Vinny Watch!

On the 19th, I went off base to run a couple errands and while walking back on base I started having some really sharp pains all over my stomach and I was having a hard time walking because of a horrible pain in my pelvic bone. I picked up Anthony, planning on having him help me get the boys and going home, but he insisted on going to labor and delivery to make sure everything was ok. I went in and shortly after the pains stopped but after being on the monitors (one that checks Vinny’s heart rate and the other checks for contractions), the doctors realized I was having too many contractions for their liking, 4 in 10 minutes to be exact (they tell you to come in if you have more than 5 in one hour.) The doctor did an exam and saw that I was dilated ½ cm and at 35 weeks, that was not something she wanted to see. She gave me some medicine to try and slow down the contractions, told me to come back in 2 hours to see if that helped at all but if it hadn’t then she was going to admit me. I went back and was then 1cm dilated, I was admitted and had to stay for 24 hours. I was monitored all night and some hours I had 8+ contractions, other hours I had 2. When I was checked the following night, I was 2cm but since it took me an entire 24 hours to dilate that far, they said I could go home on strict bed rest. I was only allowed to get up to go to the bathroom and take one short shower a day. I went back into L&D on the 23rd because I hadn’t felt Vinny move in 12 hours and even when trying to make him mad and kick, it still took me over 4 hours to get 10 kicks in (they want 10 kicks within an hour). I went in and he still wasn’t moving a bunch (he normally is a VERY active baby) but his heart rate was good. The doctor came in thinking I was going to be having a baby that night because my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart for the entire 20 minutes I was being monitored. She did an exam and I hadn’t dilated anymore since Thursday when I left the hospital. After doing an ultrasound and having Vinny start moving a lot and seeing everything was fine with him, she sent me home. I was told I no longer had to be on strict bed rest but to take it easy. She figured since I was having so many contractions, it was cruel to make me sit in bed and not try and help things along.

I’m now almost 37 weeks and still no baby but still having lots and lots of contractions. I’m hoping either these contractions turn into labor and I have him very soon or they stop and I won’t be in constant pain for the next couple weeks until he decides to make his appearance. Good news though, he is now head down (they think him turning is what all the sharp pains were that got me into L&D in the first place) so there is no worries about them having to turn him or me needing to schedule a c-section!