Oh what a weekend...

After going to see my doctor on Thursday and being told I'd be on bedrest for the remainder of the weekend, never did I expect I'd actually be spending it in a hospital bed. 

Thursday, while at the doctor, I was tested for fetal fibronectin, which is a protein that acts as a "glue" during pregnancy, attaching the amniotic sac to the lining of my uterus.  My doctor called me Friday morning with the results.  I had actually tested positive.  What?  Are you serious?  Okay, now I'm freaked out and feeling really nervous.  What does all of this mean?  My doctor assured me it did not mean I was actually going into labor, but that I must head to the hospital and check-in with Labor & Delivery right away so that they could hook me up to a monitor and see what all is going on.  A positive fetal fibronectin test is a clue that the "glue" has been disturbed and I'm at increased risk of preterm labor.  So I called Todd at work and told him he needed to come home and we were off to the hospital.

Very concerned and nervous, we arrived at the hospital, got checked in and I was put in a rather large private room.  They immediately hooked me up to the monitor to check for contractions and monitor the baby's heartrate.  This is where I remained for the entire afternoon, showing no signs of contractions or cramping and baby looking great.  My doctor came by around 4pm after his surgeries for the day and gave me the news he was going to admit me and have me stay the night to be monitored 24 hours.  I wasn't very thrilled with this news, but I will sacrifice whatever I have to in order to keep my baby boy safe and in this belly for several more weeks!  He also said he'd like me to get a steroid shot of betamethasone to help advance the development of BM's lungs, in case I should I have him early.  It doesn't pose any harm to him and better to get it now than not.  What this did mean, however, was that I will need to be induced at 39 weeks if I don't actually have him sooner.  I won't be able to go to my due date.  Okay by me, but I'm hoping and praying I can at least make it to 37 weeks, if not, to the 39 weeks.

Todd and I had some dinner and watched a movie together squeezed in like sardines in the hospital bed, and then he left around 10pm to go home to let the dogs out and get some sleep.  It wasn't 45 minutes later that the nurse came in and asked "are you feeling those?  you're having contractions."  What?  I am?  I looked up at the monitor, and sure enough I'd had like 4-5 contractions but only felt the last 2 (barely).  She told me to try going to the bathroom to see if that would help stop them, apparently there is some correlation with contractions and a full bladder.  That of course didn't stop them, so she had to give me a shot of terbutaline to hopefully make them stop.  They eased up some and I was able to fall asleep for about 1.5 hours until I was woken up at 1:30am by more contractions that I could actually feel.  They were very uncomfortable.  Not painful, but uncomfortable.  I had about 3-4 of these in 30 minutes.  Once they stopped (by 2am), I didn't have any others for the remainder of the night. 

The following morning, my doctor came by to check on me.  He said with the combination of me being only 30 weeks, a postive result for fetal fibronectin and having had some cramping and then contractions in the night, he was concerned and advised I stay another night to keep an eye on me.  I, of course, was hoping to go home but I was concerned myself after having contractions in the night and it actually gave me some peace of mind to remain in the hospital where I was in good hands should anything happen. 

So that's where I remained for another 24 hours and luckily, I never showed any more signs of contractions, baby still looked great and I was able to get a full night's rest.  I was so relieved!  Surely I'd be going home!  I got up that morning (Sunday) and had some breakfast, took a shower, packed my bags and anxiously waited with Todd for my doctor to make his rounds.  Here I am, patiently waiting!

He came by around 12:30pm and gave me the good news that he was discharging me!  He gave me a prescription for terbutaline in case I should feel any contractions while at home, this would make them stop, and gave me instruction to remain on bedrest until my appointment with him Tuesday morning.  He will then test me again for the fetal fibronectin and hopefully get those results back sometime Tuesday afternoon.  If I should test negative this time, I will be allowed to go back to work but to take it easy and not overdo it.  However, if I test positive again, I will remain on bedrest and possibly for the remainder of my pregnancy.  Here is some more info on the fetal fibronectin test and positive/negative results: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fetal-fibronectin/MY00128/DSECTION=results.

This has been quite a nerve-racking weekend and one I never expected would happen.  I've had such a smooth pregnancy up until this point and definitely didn't see this coming.  It certainly makes me very concerned for what may or could happen in the next 8 weeks.  And it couldn't have happended at a better time...had friends in town this weekend to stay with us, supposed to host Bunco at my house this Thursday, and baby shower Saturday.  We did however manage to still do our tour of Labor & Delivery at the hospital, that we were signed up for on Sunday.  It just turned out to be our own personal tour rather than with the group!  :o)