Photo Details: Taken with Canon 60D; EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens; ISO 100; Shutter Speed- 1/500; Aperture f/5.6
You may have noticed that I haven't added a new blog in a few days. It's been a very busy and nerve-wracking weekend-- Friday morning I had horrible amounts of pressure in my pelvis and lower back, I was contracting and starting to dilate.
I called Labor and Delivery at the hospital I will be delivering at and explained my symptoms-- extreme pelvic pressure, sharp consistent pains, lower back pain/pressure, Braxton Hicks (or what I thought were just BH, ended up being real contractions). The nurse on the line told me to come in to Labor and Delivery right away. I called my husband at work and told him what was going on. He got out as soon as possible and we were on our way.
When we got to the hospital, they hooked me up to monitors to check baby's heartbeat and see if I was indeed contracting. Our little boy's heartbeat was great, but after an hour of monitoring my contractions, the nurse told me I was contracting too much (I shouldn't be having actual contractions at all- I'm only 28 weeks at this point). She showed me the paper that was keep track of the contractions, I was having them consistently every 7 minutes. She ordered a cervix check, since my other tests showed no sign of infection or anything abnormal. After the exam, she told me something I most definitely did not want to hear- I was dilated to 1. Even a small bit of dilation at this point is not a good thing, so she hooked me up to an IV to give me some fluids. The contractions didn't slow down. So she ordered Procardia to stop them, and it finally worked. After being hooked up to an IV and monitors for a few hours, the contractions (although not stopping) slowed down to the point where they let me go home, telling me to take it easy and come back if the contractions started up again.
After we got home, I started feeling some contractions again, but they weren't as close together. The next morning I woke up and started to feel more pressure again. I started monitoring the contractions, they were coming every 8-10 minutes. I was having at least 6 an hour. I called Labor and Delivery and told them what was going on. Since I started dilating the day before, they told me to come in and get checked out to make sure I didn't dilate any further. Again I was hooked up to the monitors and got another cervix check. I wasn't dilated any more than the day before (Thank God), but my little boy's head was moving down. The nurse brought in the OB Doctor in charge to double check. She ordered another dose of Procardia and more fluids. Telling me this time that I wouldn't be leaving the hospital until the contractions stopped completely. After a few more hours, they did stop, at least to the point that they were comfortable sending me home. I was told to take it easy, no strenuous activity and to call the OB office on Monday to get an appointment for a fFN test to check for preterm labor. Also, to come straight back to Labor and Delivery if I started bleeding, the pain got unbearable, or my water broke.
Well, today is Monday. I set up an appointment for tomorrow morning, because it was the earliest appointment they had available. I am still having contractions, but not as often, and I am sitting down as much as possible while having a toddler running around. So I am really hoping that everything is okay and the test comes back negative. So, for everyone curious as to the signs to look for in preterm labor (contractions and dilation starting before 37 weeks gestation), here they are, and if you have any of these signs, don't take them lightly. It is better to be seen and have it be a false alarm, then go in and you are contracting and dilating beyond the point of stopping labor. Taken from March of Dimes- Preterm Labor
Signs of preterm labor
Preterm labor is labor that happens before 37 weeks of pregnancy. This is too early for your baby to be born. Babies born too soon can have lifelong or life-threatening health problems.
What are the warning signs of preterm labor?
Here are some signs that you may have preterm labor:
Contractions (your belly tightens like a fist) every 10 minutes or more often
Change in vaginal discharge (leaking fluid or bleeding from your vagina)
Pelvic pressure—the feeling that your baby is pushing down
Low, dull backache
Cramps that feel like your period
Belly cramps with or without diarrhea
What should you do if you think you're having preterm labor?
Call your health care provider or go to the hospital right away if you think you're having preterm labor, or if you have any of the warning signs. Call even if you have only one sign.
Your health care provider may tell you to:
Come into the office or go to the hospital for a checkup.
Stop what you're doing. Rest on your left side for 1 hour.
Drink 2 to 3 glasses of water or juice (not coffee or soda).
If the signs get worse or don’t go away after 1 hour, call your provider again or go to the hospital. If they get better, relax for the rest of the day.
Can preterm labor be stopped?
Your provider may give you medicine to try to stop preterm labor. You also may get some medicine that can improve your baby's health, even if he does come early.
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I realize this photography series and blog is turning into almost a 'day in the life' blog, but I feel that my photography helps express what is going on in my daily life, so I think they just go together. :)
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