How much notice did you get before being put on bedrest?

Jamie718 · January 2014

Just wondering for those that have been on bedrest, if you had signs it was coming or if it was a complete surprise. My appointments have all been good and my cervix is still at 3.5 at 25 weeks so I figure unless my water breaks or something I should be ok. I have a toddler at home so I've been worried about what we'd do if this happened.

hayleydeee · January 2014

It was a complete surprise. I went into preterm labor at 32 weeks, so they put me on bedrest after that.

Also, I'm pretty sure that once your water breaks it pretty much means you'll be having the babies within 24 hours.

Missa_g · January 2014

No warning whatsoever. At 27w3d my cervix was long and closed tight, at 28w1d I was 3cm dilated and actively contracting. With multiples changes can happen very very quickly.

nblondheim · January 2014

No warning...water broke at 26 weeks and I was in the hospital almost 5 weeks when I delivered at 30 weeks 6 days!

24karat · January 2014

I had a normal appointment at 23wks but the next day started PTL (2-3cm dilated, 50% effaced in one day) so I was put on MBR immediately pending results from FFN. Those came back negative so the MBR was cautiously lifted for one week until contractions picked up again. At that point I was put on MBR till delivery at 37wks.

ETA: DD was about 19mos when this happened.

rcnavywife · January 2014

No notice for me! I was placed on MBR at 12/13 weeks and hospital BR at 25 weeks due to pprom until I delivered at 27 weeks. My older DS is 4yrs.

LittleLady77 · January 2014

This thread is terrifying but good to know.

chickaboo1974 · January 2014

I was sent to L&D for monitoring at 31 wks because of my blood pressure. My BP came down with being in bed resting- so I was on bed rest with meds for BP from 31- 34 wks 3 d when I developed pre-e with very very high BP so my boys were delivered.

1+tripsmom · January 2014

I was fine and doing great till 27 weeks when I went in to preterm labor and ended up on meds in the hospital. When got labor stopped I was sent home on BR and not off it for 6 weeks I had a 2 year old at home.

PurpleIris30 · January 2014

No warning at all before I ended up on hospital bed rest after PPROM. I had an appointment the day before at 31 weeks, everything was great, cervix still at a 2 something. The next night my water broke for one baby. I was not dilated at all when my water broke, which I naively thought would not be the case, and that I would have some warning signs.

I was airlifted to a different hospital with better nicu and I was on hospital bed rest until I delivered (which for me was 5 days later, because they couldn't stop contractions, but some women can make it weeks).

So things can change quickly. I had a false sense of security based on my cervical length check, and thought I had weeks of time left.

LegallyBlonde217 · January 2014

None at all. My water broke at 29w2d, and I was on hospital bed rest for the next 4 weeks.

kari.sandall · January 2014

No notice here either. I was placed on bed rest at 31 weeks when my blood pressure shot up. Ended up being induced due to preeclampsia at 32 weeks 4 days.

ppants · January 2014

Zero notice. I had pre-term labor without dilation or effacement @ 30w. I was put on bedrest at that time. I delivered @ 32w3d when my water broke.

mamatotwins0812 · January 2014

None here either. I went in to my dr at 21w for a post check after heading to l&d the night before. I ran there on my lunch break from work and he told me I had to go back to work and pack up my desk bc I wasn't going back til after the babies were born. Needless to say that wasn't a fun convo with the boss lol.

rkcaraway · January 2014

No warning at all. Left for lunch appt at 11a and haven't been back to work since. I was 20 weeks. Babies born at 27 weeks.

Jamie718 · January 2014

Wow, that's crazy none of you had any warning signs. Kinda scary, but good to know. For those of you with toddlers at home, did you have someone come stay with you or did your kids go to daycare or what?

I think people get tired of me talking about how the babies could be really early, and the possibility of ending up on bed rest but it seems like so many MoM's have been through it. Better get my butt in gear and get everything done!

Rynleigh · January 2014

Erm... I went to an appointment and got told, "Do not go back to work, go home, lie down, and start tracking your blood pressure"... then two days later when my BP was higher than they'd like, my dr. said, "Go to the hospital to be monitored and they'll let you know what to do from there."

Got to the hospital, hooked up to a monitor, given a dose of meds to lower my BP, and asked when I could go back home - received the reply, "After you deliver in a few weeks".

Jamie718 · January 2014

Rynleigh, how many weeks were you?

Rynleigh · January 2014

I was almost 35 weeks already, pre-e was what did me in. I only had to go to 37w 2d tho, so it was just about 2 weeks on bed rest. I was told to stop working during a normal, routine appointment. But, like everyone else has pointed out, bed rest is generally a "You don't get any notice" deal. Some people might get temporary or modified bed rest for some situations, but practically everyone I've talked to has be going along doing their normal things and then either gone for a routine check up and been told to go immediately to the hospital, or had an emergency come up and not been allowed to leave the hospital. The pre-e was completely unexpected, I didn't have it with either of my girls, and my BP was normal up until that week - I'd had a 24hr UA a week before because of a very subtle change in my proteins, but that was about it.

Rynleigh · January 2014

As for childcare, my kids are older and I work full time - so they were in school for the first half of the day, and daycare for the second half. I definitely recommend finding someone who can be available to provide childcare in a last-minute kind of situation, and start talking to them about it nice and early so that you know your options. Having some spare sitters on hand who can watch the little one(s) if you get told you can't come home after an appointment is probably a pretty big deal.

SamanthaJoD · January 2014

Same for me...no notice at all. I was put on modified bed rest after I was released from the hospital for preterm labor. This happened at 30 weeks. I knew that a lot of MoMs eventually go on bedrest, so I was trying to plan ahead and and made sure my boss knew it was a possibility.

SmallCityLiving · January 2014

This is a big fear of mine right now. I have been feeling great at 26 weeks but went in Monday for some very light spotting. They found a large discrepancy in size between the babies (that wasn't there before) so I go for a level II ultrasound tomorrow and my dr told me it's highly likely she'll pull me from work at that point. Not happy! I've been swimming and doing yoga/walking all along and feel like I have so much energy. I'm panicking a bit at work as things aren't in shape for me to leave right now, I was really counting on some more time. Obviously my fault but still frustrating as I don't sit around well!

TheDairyQueenx3 · January 2014

None! It was a shock. We went to my MFM appt DH and I had made plans to go out to a nice dinner and some shopping after the appt. within 5 mins of him starting the ultrasound I knew that wasn't going to happen but I didn't know it was so sever that 15 mins later I would be going by ambulance with lights and sirens to the level 3 NICU! I was floor considering not even 24 hours earlier my cervix was like Fort Knox at my OBGYNs. Baby A had dropped to a +2 station and I was 4 cm and 100% effaced.... And contracting like crazy but had 0 clue. I was 27 weeks

katieg314 · January 2014

Yikes! This is very eye opening! Everything has been so uneventful in this pregnancy that I forget how quickly things can change!

24karat · January 2014

Jamie718 said:
Wow, that's crazy none of you had any warning signs. Kinda scary, but good to know. For those of you with toddlers at home, did you have someone come stay with you or did your kids go to daycare or what?

I think people get tired of me talking about how the babies could be really early, and the possibility of ending up on bed rest but it seems like so many MoM's have been through it. Better get my butt in gear and get everything done!

For the first 2ish months my friends and inlaws rotated helping me out with DD, housework, and meals on days DH was at work...they set up an online volunteer sign up site to coordinate the effort. My mom flew in and lived with us for the last month and then 3wks following my c/s.

KatieGummow · January 2014

Just saw my OB at my 27w appt and told her about my Braxton Hicks I was having, she told me point blank that I should stop working. I said, "when?" And she said, "today." She did let me continue to work and told me that at my next appointment she will write me a doctor's note if she needs to.

LittleLady77 · January 2014

That's it. I'm finishing the nursery and packing my bag TODAY.

TheDairyQueenx3 · January 2014

I forgot to say my MIL came and took care of our 3 year old. I was on HBR for 3 weeks and it was a hospital 2 hours from home. DH also had to take a few days off of work to stay with him.

Burberry0421 · January 2014

I don't know how you could have notice, really. Things change so fast with twins that there would be no way to guess when you would have to go on BR. I was put on MBR at 18 weeks. I've had changes in my cervical length & BH contractions that landed me in L&D.

I have a 3yo daughter who has been such a trooper. She spends the days with me or Dada (who works mostly from home). On days that he isn't here, we head to my in-laws' house for a change of venue & so someone can help me take care of my daughter. Lots of people have brought meals, Starbucks & just come to keep us company. It takes a village

MrsP419 · January 2014

This is all very good to know, but also terrifying to me! I am 19 weeks and so far my appointments and ultrasounds have all been uneventful, and my twins are di-di so I know there are some fewer complications…but still it is very good to know that I need to be prepared at any point! My hospital is an hour away, I have a 2 year old and 3 year old at home, and while I have had very kind people volunteer for babysitting for appointments every 2 weeks, I have no idea what we would do in the longterm. I am assuming DH would just have to get permission to work from home for a while...

Rynleigh · January 2014

The last minute stuff like pre-e and preterm labor can do anybody in, regardless of your placenta/amnio counts. Better safe than sorry!

Justabean3 · February 2014

I'm confused. How do the babies survive if your water breaks? How can you go weeks after that?

curlylocks3 · February 2014

justabean2 said:

I'm confused. How do the babies survive if your water breaks? How can you go weeks after that?

They give you preventative antibiotics and hold off on delivering you as long as you and the babies are stable (not dilating, not contracting, no signs of infection). Most places seem to set 34 weeks as the deadline because at that point the risk of infection outweighs the risk of prematurity, but if there is no infection and no labor, better to keep them growing inside as long as you can.

Jamie718 · February 2014

I was curious about that too. I'd always heard once your water breaks they want you to deliver within 24 hours. Wouldn't the fluid be gone fairly quickly though?

PurpleIris30 · February 2014

Jamie718 said:
I was curious about that too. I'd always heard once your water breaks they want you to deliver within 24 hours. Wouldn't the fluid be gone fairly quickly though?

The 24 hour rule is for full term patients where there is no real benefit to keeping the baby inside any longer but there is a risk of infection.

Amniotic fluid continuously replenishes itself, so there are still pockets of fluid that remain after your water breaks and new fluid that is being produced. Being on bed rest also helps keep some fluid inside.

If you have a preterm rupture (PPROM) there are obvious benefits to keeping babies inside, so you are given antibiotics to help prevent infection, meds to stop contractions (if applicable), steroids to improve lung function, and you are monitored carefully for signs of fetal distress. If all those things go well, you can go weeks after rupture until delivery.

I didn't know it was possible to go that long either until I had a PPROM and learned it was a possibility.

Jamie718 · February 2014

Ah, got it now, thanks

KatieGummow · February 2014

Update for OP's question:

on 01/24 my OB asked me to stop working (not go on bed rest though) due to BH but let me continue working. Yesterday at my appt on 02/03 she is allowing me to work until our next appointment in two weeks where she will reevaluate again whether or not I can continue to work.

So, in short, I have had at least 4 weeks notice before I had to stop working.

CNYBride05 · February 2014

I was warned it would happen, but not when. So I shouldn't have been that surprised, but I was, when I was told at my 20w appt it would be soon and at my 21w appt, it was now

. Then I was hospitalized for 8w just shy of 24w with ptl.

kgs0505 · February 2014

Zero notice. I was pulled after I was sent to the hspital for extra monitoring after a regular appt. I'd reported I hadn't felt one of the babies moving as much as the other. That turned out fine, just turned out that the babies had turned to face each other more and with my anterior placenta, I couldn't feel them very well in that position. But while being monitored I had a crap load of contractions that they medicated and hydrated me for. My discharge instructions said bedrest. I was a little shocked because I felt okay and didn't think it was a big deal. I knew I needed water and one of the nurses (not the one who was taking care of me, it was another), wouldn't give me water to hydrate when I started to feel them. So I was unable to stop them on my own. I didn't think it required bedrest, but that's what my doctor wanted, so I went back to grab my laptop and my car (my DH had picked me up so we could have lunch after the appt), then went home.

I was 26 weeks or so, and I had the babies at 35w 6d due to pre-E.

SVandy14 · February 2014

I'm not there yet but my doctors are already planning ahead. They told me bed rest or part time by 24 weeks. The is obviously HUGE but I think they are trying to avoid surprises. You get pregnant you kinda think (at least for me) -- okay 40 weeks to get it together. GO! and then they said 24 weeks and my heart damn near stopped.

I'm planning for 24 week so I'm trying to get everything done now while I have energy and I'm working. Almost 14 weeks now.

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