Bed rest

Well, this is my first non-weekly-update post in a long time, and it's not the post I expected to write. However, since I now find myself with all kinds of time on my hands, perhaps I'll finally getting around to writing those other posts I've planned for all these weeks. Anyway, to the subject at hand:

As I briefly explained on Monday in my 32 week post, last Wednesday I began having some symptoms of preterm labor, and the internal my OB performed at my appointment revealed some cervical changes and a low baby. I tried to follow doctor's orders about taking it easy, and on Monday I didn't have any issues. Then on Tuesday, I had to run all around for various meetings and errands, and since it was all in another city, an hour away from home, I didn't have any opportunity to lie down and rest. Plus, it was 100+ degrees with the heat index. Needless to say, by that evening, my legs were sore and swollen, and I was experiencing some of the same pressure I did last week, as if Stretch was trying to make his escape. I resolved to take it easy the rest of the week but knew I needed to go into work on Wednesday to let my boss know about everything and prepare for the week's activities. Before I even made it to work the next morning, the pressure was already back. I knew I needed to lie down, but I also needed to talk to my boss. He finally came in and convinced me to cancel that evening's study so that I could rest. I guiltily agreed and spent the rest of Wednesday lying down. The pressure progressed to some cramping and sporadic cervical pain, but it wasn't as bad as last week. On Thursday, I made it in for my final Thursday morning study and promised my boss and the church assistant that I'd rest the rest of the day. I called my doctor's office on my way home to update them on the pressure, and the nurse requested that I come in to be checked again that afternoon.

Thankfully, the same doctor I saw on Monday was available to re-check me, and she said that things were still pretty much stable and my cervix remained closed. However, since I'm 50% effaced, baby's head is at -3/-2 station, and I'm still experiencing a lot of pressure anytime I'm not horizontal, she wants me on modified bed rest until I'm 35 weeks. So that means I'm on bed rest for the next 2.5 weeks, which I'm none too thrilled about, though I'm certainly willing to do whatever it takes to keep him in! I know how blessed I am that it's such a relatively short time. Plus, even if the bed rest didn't work, he's still in a pretty good place if he decided to make an early entrance. And I have C's support (more on that in another post), my parents calling constantly to check on me and see if I want them to come up early, and the complete understanding of all those involved in my internship. There's never a good time for bed rest, but I'm in pretty good shape, and for that I'm very thankful.

Since this post has already turned into a novella, I'll wait for another time to post my bed rest plans, goals, and concerns. Until then, I'm just focused on keeping Stretch an inside baby until at least 37 weeks!