Still on bedrest :-(

[ngarciaf]

Hey Everyone, I had a cerclage placed put in at 14 weeks due to an incompetent cervix. This Friday I have been on bedrest for a whole month. For someone who is usually very independant and hyper, this is very hard. Its just my partner and my dog, and me partner works longs days so that doesnt help as much. This is our first baby...a boy. I keep on asking how long will I be on bedrest, since I do need to go back to work. I always imagined getting pregnant and just taking long walks with my dog, going shopping for baby clothes, showing off my belly, working as usual, and since its a summer pregnancy, going to the beach a lot. But could be farther from the truth. Seems like my want-to-do list keeps on getting shorter and shorter. Today I was told that because of the cerclage, I wouldnt be able to get in the pool or go to the beach. I have been reading, watching tv, surfing the net, i even put a high chair in the kitchen so I could cook some stuff (i love to cook) while sitting down. Seems as if I have run out of ideas to do. Luckily, my partner is very supportive and tries to entertain me when he gets home, but by the time he gets home its so late. I'm currently 18 weeks pregnant. Just wanted to know how long were you on bedrest after your cerclage... 

[MicheleHaytko]

I had a cerclage placed a month ago at 11w and am still on bedrest.  I actually knew this was coming and resigned from my job the week before the cerclage b/c my doctor had told me to expect a pregnancy of bedrest.  We are hoping that, at some point, he will clear us for some minor activity, but right now that isnt the case.  I read a lot, watch tv, surf the web, blog, and work on the scrapbook for the babies.

From experience, stay on the bedrest if your doctor thinks it safer for the babies.  I have lost three children due to prematurity arising from an incompetent cervix and, if only I knew then what I know now...  I wouldnt take one chance, even if that means being in bed until November, which it very well may.  (We have our stitch removed in Nov.  I'm carrying twins so our ft edd is Nov 5th instead of the regular Dec 5th that it would be for a single).  The bedrest is tough but I'll do it every second if it means the babies stay stafe and inside.

Good luck!  I know it is tough, but you can do it!

[ngarciaf]

I wish yo uall the best with your two babies, sorry to hear about your prvious pregnancies. Mind if I ask at what week where they born? This being my first pregnancy and not having any family or friends around, its really hard. I try to stay on bedrest as much as I can, but do find myself getting up for some food or to atleast play a little with my poor dog. For those that dont know about bedrest, its hard for them to understand what Im going thru. The assume Im on this GREAT vacation...but its far from it! Im trying.  Im also due in November!

[MicheleHaytko]

With our first pergnancy, which was twins, everything was perfect.  Nicholas and Sophia were healthy and doing well.  Each appt went without a hitch and my cervix looked great.  Then, out the blue, I had a cramp at home that felt like a really bad bathroom pain.  I went to the bathroom and my water broke and Nicholas was born, at 16w.  He was born alive and was kicking and moving his hands.  He reached for us.  We held him and when the EMTs arrived, they did everything in their power to keep him warm.  They had to know that he was too young for them to do anything, but that didnt stop them from trying.  The fire chaplain came and baptized him as we waited for a chopper to airlift us to children's hospital.  I was stabalized and Nicholas was lovingly cared for by several EMTs on the ground and in the air.  He was alive when we landed at the hospital and the EMT rushed from the chopper.  But, by the time they wheeled me into the ER and started trying to save Sophia, he had passed away.  He lived an hour. 

After 4 days in the hospital, Sophia was still doing well on the inside.  They warned us that we had less than a 10% chance of getting to 24w but they sent us home with me on strict bedrest to try and get her there.  She was very active and I often think she was looking for her brother.  2 weeks after Nicholas was born, I had horrible pains in my back and the next afternoon, my water broke.  We were again rushed to the hospital but she had already dropped into the birth canal.  She was born 4 hours later, after a rough labor, at 18w.  She was perfect and moving, our little princess.  Her father baptized her immediately and she spent every moment of her 5 minutes on earth in his arms. 

Afterwards, our OB felt that, even though I had no outwards signs, the delivery of Nicholas was an IC.  (Sophia's birth was triggered by an infection.  Nick's placenta was never detatched for fear of starting her labor and an infection started which took 2 weeks to travel to her placenta and start her labor.)  We decided the do a cerclage in a subsequent pregnancy.    I ws pregnant with Alexander 6 months later and our u/s showed that he had implanted low.  As the pregnancy progressed, he stayed fairly low and the risk of  a cerclage was over 50% that it would puncture his amniotic sac.  So, we did constant monitoring in the hope that if I started to dilate, they could do something in time.  On Monday, my appt showed a cervix over 4.  By Wednesday, I had dilated to 2cm.  They were able to postpone labor until Sunday when Alexander was born at 17w.  He was such a little fighter those days in the hospital.  (There was a lot that went on that Wed-Sat and we thought we were going to lose him every day but he held on).  He, like his sister, spent his wntire life of 5 minutes in his daddy's arms.  Baptized and loved. 

After his pregnancy, we knew that there was nothing that could be done except a cerclage and that, regardless of the risk, there was no way that I would safely carry a pregnancy to term.  My cervix has no damage and there is no reason why I should open.  The doctor says that I'm in the less than 1% of IC patients that do not start to dilate they just go from perfect to terrible in seconds.  There arent words to describe how horrible hearing that was.  That there was no chance of this not happening again and every chance that it would always happen.  So, we made the decision that no matter what, even if the baby was in a bad position, we would do a preventative cerclage at 11w with every pregnancy, since we really dont have a choice.  This pregnancy, I went into the hospital and had the procedure and spent the night.  THe twins were great before and fine after.  It's been a month and things still seem really good.  I am starting to get anxious because this Friday (2 days from now) is gestationally when I went into labor with Nicholas.  The next three weeks are going to be rough ones and I am praying that the cerclage really will hold.  It's a Shirakgar (sp) and has a good reputation.  Let's hope it lives up to that.

I'm sorry this is so long.  I could have given you the simple answer, but sometimes I just cant write the short version.

[grace2joy]

My first 2 cerclages, i was on limited activity (but not bedrest)

My 3rd cerclage I was on bedrest almost the whole time.

I know it is challenging being on bedrest.

 

[mom2boys1997]

I have had two cerclages. I spent lots of time on bed rewst and even hospitial bed rest.

Remember, it really is for a short period of time, it just seems long when you are in the mi9st of it.

I hope you have good friends who can visit, help cleqan your home, bring meals over.

During my confinement 9 and a half years ago my church was my life line. The ladies bought food, cleaned,and scrubbed my toliet, played with my then two year old son. Bought me books to read, I would have died with out my support and also would have had a tiny preemie or he would not have made it at all.

If you do not have a church, contact a MOPS group, Mothers of Preschoolers, or a local church, or find a local mothering group on line.  There are wonderful women around who are more than willing to help you.

[ngarciaf]

Everyone, thanks for your replies. im still on bedrest, hopefully in two days they will be able to tell me how much longer I will be like this. The hardest part is that I dont really have a suppor group, all my friends and family is so far away, its usually my partner and my dog...my home at times loots like a tornado passed by it. My partner works long hours and it gets to a point where I need to get up and make me something to eat cause Im so starving. He is very supportive, but cant help much when he is working. Im also worried about missing all this time at work, since Im the main breadwinner. I just want a healthy baby boy that is born at full term.

[MiracleTwins]

I lost my 1st twins to IC.

My 2nd set of twins i changed docs and had a cerclage put in at 14wks. I was on bed rest from 14wk untill 32wks. babies came at 34wk via emergency c-sec, because the cord was starting to desend into the vagina cutting off air supply.l

Hang tight you can do this!!! Make short goals for yourself. Keep a calander and mark off each day you've stayed preg!!

Call up old friends, or make lists of what needs to be done and things you can to do when baby is here.

[nanjo33]

This is my second cerclage and I am on limited activity.