#preterm labor

[leaveherwildliketheflowers]

Today's the day.

In an hour and a half I will be heading to the hospital with Hubs. We will make a pit stop in the NICU to drop off some books and say hello to some of the staff, then will be off to my last cervical length scan of this pregnancy. Today is also a growth scan, so we will be making sure little miss is keeping pace.

I'm so nervous. I know things are fine, but last time around this is when everything fell apart. My brain is convinced I'm losing my daughter this weekend, and nothing I say eases that fear. Every time I feel her flipping around in there I tear up because I don't want it to suddenly end. I'm so insanely in love with her yet I know that there is nothing I can do (aside from what we already are doing) to keep her safe. I would lay down my life for her in an instant, but the next 16 weeks are out of my control. All I can do is breath and take the next step forward, but honestly this part sucks.

I just really, really hope she is ok and stays safely where she is.

[zombiescominginmywindow]

Preterm labor ain’t no joke!!!

After a completely uneventful pregnancy, I went into very sudden labor on Wednesday afternoon at 32 weeks 1 day. Got admitted to the hospital around 8:30 Wednesday night and am looking to hopefully be released tomorrow (Saturday) if things continue looking good.

I had a completely normal day at work Wednesday and felt fine. Like half an hour after I got home my hips started hurting a lot. My right hip has been funky lately so I didn’t think much of it at first. However it very quickly turned into a severe period cramp-feeling throughout my abdomen, which after a couple hours started working around to my lower back. I called the nurse line at 7pm and got to the hospital by 8. I was 1cm dilated and 80% effaced and in extreme pain.

I’ve been on a magnesium IV and contractions have almost stopped completely. The monitors show very spaced out, irregular, small contractions every once in a while but I don’t feel them. I’ve been in no pain since about 3am the night I was admitted. So it’s been a really boring couple days in the hospital but boring is good!! Wednesday night was the scariest shit of my life. Thursday morning, my nurse was saying that she had been almost totally convinced I was going to deliver based on how I was looking and acting the night before. The feeling of dread those words gave me.....uuugghhh.

In hindsight I feel like I should have realized what was going on sooner. I kept trying to rationalize it as Braxton Hicks, even though I’ve had BH since way early on and I know they don’t hurt.....smdh @ myself. This is a PSA to call that damn nurse line as soon as you feel like something is wrong and not wait hours like I did!!

My doctors and nurses seem encouraged and optimistic based on how good baby and I are looking now, that I should be able to go home, take things easy, and keep nugget in until at least 36 weeks. I’m nervous about leaving the hospital and the monitoring, but now I definitely know what labor pains feel like and thankfully we live really close to the hospital. I just wanna keep my baby safe inside as long as I can.

[hailstrum18]

Went to the doctor today because I was having some contractions. She said checked my cervix and it is still closed but looks to be thinning. She then hooked me up to the monitors for 20 minutes to listen to baby and monitor contractions. I felt a few during that time but the monitor didn’t pick them up. She said they could be Braxton Hicks but if they get closer together then to come back in. So there’s a chance I could end up going into preterm labor and that scares me

[roadtomotherhood]

Anyone have experience with pre-term labor?

I've been measuring contractions by actually contractions that hurt, but I'm afraid I've been doing it wrong. I pretty much have constant Braxton Hicks contractions mixed in with painful real ones. Should I also count those? In addition, I lost part of my mucus plug this morning. There is no telling if I lost the first part last night or if it's still in there. I pee with the light off at night.

So now that you all have all that TMI, I'm just trying to figure out if I should be concerned. I will certainly call me OB in the morning, but I figured it never hurts to ask.

Current Symptoms

1. Lots of Braxton Hicks

2. Super painful contractions mixed in for about 3 to 4 hours a night

3. Partial Loss of Mucus Plug (maybe all)

4. A lot of pressure in my pelvis, almost like I have a lead ball sitting down there

5. Constant Hip Aches

6. Intermittent Back Pain (not always associated with contractions.

Any opinions? I really don't want to be that woman who goes to labor and delivery when nothing is actually wrong. I also have my first pelvic exam on Monday, so if anything I'll know by then if I am dilating.

[silentambassadors]

Happy World Prematurity Day, world!  Created by a number of parent groups to raise awareness of preterm birth (about one in ten babies is born premature these days--premature being considered born prior to 37 weeks gestation).  As friend, semi-auntie, and adorer of a number of preemies, let’s celebrate them and the medical advances that have allowed them to thrive today.  The world would be sadder without you, preemie friends!

Stamp details: Stamp on top: Issued on: September 25, 1973 From: Managua, Nicaragua MC #1738

Stamp on bottom: Issued on: April 8, 1988 From: Kathmandu, Nepal MC #488

[sugarmoonbabies-blog]

So I did get transferred. I got here at 7 yesterday evening. My doctor here wants me here until I'm 34 weeks because of my history and being an hour away from a hospital equipped to deliver. Before I left the big hospital yesterday I was given an ultrasound, where a friable cervix was confirmed, instead of what they initially thought was a small placental abruption. Nugget is an estimated 3 lbs 10 oz and everything with him looks perfect. So now it's just trying to keep him cooking as long as possible. My cervical length was 2.6, with no funnelling so that's reassuring for now. This hospital sucks in comparison to the one I left though as far as food and showers go, but I'm trying not to dwell on it. Andrews bringing the kids to see me soon 😁

[sugarmoonbabies-blog]

So far so good, still in the hospital and most importantly still pregnant! Andrew came up with the kids and stayed in a hotel over night, they just left to go back home about an hour ago. It was so good to see them after nearly a week, I'm trying really hard not to feel the rock in my chest since they left. The positives though are, I may be transferred to the hospital that's an hour away from home on Tuesday if the resident neonatologist is back from vacation then. Their NICU is smaller but just as equipped as the one here is and it would be so much easier to see Andrew and the kids versus the nearly 5 hour drive here. Hopefully that happens. My best friend is in the city too and she's going to stay with me tonight, I'm really looking forward to the company. And it's pizza day at the cafeteria! As far as symptoms go *knocks on wood* I'm feeling okay. The bleeding is minimal today and I only have the odd tightening here and there. I'll probably have a growth ultrasound on Monday to make sure that if the bleeding is coming from my placenta, it's not affecting the baby's growth. And they'll probably do a transvaginal ultrasound to check my cervix as they don't want to do any internal exams unless I'm contracting regularly so it won't aggravate and cause me to dilate if I'm not already. Every night I just go to sleep thankful for one more day with him still cooking in there.

[sugarmoonbabies-blog]

Prenatal appointment went okay. The doctor is very concerned about another early labor, said I will be treated like it's inevitable rather than a chance because of my history. I will have trans vaginal ultrasounds starting at 16 weeks and if there's any signs of labor starting I will be given weekly progesterone shots. Which is fine except the only place the shots are available is in the city, 4 hours away. So that will be difficult. But regardless I told him I'm willing to do anything and I don't want convenience to take precedent over what will give my baby the best chance. As far as the cervical suture goes he thinks my uterus being irritable, not my cervix being incompetent is the problem but would do it if my cervix starts to thin out early. There is a vaginal suppository option for progesterone but he said its not as effective and he feels the shots would be better, though they're rare. So rare my local pharmacist didn't know much about them let alone carry them. I was screened for vaginal infection, given more blood work requisitions, I have my next appointment on March 23rd and my anatomy ultrasound on May 2nd. This was poorly written, I'm just really all over the place today. Though I'm trying not to be I'm so worried about having this baby too early.