Bed Rest - The Last Stage

I spent a lot of time last week hooked up to this particular machine (at right). Two sensors go around my stomach - one to monitor the baby's heart rate, and another to monitor contractions. The machine goes through piles and piles of paper.

How did it get to this point? Just before Week 31, I woke up in the middle of the night and dragged myself to the bathroom for the millionth time - to discover lots of blood. Anna was in Omaha helping with her stepdad (who's at home on hospice care right now). I calmly changed, packed a small bag, got in my car, and drove to the hospital. [Note: don't do this if this happens to you - call the ambulance - I was reamed out at the hospital for doing this.]

So bleeding is pretty much the norm with placenta previa - there can be anywhere from a little spotting, to life-threatening huge amounts of bleeding from the placenta breaking away from the uterus.

I was lucky. They kept me for 4 days to monitor the situation and then we got sprung from the hospital, only to face BED REST at home. I recline. I recline more. I get up to the bathroom (wooeeee!). I get yelled at by Anna ("Are you getting up? Do NOT get up!"). I eat. I recline. I sleep. I'm working about 3-4 hours a day, reading, reading reading, visiting with friends, and so far I've watched more tv than I have in probably the last 5 years combined. I'm actually looking foward to the new fall line-up. Kind of pathetic, but there you have it.