new to bed rest

Well, I'm in the hospital on bed rest for the foreseeable future. I'm bummed out about it, but trying to make the best of it. I'm just at 29w2d so it's too early for the twins to arrive. I came in 10 days ago with contractions 5 min apart and had a positive ffn test so stayed 5 days and was allowed to go home, but then my cervix shortened to 1.3 so I'm back to stay. I'm in a shared room which is ok, but it means my husband can't stay here overnight which makes it a bit lonelier. Anyways, anyone have positive stories from similar circumstances? I'd love to hear them

 

Hey, sorry you are on bedrest! We have a sticky of bedrest stories at the top of this forum. There are lots of good ones I hope this time passes quickly for you. You are a doing a wonderful thing for your babies :youcandoit:

 

One of my friends had a very similar situation to yours and she made it to 37 weeks to deliver two healthy babies. She was given the option to go home having reached the full 34th week but was warned that this would probably mean that the babies would arrive very quickly. So she wettled in for the last few weeks to grow the babies as long as possible. They had good weights and went home with her after 5 days.

I was on bedrest of varying strictness at home for 17 weeks (20 - 37 weeks). So I know how hard bedrest is but it is worth it! As PP said, check out the success stories above.

You are doing wonders for the babies with every extra day! Hug and GL.

 

I also had a positive Ffn at 29 weeks (we are due the same time!!) but my Dr has not yet talked of putting me on strict bed rest (I am on modified bed rest). I have another cervical u/s this Friday so I don't know if my cervix is even shorter what he will do. I was at 22mm 2 weeks ago. I have received the steroid injections in case they come early. I am really hoping for a few more weeks. I was not dilated at all on Thurs when they did the Ffn. Are you dilated at all? I did have a positive Ffn with my 7 yr old at 29 weeks and the Dr (a different one from this one) put me on strict bed rest and I made it to 37 weeks. Interesting that one Dr says strict bed rest one says hospital and one says modified rest. I am nervous to see how the u/s comes out this week.. we will see... Best of luck!! Keep us posted!

 

thanks for the good wishes. it is funny how different doctors have different approaches, one resident here says there's no evidence that bed rest helps, but there's also no evidence that it doesn't, and given that why wouldn't you do it, which i guess is a valid point, but it's still a frustrating place to be .

I had the steroid shots as well and I'm happy to be approaching the "30's", I think it'll make a significant psychological difference. Best of luck with your upcoming ultrasound, I also have another ultrasound this week (wed) and hopefully nothing has changed for the worse.

 

What made your Dr put you in the Hosp on bed rest and not at home? I was in the hosp over night at 26 weeks because according to the u/s I went from 3.6 to 1.9cm cervix in 2 weeks but the repeat the next day showed 2.4cm and they sent me home. Even now with a pos Ffn they just have me on modified rest (although I am not in bed all the time I do less than they said I could do). I am wondering if my cervix is shorter than 2 weeks ago (2.2) if they may or may not admit me again. Do they have you on Procardia or any other anti contraction med? Have they checked to see if you are dilated at all? Part of me thinks I should just put myself on complete rest and see if it helps. Although that is hard when you have 6 other kids!

 

It's been a bit of a process getting to this point. I had a scheduled u/s at 27w3d that showed my cervix had shortened from >3cm to 2.5cm. I've also had pretty frequent contractions since about 20wks (often ~4 an hour) so when my cervix shortened my doctor put me on modified bedrest at home and asked me to stop working. At 28 weeks I came into the hospital with contractions every 5min and had a positive ffn test, so i was admitted and given the steroid shots. The contractions slowed down and they had time to get both shots in which I believe was a major concern. They checked my cervix then, but it was still 2.5 with no dilation, so they released me on friday after 5 days (to be on home bed rest) with an ultrasound scheduled for the following tuesday (after the thanksgiving weekend here in Canada). That ultrasound showed my cervix had shortened to 1.3cm, so they asked me to come back in and stay until at least 32 weeks.

They never mentioned any medication for contractions, so i asked at some point, mainly because I've read about it so much here. The answer was that they would only administer something if I went into full labour. They said there is no good evidence that these drugs are very helpful for preterm labour and no evidence that they improve fetal outcomes, and in addition they often have detrimental effects on the mother. I'm naturally a bit leery about taking a lot of medication, so I'm ok with this approach. It is a bit curious how different attitudes can be between doctors though. Maybe there are some different standard practices in Canada and the US?

In any case, good luck to you!! I hope you don't end up in the hospital, but if you do, I'll be around to empathize

 

How was your u/s today? Any changes?

 

It went very well, no changes. They still want me here until 32 weeks, but I'll be allowed a short pass to go out in a wheelchair during the day. I won't push it, but I'm looking forward to a change of scenery from this room .

Good luck with your u/s tomorrow and let us know how it goes.

 

Glad you are doing better. I went into PTL at 24 weeks the first time. I dialtetd to a 2cm and was 60% effaced. I was put on bedrest, given the steroid shots. I was also given adalate to help with contraction control. I was kept in the hospital for a week. I was back at 28 weeks again for contractions every 5 mins, given the steroid shots again, kept almost 10 days. They upped my dose of adalate at that time. I was back again at 31 weeks, again steroid shots, kept for about a week. Back in at 33 weeks, and 35 weeks. I made it until 37 weeks 1 day where I had a scheduled c-section. I was living in Montreal at the time, so I dont understand why they wouldnt give you anything to help control the contractions.

 

It is interesting the differences among Dr's... Mine (in the states) doesn't have me on complete bed rest even though I had a pos Ffn and shortening of the cervix but he does have me on round the clock contraction control called procardia and gave me the steroid shots a week ago. It is encouraging that you made it so far. I am hoping for at least 35 but the peri doubts I will make it past 33 I go today for another cervical check.

 

I was told I wouldnt make it past 28 weeks, then I was told I wouldnt make it past 32 weeks. I proved them all wrong. It is possible. I am surprised though that you are not on full bedrest. I am POSITIVE that is what helped me the most.

 

I had my cervical u/s today and it was 1.2 cm. My OB did a manual exam and I am not dilated at all. Although he does not believe bed rest will stop PTL he does say it will keep my uterus quiet. He did put me on stricter bed rest. I am at home only because I am not dilated at all. He thought I felt longer than 1.2 he thought closer to 2. He said the bed rest wont keep me from thinning. If I go back next week and I am dilated I will go into the hosp until they are born. I now go from bed to coch to bathroom. When my DH is not here my mom will be here all the time to care for the kids and me I plan on being very strict with my rest to give me the best chance of carrying them a few more weeks. I would love to prove the Peri wrong who said I would not go past 33 weeks. I really want no earlier than 34 weeks.

How far did you make it?

 

37 weeks 1 day and I had a scheduled c-section. I was dialated to 2cm and 60% effaced at 24 weeks.

 

WOW!! That is really encouraging! Did you do bed rest at home or hospital?

 

I was hospitalized 5 times between 24 weeks 35 weeks, shortest stay being a night, longest being 2 weeks. When I wasn't in the hospital I was on strict bedrest at home. Only got up to shower, use the bathroom and eat. My cousin came over most nights to help with my oldest, who wasnt even 2 at the time. He went to daycare during the day. My parents drove 5 hrs every weekend to help me with him. Their father, I am not longer with him, worked weekends so I needed help when he wasnt home.

 

My DH is out of town this weekend so my mom is here... thankful yet stressful! I have just been lounging (not laying flat) on the couch and only up for bathroom. I will continue this until next week when I am checked again. If I am not changed then I will continue..at 32 weeks I might allow myself to go upstairs to eat with the fam!

 

Good luck! I hope you make it to your goal.

 

Hi there, how is it going now?
At 24 weeks my cervix dropped to 6 mm and I was having regular contractions with 1 cm of dilation. They thought I would deliver within a few days and I had both steroid shots. I was on procardia, p-17 shots and strict BR (plus every other drug at some point). My OB planned for me to stay in the hospital, but my peri sent me home (with good rationale). I was in and out of the hospital about 5 times to control the contractions. Most of my BR was at home. I made it to 36 weeks and had a c-section when I developed pre-e. Hang in there. It's a difficult road, but no doctor or test can accurately predict the future. You can hang in there much longer and every day is a huge step!

 

I am also on the p-17 shots.. have been since 16weeks. I have done some reading on possible fetal side effects to the baby from procardia... was your babies ok? I assume my dr would not give it to me if the babies were still in the forming stage when problems are more likely but it still makes me nervous. I have not taken my Procardia today because I am worried. But at the same time I want these babies in as long as poss and I have not had any more contractions today than I have when I take the procardia.

 

Hi, my kids are perfectly healthy. We were very lucky. I tried to stop reading things on the internet during bed rest because it freaked me out. I was already an anxious mess, so I didn't want to make it worse.
My DS was born with lung issues. He was on a vent for 2 days, then c-pap, and nasal canula. They gave him a surfactant, which helped mature his lungs. There are no lingering problems with his lungs. Both of my kids were feeders and growers in the NICU. It took them a while to wake up and start feeding regularly. Once they did, they were discharged from the NICU.

The neonatologist said he thought Evan's lung problems were probably from my gestational diabetes (slowed down maturity). They suspected I had GD as I got close to the end of my second trimester. I was referred for testing and that's when I ended up almost delivering. They couldn't test my blood sugars for a while since the steroid shots would taint the results. By the time I got home, scheduled another appt, waited for a referral from my HMO, etc...it probably took another 3-4 weeks to deal with my GD.

I think it's good to keep them cooking inside as long as possible. I can't imagine how my son would have done if he had been born really early. He already had lung problems at a relatively late date.
I've heard some people are told to take their procardia as needed. You might ask your MFM. Since my contractions were fairly often, I felt most comfortable taking it every 4-6 hours around the clock (per my MFM). HTH!

 

Hi again!! I am in the hospital now too. Went in last Friday and I had a cervix of about 2 maybe less but no dilation. Today I am 80% effaced and 2cm. Can't help but think it is something I did. So if you are still in the hosp and are bored I am here too.

 

I had irritable uterus which is like mild constant contractions and terrible pain. My cervics was dialated 2cm for over a month also with 80% funneling and thinning.

I was put on permanent in home bedrest around 30 weeks and could only get up to take a quick shower, grab a snack, us the bathroom and lay back down. It was hell.

Finally around week 32-33 I went into triage (I was a frequent guest there...lol) I was officially put on bedrest at the hospital because I was developing a pretty bad case of pre-eclampsia.

At 34 weeks or so I called my OB begging her to take these kids out of me or sent me home. So she talked to the peri and I went home and a week later we delivered via c-section at 35 weeks on the nose.

Make sure you have a GREAT pillow, I prefer full body pillows myself, some movies and and a shower seat. I have such a hard time taking a shower it was hilarious.

Good luck Momma, you'll make it!

 

mom0f6, i'm sorry to hear you're in the hospital. It's a pain, but it hasn't been too bad so far. I'm not sure what your hospital is like, but I recommend rounding up as many visitors as you can and getting them to come with a meal. It really breaks up the day, and after a week or so it gets harder to face the hospital food (especially when you're not exactly working up a huge appetite). I'm not a picky eater at all, but here they seem to have forgotten about sauce, spices, or seasoning .

I don't have other children like you do, which I know adds a huge extra challenge, but hopefully the bed rest is manageable and every extra day that passes is a minor victory. Along those lines my husband and I have devised a kind of ridiculous scheme of goals, mini-goals, milestones, etc (eg goal=31wks, mini-goal=31.5wks, milestone=32wks) it's kind of crazy, but it marks the time and keeps us laughing.

Anyways, I hope things are going well for you, and it's really been great to read all the other encouraging stories in this thread.

 

My Dr. came in tonight to check me and I was not dilated or effaced any more. There was a lot less pressure though. I told him I was nervous to go home and it seemd like the fluids were helping. We decided that I would stay the weekend and go home Monday morning. I have another ultrasound and appointment with him on Wed. Hopefully I will not change between the time I go home and my next appointment. He is just trying to get me closer to 32 weeks before he sends me home. It was a hard decision to make to stay here because I miss my kids and they miss me. But I feel more comfortable with the monitoring that I am getting here and knowing that if contractions start again they can quickly try to stop them. I am very bored and wish my husband could be here the entire time but he is trying to balance time at home as well. The kids all have fun stuff to do tomorrow night and on Sat they are all coming to the hosp to hang out with me and have a meal... they are bringing my favorite. This is a huge decision and not even sure if it is the right one to stay here or not. This is so emotional. I hope you are doing well. Have they done a repeat cervix check? Have you lengthened at all since you have been in the hospital? Good luck and keep us posted!

 

Hey 241... Did you get to go home? I was released today still at 2 cm but I went from 80% effaced to 60% so that was great news. I am glad to be home and hope you are home too and that you are still cooking your babies too!!

 

That's great news! The word is that I will be going home tomorrow when I hit the 32 week mark. I'm definitely looking forward to being back in my own place (even if it is to mainly lie around on the couch ).

 

That's great!! My Dr was comfortable with me home today since I had not changed and I go back to him on Wed. It just feels good to be sitting on my couch with the chaos of my kids running around!! Keep me posted!! And here is to hoping that we both keep going!! Do you have estimated weights yet? As of last Wed when I was admitted baby A (Lidea) was 3# 3oz and baby B (Levi) was 3# 4oz! They both passed their biophysical tests with scores of 8/8!

 

Nice! My last ultrasound (just shy of 32 weeks) gave weights of 4lbs 3oz each, which seems huge, but I won't complain (unless I go full term and they end up being giants ) They didn't do a biophysical profile, I'll have to ask about that next week.

 

Those are great weights! I would love 5 pounds in the end! We have another ultrasound today to check growth, I am hoping for 4# or very close to it. I am also hoping I am not more dilated or I just go back in the hospital. How are you feeling? Glad to be home?

 

I'm feeling good and definitely glad to be home! I am happy about the weights (I hope they're accurate), but maybe I shouldn't be too surprised, my husband is 6'4" and over 200lbs .

I hope your ultrasound today goes well.

 

My ultrasound today was good! Baby A weighs 4#4oz and B is 3# 11oz (if it is accurate) It would mean that baby A gained 1 pound in a week and baby B only gained 7oz. Dr doesn't seem concerned and said now with me at 32 weeks and the weights of the babies I can attempt a vaginal delivery as long as A stays head down.

 

Very pleased to have the time to share with you, welcome to such a good forum





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