Well...At Least There's An Upside

I saw my OB today.

The good news first. The baby is doing great. Strong heartbeat. Lying mostly head down. Oh, and I don't have to go on hospital bedrest...

...yet.

Sigh.

I started contracting hard last night. It would stall or stop upon rest, and then start again if I stood up. I saw the doctor this morning. They did an ultrasound (where the woman asked me if I had ever had a vaginal ultrasound before...silly lady...that wand has seen more action this pregnancy :/...). My cervix is closed, long, and not funneling from the top. Excellent news. They did a fetal fibrosomethingorother test. No results yet, but expected to be negative when the cervix isn't funneling. But...'cause, yah, there has to be a but...I'm dilated one fingertip. And I'm high risk because Ander was preterm.

So, assuming the fetal test comes out negative, I am to "take it really easy." I can work, but less. And from home more. I can make lunch for Ander and I, but not do housework or cooking if someone else can do it. (Poor Alan, who is already doing practically everything.) I'm supposed to sit instead of stand and lie down instead of sit. If the test is positive, of course, we'll revisit how much bedrest I need, but since the top of my cervix is long and closed, the doctor said he won't actually put me in the hospital. He'd probably just change my shots to a different drug and do heavier (but still not full) bedrest.

As far as the headaches and sudden, massive weight gain (about 9 pounds in 3 weeks, despite a gestational diabetes diet), he thinks my blood volumes are going up. I'm not swollen (the weight gain seems all in my tummy) and my blood pressure is fine, so it's likely not preeclampsia. He offered narcotics for the headaches, but admitted that they are really just to help me sleep and might not touch the pain. So I refused. But he did say no driving when I have the headaches. Basically, the very thing that is likely causing the headaches (high blood volume - the same thing that caused my low heart rate after Ander's delivery)can cause my sleepiness (which is extreme right now) and passing out. So headache means don't drive for awhile until it's totally gone, like the next day.

Basically, I'm supposed to take it easy all the time. I suck at that. Right now, I need a nap, bad, but I'm too stressed to sleep. And I haven't touched a bit of work yet today.

I'm only 29 1/2 weeks, so if the fetal test comes back positive, I think I'll ask for steroid shots for the babies lungs when the window for those opens.

In the meantime, I guess I'll just close my legs really tight.

Etcetera.