J.L.
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At 25 weeks, I went into labor. Although we were able to stop the labor, I still contract very easily. I can't seem to be up for more than five minutes without pain in my groin area starting. If I stay up much longer than that, my abdomen starts contracting. I've been taking it easy for a week and a half now and this is still a problem. And I can't seem to find any good information online about how to avoid preterm labor. It's been really frustrating to be basically on bed rest and not know what's going on.
I'm really scared about the thought of being on disabled for the next 12 weeks. I want to make sure I stay in shape for the actual labor and delivery, but also was to carry the baby full term and not induce the labor early. I really want to try for a VBAC. I can't seem to stay healthy (my 2 year old is constantly bringing a new illness home from daycare). I can't exercise or even do basic household cleaning because of the contractions. What can I do???
Any thoughts, supportive comments, or suggestions would be appreciative. This pregnancy has been so hard and I'm just sick and frustrated.
Thank you so much for the kind and supportive responses! I figured out a major part of my issue was my mentality about bed rest. I was getting pretty depressed and hadn't figured out the constructive things I could do with the time and mental energy I had at my disposal.
Today is much better. Although I'm still taking it easy, I see that getting up and dressed is really important to getting my brain started for the day. You ladies helped me figure out it's okay to go to the couch and rest there. Getting out of the bedroom helped a LOT! Now I'm reading the websites you referred me to about bed rest and getting a plan together for the rest of my pregnancy.
Thank you!
l
I'm so sorry, J.. Rough pregnancies are just that - rough. Both of my pregnancies were horrible. I was on bedrest from about 20 weeks with each of them because of preterm labor, and it wasn't easy. I couldn't hold down food throughout the pregnancies, so I was in and out of the hospital for dehydration. I had toxemia with the first pregnancy and gestational diabetes with the second. The first delivery had tons of complications as well.
All that being said, I now have two beautiful, healthy children and I am healthy as well. As awful as pregnancy can be, it is temporary, and the beauty of it is that you will get an amazing gift from it. I'm not pushing aside all that you are going through right now; your complaints are completely valid. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, though. My boys were both born about 5 weeks early, too, and they were healthy. So maybe you won't have to wait the whole term to deliver a healthy baby. I hope this pregnancy eases up and you begin to feel better. ((hugs))
I wish I had an answer for you but i don't. I am sorry to hear that this pregnancy is so rough for you. I hope you find the answers you need and that you make it full term without further complications. I can only imagine how hard it is knowing you may be in bed for the next 12 weeks. Try to remember that 12 difficult weeks for you now is better that a fragile baby in the nicu. It may seem agonizing but remember who you are doing this for. Those babies are precious and priceless.
(((HUGS))) It's frustrating on bedrest. There is so much you want to do and you can't. If you have a laptop, head online. Use the time to get in touch with friends and family through email or Facebook.
I'm a research freak. I researched everything I could (I was having twins). I made lists for the delivery, the house, anything I could think of to list out. That drove my husband nuts, he was slow buying ink when the printer ran out, LOL. In the end, I couldn't stay in bed all day. We had another child and I didn't have help around the house, so I had to move more than the doctor wanted.
I would get up and go directly to the couch while my son got dressed for school. I'd poor him some cereal and go back to the couch. Everything I did involved a stop at the couch. When it came time to catch the bus, I would move to a chair upstairs so I could see the bus stop (we are lucky the bus stops at our driveway - but due to trees, the upstairs is the best view - and we're lucky it's only our drive).
I did have pre-eclampsia and my twins were taken a month early. Delivery was a bit scary for the twins' and my health. But we are all healthy now. I know bedrest can make one stir crazy. I was bored out of my mind waiting for my son to get home from school (he was 6 at the time).
Apparently, there is a website devoted to mothers on bedrest, I didn't discover that until after the birth...figures, huh, LOL.
Here are some links to check out. Hang in there.
http://www.mamasonbedrest.com/
http://www.sidelines.org/articles/cooped-up-moms-get-help/
http://www.storknet.com/complications/bedrest/
