They should really start giving out frequent flyer points or something in there. By now I should qualify for a free snack or something.
So, went in on Wednesday to the hospital for the BPP. It was the "off" week for us- when they do weekly BPPs they still only measure biweekly, so the off week is mainly for monitoring baby's well being and bloodflow and not his size. Bumblebee did well on his NST and then looked cute on ultrasound. After a little prodding from me, she did a quick measurement of the belly and I was relieved to see that it has apparently grown a little since last week. Still measuring well behind, but had gotten no worse. I have to wait until this coming Wednesday for the "official" measurements and we'll see then where we are, but the bloodflow is still good, his heart rate is good and he's moving well.
Then they took my BP. 160/105, so up to L&D I'm sent.
I sat around, again. It's getting routine going up there. Triage was again full so I sat in pre-op once again. It's quiet there and further away from the delivery rooms so at least you can't hear people screaming etc. I was there a few hours, they did another NST and took bloodwork. It came ok, I was relieved that there was no HELLP evident especially since I have recently been awarded the third trimester badge of heartburn (which I can totally see how people confuse with epigastric pain). I was spared the med student questioning and jumped right to resident, who I've dealt with several times now so my admittance, which I knew was inevitable, was a little swifter.
The only negative, there was no private room for me. The inn was full.
So, I was stuck in a ward room for the time being. There were four beds, but only two of us. The other lady was lovely- she was 33 and on her 6th (SIXTH!) baby; her oldest is 10. She spent a lot of time on the phone singing to her babies etc., which drove me slightly nuts but wasn't too bad. She was 34 weeks and had been having contractions, so her doctor admitted her to assure that she would rest. I guess having 5 small kids at home is not a good recipe for at-home bedrest. As roomies go she was fine, but as I find the whole maternity ward thing stressful in itself, and MUCH prefer my own room.
I was with her all night, and all the next day. Late in the afternoon on Day 2 the nurses started preparing another bed for the next patient, we were getting a new roommate. Someone dropped flowers off on the nightstand. I snuck over to take a peek. There was an "It's a boy" balloon in the bouquet.
They were bringing a new mom and a BABY into my room, three feet from my bed. I don't think they normally mix the high-risk pregnant and the recently delivered but there was no space anywhere else.
I almost panicked. It makes no sense, I know. I'm supposedly having my own baby in a few weeks, but I still don't do well with other peoples' babies. And excited grandparents. And beaming new moms and nurses that say congratulations instead of I'm so sorry. It's bad enough being on the ward in general, and now you're putting a baby NEXT to my bed???? I could feel my heart race and my bp go up.
I buzzed the nurse. Can you please check on my room for me? Please?
Roomie was excited about a baby moving in. I guess when you have 5 (almost 6) of your own you're a real baby person.
They brought in the mom and baby. I couldn't handle this at all. Grandparents filtered in and spilled over their side. Everyone was oohing and aahing and taking pictures. The little one made some sounds. The thin curtain between our beds was the only barrier between me and their foreign world.
Just when I thought I was going to have to just walk out, sit in the hallway or whatever I needed to do to get the hell out of that room, nurse arrived with a wheelchair. My room was ready.
Sigh.
After that it was a noneventful visit. BP came down ok with an adjustment in meds. Another good NST today. I was discharged today at lunchtime and am home again on bedrest, back on the homecare program.
29 +1 today. Next week the coveted 30 week mark.
I'm going to go take a nap and then I'm catching up on your blogs.
15 comments:
So glad to hear all continues to be well with bebe and that there are no signs of HELLP yet :)
Hold on, so close.
So glad they got you outta that room quick, geesh, that's nuts.
Sorry this trip was so stressful. I know that didn't help your BP at all. But good news that there is no sign of HELLP so far. You're so close to 30wks!!!
it's amazing how quickly the panic spirals out of control. esp in situations where you are forced to participate in 'normal' baby stuff. annoyed that you were trapped there, but glad you are doing well overall. so close to 30 weeks. that's awesome! you are doing a great job!!
So glad you are home again and that everything has settled down as it should be.
Can't imagine how awful it was to have a new baby shoved in your face in the middle of all of it. Thank god they moved you asap. We paid extra $$ to have a private room after Cason was born just bcause even after getting the live baby, I didn't want to deal with the 'shiny happy nothing ever goes wrong with babies', people.
Hope you get about 8 more weeks of nothing extraordinary and then a very extraordinary, healthy baby screaming in your arms, right where it should be.
xxoo
So glad you and the bee are home safe, and I'm hoping you get to 30 weeks and then some.
I think if they had frequent flier miles, you'd qualify for a free cashmere robe and a three-course dinner in a private suite. Sorry you had to deal with a shared room and extra stress instead.
I always like to think of myself as reasonably easygoing, but when it comes to a hospital ward, forget it. Sharing a room is vile, almost as bad as a private room with thin walls and an all-in family fight night door.
Go the magic 30 weeks! Hopefully this will all be a distant memory soon.
Holy crap. I'm so sorry you had to do that. Sharing a room is a real fear for me. As K@lakly said, I don't want to be amgonst shiny happy normal baby people. That is not my world and never will be my world. Even though, when this baby is born, I'm going to just look like one of them. Sigh.
You're doing so well, Heather. Getting so close.........
Well I am glad that you are back home and all is well with the baby. That definitely sounds like a stress inducing event with the baby and the room. I don't know what I would have done.
I hope you do not have to go back until your baby is on its way in about 10 weeks.
You are so strong and doing such an AWESOME job!!!
Ugh I hate when they do that- I've signed myself out AMA because I couldn't bear to be near all the babies
I'm so glad you and bumblebee are back home and ok! You are getting so close!
How stressful! I am sorry it was so crowded. I wouldn't do well with the baby in there either.
Oh, honey. I sat here and teared up as they were about to bring the mom and new baby into your room! I would not have handled that well at all :(
I hate that you're earning so many frequent flier miles. You should at least be guaranteed a private room for being a repeat customer or something ;) Here's hoping for an uneventful next few weeks. And congratulations on the upcmoing magic "30."
Every single effing bit of this sounds so incredibly stressful.
Oh Heather... oh my. So glad you got out of there in the nick of time -- I guess the silver lining is they didn't take your bp at that moment!! ; )
Sorry I'm late to comment. I am way behind on my reading...!
One would think that you would be humble to other babies and mums..After lOSING a baby and getting Pregnant with the speed of lighting. But you and others in your situation just continuely portray nasty , selfish, selfabsorbed lil girls. Immature . Babies are a privilge . Not a right. Grow up for the sake of your kid.
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