February 2013 Moms
COMPLETELY frustrated!
Went to L&D yesterday with contractions. Not all of them were painful but I was definitely getting back cramps and occasional pains in the front too. Sat there for SIX hours. Checked my cervix twice, hadn't dialated from the 3 cm I've been at since the 15th. Put the fetal heart monitor on and the uterine monitor (for the contractions). Our hospitol isn't large they have four rooms and a screen in each room that has 4 quadrants each quadrant shows the contractions, fetal heart rate and maternal heart rate of the person in each room. No other identifying info is on there they show all four so that they can see if there's a problem in another room or not. I'm having massive contractions, equal to the girl down the hall which since the nurses talk loudly, I now know is on a Pitocin drip. Awesome, they try to slow my contractions down with an IV thinking I'm dehydrated. Doesn't work, in fact, they get MORE intense. The nurses talk some more about the girl down the hall she's 27 weeks with preeclampsia and they're going to bring in the doctor to break her water. But,oh wait, the other lady that's here, yea we know she's 37 weeks but we're gonna send her home. They told me, point blank, to my face, "Your contractions don't count unless you're dialating and we just don't think you're ready for labor yet". Uhm.... seriously? Is it just me or is this wrong???
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Re: COMPLETELY frustrated!
As frustrating as I'm sure it is to have contractions and still be sent home, you can't really compare your situation to a woman who's 27w with pre-e. For her, it is vital that the baby get out to save both of their lives, and if she's contracting (but not dilating well), then breaking her water to speed up the process is just the next step. If that doesn't work, she'll probably need a c/s. I'm sure she would give just about anything to trade places with you and be sent home with non-productive contractions at 37 weeks.
You, on the other hand, have the luxury of time. Are the contractions painful? I'm sure they are. But you're "only" 37 weeks, and as long as you and LO are doing ok, there's no medical reason to rush things along.
For your sake, I hope that the contractions become productive soon and you don't have weeks of prodromal labor!
BFP1: DD1 born April 2011 at 34w1d via unplanned c/s due to HELLP, DVT 1 week PP
BFP3: DD2 born Feb 2013 at 38w4d via unplanned RCS due to uterine dehiscence
This. Having a baby at 27 weeks is risky and terrifying. I am sure that girl would love to trade places with you. If your contractions aren't causing cervical change there is no reason for them to keep you at 37 weeks. Even though it's considered "term," it's still better for your baby to stay inside longer.
Also I have had several L&D nurses tell me that the external monitors will not accurately pick up the intensity of contractions. So even though your waveform on the monitor looked the same as someone else's, it does not mean anything if your cervix isn't changing.
I'm sorry you were frustrated, but no, they were not wrong in anything they did based on what you wrote.
Congrats to both my TTC buddies, Amberley18 and sb2006 on their beautiful babies!