rocky road

**warning... this post contains graphic details. do not read if squeamish***

After the last OB appointment, I'd say things were going fine. Although the Tylenol didn't really touch the headaches, they started to subside - and to be frank, I haven't had one in a few days. (KNOCK on wood)

But Sunday night, during my festival of getting up to pee every hour and a half, I noticed some spotting. By Monday morning, it was gone, and I wrote it off as no big deal. Fast forward to Monday night... I'd say it went beyond spotting to bleeding, and did not lessen Tuesday morning. So - like a good little pregnant mommy, I called my OB. Unfortunately, I was going to need an ultra sound, and the ultra sound tech for my doctor's office was out for the day at a funeral, so my OB sent me to the hospital (Norman Regional) to get things checked out.

Now, as most of you know... I am stubborn. I MADE Alex go to work. I didn't know at the time that I would end up going to the hospital, I figured that I'd be seen at my OB's office, and it would be no big thing. Turned out, not only did I wind up at the hospital, but because I am only 17 weeks, I wound up in the ER.

I'd say this was the point where I not only started to get nervous, but the same point at which I began to SERIOUSLY regret sending Alex to work. Marmee offered to drive up, but I thought by the time she could get here - I'd be released. Laura would have come to sit with me too... But again, my bull-headed self didn't want to inconvenience anyone.

So I went to the ER by myself. The nurse and doctor were both super nice, and they checked everything from blood to urine to an ultra sound where the doctor had to struggle to get Sprout to be still long enough to read a heartbeat. The heartbeat was strong (130-140 range) and the fact that Sprout was still squirming all over the place had a calming effect on me. (Also - super fun side note: the doctor was able to see one of Sprout's feet, and it had all five toes on it!)

The blood tests came back fine, urine test showed a slight urinary tract infection - for which the doctor put me on an antibiotic - and I was released after a total of about 2 hours.

I followed up with a call to by OB, and was given the instruction to rest, increase fluids (sigh) and call if there were any changes such as a brighter red color to the bleeding, or an increase in amount of bleeding.

Now, to last night... Around 9 I noticed that I was having some increased bleeding on my maxi (about 3/4 full at that point) and the color was definitely a bright red as opposed to the rust color it had been for the past 2 days.

Suffice it to say, I lost my cool. I started crying, Alex and I decided first to call Marmee... She said it was important that we call the on call nurse for the OB office, which we did. The on call nurse suggested that the ER wouldn't be the best option, because they would most likely start to poke and prod which would be the exact opposite of what we would want to do in this case, so unless the bleeding increased more from what it was, the best course of action would be to call the OB's office this morning, and try to get in and be seen there.

I have my appointment in about a half an hour.

I am emotionally drained. I am sore from forcing myself to stay on my left side last night. I am still really uneasy about this whole bleeding issue. (Partly because the ER doctor, when I asked him if he could tell if there were any danger to the baby said "Bleeding is a sign of danger" and THAT keeps echoing through my head) And I am worried because all of the doctors have confirmed that if the worst case scenario were to start to take place, at 17 weeks - there would be nothing they could do.

Now, on the upside... Marmee thinks that all this bleeding is probably related to the UTI, and if that's the case - it should be going away soon, because I've already taken 3 doses of the medicine.

I will post later on to let you know how the appointment goes this morning.

- mama g