It had been a busy morning as I sold our car and ran some errands but nothing out of the ordinary. I had been having lots of Braxton Hicks but nothing consistent and nothing unusual for my pregnancy. I was sitting at my sisters house holding my beautiful new niece baby Claire when all the sudden I started bleeding. A TON. I freaked out, and my sister and I headed straight to the hospital. I was in tears and called Stuart to tell him. I was sure I had lost the baby and was just so worried.
When we arrived at the hospital they admitted me straight to labor and delivery. The first thing they did was hook up the monitors so I could see baby girls heart rate and it was loud and strong. I was so relieved. However my contractions started to come stronger and were coming about every 2-3 mins. They hooked me up to an IV and gave me a blood thinning pill to see if that would stop the contractions. They then started asking me all the questions they need for when someone is admitted...do you have a pediatrician? Car seat? Planning on breastfeeding? We obviously had none of this figured out and I was freaking out thinking that this baby was coming that day. Stuart finally arrived and I was so relieved. They kept calling him Dad and it was all feeling so real.
Then they finally took me to have my ultrasound. They put me on the gurney and wheeled me down through many elevators and corridors. I felt as if I was on Greys Anatomy, it was wild. The ultrasound tech checked out all the baby's anatomy, placenta, umbilical cord and she was doing great. I was so relieved but still confused as to what was going on.
We were wheeled back to the triage part of L&D and my sweet parents were there by the time I got back. Then I had to go to the bathroom so badly. Unfortunately they had not given me any bathroom privileges yet so I had to go in a bed pan. That was an experience I won't forget. They checked and I wasn't dilated, so since my contractions were still so consistent they gave me a shot to stop them. It made me super jittery and anxious for about 30 mins and then they finally started to slow down. The nurses also out two IVs in me to rebuild my fluids.
Afterwards I was wheeled into a larger labor and delivery room and they kept me over night to monitor me, baby, and the bleeding. They gave me an ambien sleeping pill so that I would sleep that night and apparently it worked because the nurse that was with me said she came in a ton that night to adjust my fetal monitor and I hardly remembered it at all. Poor Stuart slept on the hard chair/bed next to me the whole night.
The next morning I had some delicious pancakes and I finally got to see my personal doctor in person. Dr. Pollock was such a calming factor and checked
me again, but there was still no evidence as to why the bleeding had began since it had completely stopped. She ordered the perinatologist to meet with me later that day. Meeting with her was intense. Those doctors have quite the extensive knowledge. She checked me on a more high tech ultrasound and measured everything for a long time. Again baby, placenta, and umbilical cord were all good. Her conclusion was that a blood vessel had been nicked and when blood comes that's when contractions start. She said it's like a scab and so it needs to heal because if it is nicked again it will bleed again. Hence I was put on strict bed rest but she ordered me to stay another night in the hospital and for me to have the steroid shot for the baby's lungs/brain in case she comes prematurely.
So we stayed another night and then saw the perinatalogist again in the morning. Since it had been over 24 hours with no bleeding and consistent contractions she discharged me for that evening after I had received my second steroid shot. We basically waited all day for the second round of the shot and then right after I was finally able to go home. They put me in the wheel chair and put me in strict bed rest orders, only allowed to get up to go to the bathroom and take a shower.
Overall I was so grateful for my experience in the hospital and felt extremely taken care of. I loved my nurses and felt that the whole staff treated me very well and I feel very confident that it will all work out. I am also so grateful for all the visitors. My sister for taking me and visiting me with baby Claire, Drew for picking up my husband from work and bringing him to me, my parents coming everyday to see me and then stalking my fridge full for the coming bed rest, Kim and Debbie Harrison coming to visit me with goodies, Jessie Harrison bringing me yogurt in the middle of the night, and all the sweet calls and texts from friends and family. It was a crazy experience but we are so glad everything turned out okay!
