Whoa Momma

A few nights ago, I was lying on the couch with Jeff and realized that my contractions had picked up. I was having around 5 per hour for a little over 2 hours... and my back was killing me. I called the Dr's office to see what they wanted me to do. While I was on the phone, my back completely locked up in the worst back spasm I could imagine. It was horrible!

When we moved into our first house, I was working on the computer one night and Jeff was desperate for attention. He decided to swing from the doorframe and do a chin up (thus bringing his feet up to meet the ceiling, his body horizontal). As he had managed to reach the peak, the doorframe broke and he crashed straight down onto his back. Yes, it was just as funny looking as it sounds. He seemed to be okay after he could breathe again... but the next night his back locked up to the point I was driving him to the hospital in a panic because he thought he was dying. I saw he badly he must have hurt... and the other night I realized just how it felt.

The midwife suggested I take Tylenol PM and a warm bath, which helped greatly. My contractions had kicked up a notch since then, but nothing too terribly exciting. Yesterday, I woke up at 6:30am with cramps that felt just like mentrual cramps. I couldn't go back to sleep. My contractions weren't too bad at the time, but it was the day I was supposed to pick up the boys from school and drive stragith to Fayetteville for my baby shower. The crampiness made me nervous. I hadn't felt anything like that. It didn't stop between contractions, just lessened. I also felt that the baby had dropped. I decided to call the docs to get checked out before I made the drive to Fayetteville.

I dropped the boys off and ran over to Athens in the morning, in my pajamas, so I could hurry and get it over with and get back to my to-do list before our trip. They checked me, and
much to my surprise I was 85% effaced and "softening", but closed. The midwife decided to put me on the contraction monitor for about an hour. If I was "pumping out contractions" I would be sent to the hospital. If not, I go to my shower. Well, I knew I was having about 2-3 per hour just as I had been for weeks, so it was a big waste of time for me. I told them that I needed to be out of there by 12:30 to get the kids from school and hooked up.

Ten minutes went by and someone popped there head in to see if I was okay. I thought it was a little odd. In about 5-10 more minutes, the midwife came in and said that I was heading to the hospital. WHAT? To my suprise, I was contracting every 2 minutes. I only felt the "big ones" and not the ones in between. She checked me again and this time I was a "fingertip" at the front, but she didn't want to try to force anything. I was opening, so off to the hospital I went. Jeff came home and picked up the boys from school.

Over at L&D, they put me on the monitor and gave me IV fluids. After seeing my "irritability" and all the contracitons, they gave me a shot of terbutaline (I had forgotten how jittery that stuff makes you feel!). After a little over an hour, they gave me another shot, since the first one wasn't doing the trick. They had settled down, but my uterus was still very irritable. Wow. I felt like I had downed about 12 grande lattes.

By 4pm the midwife checked me again. I was still opened about a "fingertip" and very soft at this point. Still about 85% effaced. There was discussion about putting me on Procardia and keeping me over night... but the doctor eventually decided to send me home on bedrest and hopefully I will go to 36 weeks. So, I am on bedrest for the next 7 days. After that, I'm free to roam. Seven days, doesn't sound to bad?

I checked out at about 5:15. I had not eaten breakfast when I went to the doctor's office, and they wouldn't let me eat at the hospital, so I had gone from my 2am Instant Breakfast fix to 5:30 with no food. I drove through Chic-fil-A and came home to Jeff, Asa and Addison. My shower, remember was supposed to be at 6:30 in Fayetteville! Yes, I'm on bedrest. But, Jeff argued that the ride in the car, lying on the couch, and getting back in the car would be no less "restful" than being at home. So, off we went!

I made it to my shower, an hour and a half late, but I am so glad I went! It was a lot of fun, even if I couldn't get off the couch. I ate, opened presents, and got to be in a room full of people so excited to meet this little guy or girl! It was much needed after a REALLY crappy day.

So, today I lie here and count contractions. At this point, they are coming about every 6-10 minutes. When they get to 5 minutes for at least an hour, we'll head on to Athens...