Unplanned Medical Attention

I have uneventful pregnancies, last night changed things a bit.

I woke up at 5am with a very sore and tender stomach/back. I got up (painfully) and used the bathroom, turned on a heating pad, repositioned my pillows and tried to get comfortable. It was difficult. I remember in my state of exhaustion and pain just wanting to cry in frustration. I haven't been sleeping well at all lately, and LEL has been getting up at 6am recently, thus providing this mama with not much rest.
I was able to sleep for another 45mins or so and once I got up, I knew it would be a long day. My stomach felt like I had pulled all my surrounding muscles, creating no way to elevate my discomfort. What had I done the day before that may have caused this torture? I did crawl all over LEL's bed washing her sheets and remaking the bed. It's pressed up against the wall, making it quite tricky to maneuver around. Perhaps I pulled a ligament or muscle group that way.
I tried to go about my day somewhat normally, but every move was incredibly achy and sore. I looked things up online, most of the time I do find this helpful. This time I couldn't find anything conclusive. Quite a few people have had this issue around their 30th week. Some said it was nothing, the doctors found nothing wrong, others had gallbladder infections, a few had the beginnings of pre-term labor, and some poor mommies had miscarriages.
This was not helpful. I could feel baby A moving around frequently and purposefully so I wasn't too concerned with the last possibility...but most of the options were not looking good. I sat for awhile, trying to gauge my levels of pain, if there were any contractions, any spikes in pain, etc. I couldn't detect anything. If I sat really still I felt fine, but this included not breathing...and I kind of need to breathe. I took a nap laid down while Lorelai slept and I hoped that would help.
It had to be muscular, right? Maybe laying down would help some? A was still moving around just fine, still no contractions...I didn't want to be that person, who calls the doctor over something pointless, who freaks out if the slightest thing seems off. I put it off and hoped my pain would dissipate after some serious hydration and a warm shower after dinner. The pain was more concentrated now, my right side, just under my rib cage. "Well, maybe I was laying down at a weird angle?"

...Then the fever came.

Great.

I checked my sheet of paper the OB hands out about "when to call the doctor." At or over 100.4°, call the office; constant abdominal pain, seek immediate medical treatment.

My heart dropped. What have I done? I waited all day. Did I hurt the baby? What is going on?

Chris instantly agreed, we needed to go in to the hospital now. I called my mom, and she thankfully came over right away to sit with LEL.

Once at the ER they sent me straight upstairs to labor and delivery. Sitting in the room with the baby warmer scared me a bit. "Please Lord, don't let this baby come tonight...but more importantly, don't let her life be in danger." I sat there for about 20mins with fetal monitors strapped on to my tummy. The nurse called my OB and after some observation and vitals recorded, they determined baby A was just fine. I had no contractions, no dilation. I was discharged from upstairs and was sent back to the ER.

That was a longer wait.

To speed up things: blood was taken, IV started, sonogram preformed...everything came back perfectly normal. By this time my fever was gone, though I was still in pain. No one could pinpoint the issue. The offered me Rx pain killers, but I wasn't comfortable with that...plus, I hadn't taken any pain reliever all day and I was surviving, I turned it down and went home.

So, no kidney stones or infection, no gallbladder stones or infection (this was the initial concern), no visible inflammation, no nothing. Just a healthy baby girl (now head down, face down). I was happy nothing was seriously wrong, but frustrated I was in pain for no discernible reason.

I popped in a couple tylenol when I got home...at 1:15am (so grateful for my mom in times like these) and tried to sleep. LEL was not a sound sleeper, but by the time I got up this morning, I felt better. I am still sore and tender, but not nearly the amount I was experiencing yesterday. I didn't take anymore tylenol all day so I could gauge my pain some more, luckily things stayed at bay.
I talked to my OB's nurse, and I don't have to go in until my already-scheduled appointment next Wednesday.

Let's hope this is the only form of excitement I experience until Adalaide is way closer to her due date.


M.LEWIS