needed! LOL Every site has become irritated. I have these painful, red, hard welts the size of half dollars all over my thighs & get 2 more every day.

I'm 27 weeks now. 13 weeks seems so far but for some reason 10-11 weeks doesn't seem as bad in my mind & it's still full term so I'm trying to keep my eyes on that prize.

[girlzmommy00]

P.S. Does anyone have a link to the Sidelines message boards? I found their main website but can't find a link to the message boards. Thank you.

[boobs4milk]

http://sidelinesonline.proboards.com...?board=general

also, here's the ic board for anyone who is interested:

http://ic.hobh.org/forums/index.php

just wanted to say hi to all the bedresters out there. i'm glad to see the support still flowing here!

amelia is 3 1/2 weeks old?!?!?!?!?!!?!?! i never thought i'd get to this point in my life, but i am so happy that she's here and well. she's been home 8 days now and it's a blur of feeding and poopy dipes but we are so stinkin happy! dh is very over protective of her...it's cute but annoying LOL

for those that don't know me...i had bedrest week 20-35, with about 6 of those in hospital. i was induced at 35 wks due to uterine issues and miss amelia was born at 6lbs 7.9 oz 19 1/2" with a true knot in her cord. one more day on the inside may have been her last, so we are thankful for our dr's trust in my feelings that something wasn't right. she spent 17 days in the nicu for respiratory, feeding, and some genetic and other testing issues. we took her to the ped on friday and she's up to 7lbs 6.5 oz 20" and doing very well. she had a good second result on her genetic test for CAH, but we will see the endocrinologist just in case.

bedrest survival is definitely one second at a time sometimes. i was nearly insane at the end (no exaggerations!) and all i can offer are hugs and hope that this too shall pass. i tried to keep busy, but in the end my mommy intuition took hold and all i could do was cry and ask to have the baby taken out.

s

[Amandamarie]

Another happy update

My son Sean was born on Oct. 12th. Not an easy labor, but he's here and healthy. After all the worries about weight, he ended up being 7 lb 14 oz.
Very long road, but so worth it.

Bed rest was tough. There were times when I thought I was going to lose it. I relied mostly on online support and kept busy by watching movies on the lap top, reading, craft projects, ect to get me through it. Distractions that kept me from getting into a worry cycle.
The IC board, Jen mentioned is good. I didn't post, but got lots of support just by reading.

[zejh]

I'm sorry to have to post an unhappy update here. Please feel free to skip this if you're currently very emotional.





A week and a half ago Thursday, I started bleeding in the morning, and went into the hospital. After several hours, things were looking better, and it was looking like I might only have to stay overnight, but about 3am (Friday the 9th) , I started bleeding more, and they had to do an emergency c-section (I was exactly 28 weeks). The baby's vitals had been looking good up through the birth, but as you may recall, I'd had very low fluid for a while, and after our son was born, an x-ray confirmed that the lungs had not developed sufficiently for him to be able to breathe on his own--being born earlier or later would have made no difference. Aside from his lungs, everything was perfect. 5 hours after he was born, Joseph died in our arms.

I've been home from the hospital almost a week now, after being there for almost a week. The surgery went as well as it could have from the perspective of my physical health, and I spent the bulk of the surgery listening to the surgeons calmly discussing the finer details of stitching me up (it had to be a classical incision due to my fibroid, and they had a fibroid specialist on call who helped with my surgery). I was anemic beforehand, so I was even more anemic after, and required a blood transfusion. Now I'm doing as well as I can, and trying to fill my time. Thankfully we have a lot of friends and family who are doing what they can to help us right now.

I've appreciated the support of people here, and I wish everyone else here the best.

[Mamatoto2]

Emily-
I am so terribly sorry to hear of your heartbreaking loss. I pray that your physical and emotional wounds will become less raw with time. I will keep your family and your sweet Joseph in my prayers.

[boobs4milk]

big s emily. love and light to your family.

[Amandamarie]

Emily-

[star*mora]

emily -am so sorry for your loss
joseph

[star*mora]

i had meant to post my son's birth story a while back and he is already 4wks old today! so just pasting it here...

we don't always get what we want
sometimes the hardest lessons in gratitude are forged with scalpels and narcotics and crash carts
and this is where the story of ev's birth begins
i've debated as to whether i would write about this - back and forth for days
but i know it won't disappear by ignoring it, and i think there is a message for others in my experience

i had a particularly challenging pregnancy this time
but it was all me, not the baby
was sick til 20wks
on all sorts of restrictions
and then for the last 5 wks was on complete bedrest with the hopes of getting to full term this time around
almost
3 days shy

if i had made it to 37wks i was planning on a homebirth
and was sad that i was so close
and at the same time filled with joy that i made it almost to term

so even though i knew when i went into labour that i was destined for a hospital birth
i was at peace with that

labour began normally
and went very badly very quickly
there was endless pain
and i knew something was wrong
there were no gaps
and the pain was centred on my lower abdomen
my midwife was showing a lot of concern
and she is solid, practical, earthy
she said she had never seen a vbac go this way (after it was all over
the obstetrician came in
- your pain is not normal
i have only seen this once before
- i urge you to have a section
then he left for a few moments
and came back again

i was just blinded by the pain in my lower abdomen
but consented
and was out of there the second i said ok
and wheeled into an or

i begged to be awake for the procedure
as i knew it would take a lot longer to be alert after the procedure if i wasn't
and so had a narcotic and spinal injected
and the cut was so broad and deep that baby e was popped out in what seemed like seconds
there were crash carts as e had a huge decel during the cutting
his head was swollen and there were concerns about how he would do
my midwife and husband went with the nicu team
and somehow,
despite everything
he was ok

it took a long time to stitch me up
i looked at the clock - nearly an hour
and then the dr revealed the other case
he said it had been a complete uterine rupture that didn't end well
and although my uterus had started to tear, they were able to stop a full rupture and the bleeding
and if it had been 10 minutes later things could have been very different
for me
for the baby
he remarked that i had no scarring, so this was a spontaneous tear
but he said the way i described the pain was what made him keep insisting on surgery

if there is anything i have learned about birthing is it has nothing to do with who you are as a mother.
and to accept the things you have no control over
and be grateful that you don't have to lose everything when things go wrong

SOME OF THE SIGNS OF UTERINE TEARING/RUPTURE
these are the signs i had...
disproportionate pain
pain that doesn't stop - contractions only add to it
pain that is localized in the lower abdomen and not diffuse like you normally feel with a contraction
a baby that looks like he's been in the birth canal and then pushes back up

UTERINE TEARING can spontaneously occur
previous births are not necessarily a predictor of uterine rupture
i had no internal scarring and this happened
listen to your body and be mindful that there is bad pain

my body doesn't tolerate birthing well
i've attended homebirths as labour support and will continue to do so with reverance for those whose bodies naturally provide, even if i can never have the experience myself

i am grateful to be moving to mothering only and leaving birthing behind, and that my body is functioning naturally as a mother in a way that it never could in birth. this has been a long road to gratitude and practicing acceptance.