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Multiples
Talk to me about bedrest...
I went to MFM yesterday and the Dr was giving me a little lecture on bedrest, I think just to prepare me for what may lie ahead, but he scared me a little, whether he meant to or not. He was saying bedrest can be up to 23.5 hrs a day.
Did you have to go on bedrest w/ your twins? If so, how many hours a day and what week of pregnancy were you? If you already had a LO, what did you do w/ him/her/them?
I have di-di twins and I'm healthy so I'm hoping for the best, but I'm getting worried about it, especially b/c I have a very energetic toddler.
TIA!
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Re: Talk to me about bedrest...
I went on bed rest at 25 weeks. 4 weeks in the hospital and 5 weeks at home. It was strict...in bed all day (including meals) other than 15 mins for a shower.
I hope you don't need to bed rest. It was really hard for me. The only way I got through it was having my mom come to stay with us for 6 weeks.
I went into PTL with a 0.8 cervix with funneling at 22wks5days and was put on strict hospital bedrest. I was allowed a 10 minute shower every other day and wasn't allowed to lay on my back or sit up (not even to eat!!). They didn't want any pressure at all on my cervix. My case was a bit extreme, but I am so very thankful for the proactive approach that the doctors took.
These were my first children, so I don't have any advice about that. I know other long term antipartum ladies who had LOs at home and it was pretty tough on them.
I hope you don't have to do any bedrest! There are a lot of mommas on here that didn't have any bedrest and went full term, so it can be done!
i went on bed rest at 22w. it was basically all day, everyday- at first i was allowed to eat at the table, get up to get a quick snack, or go up and down the stairs a couple of times a day, but then at 27w i was put on strict bed rest, and was in bed 24 hours a day, even for meals. i came off bed rest at 34 weeks, and was pregnant for 2 more weeks before going into labor.
i have 2 friends who carried twins with no problem whatsoever, no bed rest or anything. everyone's bodies handle things differently. it is good your dr wants to keep an eye on things- things can get bad very quickly. i hope you have a trouble-free pregnancy!
i was never on bedrest with the twins- but i was with my singleton... my doc called it "house arrest" - he never limited what I could do in the house- but told me to really take it easy and don't do anything I didn't HAVE to do... and not to go anywhere.
The 2 times I cheated and went out to eat - the next day my blood pressure was up- so it really did matter that I went out - even though I wasn't really more active going to the car and eating in a restaurant - it still made my BP rise.
If you get put on bedrest - take it seriously... it's one of the few things you can actually do to help them keep cooking... even though doctors now are starting to think it might not help that much- my doc (and most) still feel it's better to try if things are going badly, then to not try and wonder if it could have helped.
I think I was one of the few that was 'okay' with bedrest. I loved watching movies, tv, crafting, and eating!!!! I did get bored and I was uncomfortable but I bumped all day too and that was fun. Oh what I would do with ONE day of bedrest...
(But of course, I didn't have anyone else to watch)
i've been on hospital bedrest since aug 4th, due to cervical shortening that was found july 28 at my OB & funneling/contrax/uterine irritability that was confirmed at a follow up w the MFM on aug 4th.
i have a history of preterm labor with my first 2 kiddos and i live in a very rural/agricultural area 2+ hrs away from this hospital so that also has some bearing on the MFM's decision to keep me here. ETA: I am allowed short daily showers (on a shower stool) and can sit in a recliner to eat. i am allowed 30 min wheelchair cruise around the hospital halls when DH is here. i have to wear anti embolism boots whenever i'm in bed.
my mom was able to come in from out of state within 2 days of me being here and she's retired so she has ble to continue to stay with my kids. my husband's job is 1 1/2ish hours from here. i see him on tues & thurs and he brings the kids to visit on sat or sundays.
my basic advice : follow any dr's recs of slowing down even if you think you are feeling good. continue to drink lots of water. get a back up plan in place for your LO "just in case".
hopefully you won't have any bedrest. good luck!
I went from complete and total freedom to hospital bedrest at 27 weeks. It was more for monitoring than anything else, since I wasn't in danger of PTL (I had pre-e and mo-di twins). It was torture and it was one point in my life where I was thankful for not having any other kids. I held on until 34 weeks, and the boys are doing great now.
Bedrest is a definite possibility and it's no fun, but keep a positive outlook, take it as easy as possible and I'm crossing my fingers that you avoid that fate. GL!
Almost the same story here, but I was 29 weeks. Went in with PTL symptoms, they stopped it with Mag, and I didn't leave for 4 weeks until I delivered at 33 weeks.
I would make a plan for your LO just in case. We had a temporary plan for my son with neighbors, and my friends made a schedule to watch him while hubby was at work, and thankfully my MIL was able to come for 2 weeks so we didn't have to impose on friends for long. But it was still rough, I'll be honest. We lived 1 hour from the hospital, so my husband and son would come in the afternoon for a couple hours after work, but it threw everyone's schedules off.
That said, I know a twin mom who was induced at 40 weeks with no issues and never a minute of bedrest. So it's all up to your body and unfortunately symptoms can appear on a dime and you can't predict it.
I was put on bedrest @ 20w for a funneling cervix, which gave out less than 2 wks later requiring an emergent cerclage to save our twins. Thankfully we don't have any other kids, as there is no way I would be able to care for them alone.
I am in bed (or sometimes laying on the couch) pretty much all the time, I bathe once a day (sitting), and am not allowed to do much other than go to the Dr. once a week. It is very difficult because it was fairly unexpected (the 1st 1/2 of the pg was uneventful) and having a scare like this pre-viability after all we've gone through to get pg is terrifying and we have a very long way to go. Best of luck to you.
5 REs + 3 surgical hysteroscopies for septum/lap + 3 failed IUIs
IVF w/ICSI/AH & acu = BFP!, unexplained spontaneous m/c @ 8w2d (our little girl),
FET w/acu = BFP!, B/G twins!, lost MP @19w, dx w/funneling cervix @20w,
twins nearly lost to IC @21w, saved by rescue cerclage, 17P & 16w of bedrest
Our twins born @36w4d via CS when A came foot first
Thankful for every day
I was put on bedrest last Monday due to a shortening cervix. I am young and healthy so I though I would get away with not having to go on bedrest. The week prior I went to my regular OB appointment and everything was fine, so things can change fairly quickly. I don't have any other kids so we haven't had to deal with that. The main thing is to keep these kiddos cooking, which is the hardest part because you don't really know what will happen.
Good luck and I hope you avoid bedrest. If I could go back, I would've started taking it much easier a weeks ago, although I don't know if that would've made a difference.
I was put on BR at 26 weeks b/c of pretty regular BH contractions. I'd been on my feet all day at my job so I'm positive that's what did it. I've actually been lucky b/c its hasn't been strict bedrest, in fact the doc never used the term. She told me to "stay down" for a week and then see how things went. Since stopping work I have very few ctx. I try to take it easy but now my bedrest is super-modified.... I drive to the pool to swim several times a week (doc wants me in the water as much as possible) and I'm definitely walking around the house a lot. I just try to sit and read and watch TV a lot more. If I really was chained to a bed I'd probably have shot myself in the head by now. I'm 31 week now so still taking it easy, no heavy lifting etc and actually I've gotten to the point where I'm enjoying it, probably b/c my life will be crazy in a few weeks.
If you're working, stop as early as possible. I had all kinds of feelings of guilt about it but this is so much more important. Staying off your feet and just reducing stress, IMO, makes a HUGE difference as to whether you'll even be put on BR.
I totally agree with you!!!!!! My only problem w/ it is what I would do w/ DD
It makes me sad to put her in daycare... I've stayed at home w/ her since she was about 9 months old, so that would be a huge disruption in her life, which I would feel guilty for.
If it does happen, I know it'll just be a rough patch we'll have to get thru, but I'm sort of glad my doc got the gears turning so I can be prepared for it in case it does happen. Thanks ladies! I'm so glad I found the bump boards!