Opinions please! Questions for the PTL/ Bedrest girls
DebbieJS77
member
Hi girls-
A quick recap- I was in the hosptial last week with major contractions 2 minutes apart. I left on Friday after the contractions slowed and was prescribed bedrest by my doc that I saw in the hospital. She said only get up to shower, eat, bathroom, etc and stairs only once per day. My cervix length was 2.1 to 1.5 while in the hospital with contractions. When I left it was 3.0cm.
Today I went for a check up to see has changed. My cervix was 2.2 to 2.7. The doctor that I saw today said that he didn't think complete bedrest was required and that I should just be off my feet for 4 to 6 hours a day. He said he is worried that I will lose my muscle tone if I am on such strict bedrest and my muscles will start to deteriorate quickly and I will become weak.
In my opinion, staying off my feet for 4 to 6 hours a day sounds like barely anything! I would normally do that by sitting at my desk job all day. I am a little annoyed that I got such two extreme recommendations from doctors in the same practice. Also, it seems like many girls on here are on bedrest for the same cervix length which makes me think that the doctor I saw today was being too laid back? What do you all think? I appreciate any input!
Re: Opinions please! Questions for the PTL/ Bedrest girls
I would agree with this as well. It wouldn't be worth taking any chances by being too active. My doctor told me at 36 weeks I can pretty much go back to doing what I want - I am going to keep up with the bed rest because to me, every extra day I can keep the babies in will hopefully mean healthier babies!
I agree with previous posts.
Can you get a second opinion from a perinatologist? Or was the peri the one who told you this?
STAY IN BED!!!! If 4-6 hours off your feet a day was normal and it got you to the hospital, then you definitely need to be off of your feet for much longer!
I think I can shed some light on the differing opinions. Yesterday while I was at my OB's office I read a journal article in one of the obstetrics journals (I am a doctor and it looked like the most interesting magazine in the waiting room..though I have no idea why it was there). It was an article addressing bedrest for women who had PPROM or PTL. The article stated that there was no evidence that bedrest was helpful to stop either of the above. THey said that the weakness that developed, the risk of blood clots, and the emotional and family stress was worse than the risk of PTL and PPROM. They recommended the additional studies be done to truly determine if bedrest outweighed the risks of other issues.
I personally don't agree. I think that there is no way that anyone would ever go into a research trial to see if remaining active changed their PTL or PPROM risk. I would be safe if it were me and stay on bedrest!!!
I am on bedrest for a different reason and though it is boring and weakens me significantly...it is worth it! And I did it once before so I know how weak I will be when I am done. Plus I am 5 years older this time.
Stay reclined. With your cervix changing and no cerclage you don't want gravity to put baby weight on your cervix.
If you're still getting up to grab food and go to the bathroom you're not going to completely waste away. Once you get a little further along, like 30 weeks, I would say just being off your feet would be ok. But I wouldn't ease up on the restrictions just yet. It's still too early.
I was on bedrest due to PTL at 31 weeks. I was back in the hospital the following week and had the baby at 32 weeks. I would definately get a second opinion. Do everything you can to keep that little one in a bit longer.
Good luck. Bed rest is not easy (I only had it for one week) but I would have stayed on it if it meant my baby would have been born closer to term.