Our first trip to Labor & Delivery

Last night about 6pm (34 weeks 1 day) I started realizing that my contractions were really starting to come pretty close together so I figured I should start writing down times. I had 8-9 in an hour so I called my Peri (and amazingly it was MY Peri who called me back) and he said to wait 1 hour and keep track of them and to go to L&D if they continued. He called up to L&D to tell them I would probably be up. Still another 8-9 in that next hour so off we went. I didn't really feel like it was "labor" so I wasn't too sure what to expect. We grabbed the camera and video camera just in case. I'd drank close to 64oz of water and had been laying down all day (and my appointment that morning I was not dilated at all) so I really didn't know what to expect. They hooked me up to the machines and quickly dumped a bag of fluid in me. I really did try to explain that I didn't think I was dehydrated but I suppose they had to make sure. My contractions were not slowing down at all. I was also still not dilated at all. The nurse called my Peri and they decided to keep me overnight to see what happened just in case I was in early labor. They were concerned with my water breaking and Baby A being breech. They were worried about cord prolapse. SO I got all settled in a high risk OB room and they gave me an Ambien sleeping pill, kept me hooked up to the IV but took the other monitors off and my DH went home since he had to work this morning and I went to sleep. I had contractions off and on that I could feel but nothing major. By this morning I was still contracting but they had slowed down quite a bit. OB on rotation checked me and still no dilation. The Peri on call (not mine <_< ) had me doo a t/v ultrasound to check cervical length. I am down to 2.73 and some funneling. SO I guess there is SOMETHING going on but nothing too exciting. He gave me the option of staying another night or going home and resting. I figured if all those contractions weren't dilating me and they weren't doing the c-section - I was going home. It's much more comfy! SO after like 3 hours I finally left. They made it sound like I'd be out of there in 20 minutes but I guess they got pulled into a c-section right after my ultrasound and didn't get to my discharge papers till they were done. I know the c-section was way more important but my DH and I were starving and they kept telling us it would be soon. :angry: Anyway - so the nurse told me to come back in/call if I had 6 or more contractions an hour (my Peri's was always 4), if I was bleeding, or if I had water leakage/breakage. I asked her about me contracting all the time and how it is frustrating if it's not doing anything to keep calling/coming in. She said basically that my uterus is stretched thin but everything else seems to be holding tight...so just to keep coming in and checking I guess. I came home and took a wonderful shower and now I'm laying down on the couch...still contracting. Now I'm crampy to top it off (probably from all the cervical checks). Any hints on how to know when to actually call or go in when you're at this point? Just go in every time I go over 6? Only count the super intense contractions? I do tend to have the really big ones that hurt like :blink: and then others that are definitely tight but more uncomfortable than painful. Anyway - that was my fun start to the weekend. Guess we'll see how long I go. It's weird the difference in DRs. My Peri told me once I hit 34 weeks that he wouldn't stop anything but this one on call was all about trying to get me on anti-contraction meds. I told him I wanted to see how things went and speak to my Peri before doing that. Just kinda weird the difference in opinions.

 

I'm so glad that you went in and got checked. It's excellent that everything is going well. When is your next appt with your peri? I would clarify contraction counts with him if its not too far out. GL!!

 

QUOTE(Kyrstyn @ Nov 8 2008, 07:27 PM) [snapback]1062583[/snapback]
I'm so glad that you went in and got checked. It's excellent that everything is going well. When is your next appt with your peri? I would clarify contraction counts with him if its not too far out. GL!!


Next appointment is on Friday (11/14). I definitely plan on asking him that and if I start to get a lot again before that then hopefully it will be during office hours so I can call and talk to HIS nurse and she can double check with him. Thanks so much!

 

Did they give you steroid shots just in case?

 

Hope you get to keep those babies cooking a little longer, Lisa!!

 

QUOTE(TwinsInFL @ Nov 8 2008, 09:13 PM) [snapback]1062662[/snapback]
Did they give you steroid shots just in case?


No - no steroid shots. At what point do they not give those out anymore? I didn't even think to ask about it but I should have. They just told me to keep monitoring my contractions and watch for bleeding or water leaks/gushes - and rest.

QUOTE
Utopia122 -
Hope you get to keep those babies cooking a little longer, Lisa!!


Thanks Rachel I'm hoping to cook them a bit longer too. As much as I feel done I was getting awfully nervous about them actually coming and thinking of stuff we still have left to do too

 

QUOTE(LMW1015 @ Nov 9 2008, 08:25 AM) [snapback]1063115[/snapback]
No - no steroid shots. At what point do they not give those out anymore?

I'm not sure. You may be past that point. I know that when we were planning to deliver at 34 weeks, they were going to give them to me at 33. Now that I'm in the hospital, I got them upon admittance two weeks ago.

 

Glad you went in and got checked, it's always best to do that. Glad to hear everything is going well. :Clap: