Bed Rest Day 2.

Well, for those who dont know...all of our trouble started Monday around 4:15. I had some cramping, and just thought it would go away. So, I drove home from work.

By 5:15, it was worse, so we called the doctor.
"Are you having contractions?"
"I dont know!"
Seriously--first time mom here. I just know that it hurts.
"Drink 2 glasses of water, lay down, and call me in an hour."
Okay...so we do that. But, quick question---I have a baby on my bladder....so how am I supposed to drink 2 glasses of water & lay down for an hour???!!!!

Anyway--an hour passed & it was getting worse. No matter how I tried to lay down, it just kept getting worse. So, Damon called the doctor. "I'll meet you guys at the hospital".
So, we head to the hospital. I didnt take a thing. I just knew that I was going to get there & they would say it was "false labor", laugh at me, and send me home.

So, we get there....they hook me up to some machine...the nurse calls the doctor, "Her contractions are 4 & 5 minutes apart. Where are you?" He was coming from Lake Tawakoni.

They gave me an IV in my hand (which really hurts), and then demerol & phenergan (spelling??). The nurse said that the idea is to get me as relaxed as possible from head to toe, and hopefully that would relax my uterus. Okay.

Let me just say now: Demerol is a wonderful drug. It even makes the inside of your ears numb. After that, I could feel some of the big contractions...but none of the little ones. The nurse taught Damon how to read the little monitor thing...so he knew when I was having contractions. Some of them I never even felt....so that was great.

So, then the doctor gets there.
I'm dilated to 1, 50% effaced & at -2, or -3 station.

Definitions of what that means....
dilation: the amount that the cervix has opened. It's measured in centimeters, from 0 (no dilation) to 10 (fully dilated).
effacement: the thinning out of the cervix. It's measured in precentages from 0 to 100.
station: where the baby's head is in relation to the ischial spines (bony landmarks on either side of the pelvis). It's measured in numbers, from -5 (the baby's head is floating above the pelvis) to 0 (the baby's head is down in the pelvis between the ischial spines), to +5 (the baby is crowning).

So, then Damon, the nurse, and the doctor start to discuss whether or not we're going to have a baby that night. The doctor said that w/ regard to the baby's gestational age, he wants to err on the side of caution, and date the pregnancy back to my original due date of 9/25, which tells him that the baby may need help breathing if delivered. So, the goal was to stop or slow down the contractions, and keep me pregnant. (which, this whole due date thing is always different depending on which doctor I see....& how my belly's measuring, etc. So frustrating!)

Now mind you--when they told me all of this, I was on drugs. Otherwise, I would have pointed out: they said that the baby could come this week at my last dr's appt. Now it's the here & the now & you want to keep me pregnant! (which, I know is the best plan...but frustrating nonetheless!)

So, the doctor wanted me to stay overnight. I didnt even have a toothbrush with me! The dog needed to be let out. Even on drugs, these were things that I considered. So, Damon left around...heck...I have no idea what time it was. probably 11 or 12 at night. He brought me back some dinner & stuff from home. I remember eating Wendy's & Damon says I fell back asleep around 1 or 1:30.

Around 5:30am, here come the contractions again.
Here comes more medication....
And then I slept...and slept.
Then the doctor came in & checked me....still dilated to 1, 50% effaced, and Damon says that she said I was at -1 or -2 station. I dont remember that part.
But, since the contractions were slowing down, I could go home on bedrest.

So yesterday's contractions after getting home...they were about 40 minutes apart. Then today, they've been very unpredictable....03:29, 04:50, 05:10, 07:57, & 09:03.

I slept & slept all day yesterday.
Today--I'm already bored.

The doctor says I'm on "modified bedrest" meaning--I can walk to the bathroom, walk a little around my house, get out of the house to go to dr's appointments, my baby showers, etc. I cant go running errands, no grocery shopping, no walks around the neighborhood, no trips to the mall, & no work.

I have to go back to the doctor on Friday or Monday (I need to call today to schedule that appointment...). They'll check me for dilation.

One thing that I think about: what if I'm dilating more & just dont know it? I mean, will I be able to feel it??? I figure, I'll go in on Friday or Monday & wont know anything new until then. Provided nothing drastic changes between now & then.

Damon & I were talking this morning before he went to work....we were both kind of disappointed that we didnt come home from the hospital with our baby Gage. We know that in the long run this is definitely a better plan....but we went from thinking "oh, this is nothing I'm sure...probably just false labor"...to thinking--"oh my gosh, the contractions are 4 & 5 minutes apart...we're going to have him any minute!"....down to fewer contractions, and going home baby-less.

But, what we've learned is that we need to be a bit more prepared for the moment. We didnt have a bag packed. We didnt even take a bag b/c we werent thinking that we'd necessarily need anything...and we just figured that Damon could come home & get whatever we needed. I mean, what if the baby had come? We didnt have a camera!!!! So, Damon says that my project today is to pack a bag & other than that, to stay in bed.

So, I'll update you guys on progress....or lack thereof!