bedrest success stories

Discussion in 'Pregnancy Help' started by lovelylily, Nov 2, 2008.

  1. Umeda

    Umeda New Member

    It's really nice to hear your story. I went through TTTS too. Except mine was much more serious. My donor had no fluid around her at all. My tummy was the size of full term pregnancy at 20 weeks. I had to fly to California to get a laser surgery and a cerclage. It was the most devastating experience ever.

    I have been on b/r since then. I read lots of the posts and I feel guilty now because I cheated many times while so many of you moms are following the strict orders. I have been going to my parents house for celebrations (birthdays, Christmas, New Year's Eve), I sit on a soft office chair and put my leg up on another chair (telling myself that's pretty much like a recliner chair). I also get b/r blues sometimes and start putting things away around the house. :( Anybody else cheating out there?
     
  2. Sunny

    Sunny Well-Known Member

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for all these stories. I am 27 weeks with twin boys, and I have been on bedrest for 2 weeks due to shortening cervix (and apparently mild contractions, although I don't feel any). I've spent part of that in the hospital, part of that at home. I am hoping to be home as long as possible -- I have a 22 month old who wants to see his mommy. I am terrified of losing these babies and I really appreciate reading some happy endings!!
     
  3. evelynforns

    evelynforns New Member

    Hello Everyone,

    I wanted to also post my success story because the prior stories really helped me get through the bedrest. At the beginning of my pregnancy around month 2 and month 3 I was bleeding, and the doctor had me go on modified bedrest. I could sit up in bed, but not much activity standing, just to make something quick to eat, shower, no stairs and no driving. At 20 weeks I went in to see the peri and my cervix was only 1.4. That same day I was admitted, and the next day I had a cerclage put in. From then on I was on strict bedrest, no sitting up only to eat, a very quick shower, and bathroom privileges. I was given procardia, and progesterone. I had daily contractions. There were two times before I delivered that I had contractions every 2-3 minutes, and was admitted and administered mag. At about 26 weeks I got the steroid shots. It was the toughest thing I ever did. I am use to being on the run from 5am until 11pm, and to completely stop and just lay there, was driving me crazy, but I knew that I had to do it for my babies. To make time go by, I asked my job to telecommute. A friend of mine gave me a hospital type bedside table that had an incline so I could put my laptop on it, see the screen and type. I had my schedule of favorite shows, and lots of reading material. I sometimes did get depressed, and would cry my eyes out, but my hubby was good about cheering me up. I did buy one of those countdown clocks (like they have for new year's) and that helped me watch time kept getting less and less. I did become a member of netflix, and my hubby got me a all the movie channels, (hbo, showtime, cinemax, etc...) I didn't like visitors, since I felt like I looked aweful because I really couldn't do my hair and make up and only wore big nightgowns for comfort. Every doctor's visit was a big trip for me. That is all I looked forward to. I live in Florida so I had a big lounge chair in my back yard I would lay on in the afternoons to get some fresh air. Every night before bed my hubby made me a protein shake, which I believe helped my twinkies. At 34 weeks and 6 days my water broke at 7pm, and I had an emergency c-section at 10pm. My little boy was 5lbs 10oz, and my little girl was 4lbs and 7oz. My little girl stayed in the NICU for 1 week exactly, and my boy for 1 week and 4 days. They were in the NICU only as feeders and growers. Today they are 7 weeks and 1 day old, and are doing great. My daughter did have some spit up issues, but a change in formula helped. Now they are the best things that ever happened in my life, and all those days and nights I felt alone, and depressed on bedrest were worth every second. Bedrest is only temporary but it didn't feel that way, I felt like I had a never ending pregnancy. But remaining off my cervix helped them get as far as they did. With three fibroids, cerclage, and contractions, they made it. :)
     
  4. nurseandrea02

    nurseandrea02 Well-Known Member

    They didn't have a sticky like this when I was on bedrest, but boy would I have loved it! I spent hours upon hours scouring the internet for success stories, only to become one myself!

    Around 28 weeks, I started feeling contractions while at work. I'm a nurse who's on my feet for 12 hour shifts. After some IV fluids & terbutaline, I was sent on my way with orders to just 'take it easy'. I went down to 8 hour shifts, but NEEDED to keep working in order to save my time off for after the delivery. However, at 29w2d, I had contractions again. This time they couldn't stop them, so I was admitted & put on Mag Sulfate. They gave me the steroids & prepared me for the worst. However, after some time, things were under control & I was on oral Nifedipine with good control of the contractions. I had dilated to 1cm, but had remained stable, so after a week, I was sent home on modified bedrest (Level II, I believe). During that hospital stay, I was entertained by coworkers dropping in, friends, & my husband. It was nice to be hospitalized so close to home (and where I worked!).

    Once home, I was bored STIFF. I had my laptop next to me at all times, scouring Twinstuff & other websites a LOT. I watched tv. I read magazines & books. I watched movies. I napped. I cried. I went crazy. I felt alone & definitely found out who my true friends were at that time. I frequently had contractions, but they were irregular & would come & go.

    Then, at 32w6d, the contractions worsened. I went back to the hospital, where I was told I was dilated to 2cm. Our hospital is not equipped for preemies under 34w, so I was shipped to a hospital in a neighboring state. I was supposed to go by helicopter, but the weather was bad, so I had to go by ambulance. It was an hour & a half drive...and we hit a deer! Just my luck, right?

    At the new hospital, I was told I had dilated to 3cm (who wouldn't dilate after a bumpy ambulance ride...geesh!). Everyone was hurrying so quickly to prep me for an emergency csection, but I was not going for it! I REFUSED to give up on letting those babies cook a little longer. So, while I may have been the world's WORST patient, I fought & fought for more time. They turned off my Mag Sulfate (which I TOTALLY disagreed with) & let things ride. I continued to contract every 8-9 mins, but I was no longer dilating. I ended up getting super nauseated (probably from stress & lack of eating...they wouldn't even allow me sips of water in case I needed that csection), so they gave me a nausea med that made me super sleepy. I slept almost 6 hours, just to find out I had contracted every 8 mins, regularly, during that whole time. The contractions weren't horrifically painful, but they weren't comfortable either. Once they realized I wasn't dilating, I was put in a different room to remain on hospital bedrest. I was MISERABLE & cried almost daily. I was away from family & friends (my husband left after we realized the babies weren't imminently coming) & I missed my pets horribly. I had a laptop & access to movies, so that's all I did. Daily I was allowed a shower & a 10 min wheelchair ride (which I didn't get when family wasn't there since the nurses didn't have time...although one day I pushed myself with my feet to a veranda to get some FRESH AIR). I was allowed up to the bathroom, but that was it. Finally, at 34w, I was allowed to leave...knowing that if I had to deliver, I could finally deliver at our local hospital.

    I continued on the oral Nifedipine every 6 hours & set an alarm to it. I could always tell when it was wearing off. I drank water like crazy & tried to pass the time. Around 35w, I had dilated to 4cm. I started to allow myself out of bed for limited activity (against doctor's orders, but I was so crazy, I couldn't stand it!). I put away baby clothes, organized the nursery, etc...usually all while sitting on the floor :). At 36w, they lifted my bedrest & gave me free reign to do whatever. I had dilated to 4cm at that point. My OB joked that he'd see me the next day, but he didn't! I had limited energy, so even though I was OFF bedrest, I didn't do a whole lot. At 37w, it was decided that I needed to get the boys out. Baby A, Aiden, was footling breech & his foot was practically hanging out of my cervix! It was just too dangerous to risk my water breaking anywhere outside of the hospital.

    All the while I was home after the hospital (so, 34w-37w5d), I contracted every 5-7 minutes. ALL THE TIME. Some were painful, others were not. I was CONSTANTLY timing them, counting them, trying to do everything to stop them (or, towards the end, walking to get them more regular!), but they never seemed to dilate me further.

    So, at 37w5d, I had my scheduled csection. Aiden came out first at 6lbs 13oz & Conner followed at 7lb 4oz! BIG BOYS! Both came right to me after delivery & stayed with me the entire hospital stay (except a few hours 'tanning' under the bili lights). Healthy, sweet baby boys.

    I have joked, to this day, that when they realized they weren't coming early, they gave up the fight & decided they didn't want to come at all. After all those weeks of bedrest, I ended up with a scheduled csection. Such stinkers! I can only imagine how big they'd have been had I went full term!

    I'm glad I was able to 'cook' them longer while being on bedrest, but it sure took a toll on me. A toll on my marraige & my job. I had to return to work after 9 weeks because my FMLA ran out & so did my personal leave. I had to go unpaid for part of it, since I didn't have enough time saved up for my 4 months off. I was horribly uncomfortable, despite loads of pillows, & ended up with tendonitis in both wrists...which I attribute to all the laptop typing I did laying down for those 6 weeks (tandem nursing didn't help either)!

    My sweet boys are now 2 1/2 & continue to be happy & healthy. I'm a bedrest survivor & success story!

    I wish all you ladies out there on bedrest the best of luck! It's a challenging thing to do, but hang in there! It's SOOOOO worth it!!!

    PS I walked around 4cm dilated with a baby foot hanging out my cervix, contracting regularly, & STILL did not deliver. So, even when things look grim...just know that the body is an amazing thing! I was told NUMEROUS times I wouldn't make it past the next day, but I did! So, hang in there & remain POSITIVE! You can do it!
     
  5. Sunny

    Sunny Well-Known Member

    I am another mama who loved this thread while I was on bedrest... and I am so pumped to be able to share my own success story!

    When I first found out I was pregnant with twins, I assumed I would be one of those moms who makes it the entire pregnancy without much trouble. I already had a singleton who was delivered at exactly 40 weeks after an incredibly easy and event-free pregnancy. If anyone can carry two babies full term, it would probably be me, I thought. Unfortunately, it didn't happen that way at all. :blush:

    I was told to "take it easy" around 24 weeks when my cervix started measuring on the short side. At exactly 25 weeks, I had a minor bleeding episode and was admitted to the hospital. My cervix continued to shorten, slowly but surely, and my uterus was a bit irritable. (As was I... hospital bedrest was very tough for me!)

    Fortunately they did release me from the hospital after about a week, but I was still on very strict bedrest at home. I only got out of my bed to go to the bathroom, take showers every other day, and visit the OB. It was extremely difficult, as I had a two-year-old son who wanted to play with his mommy. Fortunately my mom flew in from out of state and lived with us during the entire ordeal.

    I was sure that my twin boys would be premature. I constantly googled "nicu stay by gestation." I read about the NICU and began grieving the fact that I would not have full-term twins who would room in with me, breastfeed immediately, etc. I imagined seeing them surrounded by tubes and machines, and having to leave them in the hospital when I was released.

    Much to my utter amazement, day after day passed and the boys did not come. Eventually, after 11 weeks of complete bedrest, I hit the magic 36 week mark. My OB took me off all my medication and released me from any restrictions. I was 4 cm dilated at that point and kept expecting labor to begin any second. (With my son, I was already well into labor at 4 cm and was getting my epidural at the birth center.)

    Although it had long seemed an impossibility, I actually made it to my scheduled C-section date at 38 weeks + 3 days pregnant. Twin A was 8 lbs and Twin B was 6 lbs 6 oz. They were completely healthy, returned to my hospital room with me after the surgery, and we started nursing right away. I am so proud of myself and all my friends and family who helped me stay on bedrest long enough to cook these boys all the way.

    Good luck to all the bedrest mamas out there! It's still possible to go the distance.
     
  6. luvmytwins08

    luvmytwins08 Well-Known Member

    Hello fellow Bed Resters! I came to post my success story for you all who are or have been on or will be on bed rest with multiples! I was pregnant with my id twin boys at around 22 weeks and working full time as a teacher. I was getting contractions and went on bed rest at that time. I thought, no problem only to find it was very hard my first month. I was a mom of two older boys already and they had to learn to be independent and helpful. I found ways of asking for help (something I wasnt ever good at) and found it was offered by supportive family members. My mom came and did deep cleaning of my house (and conversations) to help combat my need to clean a dirty house and a need to communicate. I also used a laptop to connect with TWINSSTUFF and found online movies (graboid.com) to pass the time. I ordered groceries on line at safeway.com and they delivered! I also shopped online to get everything for the babies and my hubby set it up for them. I started looking forward to monthly dr visits and ultrasound appts as they got me out of the house! I had several trips to the ER as I was contracting once and a while. By 28 weeks, I had dilated to 1 cm. I remained focused on keeping my boys in as long as I could. I would say the first month was the hardest, but it did seem like time stood still. I was so happy to get to 34 weeks when I could get off of the couch and do things! However, by 30 weeks, I could barely get off the couch without holding my belly! Austin (baby A) was head down since week 20, and very very low in the pelvis. But at least there was an end in sight! Little did I know, this would be my last week before my water broke. I had 8 (yes 8) days of labor pains with contractions that felt pretty real to me and were 5-7 mins apart on and off. I had been dilated to 3 cm at the last visit and was just wanting this to be over with. The contractions continued, but never went into full labor. I just played my relaxing music and did my deep breathing and positive affirmations to them to get the party started! On the last day, three days before XMAS, I invited my friends over for a dinner. I decided to clean the house and go grocery shopping (all while contracting mind you as I had been for days) to take my mind off of prelabor pains. I had felt like crap by the end of the day and settled down to watch National Geographics IN THE WOMB IDENTICAL TWINS series and my friends showed up. I went to the bathroom before they came in and Baby A's water broke!!! I was elated, scared, happy all at the same time. I yelled for my husband it was time to go to the hospital. Called the in laws and mom and told my friends to eat without us! As I was standing, waiting for the nurses to check me in, it seemed like labor and delivery was a very popular place that night! I had to wait a good 30 minutes before being seen. My mom made it to the hospital before the doctor even came in! They did an ultrasound to see the position of the babies and found baby B had flipped into a footling breech position but baby a was still head down!! She asked if I wanted to do a natural delivery or c section and I pushed for a vaginal delivery with an epidural. I told her I had been a hero all 8 months and wasnt looking to be one today! I changed my clothes into a hospital gown and went over to a labor room. My contractions had slowed down a bit so they gave me pitocin. This jumped started my labor into full force and the contractions were getting pretty strong. The nurse asked If I had wanted an epidural and I thought it was too soon as with my other boys labor, the doc had said if you had an epidural too soon it would slow down labor. The nurse said "no! you can get it at anytime!" so I said "ok!" as the contractions we were getting harder, fast! My moms had to leave the room when the epidural lady finally arrived 40 mins later. By that time I had reached my peak! They had sat me up to administer it, and a few curse words finally came out!(i quickly apologized and the nurse said "its ok..you can drop the F bomb anytime you'd like" I laid back down onto the bed and had the MOMMA of all contractions and was stuck with my head at the top of the bed. I was screaming I was stuck so they pulled me down. The epidural hadnt kicked in and I was feeling light headed and still in pain. As the epi nurse injected more stuff into my epidural everything began to look white. My husband later told me that my bp had dropped to 40 bpm and scared him. I was a little woosy myself! Then I felt this sudden burning pain and urge to push. The nurse didnt think it was time to push (as I really had only just began hard labor) but she checked me anyway and sure enough I was at 10cm and Austin's head was coming out! They quickly tossed my hubby the blue scrubs, undid all my machinary, dropped the bed and pushed me to the OR. They were telling me to not push but it was very hard to keep a baby from coming out. I just remember being rolled down the hall and saying "hes coming out! hes coming out!" they plopped me over onto an operating bed and got the room ready. My moms still hadnt been told that I was delivering! My husband was right there, as shocked as I was at how fast this was happening". Finally, they told me to push and with one push Austin came out! they showed him to me and put him on the baby warmer. then it was time for Willliam. The dr reached her hand in and grabbed a hand, and not a foot, so she had to "put" him back and got the midwife to assist in the footling breach delivery. It was very weird to have hands inside my uterus searching for a foot!!! Finally they got it, and pulled William out 5 minutes after his brother! I did see my husband holding Austin while they were cleaning off William.I was in SHOCK seeing two babies being born so fast! On December 22, at 1:38 and 1:43 am my twins were born! Austin weighed 5lbs 9 oz and 18 inches long and William was 5 lbs 7 oz and 18 1/2 inches long ant 35 weeks 4 days. Austin had some breathing issues and went to NICU for a few hours but was able to come back to me in the recovery room shortly after. William got to stay with me the whole time. I had some trouble with the placenta (honestly it took more pushes to get it out than the two babies as it had fused into one huge placenta and left pieces in my uterus that later had to get "removed" (to put it nicely) in the recovery room). But at about 6:30 am I was finally put into a room with both my boys! They had severe jaundice but was able to come home with me on day 3, Christmas Eve!! They had to go back to the drs and had billirubin lights sent to our home for a week which helped them get rid of the jaundice. They were so small (5 lbs 1 oz and 5 lbs even by the time we went home) that they couldnt eat even 1 oz! I had to monitor every feeding and wet diaper on an excel spread sheet just to make sure they were eating a certain amount in a certain amount of time and going to the bathroom a certain amount of times a day! I never had been more task oriented! But, these two new lives were so important to me! Looking back on this experience seems like just yesterday, as they are now 16 months old and are the sweetest little blessings! I would do it all over again if it meant having happy and healthy babies!
     
  7. mhardman

    mhardman Well-Known Member

    I had a great pregnancy and was hardly sick. I was teaching 1st grade and made it to the end of the school year. I think 3 days later at 29 weeks I went to the hospital for contractions. They were real and with a shot ( I forgot what) they stopped and I was sent home. 5 days later I was back with the same problem, same shot, sent home. Then 4 days later I wasn in again, with the same results. The next morning I had a regularyly scheduled OB appt. When he found out I was in teh hopstial again, he put me on bed rest. When I asked what that meant. He said, you need to be horizontal. Not even a recliner. Lay flat except for a shower and bathroom breaks. It was very strict. So at 30 1/2 weeks I started my bedrest. I was very good about it. I didn't have kids or a job to worry about (I quit when school got out and told them I wouldn't be back) so I spent my days on the couch. I was given oral meds to take every 6 hours. The contractions would start up before the 6 hours everytime. So I knew it was important. I watched a lot of TV, read books, slept. I had some visitors but no family close enough to be there.

    At 35 weeks I went back to the hospital and they stopped my contractions once more. I really wanted to have them that day as I was sick of bedrest, but nonetheless it was for the best. At 36 weeks I was told I could stop the meds and see what happened. I took my last dose Friday night. Woke up Sat and could feel them all day. I had to get the babies room ready as I hadn't had time before when I was teaching and then put on bedrest. I spent the morning doing that. By noon I knew I was in labor but didn't want to go in until I was farther along. I just walked around and around the house an finally at 6 headed for the hospital. They were delivered at 12:30 am by c-sections. Baby B had 24 hours of NICU time to monitor his breathing but they were both healthy and come home from the hospital. Kayla was 5.13 and Tanner 5.11 and life was great.
     
  8. soydalish

    soydalish Active Member

    I've been putting off sharing my story here because I wanted to take the time to write out something detailed and thoughtful. Well that's never going to happen, so I'm gonna write what I'm gonna write.

    My first indication that something was wrong was at my amnio appointment at 16 weeks. They did a detailed ultrasound and the perinatologist said he noticed a shortening and lengthening of my cervix and would I please follow up with my OB. When I did, two weeks later, my OB said there was nothing to be alarmed about, but we should keep a close eye on it and in the meantime restrict walking to 30 minutes a day. Over next couple of weeks my cervix shortened from 3.1cm to 2.5 to 2.1. I wasn't even half way through the pregnancy. I was then referred to a specialist. He put me on modified bedrest and despite that a week later it had shortened to 1.6cm! I was scared. Very, very scared. At 21 weeks, I was put on STRICT bedrest - lying down constantly, getting up only to use the bathroom.

    I had no idea what a physical, mental, and emotional journey this was going to be. I was terrified but still trying to put on a brave face. I was helpless and had to ask so many people to help me. I have a son who at the time was only 18 months old and there was so very little I could do with him. (That broke my heart.) I had to deal with my husband not really getting how trying this was. I laid on the couch while he and my son went off to a mother's day celebration without me. I cried with hunger when my husband had not left me with enough food by my bedside when he went off to work for the day, and wondered if my getting up to get more food would make the babies come earlier. I put all my pride aside when I begged my mother to come and help me, though she did not want to and made it clear that she had other priorities (tending to her vegetable garden). And mostly, I worried endlessly about these unborn babies and how the outcome of this whole miserable situation was in my hands.

    My cervix held at 1.6cm for a very long time - about 10 weeks. I got into a bit of a routine. I actually worked the entire time I was on bedrest. I made arrangements with my job. It was a life-saver to have something else to focus on (and get paid). Also, I actually got to see my son more since his nanny was caring for him in our home. He would come and cuddle with me before his naps; it was very sweet. I went to my doctors appointments every week and with each passing week I was getting a little more confident I was going to go the distance. Then I got a curve ball: gestational diabetes! It was hard enough to get sufficient nutrition with other people bringing me food, but now they had to make special meals for me too? That seemed impossible. So with my doc's permission, I would get up to make a quick meal and then lie back down. I made up for it by showering only every three days. (yuck.)

    When I made it to 32 weeks, they eased up on the restrictions and had me start moving around a little. Well by that time the weight had shifted so much that I experienced SEVERE back pain. On two different occasions I had to go to the hospital to get morphine because the pain was so bad. Still, I was happy to make it to 32 weeks.

    Two weeks later, on July 18, I was lying down to take a nap when all of a sudden I felt a burst of water. I knew right away what it was and also knew I'd be having the babies that day, at 34 weeks. Everything happened very quickly. I pushed out Baby A, who was head first. Baby B was breech and yanked out by his feet. I have no idea how I mustered the strength to push after being so deconditioned.

    Rhett and Callum were so beautiful. All I wanted to do in that moment was hear them breathe. It was like music to my ears. Given the fact that they were premature, they spent a total of 19 days in the NICU mainly to feed and grow. We took them home on August 6. They were perfect. Just perfect.

    Being on bedrest was one of the darkest times of my life. I was so vulnerable and had to depend on so many people to do basic things for me. I tried really hard not to complain, but inside I was scared and helpless and falling apart. It helped a lot to come to this site and know that I was not alone. In the end, it all worked out and my adorable twin boys are perfectly healthy. Since the day we brought them home, things have been awesome. They truly represent a bright light in my life - maybe because I know how close I was to losing them, or because of what I had to go through to have them. I don't take for granted a single day with them and I know how special they and their older brother are. In the early days when they were up multiple times a night, I really could have cared less about how tired I was - all that mattered was that they were here and that I could take care of them (and move!). They are the most sweet-natured babies in the world and I totally and completely adore them. My life is so very different today than it was 16 months ago. I am done having kids so I know I will never have to go back to that dark place ever again. From this point forward I'm just enjoying all the bright light that emanates from my special little guys.
     
  9. annahs

    annahs Well-Known Member

    Hi There,

    I thought I would add my story to the ones here since they were so helpful to read during my own time on bedrest. It's amazing what a positive story can do for your spirits, and I think being in a positive frame of mind helps effect positive outcomes.

    So, here what happened to me. I started having braxton hicks contractions at 20 weeks and at 21 weeks made my first visit to labour and delivery when I was having 2-5 braxton hicks contractions every hour all day long. At that point it was very early so I went home with instructions to drink lots of water and take it easy. I made a second visit at 24 weeks and although I was having measurable contractions I had a negative ffn test and again went home with instructions to take it easy. I continued to have braxton hicks contractions all day every day, but things were ok until I had a scheduled u/s at 27w3d that showed my cervix had shortened from >3cm to 2.5cm. 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 was a major concern. They checked my cervix then, but it was still 2.5 with no dilation, so they released me after 5 days (to be on home bed rest) with an ultrasound scheduled for 3 days later. That ultrasound showed my cervix had shortened again to 1.3cm, so they asked me to come back in and stay on hospital bed rest until 32 weeks. It was a long 3 weeks, but we made it and went home after nearly a month in the hospital. I was on home bedrest for another 3 weeks and then could start some limited activity. In the end our twins were born perfectly healthy at 37w3d weighing 6lbs 9oz and 5lbs 15oz. I'm not sure that that wouldn't have been the case even with less strict bed rest, but I sure can't argue with those results.
     
  10. deebee

    deebee Member

    Hi Everyone!

    This forum, and especially this thread, gave me a ton of inspiration while I was on bed rest so I am adding my own success story to give someone else hope.

    At 24w4d, I went in for an ultrasound to check on the babies' well being as well as my cervical length. I had had two other ultrasounds to check cervical length prior to this (3.8cm at 16 weeks and 5cm at 19 weeks) so I wasn't worried. Imagine my surprise when I was told that it was now 0.9cm! My OB sent me directly to the hospital for steroid shots and to be admitted for bed rest. My first week on bed rest was probably the hardest for me. The goal seemed just so far away and every day would drag on and on. I ended up passing the time by watching all the seasons of Dexter, Mad Men and Arrested Development. I read a few books. I entertained visitors. Anything to distract me. I broke down my big goal into smaller goals (28 weeks, 30 weeks, 32 weeks, 34 weeks) and kept a countdown for each goal. My cervical length was reassessed at 27w5d and was 0.4cm at that time. At 32w5d, they were going to send me home but they did a vaginal exam and I was 5 cm dilated. Since both babies were breech, they were afraid of a cord prolapse if I went into labour quickly, so they scheduled a c-section for 35w5d. I never did go into labour, so I probably could have gone longer, but they wanted to take the babies at that time to ensure their best chance of survival (at a time when the NICU would be prepared to care for them if need be).

    I am happy to say that the babies did not require any time in the NICU or Level II nursery and came home with me two days later.

    If you are on bed rest, I wish you the best of luck. Sometimes it seems like the days will never end, that the goals are just so far away, and that the loneliness is unbearable. But it will pass and it will eventually be a distant memory (it is to me, even as I write this 6 days after my delivery).

    Bed rest is so tough but oh, so worth it!
     
  11. twinkatsmommie

    twinkatsmommie Active Member

    Has anyone on bedrest become angry? Angry you cant get out of bed or take care of your self or your family? And for a split second you resent the babies?
    I felt so guilty and not knowing how to do this because I dont like being mad. I love my girls I do and they are a blessing....I know I need to get my head out of my butt and stop feeling sorry for my self...sigh
     
  12. karlaa

    karlaa New Member

    thanks to all of those who share helpful stuff about the topic.. karla
     
  13. MommyMelissaReturns

    MommyMelissaReturns Well-Known Member

    I had a 5 wk. hospital bed rest and although it was hard at times, I had two sweet babies over 5lbs. Because I did everything they told me and stayed put and ate every chance I could to help them gain weight. If you start a hobby you can do in bed, that helps pass the time, too. Reading and watching TV get old after awhile, so keeping yourself occupied is important.
     
  14. Alanna1

    Alanna1 Member

    My boys are 21 months and I am just now able to write about my pregnancy and bed rest experience. It still upsets me to think about that time but I really wanted to contribute here because during the time I was on bed rest, I read and re-read this post and it gave me hope. I hope my story can give someone hope too.

    The first trimester of my pregnancy was pretty uneventful. I was tired but had very little nausea or any other discomforts. My husband and I were so thrilled to be having twins and since a twin pregnancy is considered high risk, I really tried to take it easy. My husband took very good care of me.

    At 13 weeks I got up in the evening to use the washroom and I looked down to see that I was covered with bright red blood and the blood just kept coming. Of course I was terrified so I called the OB on call and she said I should go to hospital. The ER doctor was horrible so I left and planned to see my OB first thing in the morning. It was an awful night. I kept bleeding heavily and I really believed that I had lost the babies. When I saw my OB in the morning, she used her Doppler and found both heartbeats right away! My doctor, my husband and I all started crying! I had never felt more thankful in my entire life! She examined me and thought the blood was coming from my cervix because it was very red and swollen form the extra pg hormones. We were so relieved and went home. She put me on modified bed rest for a week and said I could get up if the bleeding stopped, which it did!

    I hadn’t had any more bleeding for 6 weeks and I really started to enjoy being pg. At 20 wks I noticed the teeniest bit of red spotting but it freaked me out so I made and appointment to see an OB at my clinic. During the exam, I bled a bit more but the doctor wasn’t too worried. He thought the same thing as my regular doctor, that my cervix was just ultra sensitive. I stopped to use the washroom on the way out of the office and I started gushing blood. It was all over the floor and toilet. I started panicking and the doctor came to see me. There was so much blood that he called an ambulance right away to take me to the hospital.

    At the hospital, the same thing, gushing bright red blood. I felt like I was in a horror movie because it was everywhere; There was a pool on the floor and my clothes and bed were soaked. The doctor’s office had called my husband and he met me shortly after I arrived. We really thought we had lost the babies again. The OB on call came to see me and brought a little ultrasound machine. Again, we were amazed and so thankful that our little guys were just bopping around. They weren’t being affected by the bleeding at all!

    Over the next couple of weeks, I stayed in hospital and had sporadic bouts of heavy bleeding and repeated ultrasounds by specialists. They were trying to figure out where all this blood was coming from. Finally they were able to see that it was tracking down from behind baby A’s placenta (a placental abruption). The baby wasn’t losing blood; it was my blood that I was losing. I lost so much blood that I needed a blood transfusion of several units of blood. I unfortunately goggled ‘placental abruption’ and the outcomes were definitely not good. Of course I completely melted down and got obsessed to the point that my husband took my laptop away from me.

    The weeks that followed, I bled even more heavily and lost even more blood. During this time the boys were doing really well and were growing on track. I had many ultrasounds and got to check up on them a lot. My OB was amazing and supportive but after the second blood transfusion, she started to talk to me about terminating my pregnancy. She said a point would come that my body could not handle the blood loss and that it would no longer be my decision and that she would have to take the babies because I could die.

    This time is very painful for me to write about because the bleeding did not stop. I would just lay in my hospital bed wishing, praying, and trying to will my body to stop bleeding. I would lay for hours and hours in one spot terrified to even move a muscle because I thought it could possibly help stop the bleeding. I had no pain at all and did not know when I’d have a big bleeding episode so I would ask a nurse to accompany me to washroom when I needed to go and look in the toilet to see if there was blood because I just couldn’t face it anymore. This was the worst part of my 4 months on bed rest.

    Most of my friends were pg themselves or had newborns and would visit me often to try and cheer me up. I remember just looking at them and wondering if I would ever hold my babies or ever get as far in pregnancy as they were. I started to hate having visitors and I remember asking my husband stop the ‘baby parade.’

    The continuous ultra sounds became very agonizing as well, because I would see these perfect little boys cuddled up together and wonder if I would ever get to cuddle them.

    One morning I got up to use the washroom and I fainted. Luckily my husband caught me and I didn’t hit the floor. My doctor came to see me shortly after I had fainted and strongly advised me to consider terminating my pregnancy. I pretty much had to beg her for one more blood transfusion, but with tears in her eyes she said it would be the last. I was 23.5 weeks at that point and I had felt like I had been living in a nightmare for the last 3.5 weeks.

    I got my last blood transfusion and just hoped and prayed that the abruption would stop bleeding. I had one smaller bleed after that and then didn’t bleed for a week! I was doing well but my cervix was starting to shorten so my doctor decided to transfer me to a hospital with a level 3 nicu just in case I went into labour early.

    It felt like a huge accomplishment making it past 24 weeks! The boys were finally considered ‘viable’ (still a term I don’t care for). But my cervix was starting to shorten, likely from being irritated by all the blood passing through it. So when I got to the new hospital, I got the steroid shots and the neonatologist came to have a meeting with us about what we could expect if we had very premature babies. It was a terrifying meeting.

    I was back to feeling scared to move and would try to be a still as I could all day long. I felt like that for weeks and some of my nurses started getting worried about my mental health. I had never had mental health issues in the past so I was surprised. A counselor started to come to see me in the hospital and diagnosed me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She worked with me for the next few weeks and I started to feel less upset. Also, I was almost 28 weeks and I just felt in my heart that the boys were going to be all right! After being on hospital bed rest for two months, I was finally discharged and got to go home!

    I hadn’t had any bleeding for over 3 weeks but my cervix was very short for 28 weeks (1.5cm) so I was advised to stay on strict bed rest. A nurse phoned me everyday and visited me a couple times a week to do NST’s and check me. I was happy and relieved to be at home and when I passed the 30-week mark I started feeling a lot more positive. I wanted visitors again and finally felt confident enough to do some shopping for the babies (online of course!).

    At 32 weeks my cervix was down to 0.6cm so the bed rest continued. I was bored out of my mind but so thankful that the boys were still with me. I spent most of my time watching T.V., reading, chatting on the phone, and planning the nursery. I remember visiting my OB around this time and actually had a positive appointment for the first time since the beginning of my pregnancy! Even though my cervix was short, the boys were healthy and a good size and would likely have a very good outcome even if they came early. It was the first appointment that I actually felt like a pregnant woman instead of a sick person!

    Well, to make the rest of this long story short, I was very compliant with my bed rest and made it to my scheduled c-section at 38 weeks with practically no cervix. I never went into labour and had healthy babies. They didn't have to go to the NICU and came home with me!

    During my pregnancy, I saw many, many doctors, specialists, and nurses and not ONE of them thought I was going to make it to the end! I just want to encourage anyone in a similar situation that amazing miracles can happen and to try and have hope if you are having a difficult pregnancy.
     
  15. Vividor

    Vividor Member

    Thank you everyone for sharing your stories!! I ve been reading you for several weeks every once in a whole even though I know your stories by heart already.
    I am on a bed rest for 6 weeks already for short cervix, 2 of which are in the hospital. I am 24 weeks and 3 days today and haven't even sit or walk for 2 weeks since I was admitted. I really hope I can make it long so my girls would come home with us!
     
  16. rinaownsu

    rinaownsu Active Member

    I was put on bed rest at 28 weeks because I was having contraction. Although my cervix was still long and closed, my OB was very strict about my bed rest. I was having a hard time because I am a very active person and I had to leave work and school from one day to the next. I was in the middle of finals !!! Thankfully my professors understood and helped me get to the end of the semester from home. I watched a lot of TV, worked on websites, and played on the computer. I was back and forth from home to L&D because my contractions would get strong on and off even though I was on medication (Procardia).

    Finally my water broke for baby A (Kayla) and my OB had no other choice than to perform a C Section. My girls were born at 31 weeks weighing 3.7 & 3.10 lbs. very healthy and strong but still had to stay in NICU for 4 weeks.
     
  17. Mokexz

    Mokexz New Member

    I was unexpectedly put on bed rest at 18w after a routine cervical check due to a twin pregnancy with shortened cervix measuring 1.9cm. Initially I worked with a maternal fetal specialist who said that cerclage was not an option for twins, but that there had been some research about the effectiveness of cervical pessaries. He had me fitted for a smith hodge pessary and at my 1st check about a week later, my cervix was down to.9cm and needless to say I was terrified. Thankfully he and my OB referred me to another maternal fetal specialist who had been doing some trials with the Arabin pessary for twins and I will be forever grateful. The Arabin pessary is not yet FDA approved, so I had to purchase it out of pocket and the doctor inserted it. I went for transvaginal ultrasound checks fom 1x weekly to every few weeks as my pregnancy progressed and my cervix averaged 1.5 through the 30w mark when they stopped doing checks. During this time the lowest it dropped was 1.2cm and my highest reading (only time it ever got this high was 2.0 at my last/30w appt. The day my doc inserted the Arabin pessary, he said our goal was to try to get me to 28w if possible and yesterday I hit the 34w mark! My docs had differing views about the effectiveness of bed rest, but I chose to heed the advice of my OB and put myself on strict bed rest (only up and on my feet for dr appts. in bed or on couch all day...drank almost 1 gallon of water daily...only got up for bathroom...took a shower every few days and ate most of my meals lying down). I will never know if it was the pessary ombined with bed rest, the pessary alone, bed rest alone or if my cervix would have stayed put without intervention, but I feel the combination of bed rest with the Arabian pessary worked for me. It has been a grueling 4 months of bedrest and yesterday I went to the maternal fetal specialist or the last time for a trans abdominal ultrasound to check on my 2 healthy babies that are both head down and weighing 5.1lb and 4.14lb....he told me that he doesn't need to see me again because my regular OB can remove the pessary at 36-37 weeks. Additionally, my OB has scheduled a c-section for me at 38w if I haven't delivered before then. I was devestated when this ordeal began and searched forum after forum for success stories, so I am glad to be able to add one of my own. I am 47 years old and conceived thru IVF, so if you added the twin factor to this, I had 3 big strikes against me, but here I am still going strong. I'd like these babies to bake 2-4 more weeks, but I also realize I can't control everything and am so blessed to be in this much safer range if the babies are in fact born early. I am no holy roller, but i am Catholic and prayed hard (especially for the intervention of St Gerard, St Anthony, St Jude & the Holy Mother) and had so many others praying for me..don't believe I could have gotten this far without those prayers. Sending good wishes to all and hope my story will give encouragement needed to stay as positive as possible when faced with unexpected pregnancy complications.
     
  18. lauwss

    lauwss Well-Known Member

    Now there are many great solutions and tools for business management, many of which are already ready to use. When I wanted to find some solution for optimizing business processes, I came across the ProcessMIX low-code platform and articles like this one at link https://processmix.com/business-rules-management-101/. It helped me automate some tasks that used to take a lot of time.
     
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