Madden's Moments

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Contractions, Contractions...UGH

Yesterday and Today have been pretty rough. I am 32 weeks and 2 days, time is passing slowly and the contractions are coming stronger and more frequent. It started yesterday with a change in my contractions and some spotting again. My contractions feel different than they have the last week and half. They are starting to really HURT and are hitting me 3-6 times an hour. My Dr. came by in the afternoon when this started increasing, checked me (no dilation), and increased my oral medicine Procardia to the highest dose. Gave me an injection of my terbutaline and continued to monitor me. This got better and than got worse at bedtime again. I started having >6 contractions an hour so they repeated the shot. I woke up from the contractions last night for the first time. I had been sleeping through them with help from my new friend "Ambien". When I did wake up at 4am I got another shot of terbutaline to stop the contractions. It calmed them down for a few hours but not me. The medicine makes your heart race and feel jittery all over=YUCK! This has been the cycle most of today. The highlight of my day was the ultrasound my Dr. ordered!! Madden has continued to grow to an estimated 4 pounds 5oz. That makes mommy very happy! Almost a whole pound in a week and half. His head still remains "right there", which means baby Madden may have a cone head:) His ultrasound checked out good, only problem is he's not waiting on his invitation to arrive he's trying to show up fashionably early to the party;)

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Bedtime for Madden

This is my ninth day on hospital bed rest. I am here for pre-term labor until I delivery or can go home at 35 weeks on bed rest. I decided to start my blog while I had soooo much free time resting.

To start, I have had a great pregnancy up till now and have had few symptoms that I could not manage. Exhuasted during my first trimester and then the daily heartburn that Pepcid sometimes couldn't even fix.No morning sickness for me:) Just the growing pains most women go through. I work full time as an RN in a large hospital so I am pretty active at work. But rest plenty when I come home and on the weekends.

I was at work last week and had some spotting, nothing heavy but called my Dr to let her know. She said this can happen and to give them a call if things increased or changed. I had talked to other mothers and found this was not uncommon. Two days later in the middle of the night things got worse:( I notified my Dr.'s office and arrived there first thing for an exam. Found out my cervix had decreased in thickness and was 100% effaced. My Dr. sent me to labor and delivery to get monitored and rule out any other complications. I was only dilated a fingertip but was having contractions and irritability on the toco monitor.

This brought me to the hospital BED REST until delivery. They started me on Procardia to stop contractions and gave my two consecutive injections of steroids to help mature Maddens lungs. The Procardia had to be increased from every six hours to four hours. I have had to receive three doses of terbutaline injections for contractions greater than six per hour during the last week. This medicine seems to be effective but makes my heart race and skin crawl. It can also increase baby's heart rate as well. The Procardia is working for the time being and has no effects on Madden.

My family and friends have visited which has helped me tremendously to know that so many people care and are praying for us. Daddy (Josh) has been working in Pennsylvania since March and is trying to find a job back in Tulsa. He flew in when he found out about the pre-term labor but had to go back early this week:(. I am receiving great care by the hospital staff and know that we our it great hands. The hospital I am in has the best NICU in this part of the state. Madden has more growing to go so when he does decide to join us his job won't be so hard :).