Last Saturday, I was exactly 29 weeks pregnant, I woke up from my afternoon nap with a backache. I chalked it up to a muscle pain due to my big old belly. I took Alex over to my parents' house to play for the afternoon and continued to have back pain, even after laying on a heating pad and taking it easy. I then started noticing that I was having a lot of braxton hicks contractions. I started to get just a little concerned and called Grant (he was at home writing his Master's thesis project). He decided to come over there and I decided to time the contractions. It also dawned on me that I labored in my back with Alex, and the back pain actually felt really similar to that. I was having a contraction every 5 minutes. We called the doctor and he sent me down to the Labor and Delivery floor at Christ to be checked out.
In the car on the way down, the contractions actually stopped. When we got there they hooked me up to the fetal heart monitor and contraction monitor. For the first 45 minutes or so, no contractions. I was feeling kindof stupid--I knew that it was definitely real, but I felt like the nurse probably didn't believe how strong they were. Then the contractions started again. Every 5 minutes, sometimes every 3 or 4 minutes. It was uncomfortable, but not incredibly painful, so I wasn't too worried about baby boy coming that night.
My labs came back and showed that I was dehydrated, which is the second biggest cause of pre-term contractions. (No idea how I was, since I had to use the bathroom 3 times in the hour we were there...) The doctor told them to give me a liter of IV fluid and see how the contractions progressed. After finally finding a vein for the IV it took about 45 minutes to drip in. During that time, the contractions stopped. They said that they were definitely due to dehydration, to drink lots of water and go home. Sounds great....
Until we were walking out to the car and the contractions came back. We actually sat down in the lobby for me to rest during a contraction and considered going back upstairs. We went home and things seemed to settle down. The next morning we went to church (with a huge glass of water in hand for me) and the contractions started up again as soon as I stood for several minutes during worship. They contined at home anytime I got up off the couch. Grant pushed me to call the doctor back. She wanted me to go BACK down to labor and delivery to be checked again. Great.
The same nurse checked me in as the night before. They checked for dialation, and I wasn't dialated at all. So bottom line, I am having pre-term contractions, but am not in pre-term labor. I can contine to have contractions like this for the next 10 weeks, potentially. I am supposed to rest when I have them and drink lots of water. Frequency of contractions is not going to be a labor indicator for me anymore, but only intensity of contractions. They also gave me a prescription for procardia, a type of muscle relaxer, to ease the contractions and keep me from going into labor. I also now have to go to the doctor once a week to be checked out until baby boy comes. I've continued to have contractions over the past week, and they definitely increase with activity, but, so far so good! I'm now 30 weeks, and baby boy is in much better shape now to come than last week.
This has been such an emotional roller coaster for me. I really and truly have done pretty well mentally with everything. My mind is well aware that God is in control and has this little boy in his hands. I have every confidence that he will be born when he is supposed to be born and that he will be healthy when he comes. However, my crazy hormonal emotions aren't really on board with my mind. The first few days were really rough. But, God is faithful and knew what I needed. He gave me a supportive husband who listens and holds me when I cry. He gave me parents that are thrilled to watch Alex whenever we need them to. He gave me awesome friends that listen and help out. Susan invited Alex and I over for dinner this week when Grant had to work late. Not only was the dinner so tasty, but it was so great to be out of the house and take my mind off of things. Missi took Alex to the museum with her girls all day Thursday so that I could go to the doctor and rest in peace at home. Sarah has been so supportive and has dropped off dinner, picked me up things from Target, and listened to me numerous times :) He also gave me awesome in-laws who are only too willing to help. They are probably coming in town for a few days this week to help out with Alex and allow me to rest. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. God is so faithful and has provided us with such great family and friends that make times like these so much easier to get through. We love you all so much!
We would (again!) appreciate your prayers for baby boy. Please pray that he stays put for at least 6 more weeks, and hopefully until he's scheduled to arrive on May 4th. Pray that his heart continues to heal itself and that his little body grows and he packs on the pounds in case he does arrive early. Thank you!
1 comment:
Sarah, I had the same (preterm contractions) with our second. I will be praying. For your little boy's health and safe arrival. And for you while on bed rest. May you feel the peace and presence of our Father each day.
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