#preterm labor

In an hour and a half I will be heading to the hospital with Hubs. We will make a pit stop in the NICU to drop off some books and say hello to some of the staff, then will be off to my last cervical length scan of this pregnancy. Today is also a growth scan, so we will be making sure little miss is keeping pace.

I'm so nervous. I know things are fine, but last time around this is when everything fell apart. My brain is convinced I'm losing my daughter this weekend, and nothing I say eases that fear. Every time I feel her flipping around in there I tear up because I don't want it to suddenly end. I'm so insanely in love with her yet I know that there is nothing I can do (aside from what we already are doing) to keep her safe. I would lay down my life for her in an instant, but the next 16 weeks are out of my control. All I can do is breath and take the next step forward, but honestly this part sucks.

Preterm labor ain’t no joke!!!

After a completely uneventful pregnancy, I went into very sudden labor on Wednesday afternoon at 32 weeks 1 day. Got admitted to the hospital around 8:30 Wednesday night and am looking to hopefully be released tomorrow (Saturday) if things continue looking good.

I had a completely normal day at work Wednesday and felt fine. Like half an hour after I got home my hips started hurting a lot. My right hip has been funky lately so I didn’t think much of it at first. However it very quickly turned into a severe period cramp-feeling throughout my abdomen, which after a couple hours started working around to my lower back. I called the nurse line at 7pm and got to the hospital by 8. I was 1cm dilated and 80% effaced and in extreme pain.

I’ve been on a magnesium IV and contractions have almost stopped completely. The monitors show very spaced out, irregular, small contractions every once in a while but I don’t feel them. I’ve been in no pain since about 3am the night I was admitted. So it’s been a really boring couple days in the hospital but boring is good!! Wednesday night was the scariest shit of my life. Thursday morning, my nurse was saying that she had been almost totally convinced I was going to deliver based on how I was looking and acting the night before. The feeling of dread those words gave me.....uuugghhh.

In hindsight I feel like I should have realized what was going on sooner. I kept trying to rationalize it as Braxton Hicks, even though I’ve had BH since way early on and I know they don’t hurt.....smdh @ myself. This is a PSA to call that damn nurse line as soon as you feel like something is wrong and not wait hours like I did!!

I've been measuring contractions by actually contractions that hurt, but I'm afraid I've been doing it wrong. I pretty much have constant Braxton Hicks contractions mixed in with painful real ones. Should I also count those? In addition, I lost part of my mucus plug this morning. There is no telling if I lost the first part last night or if it's still in there. I pee with the light off at night.

So now that you all have all that TMI, I'm just trying to figure out if I should be concerned. I will certainly call me OB in the morning, but I figured it never hurts to ask.

Current Symptoms

1. Lots of Braxton Hicks

2. Super painful contractions mixed in for about 3 to 4 hours a night

3. Partial Loss of Mucus Plug (maybe all)

4. A lot of pressure in my pelvis, almost like I have a lead ball sitting down there

5. Constant Hip Aches

6. Intermittent Back Pain (not always associated with contractions.

Happy World Prematurity Day, world!  Created by a number of parent groups to raise awareness of preterm birth (about one in ten babies is born premature these days--premature being considered born prior to 37 weeks gestation).  As friend, semi-auntie, and adorer of a number of preemies, let’s celebrate them and the medical advances that have allowed them to thrive today.  The world would be sadder without you, preemie friends!

Stamp details: Stamp on top: Issued on: September 25, 1973 From: Managua, Nicaragua MC #1738