This might be a bit of a long post, as am processing a lot right now. So here's the agenda: bed rest, OB visit (baby update), and emotions.
I successfully completed 6 days of bed rest. The time actually flew by. Partially it was because we had a house full of people, and partially was because I was so incredibly tired! I just slept most of it away. Our good friends P&J were visiting this past week. They were busy doing their own thing a lot of the time, but it was reassuring having close friends around, and they pitched in to help with cooking and cleaning. Then, when my brother-in-law heard the news, he and his wife decided to come for the weekend to help out. That was slightly overwhelming at first (8 people in the house), but they were super helpful and cooked all the meals, did all the clean-up, mowed our lawn, and helped with housework. The time just flew by while I was waited on and taken care of. Even when they all went out to our town's Market Days, they brought me back the cutest gift for the babies.
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| Handmade baby rattles! |
Today everyone left, and I felt a sigh of relief. It's just nice having your house back to yourself.
My OB came back from holidays today and I was lucky enough to get in to see her. Oh, I forgot to mention that I haven't seen any "fresh" blood since the scare on Thursdays. I had a bit of light bleeding and spotting, but it was mostly cleared up by Saturday. My OB confirmed that I have a hematoma (also called subchorionic hematoma, or SCH, from what I have read online), but it actually measures 5cm, which is not that small. She hopes that I have bled most of it out and that it won't cause any further problems. She did schedule me for a follow-up ultrasound next week to check on the hematoma, and also check the babies growth. Oh, and the hematoma was blocking the view of Baby A's placenta, so it was hard to tell if it was connected to the succenturiate lobe or not (I know, so much medical jargon). She said the hematoma, itself, is not dangerous, but puts me at greater risk for pre-term labour (which I am already at risk for with a multiples birth) and pre-term premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), where the placenta detaches from the uterus wall. Which means, it still is a concern.
So... we talked about what this all means. Basically I'm not free from bed-rest, but I guess I am going on a sort of modified bed rest. I still have to limit my activity level extremely (no lifting, no exerting energy, no heavy cleaning, no walking, no sex, etc.), but she is willing to let me go back to work IF I feel I can handle it. We talked about this a bit, and both agreed that I should cut back on my counselling job sooner, rather than later. This is because though it is not physically exhausting, it is emotionally draining, and I give a lot of myself during sessions. I was actually very relieved to hear this, because I was finding that counselling was becoming harder to do. She said she thought that my office job in August sounded alright, but that as soon as I get enough hours for maternity leave, I should wind down work. Wow! I'm not even 23 weeks!
Then she talked a lot about stress and worry, and how important it was for me to keep these to a minimum. I hadn't realized how much anxiety I had been feeling, but it definitely shone through in my appointment. There is something about having a safe place that shows you what you have been holding in. She agreed that I need to be doing something rather than staying indoors at home all the time, because that will just make me depressed. But she also thinks I need to guard my energy and emotional resources as much as I can. She suggested I find a creative outlet as a way to let out stress, that I take a book to the park or beach and relax there, and that if I need to get out to a mall or shopping, to get someone to push me in a wheelchair, haha!
I hadn't realized it, but this experience has probably affected more emotionally than I even realize right now. Resigning myself to modified bed rest for, likely, the rest of my pregnancy, is a big thing too. As much as it feels good to be told to relax, and I am more than happy to do what I have to for these babies, I am a "doer" at heart. Stopping work early brings on worries of finances too. I do have faith that things will all work out, but it is an adjustment to my mindset right now.
So, that is where I am at right now. I guess I need more time to process all of these changes. I was planning to go into work tomorrow, but DH convinced me not to. He is coming at this from much more of a protective side (which is great), and reasons that I only stopped bleeding on Saturday, and need to give my body more time. I think I will call work (counselling office) tomorrow and speak to them about what is going on as I try to decide how to wind down. My u/s will be scheduled in 7-10 days, and my OB wants to see me again next week. So, that's all for now! (Also I will try update my bump pics). Thanks for listening/reading!
Wowzers, sounds like you have a lot going on right now. I have to admit, I cannot even begin to wrap my head around the concept of bed rest. So hats off to you - I hope that things continue to get better and that all is well with the twinnies! :-)
ReplyDeleteFuture soccer mom (http://futuresupermom.wordpress.com/) was on strict-strict bed rest from 22-35 weeks with twins. It was really rough but she made it to 35 weeks! One baby wasn't in the NICU and the other was there for minor eating issues. I was on modified bed rest from 30-34 weeks (water broke at 34 weeks) and that was hard enough. It's funny in a weird way how bed rest can be hard, but it is.
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't have to go on strict strict bed rest but maybe she can be some inspiration for you if you are freaking out about that at all, although you actually sound pretty calm. One good use of bed rest is learning to delegate efficiently. A lesson I forgot once the babies were born and I had to DO EVERYTHING MYSELF BECAUSE I AM THE MOTHER AND IT IS MY JOB TO DO EVERYTHING (aka crazy, but I still feel this way, it is hard to shake)
Sending you good thoughts!
Very sorry to hear about the bleeding scares and the SCH. All of this is scary, so allowing yourself a chance to voice your fears and anxieties is okay. Anyone in your position would need to do so.
ReplyDeleteRegarding long-term bedrest, there are a few blogs that talk about surviving the process. One is EndoJourney: http://journeywithendometriosis.wordpress.com/
She was on bedrest from the beginning of her pregnancy all the way to when her son was born. Granted, your situation is different, but her tips are very useful, especially the ones about getting hep from family and friends.
Hoping that the SCH clears up soon!
Sorry about the bleeding and the SCH. I had SCH in my first trimester and was put on modified bed rest for two+ weeks. I was able to go into work but had to walk slowly on my commute and that was all I could do.
ReplyDeleteCristy gave you the name of the blog that I was going to recommend. She had SCH as well.
I hope the SCH resolves itself soon!