L&D - Karen's Musings

Log in

No account? Create an account

Remember me

Forgot password

Facebook Twitter Google




			L&D - Karen's Musings Random Rambling




			03:48 am January 25th, 2010

estherchaya


	L&D
	I just got home from what I suspect will be the first of many visits to the Labor & Delivery unit. I was having a lot of cramping, low back pain, and pelvic pressure. Indocin didn't help at all, so off to L&D I went, per my doctor's instructions. Surprise, surprise! I was having contractions. Good news is that my fetal fibronectin test was negative. This means I'm unlikely to deliver in the next two weeks due to cervical incompetence. I got three terbutaline shots, 20 minutes apart. Gah. I forgot how much terb sucks. Particularly if it's not on a pump. My contractions slowed way down after the first two injections and the plan was to send me home after a bit of monitoring after the third injection. Except my contractions were back in full force after the third injection. My pulse was also through the roof (terb can do that), so I got to stick around L&D for longer than I cared to. Much to the nurse's surprise, the doctor said I could go home despite contractions 2 minutes apart since the fFN was negative. Of course, now the terb is making me so jumpy and shaky that sleep is elusive. Not to mention the nausea - I missed dose of Phenergan because of the visit - so I'm now all caught up on the meds and waiting for sleep. Really, technically this baby is "viable" - but I will be most grateful if I don't have to test that theory right now. Tags: #5, l&d

22 comments or Leave a comment


	Comments




			Thread started by Mara

	From: marag	Date: January 25th, 2010 11:38 am (UTC)		(Link)

::insert many curse words here:: Once again, is there some *reason* you feel the need to do me one better with every single aspect of pregnancy? I mean, really? Couldn't you have waited a month or two more before you did this?

Okay, seriously, I'm so so so so sorry it's begun. Terb sucks, being in L&D sucks, contractions suck, it all basically sucks a lot.

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: January 25th, 2010 12:48 pm (UTC)		(Link)

believe me, if I could stop it, I sure would. I'm just glad my fFN came back negative b/c after the third terbutaline shot I wanted to kill myself, but the contractions came back at about every 2 minutes for 30-40 seconds each. I was petrified they were going to put me on Mag. Gah. Fortunately, Dr. Martin said that since the fFN was negative, I could go home, contractions and all.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: marag	Date: January 25th, 2010 01:08 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Oh man, not the mag!!! I might actually consider figuring out how to pray if that would keep you from that. (Okay, not really, but you know what I mean.)

I've only met Dr. Martin once and it was right after Yael was born, so I have zero memory of that meeting. But thank goodness for no mag.

Oh what fun. Good thing you've got those sparkly ponies or it might actually be miserable. ::headdesk::

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: January 25th, 2010 01:37 pm (UTC)		(Link)

a friend of mine LOVES Dr. Martin (in fact, Dr. B. is the only doctor in the practice she doesn't like - isn't that funny? It's so interesting how different people click with different doctors in different ways). Dr. Martin delivered her singleton, but was on vacation when she went into labor with her twins - her only issue was that there are only a few doctors in the practice who will do a breech extraction (Dr. B. is not one of them), so when she went into labor she was like "if Dr. B. is on call, GET SOMEONE ELSE STAT!"

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)




			Thread started by Tiger Lily the Ginger Cat

	From: tigerbright	Date: January 25th, 2010 12:34 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Here's hoping all goes much better till at least 39 weeks...

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: January 25th, 2010 12:43 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I just want to get to 36. 39 might actually kill me.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: tigerbright	Date: January 25th, 2010 12:49 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Meep.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

(Deleted comment)

	From: estherchaya	Date: January 26th, 2010 01:36 am (UTC)		(Link)

thanks. I'm sure it'll all be fine.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)




			Thread started by mrn613

	From: mrn613	Date: January 25th, 2010 01:24 pm (UTC)		(Link)

any chance you can go on disability for the next few weeks to let that baby cook a little longer?

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: January 26th, 2010 01:35 am (UTC)		(Link)

possibly. Depends on what the doctor says. For all the excitement that my contractions cause, I still wouldn't be surprised if I end up going to 42 weeks. I have a proven history of how to manage my PTL signs - so assuming a similar treatment this time around (I see the doctor tomorrow), I suspect I'll be able to cook this baby a while longer.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)




			Thread started by JeanneGrrl

	From: jeannegrrl	Date: January 25th, 2010 02:56 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Oh Karen, I'm so sorry you have to go through such an experience, "toy surprise" notwithstanding. I wish so much I could help in some way...

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: January 26th, 2010 01:32 am (UTC)		(Link)

well, no one will ever be able to say my children weren't wanted!

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)




			Thread started by stronger than she thinks

	From: hopeness	Date: January 26th, 2010 01:08 am (UTC)		(Link)

As always you're in my thoughts and prayers.

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: January 26th, 2010 01:23 am (UTC)		(Link)

thank you - as you are in mine.

I'm quite sure it isn't any fun for you to read other people's pregnancy complaints - and I certainly wouldn't begrudge you if you skipped posts from me for the foreseeable future.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

	From: hopeness	Date: January 26th, 2010 02:00 am (UTC)		(Link)

Thank you for that - I still want to know what's going on with people but it's so darn hard... another "crop" of babies are coming this summer, including another niece or nephew.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)




			Thread started by Every Day Adventures of a Pavement Pounding Mommy

	From: introducingyael	Date: January 26th, 2010 03:14 am (UTC)		(Link)

How many weeks are you now?
I want to know how long I should be rooting for this baby to stay put.

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: January 26th, 2010 04:26 am (UTC)		(Link)

I am trying hard not to focus on how many weeks I am, or worse, how many more weeks I have to endure. But it would probably be best if this baby stayed in at LEAST until after Pesach.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)




			Thread started by skatured

	From: skatured	Date: January 26th, 2010 03:15 am (UTC)		(Link)

Well, did you tell the nurses that contracting is just what your body likes to do and not to be that surprised?

Still. Sucky. You are in my thoughts.

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: January 26th, 2010 04:32 am (UTC)		(Link)

no I didn't tell her that - because I have no way of knowing if last time was "just because it's triplets" or if contractions really are an issue. With the triplets, my contractions WERE productive, which isn't good, but the risk was very well managed by the medical team.

Certainly I'm not surprised by having contractions, but having them every 2-3 minutes (particularly this early) did alarm me. The fFN is more indicative of how much we need to be immediately concerned, and fortunately, that was negative. But tomorrow, I'm going to talk to the doctor about what measures we can and should be putting in place to ensure that this never gets any further than, "Well, sure, Karen just contracts a lot."

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)




			Thread started by atimesif

From: atimesif	Date: January 28th, 2010 04:20 am (UTC)		(Link)

Are they going to give you steroids to develop the baby's lungs? Or it's premature for that? Are they recommending any type of best rest? Keep your legs crossed :)

(Reply) (Thread)

	From: estherchaya	Date: January 28th, 2010 12:00 pm (UTC)		(Link)

It's actually a little early for that, particularly given my tendency to contaract. Had my fFN been positive, they would have gotten me steroids, STAT. But there are risks to the steroids that no one ever really talks about - first, steroids can (and often do) trigger contractions. Second, it's something you want to be careful to time, if you have that luxury, because to *much* of the steroids isn't great, and you don't want to do it too many times (particularly, as I said, in someone like me who contracts so much anyway), and the steroid effect only lasts about 2 weeks. So while it's conceivably on the horizon, it's not time yet. Even with the triplets, they put it off until they just couldn't anymore.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

From: atimesif	Date: January 29th, 2010 09:47 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Interesting. In your next life you can be a perinatologist with all the knowledge you have! Good Shabbos!

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)


	22 comments or Leave a comment