30 Weeks Hospital Dash.
28 August 2008 11:40a.m.
Things haven't run smoothly at all since my last entry. This will be a long entry and maybe a little too much information for some but Tuesday evening I was rushed into hospital.
It started off a perfectly normal day, I updated here as I normally do and had a rather normal afternoon.
Bf came home from work early, Matthew went off to my mums for dinner and then me and bf went to visit his mate Lee. Later on we decided to call at a supermarket on the way home.
Halfway there I felt a sudden urge to go to the toilet. Once in the supermarket loos, I discovered I was bleeding. It was around 7.15pm.
I began to cry and hurried out to bf and just said "get me to hospital, I'm losing blood."
The toilet bowl was a darkish red, I had staining in my knickers and when I wiped I had a few smallish clots.
Once in the car the hospital was only about 2 minutes away but as you are stressed it's always shit law that you get stuck at every traffic light. Bf dropped me at the A&E doors and I went in and booked myself in.
He parked and followed me in shortly after. I didn't wait too long before I was taken into Triage and had my blood pressure taken. It was high but the nurse said not to worry about that, it was more than likely because I was in shock.
I went back to the waiting room and it was only then I wondered if I should have gone straight to maternity. Within minutes we were told a porter would take me down to the maternity department and I would be checked over in a delivery suite.
By this stage, I was coping alot better. The initial panic had passed and I was more concerned about bf. I was feeling alot of movement and rather worryingly having strong braxton hicks around the top of my bump which at times seemed continuous. All the time I felt movement I was feeling rather reassured that I could feel something. If things had been still, I would have been a total crying mess but it was comforting knowing that whatever was happening in there, our baby was doing something.
Around 20 minutes later we went to ask if we should make our own way down there as it wasn't far. But within seconds of putting on the pressure I was wheeled down in a wheelchair and taken straight into a delivery room.
The whole time I was in A&E was around 40 minutes and it had only been about 50 minutes since I noticed the bleed. I was still desperate for the loo but had waited until I was in the right place. Once I did go again, there was thankfully more urine than blood and I had to pass on a sample to the midwife whose care I was in. There were more and bigger clots when I wiped again but they were darker and less threatening than before.
Bf had to go home to get my maternity notes and I was given a lecture that I should have them on me at all times. It's not the obvious thing you have on your mind when you intend to be out for just an hour but I think those notes will be going everywhere with me from now on.
I laid on the bed and was hooked up to a full monitor. I had one band across my lower belly listening to baby's heartbeat which was normal and one higher up to keep a check on the braxton hicks strength and regularity. The more I rested, the less braxton hicks I had and I was monitored for around 30 minutes.
I had my blood pressure taken again and it had come back down to normal.
I waited a while to see a doctor who explained the possibilites.
1. It could be a problem with the placenta. It could have been dislodged.
2. I was going into pre-term labour.
The latter was the one she was more concerned about and it did appear to be her main line of thought as she explained the procedures and said that the only real concern would be that special baby care is currently closed.
I had to have an internal examination with a speculum which was like a mini smear test and it showed that it looked like a one off bleed and was not continuous which was good news.
As a precaution of premature labour, I had to have more blood taken for testing and steroid shot in my left leg to prepare baby's lungs a little better.
Once all the initial tests and treatments were carried out, I was told I'd be observed for another hour before going up to a ward. I was able to relax for a bit and given a cup of tea. Then I was given a mini scan on the portable device that looked fine. Baby was still moving around looking rather happy without a care in the world turning and bashing me about, heartbeat was still very regular and all looked completely normal.
Bf went home as there was nothing more he could do and it was by now just after 11pm so he wouldn't have been allowed up to the ward either. He went to my mums to check on Matthew who was incredibly upset when I spoke to him on the phone as he was confused and sobbing his little heart out that he just wanted me to be home and for us all to be home. That really upset me. I was more relaxed about myself and the baby now but was worried about Matthew now.
I went up to the ward and was given strict instructions that if I was in any pain at all or started bleeding again I was to call the nurse.
I never really got much sleep. I was with only one othere person on the ward to begin with and 2 more were admitted during the night. I still kept needing the toilet alot and was in and out of the bathroom.
By 2.30am there was almost no trace of blood at all as I wiped and by 5.30 I was completely clear.
The nurse came round in the morning and I was reviewed. Asked how I was doing and if there was any change. He was happy that there had been improvements and said that with that all into consideration I would have to have a full scan in the ultrasound department but if that came out well then I would be able to go home after that.
He checked babys heart again. Very good. Then I had the needle taken out of the back of my hand which had been used to take my blood before and left in in case I needed to have more blood tests with further bleeding.
I was also given my second steroid injection, this time in my left leg for helping baby's lungs once again as it was a 2 stage shot.
Chris bought Matthew in to visit me just after visiting time started and he was a little angel. He gave me a huge hug and kiss then looked up confused and said "No baby yet?" I explained that it was too early for baby and that's why I had to stay in hospital because it wouldn't be too good to have baby quite so early and that we needed to wait a few more weeks. He nodded, rubbed my belly and said "Good baby, you wait til you are big enough. I would like you now but you're still too tiny!! Get bigger first. I can wait." It bought a little tear to my eye once again.
The nurse came round later on and said my ultrasound was booked for 11.40am so we arranged for Matthew to be collected by my mum at 11.30.
We knew that the scan was going to be for checking the placenta wasn't low lying as a general procedure seeings nothing else that was on the "main list" of possible causes had proved to be the reason I bled in the first place.
That was checked and all was well so at 12.15 I was on my way home.
The ultrasound showed that all measurements were spot on for 30 weeks and that there was no reason evident for a bleed by my scan. We had to take my notes back to the nurse who gave us permission to go. When we talked to him about why he thinks it may have happened he said it could have been a whole number of reasons. The main ones were obviously not the problem so we should relax but to get straight back to maternity if I was to bleed again or to have severe pain or have any reason to believe I was in labour. In some cases a bleed in pregnancy could be something as simple as a cough or a sneeze that pulls a muscle or over stretches a ligament to just make a small tear in the cervix area. I was told not to worry if I carried on finding a brown tinge when I wipe or small clots for the next couple of days. That will be the old bleed still dispelling itself and I may experience a little cramping due to being poked and prodded and having all the scans and machines attached.
As I thought about it after I did cough very suddenly round Lee's house so it could have been that or like in 1/3 of cases of bleeding in pregnancy, there could have been no reason whatsoever and it was a one off.
I have had some mild cramping today but nothing out of the ordinary. I feel much better today and baby is still very much a wriggler.
When we got home from the hospital bf bought me a lovely bunch of flowers when I sent him out for shopping and told me he thinks he knows babys sex. Because I have to almost turn my head in a 200 degree angle to see anything on the scans he gets a direct look. HE's the one who wanted the surprise but he wouldn't tell me. Said he wouldn't bet money on it but he had a good idea. Hmmmmmm.
The rest of the week is planned for me to have a big rest and spend some time with my feet up and after this little shock, I would very much like to get EVERYTHING we haven't already got over the weekend. The matresses, the pyjamas and baby's and my own hospital bag will probably be packed by the end of the weekend. It's really spurred me on to have EVERYTHING prepared now I have Less than 10 weeks and I've seen how quick things can happen.
For now though, I would just like him or her to stay cosily tucked in for the next 6-7 weeks at least.