xp hospital vs home bed rest

bluebird1109

I have not intro-ed on this board because I am still pregnant (fingers crossed I stay that way for a while longer). However, I have been in and out of the hospital and with an MFM this pregnancy because of a previous loss at 22w due to PPROM and a prolapsed cord. I get monitored every 2 weeks at the MFM for cervical shortening. I had a positive FFN about 2 weeks ago. 

Today I went to a routine MFM appt and my cervix had shortened so I was sent to the hospital for monitoring. My doctor said that he would have monitored me in office, but that location did not have the equipment. 

Here is my problem...I was NOT contracting at home, and here they noticed a little IU so they gave me fluids and it went away. As the night has gone on, I have been so uncomfortable, so stressed out and now I am contracting (of course). Only 5 per hour but obviously at this point it is better to have none. They said I could have gone home but then I started to contract so now they want me on hospital bed rest until at least 32 weeks, most likely it will be 34 weeks. I feel like I am contracting because of how uncomfortable and stressed I am here.

Now I am wondering if I would be better off at home. They aren't doing anything here other than the steroids they already gave me and fluids. I can't sleep because they pop in every hour to check me and often it is every 30 minutes or so because baby keeps moving off the monitor. It is SO frustrating! I can't lay the way I want to so my body is aching and I can't get comfortable, when I finally fall asleep I am being woken up. I don't mind being here (in the emotional sense), but I physically don't feel good here and I always feel perfectly fine at home. 

I am thinking I might ask them that if in a week I have no cervical change and only 3 contractions per hour if I can go home. Originally my MFM said that if I was contracting no more than 3x in an hour he would recommend they send me home, but I contracted 4x so they said hospital bed rest. So far they have dropped to 2-3 depending.

Here is my question, if you were in my shoes, would you try to talk to the Dr to see about going home if there was a certain length of time you went with no change? I feel like I have a better chance of keeping my baby in if I go home because I will be more relaxed. Would that be irresponsible of me to push this? They already told me there is no way my baby will be full term. I have a cervical length of 6mm. I know it is risky. I just feel like this is the best choice, even though it is not what they want. Does that make sense?

Sorry for the long post. I appreciate any insight you ladies can give me. I am really not sure what is best.

Jenrn2203

Id stay there things can change so fast.had my Mp at 24w3d due to IC and I was on hospital bedrest 3 weeks and thank god for it bc the monitoring make me feel at ease where at home would be constant worry

KTZ17

I went into the hospital at 30 weeks 4 days and the on call OB kept going back and forth hospital bed rest vs home, and I am thankful that she decided to do hospital because I don't think they would've caught my liver enzymes becoming elevated if I had been at home. That being said, I think it depends on the reason for bed rest and if your doctor feels comfortable with you going home and that's where you would rather be, then see if it's possible. I think some doctors just want to play it safe though because hospital BR allows you to be monitored so much more closely.

bluebird1109

Well my MFM came in this morning and told me that he is keeping me there because my cervix is half the length of his minimum for allowing patients to stay home. He said they reviewed the ultrasound and my length is 8mm he doesn't allow you to be home with less than 15mm. He is more concerned about the baby getting the steroids he needs in time. He doesn't think that if I went into labor at home I would have enough time to get to the hospital and allow the steroids to do their job. Also, he feels like he can keep me pregnant longer if I stay here rather than at home because since I have been on bedrest (5 weeks) my length has gone from 27 mm to 17mm and now 8mm. 

They have made me much more comfortable by removing the monitors, blood pressure cuff, and IV (only a heplock now). They are doing intermittent monitoring and I feel a lot better now that I have been moved to the high risk ward vs L&D.

Thank you so much for the advice ladies, I really appreciate it!

Throw3ks

IMO hospital is better than home. Let's say you do start with contractions and they pick up fast and you dilate fast, a baby any less then 34 weeks is tiny and can literally just come right out. You will not be able to help the baby at home. I know it's horrible in the hospital. I was there too, for 7 weeks. God forbid something happen at home and you know, unforeseen things can happen.

Missi576

I concur with the pps when it comes to staying there. 

Something they did for me in the hospital was get this air mattress that they put a sheet over.  That plus my snoogle and an extra pillow made life in the hospital much more doable.  Good luck!