Contractions, Stress, and BED!!!!!!

I really need to concentrate on updating this place more often...guess that won't be too hard now! Maybe I should start from the beginning....

As I posted earlier, I was having contractions, went to the hospital, went to the doctor, and it was determined that I'm just a "contractor" and to enjoy the discomfort until Raegan arrives! Grreeattt. Well, deal-able I guess. I mean, it could be worse! Some people have real medical problems...thank heavens neither her nor I are dealing with any of those.

So, the contractions taper off after a few days and things calm down. I try to stay in the "light activity" category, but it's hard with a busy schedule, a four year old with soccer, and a house the size of a small palace! Maybe I didn't take it easy enough?!?!?

This past Monday night (9/10...happy birthday Mom and Jenna!!!) I started feeling some pretty frequent contractions. My script for the Terbutaline had never been filled so I drank 2 large glasses of water and went to bed. Hopefully they are just Braxton Hicks and they will ease up by morning. A good nights sleep later (well, as good as an 8 month pregnant person can get) I wake up and get Grant ready to school without feeling too much. Scott and I hop in the car and off we go. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable again but hope things will calm down. I take Grant in and talk to his teacher for a minute and head back to the car in a lot more pain. Back home for more water and some breakfast...maybe that will help?? With a bowl of cereal in my hand, I have quite possibly the worst contraction I've felt yet! Time to get DOWN and get that script filled...and quick. I'm timing contractions at about 3-5 minutes apart and they're STRONG. Scott takes off for the pharmacy and I crash in bed with a phone call to the doctor. I want more info about these pills before I start popping them. The nurse says, if they don't fix the situation in an hour, to get to L&D for monitoring again! Oh shoot!

So I pop the pill and cross my fingers. They work...sort of. The contractions calm down a lot but I can still feel a few here and there. BUT, the downfall...they have a horrific side effect....increased heart rate and the shakes! It's pretty rough and it lasts for 6 hours straight!! I was rather miserable, but at least I didn't have to go to L&D! I have an appointment scheduled for Thursday and it's Tuesday so I assume I can hold out until then.

Wednesday is fill ed with sitting on the couch and taking it easy again. There is another point where I have to pop a pill :( but at least they hold the contractions at bay again and slow them down to an "acceptable" number per hour.

Yeah!!! It's finally Thursday and time to get to the doctors office. I'm extremely nervous about this visit...I feel much different than the last instance with contractions and hope that I haven't started dialating yet! There is extreme downward pressure and I can only assume it's from Raegan's head bearing down on my cervix....I hope not though!....

First weight and blood pressure...both are perfect. Then the heartbeat...although hidden at first, a strong 144 bpm :) She's doing good!!! Then time for the doctor.......

First, we start off with the very uncomfortable Fetal Fibernectin test again (swabbing my cervix to see if there is a chemical present that indicates preterm labor). They will get back to us in the morning with that test. Again, if its negative, we're in the clear for 2 more weeks. Then, it's time for the exam...gone are the days when the doc just pops her head in the door and says everything looks good and see you in a month! I'm having constant contractions through both the FFN test and now the exam...very uncomfy!!

The good news....I'm not dialating yet!!! The bad news.....I'm 60% effaced. Basically, that means that my cervix is thinning out in preparation for birth. Raegan is head down in the birthing position and very very low. My contractions are pushing her down and making my cervix thin but not dialate.

The next words out of her mouth.....bed rest! WHAT?!?! NO!! CAN'T BE!!! But yes, yes it can be. She wants me off of my feet for the next four weeks, in to visit her every week, another ultrasound next week to check the size of the baby and see how she's growing (my fundal height measurement is still about 4 centimeters too small), and to take that Terb when my contractions are more than 6 an hour. Basically, I'm allowed to get up and take care of my needs (shower, bathroom, food) and thats it. I have to keep in a more horizontal position to keep pressure off of my cervix and hope that there is no changes or dialation until 36 weeks. At 36 weeks I'm allowed off of bed rest and can start moving and shaking her out! Of course, the doctor said that Raegan will probably hold tight and be two weeks late after all of this!! I certainly hope not!! I'll be ready to see her soon after I get up...well, pretty soon.........

My stress.....there is relatively not much done. I mean, her room is basically ready...she has a crib with bedding, and the furniture but thats about it. Just a few pieces of clothing here and there and some stuff we have from when Grant was a baby, plus the essential carseat, pack and play for our bedroom, and her stroller. But I want to shop for her sooo bad!! I would love to go and pick out clothes and stuff for her!! I know a newborn only needs essentials, but what fun is it to shop for only essentials and not get to enjoy any of the fun stuff!?!? This is my first little girl and heck, just like any good mommy I want to spoil her rotten! lol Now, I have to hold tight until 36 weeks and hope I have time after that to have my fun. I even tried to convince the doc to let me head out with a wheelchair and she was pretty firm...NO! I need to be mostly horizontal...not sitting in a chair. Oh pooie!!!!!

So, everyone feel free to send me an email or hit me up on chat. I'm on the couch with my computer most of the day just trying to find things to do to keep me occupied. I'm going crazy already having to watch Scott take care of the stuff that I always do!!! I have this horrific fear that me laying here is going to cause resentment towards me or Raegan...I know it's silly and my hormones are just getting the better of me!! I just hate being a bump on a log. I guess I really do have a very important job right now....cooking this little girl a few weeks longer! I'll have plenty to do in a few weeks anyway, so I guess I'll just try to enjoy my downtime and start studying "Mommy 101 techniques"

Oh, and today, the phone call results from the test......negative :)

Until next time.......