Hospital Scare

For the past couple of days, I haven't been feeling too well.  Yesterday it seemed worse than the days before.  I was feeling a lot of constant pressure and lower back pain.  I decided to call Kaiser and see what they wanted me to do.  I was expecting them to tell me to just lay down and rest.  Did that happen?  Nope!  The OB that was on call told me that I needed to go to the hospital.

So about 11:00 at night, Troy got dressed and he took me to Saint Agnes Hospital (the hospital where I will deliver).  We arrived at the Emergency Room and notified that desk attendant that the Labor and Delivery unit was expecting me.  They called L&D, and shortly after I was wheeled up to that unit.  I told them I could walk, but they said it's policy to be wheeled in. 

I checked in at the L&D unit desk, and they got me situated in an exam room (not a regular delivery room).  The nurse came in, gave me a gown, told me to pee in a cup, and then to lay down on the hospital bed (which was VERY uncomfortable).  She then left, and came back a few minutes later.  She took my urine to be tested for a possible urinary tract infection or bladder infection.  Then she put heart monitors on my belly to check the heart beats of our boys.  She chuckled a few times because Troy warned her that one is extremely active.....and was he ever right.  Baby T.J. kept on kicking the heart monitor.  It was pretty funny.  The heartbeats were fantastic, so no worries there.

Next step....hook me up to the machine that monitors contractions.  I was sitting on a mat that was on the bed, and it was rather itchy, so it made it that much more uncomfortable.  Anyways, once I was hooked to the machine, the nurse said she wanted me to be monitored for about 20 minutes.  When she came back to check the results, she said I had a few contractions, but nothing to be extremely concerned about.  Next thing was the doctor coming in.  He checked my cervix to see if it was dilated.  Fortunately, it was completely closed!  But boy, did it ever hurt when he checked.  It felt like he shoved his whole fist up there!  (TMI, I know!!).

Apparently I have what they call an irritable uterus.  I'm not 100% sure what that means, so I'm still trying to figure it out myself.  What I have read thus far, is that it does increase my chances of pre-term labor, so that has me a bit worried.  I also understood it to mean that I will have frequent mild contractions that I probably won't feel.  I learned that an irritable uterus can be caused by stress, dehydration, lifting objects, and being tired.  Hmmm.....I have at least 3 of those!  All I can do is try to eliminate those things so I can have a healthy, full term pregnancy.  After all, we want healthy babies!!!   :)