bed rest

I've had a pretty eventful past few days! Friday at the doctor my blood pressure was much higher than normal for me...143/92. I'm usually in the "are you alive?" category of blood pressures at closer to 110/70 or lower. So, this is cause for concern. I had no idea how crucial normal blood pressure during pregnancy was until mine was no longer in the normal range. Apparently, it means bed rest and close observation, but they didn't want to do that to me just yet, so they had some blood drawn, did another urine test, and sent me on my way. Also, since I had just had a Coke a couple hours before my appointment, they let me go home and said to check it before I went back to West Yellowstone on Sunday. So, since we were already at the hospital Sunday for birthing classes (a LONG two days, but very worthwhile..definitely calmed my fears about a hospital birth) I asked our nurse/teacher if there was a place I could check it before I left. Well, she took me up to the Labor and Delivery ward (small hospital, so just upstairs) and asked them to check it for me. I'd felt pretty yuck that day, but attributed it it to the stuffy conference room, sitting, and the exercises we did earlier that day. I had a headache, felt nauseous, my hands hurt and my feet were pretty swollen even though we'd been sitting all day, and I had snagged one of the birth balls to sit on because I love them.
Anyway, when they checked my BP upstairs, it was still elevated. Apparently, they were not allowed to let me out of there until they did a full check of everything, so this turned into an outpatient admittance to L&D and several hours of waiting. At least I got to sit in a comfy labor room and Travis was there. We were pretty irked at first and tried to wave off any other help because my doc had just said to monitor it, but they said, well, you're here, and it's high, and you're 34 weeks pregnant, so we need to check to make sure the baby is OK or we could be in trouble. Ah, liability. I think sue-happy people have ruined the world. So they put me on the fetal monitor and I tried to be happy that I could sit and listen to Kincaid's heart thump-a-thump away like a marathon runner's, and relax. Once I'd laid on my side for awhile, it was back in the 130s/80 or so and Kincaid's heart and movements were just fine.
They checked my lab results from Friday, and they were all negative for anything preeclampsia-related, so they did another urine check and that was also clear. They let me go, but the doctor on call that night warned me that I was probably heading down bed rest road. Fun. He told me to stay in Bozeman and monitor my BP at least through Tuesday and try to get in to see my doctor before I left town again. No problem.
So, on Monday, I rode with Travis to a pharmacy and had my BP checked at the little cuff station. Of course, it was bad, like 150/100. I was skeptical of the machine, but since they said that if it hit the 150 mark, definitely call the on-call OB and report it. So, I did, and it was a different doctor again, and she told me to come in to L&D again. Sigh. It was already 8:30 at night and Travis had to work at 6:30 a.m. the next day. Poor guy. It all seemed like way overkill for blood pressure, but if you've ever had a kid, you know that all of a sudden, what seems like overkill if it's just your body is all of a sudden very important. I am responsible for Kincaid's health now, and he's helpless to do anything. I'd much rather go in and be told I'm overreacting than to ignore it and have something bad happen.
So, back to the hospital we go. I'm thinking I'm always grateful for living in a smaller city like Bozeman, where getting to the hospital is very easy and a short trip, but this weekend I've been extra-grateful for it!
I went upstairs, found the on-call OB, and was put in a smaller observation room, hooked up to the monitors again, and had my BP checked after I laid down for a bit. It was slightly down but still in the high range. They monitored me for about an hour, Kincaid was still fine, and they drew blood again. Those labs also came back negative for preeclampsia. I've learned that its onset can be extremely fast, so the repeated labs were not pointless at all. They say some women have had morning appointments of totally normal BP and have jumped to full-blown preeclampsia by the afternoon. Thankfully, I am going about this much more slowly.
This OB told me to stay in Bozeman through Friday, buy a cuff to monitor myself at home, and make an appointment ASAP with my own doc. We were home around 10:30.
Stayed at home and did nothing at all Tuesday but rest, mostly on my left side, and my BP was much better, no higher than 130/90. I went to see my doc Wed morning, and of course, it was down, 125/80. Two days of doing nothing will help, I guess. Part of me wanted to get the OK to go back to work because I have SO much to get done down there, but part of me was becoming OK with being told to stay in Bozeman for the long haul. They monitored me and Kincaid for a bit yesterday and ordered a 24-hour urine test. Gross. She also did an ultrasound to check my fluid. All of that is fine. I'm just in the "gestational hypertension" category right now, and I hope hope hope that is where I stay. As long as I do, and preeclampsia doesn't develop, I will not need to be induced and can carry him to term as normal, except stay on bed rest. If my BP climbs or preeclampsia develops, they will have to induce around 38 weeks or so because delivering is the only thing that will bring my BP back to normal, and it's dangerous for the baby.
I have had a totally normal and healthy pregnancy up until this point, so it surprises me and feels odd to suddenly be thrown into the risky category. I'm grateful that Travis insisted on a hospital birth somewhat, because if I'd gotten my heart set on the birth center or a home birth like I wanted, that would have had to have been tossed out most likely. Maybe not, but I would have probably wanted to be at the hospital just in case. Plus, this hospital seems a lot less scary than it did at first. The nurse who taught our class was aware of the negative press hospitals have been getting from some books/methods and such, and talked to us about their particular policies, what IS required (an IV start but nothing connected yet and 20 minutes of each hour of fetal monitor, but they are remote control, so you can still move with them on) and what is optional. She told us that the less interventions they have to do, the better off they are because of liability, and even though yes, an epidural does create more income for them, their goal is not to ring up the biggest bill for every laboring mother. I hope she's right, and I appreciated her honesty and willingness to talk about that. I don't have any issue with their standard procedures and dont' feel as if I will be pressured to take pain meds when i don't want them. However, since I may be looking at an induction, which I really don't want, I'm scared that the contractions will be made much stronger by the Pitocin and I will be more likely to want pain meds. Hopefully the help I will get from my friend Abbi and relaxation methods will make them tolerable. My mom was induced with me and made it through without pain meds, although she says she wanted them at one point.
The hospital also puts the baby on the mom's stomach immediately, encourages rooming in (keeping the baby with you), breastfeeding immediately, and other things that I wanted, so I have much less anxiety about that.
As of last night, my BP was 125/80, which is the lowest it's been in awhile. Part of me wonders if merely the absence of stress, work, driving back to west, and the reassurance that I will be here with Travis for the rest of my pregnancy will keep the BP low. I doubt I'll be taken off bedrest, but it would be funny to see if I was, what would happen to my BP. I'm sure stress is not the only reason my BP was high. They don't know why otherwise healthy and non-overweight women develop it. Just happens. I've gained 35 pounds, but that's not uncommon with my family because we have big babies. So does Travis' side. It is all in my belly and I know my thighs and arms have gotten a little bigger, but not by a whole lot.
So, if you want to chat with me, I'll be around for awhile. I am allowed to shower, go to the bathroom, make simple meals, etc, so I'm not strapped to the bed or anything, thankfully. We have a hammock in the backyard for days when it's not like it is today...winter's making another foray into Montana, surprise, so it's chilly and cloudy and windy today. I'm sure I wouldn't keel over if I wanted to run out to get ice cream or something, but I'm going to do my best to say horizontal and chill out. I'm sure I will be grateful for this time someday, so I'll do my best to take advantage of it. If I start to feel stir-crazy, I can remind myself that this is much better than being at work, sore, swollen, and exhausted, and going home to an empty cabin to take care of everything myself. Now I have a dog for awesome company and will soon have my kitty up here again. Travis is being awesome as always and taking great of me despite his nutty work schedule lately. I hope they let them off early today; he's had 11 and 12-hr days so far this week.
In other news, (yes, it's been an eventful week!) I found out yesterday that my position is being cut in half for next year. This infuriates me because it's already 1.5 jobs to begin with! They're not sure what half is being cut, but my guess is that everything but the elementary library responsibilities will no longer exist. If taht's the case, then sure, it might be do-able in half the time, but certainly not anything close to my current responsibilities! That obviously makes it easier to decide about returning next year. The odds were slim anyway, but knowing that I wouldn't be able to teach my English kids regardless makes it simpler. Plus, I had 2 years to get my library endorsement and I haven't taken any classes towards that goal yet (can't afford them...you couldn't on my measly salary either), so they are required to advertise it regardless of my decision. I haven't told them yes or no yet, because I want to keep my options open and have no idea what could happen before next year, but since they have to advertise anyway, I don't feel as if I'm holding them back from filling it. They haven't even given letters of intent to any of the other teachers yet, so why should I feel as if I have to give them a certain answer? I'm also livid because they are cutting the librarian position in half, but our full-time technology position is staying full-time. That infuriates me to no end. You're cutting remedial English, a great need at that school, but keeping a position that could EASILY be done in half the time or less. Thanks, guys, I feel very valued right now. Appreciate it. I understand budget cuts, but honestly, cut the non-instructional first. I have the feeling a letter to the editor is in line once all this is cleared up. Maybe. Or maybe I just won't care. Probably safer to keep my mouth shut.
I"ll try to post a 34/35 weeks picture here soon...sorry for the endless type and bravo if you actually read all this:)