Handhold please! Admitted for risk of preterm labour

[Whydoeslifesuck]

I'm 32+2 and my consultant has admitted me for rest and steroids. There's a lot of fluid build up and my cervix has already started to shorten. High chance of going into labour in the next two weeks. I'm not high risk, but baby has severe complications so there absolutely must be certain doctors present when he's born. At the moment I expect to be in hospital until my ELCS which was originally due to happen at 39 weeks (looking like I may not last that long!)

Anyone been through similar? The midwife suggested it may only be for a few days and then they could reevaluate and think about letting me home. I have a toddler that will struggle to be away from me for 7 weeks (or longer, as baby needs to go into NICU after birth)!!

Feeling pretty shit right now (and my room is too hot so obviously I can't sleep)

Can’t relate unfortunately, but just saying hello as can’t sleep. Must be an incredible stressful and worrying time.

@NeedANewOne25 thanks for the hello! What has you up? x

Tried to catch a little snooze, but to no avail. I opened the window and my room cooled down, but now I have road noise keeping me awake. Think at this time of morning sleep is well and truly passed.

Hello!

I can’t relate either, but I’m awake due to pregnancy insomnia (31 weeks) so I’ll keep you company 😁

Do you mind me asking what the symptoms of your complications were/are?

I haven’t been through that either, but I’m awake waiting for my puppy to fall back asleep after a wee.
There must be so much racing through your mind at the minute, have got much support around you? To help with your toddler?
kids are so resilient, I felt loads of guilt about my 2nd baby taking me away from first but he coped really well with everything (I had HG so was useless and he was farmed out to family daily) he has no memory of any of it and his sister is his little best friend. They are 7 & 4 now and inseparable. It will be worth it all in the long run!

I’ve been having crazy dreams which woke me up with anxiety. Reading mumsnet often turns my brain off again so I can go back to sleep.
Hopefuly you’ll get sleepy again later.

@FeedMeBrunch thank you! There were anomolies picked up on my 20 week scan - don't want to go into too much detail as they are so incredibly rare that they point to a genetic condition that less than 100 people ever have been diagnosed with. I feel your pregnancy insomnia though! I've had it a lot this time around, particularly if I have even a smidgen of caffeine. It's grim isn't it!

@Downing4packsofharibo thanks for the support. Yes, I have family and friends nearby who are offering to help with childcare and asking about visiting hours. Also worried about my husband and how he'll cope! 🫣 He usually leaves the house for work at unsociable hours, so not really sure what will hapen when he goes back to work this weekend. But we will manage (hopefully)

@NeedANewOne25 aww, that's rubbish. Sorry you're not having a good time! It's good that you've found a way to drift off - I absolutely cannot fall asleep unless I'm in darkness and silence (preferably with my husband beside me). Hopefully I'll acclimatize/pass out from exhaustion in a day or two. Sending sleep dust your way!

Morning OP 🌺

Morning @Holidays78 what has you up so early? x

I'm normally up between about 4:30am-5:00am each morning. Never used to be! But hit 40 and turned into an early bird lol

Thinking of you. I can't empathise but it sounds worrying. What date do you need to "get" to if not 39 weeks? I'd enjoy the break if you can, my older toddler woke me at 5am needing a poo.

I was put on bed rest at 20 weeks due to risk of pre-term labour and in hospital from when waters broke at 28 weeks until I delivered at 29 weeks. It's stressful, I'm sorry. Try to keep routine (every morning I showered at 7, got dressed, had breakfast and worked until 5, had dinner, a few hours of TV then tried to have a proper nights sleep. It usually didn't work as I couldn't sleep but having a routine did help.)

@Holidays78 Oooh, I almost hope that happens to me when I'm older! As it is I have difficulty falling asleep and can easily snooze until 9am. Then feel guilty for a) wasting the morning and b) getting my toddler up so late! My hospital bands are currently glaring up at me reading "32 yrs" and I find it very rude haha

@PurBal Oh yes, mine was up at 5 yesterday with a nightmare. He settles quickly once he's calmed down, but obviously no one's going back to sleep at that point! The joys of parenthood 🥲

@GingerKombucha oooh, that sounds like you had a stressful time! Hope your baby is okay now. Thanks for the tips - I've been trying to think up a routine for my day. Doesn't seem to be a shower on the ward but the toilet has a bidet so I guess that's something?! So far I've washed my face, got clean underwear and eaten a brioche because my stomach was screaming for sustenance. Definitely need to make an effort for self care.

Hi op. I had pprom from 22 weeks where my waters had gone so I was taken into hospital and was told that the baby will be coming soon. Was given steroid injections over the course of 2 days. Was in hospital for 5 days and was discharged as I never went into labour. It was a horrendous time in and out of hospital for those first few weeks but everything turned ok fine and I gave birth at 38 weeks. I too had a toddler when I was admitted and I cried none stop for her. Thinking of you, hopefully you will be able to go home and rest.

@raya223 thanks for sharing your experience. It sounds awful! I'm glad you could be there for your toddler at least some of the time. The steroid injection they gave me last night was the most painful jab I've ever had! Not looking forward to tonight's installment 🤕

Yeah they were not nice. But I thought the second injection wasn't as bad as the first. My first daughter was born at 34 weeks and 5 days and she was in nicu for 2 days. So you're not far off. Hopefully you will be able to go home in the next few days if you haven't gone into labour.

Sending a handhold OP, what an incredibly stressful situation to be in. All you can really do is try to rest and'enjoy' the break as a pp said.

I had steroid injections for about a week with my first as was admitted with pre-eclampsia. I do seem to remember they got better/ easier to take each time. Fingers crossed it's the same for you.

Hey! My waters broke with bleeding at 28+2 which was 7 weeks ago now. I was so fortunate and my membranes resealed and I stopped leaking. I had on off bright red bleeding for almost 3 weeks but no cause was ever found and after being in hospital for 13 nights I was able to monitor at home. It was a really tough two weeks with two little ones at home who missed me.

Everything was stable for a good few weeks until 34+4 when I had a bloody show and an exam showed I was 1cm dilated and cervix very thin (it had always been closed on exam before). I'm now 35+2 and just waiting to see what happens.

How far from the hospital are you? If they let you home could you get back quite quickly in the event of any changes? I think at earlier gestations labour can progress quite fast.

Can I ask why they said you're likely to deliver in the next two weeks? Is that because of the fetal fibronectin test? I am not in the UK and when I asked my Dr when I could expect to deliver she said noone could answer that question.

For making my hospital stay more bearable I really loved my own pillows, an eye mask and earplugs. Do you have your own room? I was on a shared ward and while it had it's downsides the big upside was that there were lots of people coming and going and things happening so I was never too bored or introspective.

Oh on the steroids injection I found keeping really still after the shot helped a lot with the pain. The second one I moved straight after and it was so painful!

just a quick handhold.

let your partner bring you an eyemask, or even better a bluetooth headband so you can get some respite from a noisy ward.

Just wanted to pop in and show some support as your situation sounds difficult. I hope things go as smoothly as possible for you and your baby. X
Oh also ask the hospital for a fan or get someone to bring one in, it's a must for the hot hospitals!

@sel2223 thanks for the handhold. Pregnancy is no joke!

@LimeSqueezy so glad you've made it to 35 weeks - your baby's lungs are matured now so that extra time has been really beneficial for them! Hope your little ones are coping okay at home - I think having to leave them is the biggest heartbreak, on top of all the stress! They think I might deliver soon because of all the excess fluid, baby's head is down, and a vaginal scan revealed my cervix has begun to shorten. I've also been having BH. tbh I think they're just being super cautious because of the extra care baby will need when he's born. The plan was to have like 10 doctors present at my ELSC. Unfortunately we're a solid 40 min each way from the hospital. I haven't given up hope that I might be able to visit though!

@bluecomputerscreen @magicstar2020 thanks for the tips! I already have a list of things in my head that I want my husband to bring when he comes - decent coffee for one!

@Whydoeslifesuck oh that sounds tough. I'm sure the travel time makes it a harder decision what is best to do.