Contractions

I was hospitalized at 21 weeks. Can you believe that? I had really bad pain on Monday 11/24, called the doc and they said to go in. I thought it was a UTI, but it turned out that I was having contractions every 1.5 minutes - strong ones, too. So, I was admitted. I was there from noon Monday until noon Tuesday, and they let me go because things had subsided after a ton of fluid and 2 shots of terbutiline.

The GOOD news, though, is that my contractions weren't causing my cervix to do anything - long and closed and high, so that's good.

So then, I had go to back Tuesday night because I was having medium to strong contractions right on top of one another. They gave me more terbutiline and the contractions stopped IMMEDIATELY. It's kinda crazy how well that stuff works. They gave me a ton of fluids again and waited to see if the contractions stoppped - of course, as soon as they told me to go, they started again but much smaller and less frequent. They have no idea why I have been having these contractions, they can find no reason for them, I've had all kinds of tests. So, they put me on oral turbutaline and to see if that would work.

THEN, I ended up back in the hospital on Thanksgivng! I was having intense contractions up to 10 times an hour so I had to go back in. Well, they gave me a shot of terbutaline AGAIN and again, the contractions did not stop but they slowed down a lot. This time, my cervix wasn't as high and I am fingertip dilated on the outside but closed on the inside. It seems like my oral terbutaline doesn't work as well as the stuff they give me in the hospital, so of COURSE when they monitor me there, the contractions aren't as strong and often as they can be when I am at home. So I went home in time to watch the Texas v. A&M game and was cheered by a good 'ol Aggie spanking :)

So I went in for an office visit Monday - my sweet Baker came with me. He is SO great. He's got so much to do at the hospital but he wants to be with me all the time. Anyway, they did an ultrasound of my cervix and took a quick look at the baby. My cervix is long and closed, so that's great! But, I'm still contracting, having up to 6 an hour (that's every 10 minutes, OUCH). Basically, the doc says that up to 6 contractions an hour is "acceptable" (and, as my MIL says, acceptable to WHO, exactly?) and as long as they aren't changing my cervix, there's not much they can do but watch me. He also took me off of the terbutiline because he said that the most recent research says that there is more risk to using it than help... so I am at home, on modified bedrest, and no longer taking the terbutiline. Hopefully, the number of contractions won't increase and things will be fine. But, I'm worried. And, I'm in pain. Aside from the contractions, my back is KILLING me. I am in so much pain - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's terrible and I literally crawl around looking for a good position for my back to be in. It's not good.

GOOD NEWS - the baby looks great. He is SO cute. I am so in love :) They didn't do a full growth scan because it hasn't been exactly 2 weeks since I had my last one, but we took a quick look and guess what????? His little ureters were no longer enlarged. Yep, the u/s tech said that he probably had to pee last time, making his ureters big. So, it looks like the hydronephrosis was temporary!

Anyway, looks like I'll be suffering in bed for many many more weeks. I go in next week and they'll check the fetal fibronectin to see if there are any signs that I'll be going into active labor anytime soon.

Baker and I like to have a good laugh - I'll just have to tell little Patches that I was in labor with him for 15 weeks (God willing)!!! HAHA.

So now it's Wednesday and I am feeling more comfortable. The contractions are fewer and less strong. I'm still home on bedrest but it's not so bad... Christmas is soon, right? Counting the days until we go to San Antonio, Baker says it's 16 now.

We'll just pray for little Patches and hope that he stays in there for many many more weeks.