Bedrest?

Well, my mom came up this weekend to attend my baby shower. She arrived on Friday evening around 7ish. We were so happy to have her here, but not nearly as happy as we would be later on that weekend. Around 9:30 I had to make a phone call to the on-call doctor to report blood. I was feeling fine, but I was shaking nonetheless as I thought about the possibilities. He decided (since I lived so far away and delivered Chloe so quickly) that I had better go to the hospital to be checked. Hurray for having mom there for a babysitter already!

The hospital we go to requires registering downstairs before proceeding to the labor and delivery floor. Since it was after hours, we had to go through ER registration. The waiting room was packed, and there was a line waiting for registration. There were people around us with bedpans sitting on their laps, and the staff was discussing the different strands of flu. Wonderful place to be waiting! After 20 minutes we were finally able to make it up to labor and delivery.

It was like going in with Chloe all over again. I was having contractions every three minutes and not feeling a thing. During the two and a half hours we were there I only felt about 4 or 5 contractions. I was dilated to one at that point. They decided to give me a shot to stop contractions. It only took one round of that to work this time. After monitoring me for a while longer I was sent home on modified bedrest.

Bedrest…the word that makes many of us cringe. I was stressing the word “modified” all weekend. I was given permission to sit up in bed (or the couch). I also had the privilege of showering, walking to the bathroom, and walking to the kitchen table. It doesn’t sound like much, but it beats being completely confined to the couch. Long weekend to say the least. I did go to church Sunday morning (with permission from Kevin and my mom). We considered it one of my bathroom walks. I sat for the whole service and even had Kevin bring communion to my pew. After church I stayed lying down on the couch until it was time for my shower. Again, with the permission of Kevin and my mom, I went to the shower. I was exhausted by the end of it, but I was so excited I was able to make it!

Mom had to leave last night. She and dad were heading to Michigan this morning to attend my uncle’s funeral. They won’t be back to Chester until Wednesday evening. We are all praying we can at least make it until she comes back. This morning I had another doctor’s appointment, this time with a doctor other than my own. He checked and said I’m still only dilated to one. Hurray!! He wanted to send me to the hospital and check for contractions. Otherwise he told me to stay on modified bedrest for one more week. After that I’ll be at 36 weeks, and they’ll let me have all the contractions I want.

We walked over the hospital where I was put on a monitor. I wasn’t having any contractions that I wasn’t feeling this time. I did have four contractions in the hour and a half that I was being monitored. The nurse told me I’m allowed to have 4-6 in one hour. Therefore, they weren’t concerned. She talked to my doctor on the phone to get specific directions from him. Apparently the doctor I saw this morning really likes women to make it to 36 weeks, while my doctor is okay with 35 weeks. So after two days of modified bedrest I was upgraded to “take it easy”. Woo hoo!!!! I am feeling so much better emotionally now that I know I can get up to fetch my own water and such.

Of course, we’d still like to make it at least to 36 weeks. I have no concept of how long it might be now. With Chloe, I was back at the hospital three days after stopping contractions. But this time I’m not having as many contractions at home, and I’m not on medicine trying to stop them. With Chloe I was having a lot of contractions even after taking the medicine at home. Friday night I was convinced we’d have a baby within the week. Now I don’t know what to expect. I keep telling the baby I’d like one more week so I can write my thank you cards and put away the baby shower items. After that she can come whenever she wants. Sorry to write a novel, but I wanted to keep everybody updated on our news. Thank you for all of your prayers.