As I drove in to the ER parking lot, I hit every white valet cone in sight. Since it was the weekend the valet was closed, I was having contractions, and I had to idea where to park...it was quiet the scene. My husband was waiting for me and quickly walked up to the car. I immediately began to cry: 1) because I hit every-single-white-cone and 2) I was having a pretty big contraction. He told me to put the car in park, walk inside and that he would meet me at the ER check-in desk.
A few moments later, I was checked in and experienced the "roll of shame" as I was wheeled in a wheelchair past all of his co-workers in the ER up to Labor & Delivery. It was an awkward moment. I felt silly. I didn't want to make a big deal out of anything. And really did not want the extra attention.
The check-in process was quick once we reached our room. My vitals were taken, history reported, and a quick initial exam. Both baby ad I were put on the monitor to measure his heartbeat and my contractions. During this time, my contractions had not reduced in pain which greatly concerned the L&D staff. When they checked to see if I was dilated, I was already at 3cm and 50% effaced!! WOW....with 8 more weeks to go in this pregnancy?! How was that going to work out?
To be on the safe side, they gave me 2 bags of IV fluids, a steroid shot to help develop baby's lungs (just in case he had to be born early) and another injection to help slow contractions. After a few hours I was feeling pretty good. Contractions had slowed. I felt as normal as a pregnant woman could feel. I was ready to go home. The discharge paperwork was completed around 7pm. My prescription for anti-contraction medicine had been ordered, picked up and paid for. I was just waiting to get the okay from the doctor.
Of course, after I was officially discharged on paper, my contractions started back up again! Frustrating. I just won myself an overnight observation in the hospital.
Overall, the night was uneventful. The higher dose of anti-contraction meds seemed to have helped along with Tylenol and another pain medication. I was able to soak in the wonderful jacuzzi tub that was in the room, prepare my three courses I would start teaching on Tuesday, and have no other job than to relax and focus on growing baby boy. I also had to get a second steroid injection per protocol.
The afternoon of my discharge, Monday, changed my understanding regarding my medical condition and the affects on baby. My doctor came in, sat bedside and began to explain just how serious what I just experienced really was. She began to explain to me that our baby boy, if born before 36 weeks will end up in the NICU. She described the various complications to my water breaking...pre-mature birth, prolapsed umbilical cord, placental abruption. These are no longer just bullet points I read on some website last week...these are real scenarios that could come into play as my son enters the world. I was terrified as I processed through and began to understand the gravity of each contraction I was having and each movement my son made which might cause my water to break...after all, she explained it to me this way...
"Your uterus is like a water balloon being over filled and stretched; at some point, it just won't take the pressure any more and it will pop...we just don't know when or how or what complication will arise. You just have to be ready."What do you do with that type of information? I am 32 weeks pregnant. Carrying an overfilled water balloon that could literally pop at any minute....
- Being told:
- Just hang on for at least 6-more weeks
- If you have more than 4-5 contractions per hour take your anti-contraction meds
- If you start to bleed come in to the hospital
- If you water breaks call 911 immediately
- If you start to do this then do that
- Don't forget to ____ to stop ____
- Oh and bedrest.
I went home feeling encouraged and discouraged all at the same time. When I was being wheeled out of the hospital, stopped at the elevators, there was a 34-week baby in an incubator being taken to the NICU. I began to cry and feel motivated all at the same time to strictly follow the doctor's orders. I want to keep this baby inside as long as possible.
The next posts will focus on the first few days of my bed rest "sentence" and how we are handling everything emotionally and physically. Stay tuned...
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