Today Lucy is viable as we are 24 weeks pregnant. I'm not feeling the small sense of relief that I was expecting.
I've been purposefully not writing about approaching today because I didn't want to jinx anything and have something go terribly wrong. While nothing has gone wrong, I had a scary day yesterday, so am not feeling any relief whatsoever.
Yesterday I felt contractions 13 times, and four of those were during my 20-minute shower. They only occurred while I was standing, but any contractions this early are scary. I tried to sit as much as possible yesterday, which meant a lot of TV for Gus. He didn't care, but I didn't feel like the best parent ever. I read up on Braxton Hicks contractions and decided that I needed to make sure I wasn't dehydrated. I'm usually not a "thirsty" person, so getting 64oz of fluids in each day is a real challenge, and I'm usually happy if I get 40. So, yesterday I made sure to drink, drink, drink. I also told Jon what was going on around noon, so he knew that I would want to sit on the couch for as much as possible when he was home.
After pushing fluids (by the time I went to bed I had consumed 60oz), I noticed that I wasn't having as many, but my nerves were still on edge. This morning, I had 2 contractions during my shower and already had plans to call the OB's office when they opened at 8:30am. While leaving the message for the nurse, the receptionist suggested I keep resting until I spoke with the nurse. She called back about 1.5hours later and said that 13 BH in 24 hours is a lot less than is typical during pregnancy, that I need to make sure I stay hydrated, and that I rest when I can.
So, I've been plopped on the couch or the floor, watching TV and playing board games with Gus today. And as of right now (3pm central time) I've had 44oz of fluid, and have only had 3 contractions all day. But, they only happen when I'm standing and I've done very little of that. I mean, I can't just stay on the couch for the next 15 weeks! So, I'm going to make a bigger effort to drink at least 60oz of fluid each day, which is difficult because I don't want to drink juice (all the carbs that I'd need to take insulin for) or a bunch of artificial sweeteners (I know they're safe in moderation, but 60oz a day during pregnancy isn't something I'm willing to risk), and I don't like plain water. So, if anyone out there has any ideas of how to help me drink more water, I'll gladly take suggestions!
This is not the post I wanted to have for reaching 24w. I wanted to be able to say how excited I was that we've reached this milestone. I wanted to say that I know we have a long way to go before we want Lucy to be born, but I was happy that we've reached viability. And while I do feel those things, the feeling of how I don't trust my body is stronger than those happier feelings.
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| That's Gus' hand. As much as he said he was sad that he wasn't getting a brother, he sure does seem to love Lucy. |
I'm sorry to hear you're having contractions, that must be scary. I hope the fluids help and they slow down AND you are able to move around more. While laying on the couch sounds like a nice break for a little while, I am sure it sucks to be stuck there. Have you tried water with lemon or squeezing a little orange in it? I also do not like plain water and all those water flavorings you can buy have artificial sweeteners in them so I put orange slices or lemon slices in water. You could also try cucumber slices.
ReplyDeleteI've not tried using fruit, because I need to be concerned about taking insulin for any carbohydrates that I eat. How many slices of orange would you suggest I try for 24oz of water?
DeleteFur Momma beat me to it. Add fruit slices!! It works VERY well! I hate plain water too!
ReplyDeleteI know. Any "off" taste makes me not want to drink any!
DeleteI don't blame you for being nervous! Prayers things calm down. Even braxton hicks can be scary!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
DeleteFirst of all, congratulations on reaching 24 weeks. I wish it could be more relieving for you. I have really not enjoyed the taste of water lately so this is what I've been doing: 1) adding fresh lemons or lemon juice, 2) making iced tea, lots and lots of iced tea (I get the decaf and herbal varieties to keep the tastes interesting), and 3) doing other infusions (you can buy a cheap infuser and then put in whatever you want - I tend to go for cucumber or frozen fruits, or sometimes mint or basil, this gives a slight flavor but without any extra calories or sweetness). Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Katie. I'll look into these suggestions to see how they fit in with managing my diabetes.
DeleteCongrats on making it here! I totally understand not wanting to write beforehand. And I'm so sorry about the scary contractions. In a way, though with different details, I can relate - I feel quite a bit of pelvic pressure whenever I walk for more than, oh, 15min. My cervix looks great, which is the most important part, but it's still uncomfortable and scary. Hang in there. Here's hope for full-term rainbows.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. Anything "off" puts us on edge, right? Ir makes me wish I had enough money for all the medical equipment so I could check on Lucy at any instant from home!
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