Here we go again

Ever since last Thursday, I've been writing down my contractions to sort of keep track of how often I'm having them and make sure they don't increase in frequency. In general, I was having somewhere between 3-5 per hour (that I noticed).

Yesterday at work I noticed that I was having more than usual. After lunch, I started writing them down and, sure enough, I had 9 in the next hour. Hmmmmm..... So, I thought it was probably a good idea to call my OB's office and see what she said. I had been drinking tons of water and getting plenty of sleep, so I knew that was not the issue.

When I talked to nurse, she said that my doctor wanted me to go back over the Hoag to be monitored again. So, off I went. Again.

I arrived at the hospital at about 4:30 and was quickly hooked up to fetal monitors. One monitor tracks the baby's heart beat and the other tracks my contractions. After about 45 minutes or so, the nurse said "So, how many contractions did you say you were feeling an hour?" I told her about 8 or 9 that afternoon. She said "Well, you are actually having a contraction every 2 minutes, so about 30 an hour." Holy smokes.

The contractions were mostly small contractions, which is why I didn't really even notice most of them, with a few big ones mixed in (the ones I was feeling). After watching the monitor, I started to notice what the small ones felt like too.

Next the nurse gave me an injection of Terbutaline, which is a drug used to prevent or delay premature labor. She warned me that it would cause my heart to beat faster. About 10 minutes later, my heart was racing and my hands were shaking, but my contractions had completely stopped. I felt like I had just downed about 5 red bulls.

They continued to monitor me and they also had me go for another quick ultrasound to check my cervix, which, thankfully, was not dilated or effaced. A very good thing.

I was still having some contractions on the monitor about an hour after my injection, so the nurse gave me one more, which caused my heart to race all over again. Jay said I was acting extremely hyper. After the second injection, I had to stay in bed being monitored for another hour. They brought me dinner (a dry turkey sandwich on wheat - something most people would hate but I actually liked) with some grapes and fruit juice. We hung out for an hour, after which the doctors and nurses were satisfied that I was no longer having contractions and I was discharged.

I was given a prescription for Procardia, another drug prescribed to stop contractions and premature labor. I am supposed to start taking it if I start feeling contractions again. So far, I haven't felt any.

I was also told not to go to work today or Monday and to get an appointment with my OB as soon as possible to discuss what sort of work privileges I would have for the next 3 weeks. The doctors are really only concerned with preventing premature labor until I reach 35 weeks. After that, if I start having real contractions they will not stop them, so going back to work might be allowed without restriction. I guess the next 3 weeks are just critical to get through.

Update: I got an appointment today at my OB's office at 2:45. I'll update on what she says after that.

Ticker Change Thursday - 32 Weeks

Joaquin is 32 weeks today and still about the size of a squash. He sleeps 90-95% of the day, and sometimes experiences REM sleep, an indication of dreaming. He is head-down, which is great news. This week his movements will peak. The wrinkles in his face are disappearing and fat is still being deposited throughout his body. The body growth slows down from now on. Because of the lack of space in the uterus, the legs are drawn up in what is known as the fetal position. As a preparation for breastfeeding, he has already learned to root for the breast. The baby will turn its head if touched on the cheek and open its mouth if the bottom lip is tickled. By this time the baby can also suck and swallow in a coordinated way.

How far along? 32 weeks
Weight gain/loss: I'm up a total of 29 pounds.
Sleep? Other than waking up 6+ times a night to pee, sleep is pretty good these days.
Best moment this week? Hmmm.... I think the end of the work day on Friday will qualify.
Movement: I'm getting a lot of kicking to my ribs these days.
Food cravings: Still salad. And milk.
What I miss? My real wardrobe.
What I am looking forward to? Only 7 more weeks of work. I'm really looking forward to that last day. It can't get here soon enough.
Milestones: We have less than 2 months left now!
What I'm nervous about: I guess I'm a bit nervous about how I am going to hang in at work for the next 7 weeks. I have a shorter fuse than normal these days and some clients are really pushing my limits. I sort of thought people would stop giving me new work right about now but I was definitely mistaken. Oh well.

Belly Picture Friday - 31 weeks 1 day

Well, I had an interesting morning

I had heard my mommy friends talk about Braxton Hicks contractions (which, for this post, I'll shorten to BH contrax). I had read about them in all of my baby books. But, to be honest, I had absolutely no idea what they really felt like. My OB told me about a month ago that I might start feeling them and to go to Hoag's Labor & Delivery center ("L&D") if I had 4 or more BH contrax in 1 hour.

Well, if you don't really know the difference between strange baby movements (i.e., pushing his butt out) and a contraction, it is easy to just sort of ignore BH contrax and pass them off as movement.

Yesterday, after my return to work, I started feeling a lot of these strange movements and I thought, "Hmmmmmm....maybe these are those BH contrax. And, if they are, I've definitely been having them sort of regularly and today I am having them about 4-7 times per hour." I had a regular check-up scheduled this morning with my OB so I thought I'd just ask her when I got there what a real BH contrax feels like and didn't worry about it too much. I wasn't in any pain or anything.

Jay went with me to my appointment this morning. On the drive over I felt those same "strange movements/possible BH contrax". Then, sure enough, when the OB was talking to me, I felt it again. So, I asked her to feel my stomach and tell me if it was just the baby moving or if I was having a contraction. She said it was a contraction and then asked how frequently I was feeling them.

Somewhat embarrassed by my lack of knowledge, I admitted that I had been having a lot of them - in fact 3 in the last 30 minutes.

So, she told me I was to go straight to L&D to be admitted and tested.... for at least 2 hours. Yikes.

Off I went. I checked in and they hooked me up to two fetal monitors - one that tracks the baby's heartrate and another that tracks contractions. They did a urine test and another test (I can't remember the name), which basically tested to see if I was producing a hormone that women start to produce within the last two weeks before they go into labor. They also did an ultrasound to check my cervix and make sure it was not dilated or effaced. So, now I've had a whopping 8 ultrasounds during this pregnancy! No pictures this time though.

The tests showed that I was, indeed, having contractions. But they were not too frequent when I was laying down in the hospital bed (about 2 an hour), I was not producing the labor hormone (yay), I was not dilated or effaced (big yay), baby's head is still down (phew) and the cause of the contractions is a mild UTI, for which I was prescribed antibiotics.

So, all in all, it was a relief to see that I was not headed into pre-term labor and to also find a cause for the contractions. The L&D doctor forbid me from going to work for the rest of the day, even after I explained that I sit at a desk for work. I am allowed to work from home, but no going to the office. I can go in tomorrow.

I suspect that my OB is going to talk to me about either reducing my hours or working from home very soon. Neither sounds that terrible at this point. I just don't want her to make me stop working (and earning money) all together.

As soon as I left the hospital and went to the pharmacy, I started having regular BH contrax again, so I guess the doctor was spot on telling me to go home and relax. The BH contrax seem to disappear when I am sitting in bed, even if I am working on my computer.

Ticker Change Thursday - 31 Weeks!

Joaquin is 31 weeks today and about the size of a squash. By my estimates from our last ultrasound and average weekly growth, Joaquin should be approximately 4 pounds and 1 ounce. Joaquin is busy accumulating layers of fat under his skin. The arms, legs, and body start to fill out and will look less wrinkly as each week progresses. He may be finding the space tighter and tighter at this point.

How far along? 31 weeks
Weight gain/loss: I'm up a total of 29 pounds.
Sleep? Sleep in Spain had its ups and downs. Ups: naps. Downs: universally hard mattresses and no body pillow. I am LOVING sleeping in my bed the last two nights.
Best moment this week? The entire trip to Spain was amazing, but Mia and Nelson's wedding was magical. I just love going to weddings. There is nothing quite as romantic as a wedding ceremony. They always remind me of how much my own marriage means to me.
Movement: Joaquin is moving A LOT the last couple of days. It's almost hard to concentrate on anything else. Jay and I discovered that he really likes to dance to classical Spanish music.
Food cravings: Salad, of the american variety. Spain had a lot going for it, but it really lacked in the salad department. I ate a huge salad for dinner last night and was a very happy camper.
Belly button in or out? Out and to the right. Now with a slightly blue center. No idea what that's about.
What I miss? Jay's family in Spain and the beautiful architecture of Madrid.
What I am looking forward to? A low key weekend. I need some time to just relax and be quiet.
Milestones: My first trip to Labor & Delivery today. This will warrant a separate post.
What I'm nervous about: Well, after today, I'm nervous about how I am going to make it to at least 37 weeks staying pregnant and how I am going to handle work until then. I'm going to talk to my OB sometime within the next 2 weeks and I suspect she's going to order me to work from home. She was already hinting at it this morning. If that's the case, I am going to have to set up a little home office at our kitchen table. Not exactly my idea of a tidy house, but I guess I can live with it for a while.

SPAIN!

We are headed to Spain tomorrow!! Here's a lovely picture of Almeria, the city where we will spend most of our time while in Spain.

Belly Picture Friday - 29 weeks 1 day

And, yes, I was too lazy to dry my hair this morning.