Be careful what you ask for
It's official. I'm on bedrest. Fancy doc's partner looked at my u/s and said he thinks I should be resting pretty much all of the time, as much as possible. The u/s showed my cervix funneling (above the stitch) but it turned out to be a contraction and not the normal state. After the contraction, which I didn't even feel, my cervix went back to just a little funnel.
Partner doc thinks my cervix would have undoubtedly opened already if it weren't for the bootlace holding it together. He agrees with fancy that the pressure and discomfort that I feel is pressure on the stitch. Getting up from the couch and feeling really uncomfortable is an indicator of just how much pressure is being put on the stitch. The stitch is like a purse string through the cervix that gets stitched through and then pulled tight. It's amazing to see how close the baby's head is to the stitch and to the cervix.
Partner doc thinks it bedrest is prudent and a good precautionary measure. He was kind of apologetic about it, like "if it isn't too much trouble, you really should rest as much as possible." I told him I'd been wondering about fancy's not-so-conservative approach. He said that fancy is the cerclage expert for sure but that he trusts his own clinical judgment (he is a high-risk,perinatalogist also) pretty well and he doesn't like what he sees ESPECIALLY at 26 weeks.
So it's nice to have a doctor worrying on my behalf. I will take to my couch for the foreseeable future. I will try not to go crazy with my kids raiding my snacks, putting my cell phone into driving mode, fucking with my knitting, spilling my drinks, climbing on me, refusing to leave the house, acting crazy and giving my dad a constant hard time. I can't watch TV when they are around unfortunately. Typing with a laptop on my belly is a challenge. Playing mah-jong might ruin my eyesight, cause bad mah jong dreams, and give me a big fat headache like the one I have right now.
But like I told partner doc, the impact of bedrest on all of us will be very minimal compared to the impact of another dead baby or a NICU nightmare and long-term health problems due to prematurity. Obviously I have no problem with the concept of making the sacrifice. That doesn't mean I won't complain about actually doing it. Oh yeah and my backyard, which is mere inches from my couch, is being re-done which means there are guys making a shitload of noise in my yard everyday ALL DAY, the kids can't play back there, the freakin' TILESAW is coming next week, and the whole project will last at least a month. AVE MARIA.
Partner doc thinks my cervix would have undoubtedly opened already if it weren't for the bootlace holding it together. He agrees with fancy that the pressure and discomfort that I feel is pressure on the stitch. Getting up from the couch and feeling really uncomfortable is an indicator of just how much pressure is being put on the stitch. The stitch is like a purse string through the cervix that gets stitched through and then pulled tight. It's amazing to see how close the baby's head is to the stitch and to the cervix.
Partner doc thinks it bedrest is prudent and a good precautionary measure. He was kind of apologetic about it, like "if it isn't too much trouble, you really should rest as much as possible." I told him I'd been wondering about fancy's not-so-conservative approach. He said that fancy is the cerclage expert for sure but that he trusts his own clinical judgment (he is a high-risk,perinatalogist also) pretty well and he doesn't like what he sees ESPECIALLY at 26 weeks.
So it's nice to have a doctor worrying on my behalf. I will take to my couch for the foreseeable future. I will try not to go crazy with my kids raiding my snacks, putting my cell phone into driving mode, fucking with my knitting, spilling my drinks, climbing on me, refusing to leave the house, acting crazy and giving my dad a constant hard time. I can't watch TV when they are around unfortunately. Typing with a laptop on my belly is a challenge. Playing mah-jong might ruin my eyesight, cause bad mah jong dreams, and give me a big fat headache like the one I have right now.
But like I told partner doc, the impact of bedrest on all of us will be very minimal compared to the impact of another dead baby or a NICU nightmare and long-term health problems due to prematurity. Obviously I have no problem with the concept of making the sacrifice. That doesn't mean I won't complain about actually doing it. Oh yeah and my backyard, which is mere inches from my couch, is being re-done which means there are guys making a shitload of noise in my yard everyday ALL DAY, the kids can't play back there, the freakin' TILESAW is coming next week, and the whole project will last at least a month. AVE MARIA.
posted by whatthef*ck at 7:33 PM
21 Comments:
can you rescue your cell phone and play games on that?
other than that hope you can find good ear plugs. thinking of you all.
good luck, I hope that the bedrest isn't too nerve wracking and that you are able to keep that little girl in there as long as possible.
Ps. I hope you don't mind that I linked to your blog on mine.
Send out for earplugs - the foam ones are best.
Oh, and keep your ass on the sofa! I'm glad the other doc is a bit more cautious - like you say, worth it!
PS. Sorry I haven't commented for a while - am reading, but haven't been able to find the words.
That sounds like some heavy duty stitching you've got there. I hope it holds and isn't too uncomfortable over the next few weeks.
Wow. I am glad you saw another doc. Funneling is no joke. As I understand, it's a bigger deal than just a short cervix. Anyway, if you can make it to 28 weeks the survival rate is very high, and most babies do fine with time. The NICU stay is long, but the long-term outcome is good on average. I hope that the next two weeks go by quickly. Lots of love to you and yours.
Are you going to come join us over at sidelines now that you're officially on bedrest?
Can't imagine the stress you're under, hope baby stays inside...I've been on bedrest with funneling for 8 weeks now, no fun but I've made it to 32. My first was born at 29 and is great.
BTW, heaps o' thanks for passing on the mahjong link on Ashley's blog...now I'm addicted and my carpal tunnel is flaring up! :)
Thank goodness for the cerlage. Without it, it sounds like this could have had a tragic end. I think bedrest is a great plan: Al that standing puts pressure on the cervix, right? At least, that is how I understand it. I am glad fancy was away...this docotr seems more precautionary, but that might be a good thing. So how often do have have to go back to check on things? I hope you can manage to relax a little amid the chaos and worry. I thinking of you and sending positive positive stay-in-there-baby-for-another-month vibes.
I'm so glad you got another opinion. Bedrest sucks, and sounds especially trying with your circumstances. But like a previous commenter mentioned, 2 more weeks and the survival rate is incredibly high. Good luck and keep that little girl baking as long as possible!
thinking of you and baby sprout and sending all kinds of good vibes including patience with the kiddos and the construction crew in your backyard ;) and like jen said "baby-stay-in-there-another-month" thoughts too!
Bedrest would suck, but it is way better than the alternative for sure. I'm glad you got that second doc's opinion.
Good luck!
Hang in there! I can sure identify with the kids-driving-you-nuts thing. Kick those monkeys out of the house on playdates with their friends. Wishing you peace and sanity and a nice boring couple of weeks.
Good luck with the bed rest. You need audio books and a PSP.
Hi WTF -
Welcome to my bedrest world! I have to keep telling myself that in the radar of life, this will just be a blip!
Ashley
Good luck! Bedrest surely sucks, but like you said, it is worth it. Andw What's the fun of a blog if you can't vent about it. That was the POINT of my blog for my 6 months of bedrest prison. 10 more weeks and you're term. Here's hoping it goes quickly and safel.
Oy.
Do you like to read? Nora Eprhon's I Feel Bad About My Neck is a scream (and is available for download on iTunes so you could kill two birds with one stone--entertainment AND no noise!).
I went on bedrest, (on my left side, chugging water and only allowed up for 3 potty breaks a day and a 5 minute shower) for 13 weeks with a toddler locked in the room with me. I read a zillion books, watched waaaay too much Barney and when I was allowed up at week 39 for nature to take its course, my contractions stopped and I ended up having to be induced at 40 weeks...ahhh fun fun memories :) It sounds horrible but when you are holding that healthy little bundle you will see that it was all worth it!
Oingo Boingo? Outkast? Those are the only Os I can come up with off the top of my head!
I can't even imagine (1) bedrest or (2) bedrest with kids or (3) bedrest with tile saws outside/comtractors to deal with or (4) bedrest with your past experiences cluttering your head. Right ow, you are my pregnancy hero. If I were in your shoes, I would have been reduced to a puddle by now, with incoherent thoughts and blog rants filled with curses and bitterness.
But what you are doing really heps. And every day that you are there is better for the baby. And yes, you are spitting ditance away from 90 percent rate, but you ARE in 85 percent survivla rate right now (according to the Mayo clinic pregnancy book).
That said, I know you wnat to keep that baby in there as long as possibe.
Now to solve your computer ussie...is it possible to lie on your side with the computer angled next to you to type? I used to work with my laptop appropriately in my lap and now that bother my stomach way too much. Side works ok, but it is hard to type. Sometimes I prop myself up on my elbows and can type like that for like 5 minutes. But I'm sure you can figure all this out on your own!
Keep us posted. When is the next Dr. visit??
It all sounds so crazy and unmanageable and wild. All I can hope for you is that the days pass quickly and the insanity stays at a minimum.
Go bootlace, go.
Some people think it's trite and unhip to mention religion, especially when you don't know how others believe, but... I'm praying for you.
Thinking about you. And amazed that you can be so funny in what must be extremely trying circumstances.
Good luck on your bed rest. I got put on full bed rest at 25 weeks. So for 10 weeks I laid around and went stir crazy. I am so happy you seen the other Doctor this time and he noticed the funneling. Now for the stich to keep doing it's job and hold that baby in there. I know for me it helped to set samll goals. My first was the 29 week mark since the chanced of a healthy baby went way up at that point. Best of luck to you. You and baby are in my thoughts.
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