False Labor

[dwtegli]

Hi all,

I have to take a moment to vent. Now that I am feeling somewhat better with the hyperemesis, things are supposed to be smooth sailing, right? Wrong!! Last week I had contractions that were 10 minutes apart, by the time I got to the doctors they were 3 minutes apart. The doc did a check and I wasn't dilating or anything. This a great thing since I am only 31 weeks pregnant. The problem is, he says that the more pregnancies you have, the more susceptible your body is to false labor and that they will continue and get worse. He gave me a prescription for tylenol with codeine to help with the pain. So now everytime I try to do something I wind up having contractions. They aren't extremely painful, but they are definitely annoying.

I knew I was going to be miserable for the next few weeks, but if this keeps up, it is going to be terrible.

Oh well, I just had to vent. Thanks for listening.

[PamelaRose]

All right, Missy - Why didn't you tell me? You tell your body to knock it off! I had irritable uterus with the girls, and it got to the point where I was having uterine contracting (but not contractions) often at the end. Very annoying. I hope the Tylenol helps. I'll call you soon...as soon as I get a chance to come up for air and find the phone!

[caleighbelle47]

I can totally relate. Tuesday I started having regular contractions myself, I'm only 30 weeks along. I got to the hospital and they stopped, but my cervix had started to dialate, so the doctor sent me home and put me on bedrest. Wednesday afternoon they started again, so we went back to the hospital. I live on a little island so I can't have the baby here before 35 weeks, so they were about to air lift me to another island and luckily the contractions slowed down. So now I'm just at home in bed, whenever I move around I have lots of contractions. They are getting more painful all the time, and I really have no idea when it might turn into the real thing. Hope you start to feel better, just know that you're not alone in your misery.

Angela

[dwtegli]

Thanks Pamela and Caleigh,

Pamela, what is irritable uterus? Maybe that is what I am dealing with. I don't know, I just know that i wish it would stop. Today has been a really crappy day. I have been nauseas all day, and have pretty much done absolutely nothing. Hopefully I feel better in a little bit. At least today I can get away with doing absolutely nothing. Tomorrow night I have to go to a meeting so I hope I am feeling better. Have you started school yet? Hope it is going alright.

Caleigh, I am sorry you have to be on bedrest. I am so terrified that the doctor will decide to order me to bed. That would not be cool. I am sure it would drive me nuts but that i would survive it. The problem would be that my brother's weddring reception is on Sept 18, and i absolutely refuse to miss it. Even if I have to attend in a wheelchair, I will NOT miss it. My thoughts are with you.

[MamaLily]

Wendy and Angela -

I hope everything is okay with both of you! Please let us know how you are doing. I'll be thinking about you!

- Anna

[PamelaRose]

Hugs to you, Wendy, as you wait it out for a couple weeks. Hope time flies by--enjoy that wedding on the 18th!

Angela - Still on bedrest, or have things changed? I'm thinking of you!

[dwtegli]

Well, what'd I tell ya?

Last night my husband wanted to take me out to a nice dinner so he and I took our two kids to my parents and went out for a nice dinner just the two of us. That is the last one I will be having for a while. After dinner, I was having contractions about 5 minutes apart so I decided we better go to labor and delivery and be checked out. Well, I was dilated to 2. We don't know if I was in active labor or not, but the contractions weren't stopping so they gave me a shot to stop the contractions and kept me overnight. Once the shot started wearing off, back came the contractions. Well, this morning, I was still only dilated to 2 so the doc on call upped the meds to stop the contractions and let me come home. BUT, I am on bedrest. I just knew it was going to happen. I am also extremely tired. We went in about 10 pm and I didn't get any sleep until about 5-7 am. THen I couldn't get back to sleep to save my life. I've been home for about 4 hours now and I have dozed a little bit, but I am hoping once I take all my medicine tonight, I will be able ot get some sleep.

We had a lot of stuff planned in the next couple of weeks before this baby is born, well now of course I can't do any of them. That really ticks me off. I think I will still get to go to the wedding on the 18th though. It is here in town, and it is only two days before they would take me off bedrest anyways. They better, because I am going anyways.

Well, Angela, we can commiserate together now.

[caleighbelle47]

Sorry about the bedrest, that really sucks. I'm still having lots of contractions. A couple of nights ago I had 16 in one hour. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so I guess I'll find out then if anything has changed.

It's kind of funny though, my contractions and dialation all started after going out to dinner with my husband too. Maybe we should've just stayed home.

On the bright side, my husband is finally learning how to go shopping alone. He gets better at it everyday.


-Angela

[dwtegli]

Let me know what the doc says tomorrow. I have to call my docs office tomorrow since now I need to be seen by him sometime this week. I am hoping to see him tomorrow. Did they give you any meds to stop the contractions? They gave me a drug called tributaline that makes your heart race and your whole body shake. The nurse says that is how they know it is working. I only have to take it if I am having contractions which is great because the stuff scares the *(*(& out of me. I am kind of thinking I will need to take it in a little bit here which will be the first time since I have gotten home. I hadn't been having contractions until this morning. I hope they stop so I don't have to take it. Oh well, at least there is something that should help. I really don't want to be on bedrest until this baby is born, but I would rather that than have the baby this early. Not that I am not ready for it to be over, I just want him to be okay. I am now 34 weeks so even if he does come he should be okay. When are you due? I am not sure I know that.

Hope you are feeling better.

[caleighbelle47]

Well I never made it to the doctor's on monday. Sunday night I went into labor. We went to the hospital by then the contractions were every 5 minutes. They gave me an IV to see if the extra fluids would help, but it did nothing. Then they gave me two doses of Terbutaline, you're right that stuff sucks. I though my heart was going to burst out of my chest. Anyway, it didn't stop the contractions. By this time they were every 3 minutes. So they went with magnesium, it's like 100 times worse than the terb. It felt like my body was on fire. They gave me steriods to help the baby's lungs and antibiotics and still the contractions wouldn't stop. So I was air lifted to Oahu. By the time I got to Oahu I was still having contractions ever 2-3 minutes, I was 3 centimeter dialated and 80 % efaced. I spent two days on the magnesium, one of the worst things I've ever been through. They did manage to slow down the contractions, after two days they took me off it because it's no longer effective. As soon as they stopped the magnesium I immediately started having regular contractions again. Luckily my cervix has managed to hang in there, and I still have this baby in me. Thursday night the contractions got so bad, they really thought the baby was coming. I had an ultrasound and they estimate the baby's weight at 4 lbs. 10 oz. which is great since I'm only 32 weeks. They baby is in great shape, and the doctors are all convinced she'll be fine if she's born now. I got out of the hospital yesterday, so now I have to stay here by the hospital until I hit 35 weeks. We have no way of knowing if I'll even make it that far, the doctors say she should could be born tomorrow, there's no way to know. I want so badly to just go home. This has been so stressful, I don't know how I'm going to survive the next 2 and a half weeks. As if hyperemesis wasn't enough, I really think this baby is going to be an only child.

Angela
EDD: 11-02-04

[MamaLily]

Angela -

I just can't believe all of this! You're right...hyperemesis should be enough of a pregnancy complication without all of this other stuff. It's good to hear that your baby is big enough and should be fine even if born this early. I really hope that everything is okay. Please keep us posted...I'll keep you in my prayers!

- Anna

[dwtegli]

Oh Angela

I wondered if something like that was maybe happening. I haven't had to do the magnesium thing. I am actually going to be 35 weeks tomorrow so after today if I start having contractions I don't have to worry about stopping them. They gave me the steroid shots for his lungs when I was in last weekend and my doc says he will be just fine. He also said he has to wait at least through this weekend so he (my doc) can be back from his hunting trip in Canada to deliver. He says he wants to deliver this baby so the baby has to wait. I do still have to be on bedrest for one more week, which is getting increasingly hard. Although I can't imagine not being at home. Where are you stayihg? Hopefully you are at least comfortable.

My thoughts and prayers are with you. I have had numerous "discussions" with little Colton about just waiting a little bit longer. I told him he at least has to wait until tomorrow since doc is out of town and so is my mother. My mom says if he comes out while she is gone, she will never speak to me again. LOL. She should know better than to go out of town.

Good Luck!! Keep us posted.

[caleighbelle47]

Thanks,
I've also had lot of talks with this baby about staying put, but I guess girls are rebellious even before birth. If I go into labor again they won't try to stop it, there's really nothing else that they can do, so I would just deliever. At this point I'm actually okay with that, I know it's still pretty early, but I know she'll be fine.

Hopefully your baby stays put until the doctor gets back. My doctor went on vacation, so I said that the baby couldn't do anything till she came home. Well last sunday I went into preterm labor at the same time my doctor got back. She practically came straight from the airport. I really want to make it to 35 weeks so I can go home. I don't want to have this baby here. It's a teaching hospital so I saw like a million different doctors. I really like my OB at home and I want her to deliever the baby.

Right now the insurance company has us in a hotel, they want to move us to the Ronald McDonald House, but hopefully they'll just keep us here. I think my mom is planning on staying here on Island with us. She'll just die if she misses the birth, it's her first grandchild and she has to be there.

I guess I'm doing okay, I'm bored out of my mind. I'm really homesick, and I'm in so much pain. These contractions are driving me crazy. Plus I've got a bladder infection from the catheter they gave me. I've still got nausea, and a hernia and gallbladder pain. I can officially say, Pregnancy Sucks.

-Angela

[dwtegli]

I agree, pregnancy sucks.

Last night and this morning now I have had to take the turbuteline to stop the contractions. I really just want him to wait one more day. At least until the doc gets back. I just mentioned to my husband that I have a feeling we will be in the hospital to have him tomorrow. Just like with our last one. I was in labor for a week with her starting at 36 weeks. They didn't want to help me along since I wasn't 37 weeks and I was far enough along that they wouldn't stop it so I had contractions for a week. My doc went out of town then also to Canada for a hunting trip so I told the baby that she had to wait until Monday. Well, she did. She came MOnday morning. For some reason I have a feeling history will repeat itself tomorrow. That could just be wishful thinking though.

I do know that I am NEVER doing this again. I didn't want anymore kids after teh last one but god had other plans, I hops he doesn't have any more surprises up his sleeve after this one. THis pregnancy has taken so much away from me in the past eight months that I am sick to death of it. I hated being pregnant with my last two, but this one has been so much worse.

I hope you get some relief from the contractions soon. My thoughts are with you.

[caleighbelle47]

Well, I hope you get your healthy baby out soon. Just so you can be done with pregnancy. At least your near the end, even if everyday seems like forever.

At this point I don't know what I want anymore. Part of me wants her to stay in so I can just go home, and part of me wants her to just come out so I won't be pregnant anymore. Before this I really wanted a lot of kids, but I really don't know anymore. I don't think my body can do this. I finally got rid of the bladder infection, and now I have a yeast infection. My body is literally falling apart. And if my mom says one more time that this is all because I'm so young and my body wasn't ready, I'm gonna slap her. By the time she was my age she already had two kids, and NONE of this happened to her.

Be sure to let me know if you have that kid. Mine seems to be staying put for now. I haven't dialated anymore, but I more effaced and the baby dropped. So I think she's slowly falling out. I figure when I really do go into labor, she's just gonna pop right out. Maybe, at the very least I can look forward to an easy labor.

I hope things are getting better for you.

Angela

[dwtegli]

I to am very conflicted about what I want anymore. Yesterday morning I called my doc, I was having contractions and last week when I was in he said that I know longer had to take the terbutaline after Sunday. So I called him and asked him if I should continue to try to take the medicine to stop them or just go with the flow. He said that it was up to me. I could go ahead and take the med for another week but no longer if I wanted to or I could quit taking it and see what happens. I was so upset!! I had such a hard time deciding. I still haven't exactly made my decision. The contractions quit being regular yesterday a little while after I talked to him so I didn't have to make the decision. I think we kind of decided to leave it in gods hands right now. If he thinks this baby needs to come out, he will make him, otherwise Colton will just have to stay in. I think my doc thinks he will stay in on his own also, I just am not so sure. I have a horrible feeling that he will decide to come Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. If that happens, I will be so upset. My brother is having his wedding reception on Saturday evening. I have been looking forward to it for months. This pregnancy has already taken so much away from me in the last 8 months, if it takes this away from me, I don't know if I will be able to handle it. I think it would be neat to have the baby while all the family is here to see him, but I wouldn't get to go to the party and visit with everybody, and I wouldn't get to have the family pictures taken that we are planning. In a way, I am hoping that Colton will come today or tomorrow so that I can be released from the hospital before the reception so I can just take him there for the pictures and supper.

Yesterday was just one *#%$ of a crappy day. I am sick and tired of not being able to leave the house, and I can't decide if I want this baby out or not. I am so afraid that even if he comes out now, he will have to stay in the hospital. I know he will be okay, I have to believe that, but I really don't want him to have to stay in the NICU. I wish they had done an ultrasound to find out how big he was, but they haven't done that yet. I am expecting that maybe on Thursday when I have my appt.

Sorry this is so long, but I am just so depressed and so confused, that i had to vent.

I forgot to mention, I also am having contractions off an on all day, so really don't get much relief from them at all. THey just arent' regular so I think they are just BH. You never know though, they could be making me dilate and I would never know. It would be nice to know something though.

Thanks for listening, and I hope you feel better.

[aaronsmommy]

I'm so sorry for both of you! It's so miserable near the end to be wishing it all over and worrying that the baby will be okay.
I really fell apart at the end too. After several months of no extra problems (still on TPN and not eating though) I ended up with a blood stream infection at 33 weeks which sent me back to the hospital to spend the rest of my miserable pregnancy. While I was there I was fortunate to also have preterm labor, severe anemia which required IV iron infusions, an episode of passing out where they almost called a code blue, the worst diarrhea ever, and a problem called cholestasis which can cause stillbirth. I was so sick of it all. We thought about inducing labor at 34 weeks, but an amniocentesis showed that my son wasn't ready (I cried and cried that I was going to have to stay pregnant), but at 35 weeks, with an ultrasound showing a 6 1/2 pound baby, we were all so worried that we called it quits and induced labor. That part was easy, my cervix had dilated from 1 to 3 cm since 33 weeks and it didn't take much to get things going from there, but my 6 pound 6 ounce baby went straight to the NICU and ended up spending 4 days on a ventilator and didn't go home for almost 3 weeks. I couldn't have imagined how hard that time would be, it was just awful. I can't say whether it was the right decision, because he is here and safe and doesn't have any problems from his rough start, but I feel so guilty looking back on that time.
I didn't write to scare anyone, or make you feel bad about wanting it over (how could you not want that!), but maybe to give you some incentive to find the strengh to endure a bit more.
I wish you both a timely safe arrival of your little ones, good luck!
Aimee