Preterm labor and Hospital stay

MomOfTrips

Sorry I haven't really been around this week. I will have to play catch up with posts over the next few days. This week was very rough.

We had been coasting without any major issues until the contractions last Wed. We started the Procardia and it slowed them down nicely but never fully stopped them. So Sunday morning I woke up, and when I was getting up I pulled a stomach muscle right around where Criton (Baby C) is. Shortly after that I noticed the contractions were about 6-7 mins apart. I did the whole drink tons of fluid, lay on the left side , etc but they just kept coming, so I broke down and called the doc who told me to get to the hospital. When we arrived we went to the labor and delivery triage. They gave me 1 1/2 liters of fluid in hopes that would slow them down but during that hour it didn't really change anything. Personally I don't think they really gave it a chance. No real cervical changes though.
After that they came in and said they were admitting us. The original plan was to start magnesium to slow the contractions (which by then they had already started to slow down), get steriod shots to help the babies lungs develop quicker, and to try to keep the babies in there for the next 48 hrs. I was ok with most the plan except the mag. It is a really rough drug that I would have been on for at least 48 hrs and my contractions had already started to slow after getting more fluids. So my doc compramised... get the steriods, admit to hospital, but instead of mag he let me try taking my Procardia every 4 hour to see if that would get them back under control.
After each 4 hr Procardia dose the contractions became less and less. My last contraction was Tues about 4am, and I haven't had one since (knock on wood). Babies were all looking great and the ultrasonographer from my docs office came over and did there biophysical profiles which everyone passed with flying colors. I got 4 shots of dexamethasone (the steroid for there lung development) and then they let me come home. The first day there I had some really negative interns and nurses. Basically saying they babies were coming, I was going to stay in the hospital for the duration, we wouldn't be able to stop the contractions with just procardia, etc. It wasn't just preparing for the worst, it was more like this is the way it is going to go, type conversation, and that bothered me a lot.
I am glad to say that my personal Peri was awesome though. He came in on Monday to talk with me before he went off call and was being very upbeat, hopeful, and supportive. With my over night progress he still thinks I might get close to my goal of 36 weeks. After all the negative people I really needed to hear that.
So here we are, Wed evening, no contractions, the babies have been moving like crazy, and everything seems to be going really well at the moment. I am still very tired and sleeping a lot but it's all good. The babies are still cooking so life is all good. I do worry though because I know it can always change in a second. I count my blessings for every moment I am allowed to keep carrying my little ones. I still hope for 36 weeks but am taking it week by week at this point.

 

https://barnettjourney.blogspot.com/

janjag

you are doing great!  32&6.... 33 tomorrow!  hang in there! 

we had a couple hosp stays at 23 and again at 28 where they told me, "babies are coming", but they stayed in till 33 1/2. 

glad you got steroids - that's important.  and glad you got out of the mag.  i don't want to be controversial, but my hosp was a teaching hosp. and they absolutely WILL NOT give mag.  none of the peri's on staff would think of giving that drug ever.  so, just know you are doing everything you can...

oh, something to ask your peri... what about progesterone shots or suppositories.  there is some research that shows it relaxes the uterus.  i did suppositories starting at 29wks, and it may have helped me.

 

nygrl79

You are doing great and you WILL make it!  Way to go taking charge of your care and not letting them put you on mag.

LaurenVal

im taking terbutaline- is it basically he same as procardia?

Temp159135562506975

sorry you had that scare- but wow- you are so far alraedy with trips that is GREAT!  Prayers that you can keep cooking a couple more weeks!!! And so happy you have gone this far!

m_n_mwedding

Yup it's the same thing. Nifedipine is just the generic version.

EverAfterinMi

yeah.. you're doing fantastic. I got hospitalized for good at 31 weeks and made it to 33 weeks 3 days. I was miserable at the point you are at! I had the steroid shots at 32 weeks. My boys were perfect!

clberry6492

omg- reading your story sounded so familiar! except i had to have the mag. it was terrible! i am so glad you were spared it! another option, if you have insurance is the terbutaline pump. i was on mag, begged for procardia, it failed, so i had to go back to the mag. then, my insurance actually agreed to cover the t-pump. it kept the girls held off until a day short of 35 weeks. at that point, i was ready to go anyhow. i am just sooooo glad you did not have to have the mag. it really does suck! although, the longer you are on it, the more the side effects go away. anyhow, you are a super mamma and just keep doing what you are doing!!!

Northof54

after a completely uneventful pregnancy (just like yours

at 32.6 I was contracting out of the blue every 2-3 minutes -- for a few hours!  They thought I'd have the babies for sure that night.  I'm in Canada and they didn't offer any meds to slow down contractions and said they don't.  She only offered morphine (which I turned down in case I delivered as I wanted to be awake and remember it

they slowed down and stopped.  I had the steroid shots.

at 33.6 my water broke unexpectedly and my GGG arrived! 

Good luck!  You're doing awesome.... your've done great.... any extra time now is GRAVY

MomOfTrips

Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement. I am happy for every day that I can keep them in the belly cooking. My biggest fear is NICU and I think it is because I am a nurse and worked in ICU for so long. Sometimes we know too much and it makes it worse. I just want them to be happy healthy little ones.

 

https://barnettjourney.blogspot.com/