Worst case scenario: Hospital Bed rest

It happened a lot sooner than I ever anticipated and with barely any warning so here I am on hospital bed rest. I have been sailing through pregnancy ever since about 10 weeks with no symptoms.  Around 18 weeks I started having Braxton Hicks contractions and I let both of my doctors know (the OB and the Maternal Fetal Specialist).  They both said while it can be a sign of preterm labor, everyone has contractions throughout their pregnancy as a way to prepare the body for labor.

Yesterday morning I worked out with J and then went to work.  My job is not strenuous and it varies from sitting at a desk to active playing.  I felt a lot of pressure deep down in my uterus and then a very sharp pain that made me double over.  I finished working and called the doctor.  Of course my OB is out for the week so I saw the on-call doctor.  At first they were not going to have an ultrasound but I guess they changed their minds.  The ultrasound tech took a look at my cervix for all of 3 seconds and said, “This is not good.  Your cervix is supposed to be 40mm and its 6mm. You are going to have to be put on bed rest.  In fact I am going to get a wheel chair because you are not even going to be allowed to walk out of this room.”

So within those 3 seconds I saw everything come crashing down.  I had prepared myself for having to go on bed rest at 28 weeks at the very earliest.  Before the tech even looked at the girls she asked me to call someone so that they would be able to help me home.  I called J just sobbing.  I couldn’t get out a word and since he knew I was at the doctor I am sure he was thinking the worst.  Anyhow he was able to make it to ultrasound before we even finished.  I am sure a few laws were broken on the way!  The good news was that the girls were healthy and active, weighing it at 1 lb each.

We went back to my doctor’s office to discuss a plan.  At this point we were both very anxious about the thought of going on bedrest, then the nurse mentioned that they would be taking me to the hospital!  That raised our anxiety level another few thousand notches.  Luckily my doctors office is attached to the hospital I will be delivering at so they were able to wheel me right over and into the Antepatrum floor, which is a high-risk area of labor and delivery. 

We had another ultrasound to see if the cervix had changed and it remained at 6mm.  We spoke with the MFM this morning and he said that for now I will remain on bed rest at the hospital with bathroom and shower privileges (woo).  When my OB gets back on Monday they will do another ultrasound to check on the cervix and at that point I can either be released for bed rest at home or remain at the hospital.  While I find comfort in being at the hospital and close to the doctor if I need anything I would really prefer to be at home. 

The craziest part of this whole experience is that I only had one warning sign! One sharp pain, pressure and that was it!  I honestly thought I may have been over reacting but I sure am glad that I went to the doctor immediately.  Who knows what would have happened if I just ignored it and went on working out and working.  Now we are really praying to make it to 24 weeks (I am 22 weeks today).  No baby has ever survived before 24 weeks, which is such a scary thought. Of course 24 weeks is not the ultimate goal but the next milestone we have to look forward to.