I may be joining you (Intro and a ?)

Eris-Alexis

Hi everyone!  I've been lurking here for a few weeks (checking on friends) and it looks like I might be joining you all myself.  I went into pre-term labor on Saturday and after many, many hours in the hospital they were able to get my contractions calmed down enough to send me home.  I'm taking Niphedipine (to stop contractions) every 6 hours and am on strict bed rest until 36 weeks (12/22).  The good news is that while I am 1 cm dilated, baby boy is still high and there hasn't been much change in my cervix with all of these contractions. 

I do have a couple of questions for you all if you don't mind.  Is there anyway to prep for LO's arrival and possible NICU time while you are on bed rest?  I feel like I have a ton to do that I won't be able to get done now.  Also, LO has been measuring ahead for quite some time.  At his last growth scan (30w4d) he was measuring in the 100th %tile and was estimated to weigh 5 lbs 5 oz.  While his size be an advantage if he is born early?  I know everyone's different and every situation is different, but I would love to hear about people's experiences.  

Thank you all so much and I hope everyone's LOs are doing good.  

haziedaze

Oh no, Eris, definitely didn't want to see you here! I'm glad you're not more dilated than 1cm and the nifedipine is working! I was also 1cm for a while and they told me I could def go to term still. I also did well with the nifedipine, but they decided not to send me home with it- I def wonder if things would have been different if I had it. Connor is a great size- I think it definitely can help, esp. because they can hold their temps outside of the isolette earlier when they have some meat on their bones!

I think you probably remember my crazy journey and I definitely learned a thing or two along the way ). I did pack a "PTL" bag after my scare at 27 weeks. I put in a change of clothes for me (yoga pants, shirt, underwear, nursing bra, socks, robe) and for DH (new shirt, underwear, socks). I bought little toiletries and put those in because I knew the ones at the hospital were poor quality (toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, lotion, chapstick). Then I stuffed an extra pillow in there. Totally didn't think I would need it but I was glad it was there. I started bleeding and said to DH, "grab the bag!" We also grabbed the camera which I was really glad to have, but you could also put a disposable camera in the bag.

Finally there were a few things that you may need at some point anyway, that I used early on. I had to send my dad out to buy them and it would have been nice to pick them out on my own (online shopping is your friend!). If your baby's in the NICU you will be pumping. The hospital provides a pump and parts, which I recommend renting for when you go home. I loved having a hands free bra and a nursing cover to make pumping easier and more discrete. I used the simple wishes bra and also cut holes in a sports bra and a couple of cheap nursing bras from target. I have a bebe au lait cover that's been great- I could pump at Henry's bedside without needing to put a screen up.

 Finally, you don't need anything for baby- they will provide diapers, etc. and they won't be able to wear clothes for a while. If you want to have a few familiar things, you can bring in a stuffed animal for the isolette, a heavy blanet to cover the isolette with (like a fleece or quilted crib size blanket), and cute hats for when baby comes out for skin to skin. These may be things you just lay out in the nursery somewhere so someone can bring them in for you if need be.

So sorry you're going through this! Hoping it's just a scare and Connor stays put! I'm here a bunch and happy to help, def PM me if you want to chat more. It's so scary, but remember Henry came at 29 weeks and now he's the cute chubby "2 week old" he was supposed to be! ((HUGS))

jcsntms06

Praying that you and your lo hold tight. Please keep us posted. 

haziedaze

Sorry for the long response everyone... guess I had a lot to say ;o)

Eris-Alexis

Hey Hazie!  Thank you so much for all of the advice.  Getting a bag ready to go is definitely on my top priority list.  As soon as DH gets some laundry done I will be getting that packed. 

How's Henry doing?  I'm so glad he's home and chubby.  He's so adorable!  And I can't believe he is 2 weeks already!

lkm2006

I hope your baby can stay put as long as possible but I do hope his size will be an advantage for him!  I delivered my son at 36 weeks due to IUGR and he was 5 lb 3 oz and fortunately didn't require any NICU time.  Have you/will you received steriod shots?

haziedaze

Eris-Alexis:

Hey Hazie!  Thank you so much for all of the advice.  Getting a bag ready to go is definitely on my top priority list.  As soon as DH gets some laundry done I will be getting that packed. 

How's Henry doing?  I'm so glad he's home and chubby.  He's so adorable!  And I can't believe he is 2 weeks already!

He's doing great! He was 8lbs 10oz on Friday- more than double his birth weight! He's starting to set his own little schedule but still loves to be held- my ringsling is my best friend! The NICU is already seeming like a distant memory which is crazy because at the time it felt like it would NEVER end. I'll be keeping tabs on you (already was anyway ) still hoping Connor waits till at least 36 weeks!

Eris-Alexis

haziedaze:

He's doing great! He was 8lbs 10oz on Friday- more than double his birth weight! He's starting to set his own little schedule but still loves to be held- my ringsling is my best friend! The NICU is already seeming like a distant memory which is crazy because at the time it felt like it would NEVER end. I'll be keeping tabs on you (already was anyway ) still hoping Connor waits till at least 36 weeks!

I'm so glad he's doing so well.  I've been keeping tabs on you guys as well.  I'm hoping Connor makes it to 36 weeks too.  Many of our friends and family seem to think that because he is so big he can come any time and be fine, and I keep trying to remind them that is not necessarily the case.

Irishsapphire

That is a good size.  But they lose water weight after they are born, and then the NICU is trying to get weight back on them.  They also have to teach the baby to be able to breastfeed or to use bottles for feeding.  My son was born close to 31 weeks, and he went home when he was close to 6 lbs.  The NICU has clothes for your LO.  I thought it was better to buy newborn clothes--he looked like puff daddy in them--but the newborn clothes lasted longer--and they sleep a lot. 

If your LO is born early, I would wait to do newborn pictures until the day that they are released from the hospital.  On the day that my son was released from the hospital, they took off his wires, and we had a photographer that works with the hospital come in and take pictures--without the wires. 

Jen98jib

I really hope you don't need to join and am sorry you're stuck on bed-rest.  It's so frustrating to not be able to do anything when there's so much to get done.  I ended up doing a lot of shopping online to finish off the things we still needed for baby.  If you haven't already signed up for amazon mom, you get free shipping at amazon for up to a year which is a pretty sweet deal.  As for the NICU time, if you make it to 36 weeks/ have an over 5 pounder I would expect your stay to be short based on the "big kids" I saw coming in and out within a few days while we were there.  It was really hard to leave without him but it helped to get to know the nurses by name while I was there.  Then I felt like I knew who was taking care of him.  We also found out that while usually stay after c-section is 3 days, many insurances will pay for four if you request it.  We requested the 4th day because I wasn't feeling mobile enough to be riding back and forth to the hospital to see him on day 3 but was doing quite well by day 4.  It might be worth looking into. 

Eris-Alexis

Jen98jib:

I really hope you don't need to join and am sorry you're stuck on bed-rest.  It's so frustrating to not be able to do anything when there's so much to get done.  I ended up doing a lot of shopping online to finish off the things we still needed for baby.  If you haven't already signed up for amazon mom, you get free shipping at amazon for up to a year which is a pretty sweet deal.  As for the NICU time, if you make it to 36 weeks/ have an over 5 pounder I would expect your stay to be short based on the "big kids" I saw coming in and out within a few days while we were there.  It was really hard to leave without him but it helped to get to know the nurses by name while I was there.  Then I felt like I knew who was taking care of him.  We also found out that while usually stay after c-section is 3 days, many insurances will pay for four if you request it.  We requested the 4th day because I wasn't feeling mobile enough to be riding back and forth to the hospital to see him on day 3 but was doing quite well by day 4.  It might be worth looking into. 

That's a great tip about the 4th day.  Thank you so much!  How's Corin doing?  

Jen98jib

Eris-Alexis:

Jen98jib:

I really hope you don't need to join and am sorry you're stuck on bed-rest.  It's so frustrating to not be able to do anything when there's so much to get done.  I ended up doing a lot of shopping online to finish off the things we still needed for baby.  If you haven't already signed up for amazon mom, you get free shipping at amazon for up to a year which is a pretty sweet deal.  As for the NICU time, if you make it to 36 weeks/ have an over 5 pounder I would expect your stay to be short based on the "big kids" I saw coming in and out within a few days while we were there.  It was really hard to leave without him but it helped to get to know the nurses by name while I was there.  Then I felt like I knew who was taking care of him.  We also found out that while usually stay after c-section is 3 days, many insurances will pay for four if you request it.  We requested the 4th day because I wasn't feeling mobile enough to be riding back and forth to the hospital to see him on day 3 but was doing quite well by day 4.  It might be worth looking into. 

That's a great tip about the 4th day.  Thank you so much!  How's Corin doing?  

he's doing great.  Growing so fast now.