I think I've sprung a leak. - Page 3

[Nan'sMom]

Wow, best wishes for you to reseal and your baby to stay in for more weeks!!!! And lots of healing wishes to you!

[wombjuice]

Big to you, Julie! For what it's worth, I think you made a very good decision to go in...especially if you know you wouldn't be able to stay on complete bed rest while at home. I have that problem, too...there's always something to do, always need to be moving. At least at the hospital, you're practically tied down! That sounds bad, but for the squirmer-fidgeter-must do something NOW'ers like us, it's pretty much necessary!

Still, I know you don't want to be there, and I know you want to birth at home. You and baby will be in my prayers. I hope so much that your bag will reseal, you won't go into labor any time soon, and they let you go home at 36 weeks!

Good luck, Mama...and more to you!

[htcamommy]

I just wanted to tell you that you are doing a fantastic job of following your instincts!!!! Keep it up! By the way one way to help with the yucky infection issues is to bring your own sheet sets from home. You only need three & you can probably get someone on the phone to let you borrow them if you don't happen to have twin sheet sets. Remember the same person who puts on the new sheets takes off the old sheets in each room. YUCK!!! I have been on "bed rest" at home & your absolutly right (expecially if you have a toddler like I do) its almost next to impossible to stay in bed. Oh yeah & make sure someone at least sneaks you ibn some SUBWAY! There is no way you can sustain yourself on that hospital crap there feeding you!

[MamaJ2005]

I'm sending good vibes and prayers that your bags seal back up!!! I hope you're home in no time. Hang in there, Mama!

[Romana]

I'm very sorry that you ended up in the hospital. I don't have any advice as I think you've gotten some great, seasoned advice already! But as a fellow March mama I'm thinking about you and hope that your hospital experience goes as well as could be hoped. Lots of s and I think you're handling the whole thing just beautifully.

[salt_phoenix]

so far, so good... 9am here and in spite of only 2 hrs. sleep, i'm fed, i'm fairly refreshed, and I AM NOT IN LABOR!!!!

i'm loving the little "extra" ideas for staying clean...

I had to request a peri bottle: they never even offered that little tidbit.
I have pro-biotics ordered. The ob on call last night actually tried to tell me she has never seen a woman get a yeast infection from this? right. "but i can just give you something to treat the YEAST!" wowzers.... :

I will say this much. I am very grateful to know even the little bit that I DO know... knowledge is power.

[NurseMommy]

I'm glad you went in. PROM is nothing to be cavalier about. Keep us posted!

[irangel]

Originally Posted by salt_phoenix

I will say this much. I am very grateful to know even the little bit that I DO know... knowledge is power.

Knowledge is definitely power. You will run into a whole slew of idiots and question how they ever got their license but I always found one or two nurses who were extremely kind and willing to go above and beyond to accommodate my requests even if they didn't make sense to them. I wish you luck!

[moodymaximus]

you have such a great attitude! wishing you all the best!!!

[Spark]

Originally Posted by salt_phoenix

so far, so good... 9am here and in spite of only 2 hrs. sleep, i'm fed, i'm fairly refreshed, and I AM NOT IN LABOR!!!!

That is SO awesome!!!! I hope you can get some more sleep!

Oh, goodness, you're just doing SO well! You can beat that dumb statistic!

I didn't say this before, but just so you know, great work following your instincts. There is some reason you were drawn to the hospital. It might even be to teach them something!

[salt_phoenix]

I've had a lot of curious student residents asking me all about homebirth...lol... they've been respectful and kind and curious.

One female resident's BIGGEST reason to not deliver at home?

"the mess"


I got my "big ultrasound"... the baby looked like it had all it's parts...gut all on the inside... looks great.
I got a guesstimated weight of 3lb.12oz. although we all know what that's worth. lol.
I declined even the trans LABIAL for cervical length check... i didn't see how satisfying the docs curiosity was worth even THAT closeness to my open parts... it just wouldn't change anything to know that. they won't start or stop labor and knowing cervical change/status really makes no dif. at this point.
Of course the thought of sitting on a wheelchair grosses me out too...lol.
I know they don't disinfect them between bottoms...

[yvonnemlv]

I declined even the trans LABIAL for cervical length check

That just sounds wrong... what happens for a trans labial? do I want to know?

[irangel]

Originally Posted by salt_phoenix

I've had a lot of curious student residents asking me all about homebirth...lol... they've been respectful and kind and curious.

One female resident's BIGGEST reason to not deliver at home?

"the mess"

What a great opportunity you have to educate them! I remember the residents asking me how exactly I was bfing my 11mos old when I was still pregnant and none of them knew that you could do that. Then I got to give them all sorts of information on tandem nursing too. I hope I opened some minds up.

[Lousli]

Originally Posted by salt_phoenix

I got a guesstimated weight of 3lb.12oz. although we all know what that's worth. lol.

Actually, it depends on the skill of the technician and the equipment used. Sometimes with high-risk situations, they have the more skilled people performing the ultrasound. They estimated my daughter's weight during a biophysical profile on the day she ended up being born. They said 4 pounds, but it could be off by as much as 12 oz. either direction. She was 4 pounds 1 ounce at birth.

[shelbean91]

They were surprised at the fact I DIDN'T get a yeast infection while there for all that time (3 1/2 weeks).

All things considered, I had a relatively natural birth- fast, easy. Ended up w/episiotomy, but didn't know enough then to refuse.

[salt_phoenix]

the trans vaginal, although not with the insertable, still presses the u/s wand against the OUTSIDE of the vagina... still too close to home for me, under the circumstances.

i hope they are reasonably close when they say almost 4lbs... that's not too shabby for a preemie.

fluid is still clean, clear and sweet

Oh and... it's a GIRL!
3 girls... one every 10 years.

[salt_phoenix]

OH YEAH! I talked with the NICU and got the 411 there... they will "let me" in there 24/7 to help take care of my baby and they are on board with Kangaroo Care and seem really helpful and supportive.
The temperature here in the hospital is warmer than I had originally anticipated.

[majazama]

You rock that hospital experience!

[nolonger]

Originally Posted by salt_phoenix

Oh and... it's a GIRL!
3 girls... one every 10 years.

YAY!!!! Now that's some GOOD news for a change, and (no offense to boys or the entire concept of boys) it feels so right to me that she should be.

For some reason, it erodes my hope that my own will be a girl, but maybe that hope should be eroded to help me appreciate the uniqueness of what may very well be my only daughter; she and I have been drifting too far apart lately.

You totally rock, Julie. This little lady is going to have the best hospital/NICU experience ever thanks to her mama being so on the ball and in touch with her instincts.

[salt_phoenix]

THANKS NOS!!! I'm hoping you get your girl too! (but I'm a firm believer in getting handed JUST the lessons you need, JUST when you need them... even if it's not what we thought we wanted) And to have a VARIETY of them (my two are so far polar opposites-can't wait to see what combo I get this time) is a treasure. They have been like facets of my own being. I firmly believe they have really expanded the roles, beliefs and ideas about my own journey through womanhood. It has, IMO, made me a more "complete" or "diverse" or "well-rounded"? woman. And a little side benefit? IMO too, dh could use some experience learning more about the female species. This baby girl is a natural teacher already... as we are seeing.

My updates:
There's a really nice down to earth, Indonesian RN that has been attending me this am. She informs me that when she sees PROM here in the hospital, what she also sees is about a 20% infection rate... I'd love to see that same tally from PROM women who decide to forgo the hospital and stay home without abx... That's a number I'd like to compare. I "say" that 20% isn't "too bad" but I have a feeling it's not quite that high at home... just a guess.

One of the resident/students came in this am and tried to talk me into the translabial u/s again, stating this time, "we can't clear your placenta without one" Meaning: they want to make me nervous about a previa so that I will submit to one. :
Me: "well, since I have had no bleeding during the entire pregnancy, and i am not in labor and we SAW the location of the placenta on the u/s yesterday as pretty high... I'm going to have to go with a....
SO not likely to be true that I'm not willing to accept the risk to introducing any germs near my openings for you students' class on placenta location & u/s 101. Hey, I'm all for education, but nope, not ME, not this time.
Student: "well, how about in a week?"
Me: "I'll re-visit that in a week. This is a moment by moment period for us."

And after the greasy, sausagy, reconstituted eggy breakfast without a sign of a fruit, breakfast I had this morning... I've ordered a high protein, to include dairy & fish vegetarian menu ONLY. Although this hospital has a nutrition department, complete with 24/7 order off the menu choices, if you want something decent brought with "regular mealtime" you have to specify that you don't want the hardly palatable status quo mush.
I think the cheese and fruit plate is my new best friend. :

I've been able to deny the prenatal with the iron in it in exchange for childrens chewables/no iron.
They are good about bringing me the pro-biotics. The massive amounts of abx ARE starting to make my stomach feel a little... "off". Hopefully with my acidopholis tabs from home and the kefir dh is bringing me, I'll be able to stave off much more of that.

So far so good!

THANKS TO YOU ALL!