30 weeks, 3 days

Here's a quick rundown of events that happened just over 3 weeks ago. I wrote it on my iPhone while bored in hospital so excuse the short sentences, errors and lack of detail. It was just a way to pass the time more than anything but it is nice to have a record.

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It's funny how things can change so quickly. Wednesday last week I was visiting my OB and we were both feeling really positive about how well I was holding up, even discussing what we'd do when I hit 38 weeks. Exactly 1 week later I find myself stuck in a hospital bed. I should have known at that point i'd jinxed myself.

Thursday I woke up with a fever and really sore pelvis. Not achy as such but loose and uncomfortable. I managed to go about the day without too many dramas but noticed by late in the evening I had started to feel very irregular crampy type pains. They continued throughout the night, getting progressively stronger however I'd decided to employ my trademark head in the sand approach & refused to actually time them. By 3.30am my fever had returned with a vengence; I was incredibly cold and shivery and coupled with the pains, I could barely move. I think I'd decided at that point that I'd be making a hospital trip at some point on Friday but I was holding on to the grim hope that things would be looking better by morning. Alas not. At 6am I decided I needed a hot shower which helped slightly and I headed to the lounge chair in the hopes of catching some sleep in between contractions. Between 6am & 8am the pains were coming every 5 minutes but still at this point, I couldn't bring myself to move.

Eventually I decided we couldn't put it off any longer and I vaguely considered packing a hospital bag before eventually deciding that it wouldn't be required. You really would have thought I'd have learnt by now...

My OB was waiting for me and once it was confirmed that I was definitely in labour, there was much discussion about what to actually do with me. Clearly they weren't equipped to deal with a 30 weeker so a transfer to Brisbane was on the cards but on the other hand nobody wanted to deal with a birth on the side of the road. The fetal fibronectin test came back negative and my first VE of the day showed I was starting to dilate and tear through my cervical stitch, but not enough at that point to make any rash moves. Steriods & Nefidipene were given and I was sent a bed on the ward while we waited to hear back from either the RBWH or Mater in Brisbane to see what action they wanted to take, but in the meantime I had to be closely monitored to make sure the situation didn't change too rapidly. I'd barely hobbled up on the bed in my room when I subjected to another frigging VE, which showed I'd hit 3cm and the stitch had to come out. So back to the birth suite I went where my OB decided that she'd remove the stitch and deliver asap to prevent a roadside delivery. Everyone donned their serious faces and made themselves busy while T & I quietly freaked out about how the day was turning out. Before much else could happen, the amubulance arrived and I was loaded on, accompanied by a midwife and very stressed looking paediatrician who made me promise emphatically that I wouldn't deliver en route.

We made it to the Mater with no dramatic events although my contractions were still 2.5 minutes apart for the whole journey. On arrival I was poked and prodded some more, hooked back up to the CTG machine and given more Nifedipine and basically just monitored for the next 4 hours. The contractions by this stage had slowed down quite a bit so I was allowed to move up to the ward and await the arrival of my next dreaded steriod injection at midnight.

By morning I was feeling pretty good. I'd had barely any contractions overnight and I was allowed to have my cannula removed and all medications ceased. Such a wonderful feeling. I was told however to make myself comfortable for a long stay as they weren't quite sure when they'd let me go home and it was likely I'd be kept in until 34 weeks when I could finally transfer back to my local hopsital, if I hadn't already delivered. We were even sent to do a tour of the NICU in preparation. I was crushed - I just wanted out.

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Clearly though, I am no longer in hospital and am back at home gestating away. I was discharged 6 days later when it was becoming obvious that nothing interesting was happening and am allowed to deliver at my local hospital. I've made it through Christmas (thank God, I was dreading the thought of a Christmas baby) and am now 33.5 weeks. Ryan was born at 33.2 so I've offically nailed my goal. Happy, happy days.