plan of attack

So last friday we had our ob appointment with the midwife. I had a couple questions about scheduling our planned c section. I have read so many other moms on here that get scheduled around 37 weeks so i was thinking this would be the same for me. How ever according to my midwife the doctors in my area (northern california) usually will still not schedule a c section even with twins till around 39 weeks even if they believe i will go into labor early which they think will happen. Not to mention the hospital in my town doesn't have a nicu so if i do go into labor early and they need help we will then have to go 45 min to another town so that way we can even see our babies. Anyway!!! I will be on bed rest soon. This is my last week of work thank goodness and im only working 20 hours a week at this point. But i was wondering for all the moms how did you get your babies to stay in longer? Did you just keep yourself in bed did you eat or drink anyting special did you have any special or weird advice given to you that you actually used that you believe helped. Im just wanting to start this as soon as possible i already rest as much as possible i want these babies to stay in as long as possible. I could use all the help possible from EVERYONE.

 

I was put on bed rest at 28 weeks because baby A had low fluid and was not growing as she should have been. Up until that point everything had been going fine, I had some Braxton hicks but rest and lots of water helped with that. At 28 weeks I was monitored twice a week at each visit they told me that if Addison's fluid level was lower or if she had not gained anything then they would take them that day. I did exactly as they told me to,I stayed on the couch or in bed with my feet up, only got up to go to the bathroom or to the kitchen to grab a quick bite to eat or drink ( if I was home alone) and did not leave the house at all except to go to my appointments ( which I looked forward to like a kid going to Disney as I have never been one to stay home all day EVERYDAY I could not even go Christmas shopping!) they told me to drink 2 Boost high protein shakes a day and drink lots of fluids.. Neither my peri nor my OB thought I would make it to my scheduled c sectional 38 weeks ( my OB would not schedule before 38 weeks with twins 39 with a singleton) but we made it!!! The day before they were born, I had to go to the hospital for my pre op blood work oh I had so much vaginal pressure just knew at any minute someone was going to just fall out! But nope, the c section went as planned! They also told me that if I went into labor after 35 weeks they would not have stopped it I would have just gone to the hospital and they would have done the c section then. My baby A was breech ( and sitting with her legs crossed over my cervix) and baby b transverse. When they were born, my supposedly smaller baby was actually a touch heavier than her sister! They were 6.9 and 6.8 pounds. So bed rest, boost shakes and my hog like eating habits payed off!

 

I was put on bedrest at 24 weeks due to preterm labour. It was strict bedrest. No getting up unless to use the bathroom, and a shower was only allowed to be at the most 10 mins long. I was hospitalized a total of 5 times when the contractions started up again. The boys were delievered at 37 weeks 1 day. I didnt do a special diet or anything like that, I just made sure I kept my butt in bed, no lifting. My oldest wasnt even 2 yet.

 

I also wanted to add - there are many women who do everything they are supposed to do and still end up having their babies early. All you can really do is what your dr suggests and hope they stay put. But if for some reason they don't, it is not your fault. Most premature babies are born early for reasons we can not control so while I hope and pray your girlies are in the oven for the long haul, if for some unforeseen reason they decide they are done baking earlier than that you cannot blame yourself.

 

My doctor told me I should probably stay home and rest the week before my babies were due. Since I have a 45 min commute, I obliged her. That being said, I had a healthy pregnancy up to 37 weeks when my blood pressure went up high so she scheduled my c-section at that time. She would have let me go as long as I could have held out. I don't know what your situation is but the longer your babies can cook, the better they will be. My doctor told me throughout my pregnancy that she hardly ever had a patient go past 36 weeks with twins and that most came earlier. I think you just need to take it easy, rest frequently, drink your water and try not to over do it. If you are not on bed rest, keep up your normal routine as much as possible. Good luck!

 

I worked full time almost right up to my 38 weeks scheduled c-section. The last week I still worked but I didn't have much going on but even then I could have been working full time, my OB never made me stop. I was a scheduled repeat c-section, had my babies with no problems. So its definitely not a requirement to go on bedrest. Honestly, I think that most of the time, if you are going to have preterm labor, there is nothing you will be able to do to completely avoid it, and if you aren't having problems with your pregnancy, there is no reason to change things too much other than common sense like no crazy exercise and maintain good hydration. Bedrest hasn't even been proven to make a difference for many things people get put on bedrest for like pre-eclampsia. One OB I worked with said they do because they really don't have much else to offer and because its always been done, not because they know it will help.

 

Thanks for saying this. Mine came at 30 weeks when Alexis's water broke. It was so upsetting and I just could not understand why it happened. I'm at peace with it now, but I think it is very important for women to understand that the BEST you can do is follow doctor's orders and try to relax. The rest is out of your hands.

 

Here is what I did after cervical shortening at 28 weeks put me on bedrest.

Ate, ate, ate. Tons. When I was out and about, I drank a Boost regularly just so I could leave the house and eat again. I wanted huge babies in the event that they did come early they would be bigger/better able to breathe, suck and swallow.

Took a calcium/magnesium supplement. The magnesium helps keep your uterus soft and supple and the calcium is good for the babies and your body. Both help ward off PTL. An added bonus of this supplement is that it completely took away my heartburn. :clapping:

 

I really want the medical community to actually study this. My doctors told me the same thing and while it makes sense that bedrest isn't necessarily a one-size fits all solution, it also makes sense to not get up in others. For example, if during labor you are not dilating, they tell you to get up and walk around. If you do not want to dilate, it makes sense to not put the pressure of the babies on your cervix or stay prone.

 

thanks!!! i know that I am actually not too worried right at the moment. But i have already been trying to take it easy. Like right when i get home from work to bed i go to take a nap and just relax