Instead of Just Enjoying a Lazy Sunday Afternoon...

Instead of just enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon at home with my family, my body decided it was high time for a trip to Labor and Delivery. Today began just as any other Sunday -- I went to church, I visited with friends, I picked up some groceries. I planned to spend the overcast afternoon parked on the couch watching rented movies. Instead, I spent the afternoon at the hospital having a most through examination. Sometimes I hate my body.

Were I anyone else with any other history, I would have still had a lazy Sunday at home, but I am me and I have an extensive history that leads me to be very aware of what should and should not happen in a pregnancy -- at least not in my pregnancy -- so today, when I had a minimal amount of bleeding, I told James it was time to head in for a check up.

We had the best L&D nurse who listed carefully and took my otherwise dismissible complaint seriously. (He even asked if I was a nurse because of my use of the "lingo" -- haha!) More importantly, he made us comfortable in a concerning situation. He checked me in, hooked me up to the monitor, and called the on-call OB in my practice who said because of my transabdominal cerclage, the on-call MFM needed to come in for a scan -- we needed his level of expertise. When the nurse called the on-call MFM, he refused to come in since I was established in another practice (forget the fact that he was on-call and it was his job). He told the nurse to keep me overnight and he might pop in to see me during his morning rounds.

(Have I ever mentioned how I really dislike doctors with God complexes?)

Instead of making me spend the night as punishment for my practice choice, the nurse had the hospital sonographer come scan my cervix, and since the on-call MFM wouldn't do his job, the on-call OB came in to review the report and complete my exam. Fortunately, James and I know enough about my girl parts that once we saw the image on the screen, we knew I was okay. I wasn't contracting or in pain. The baby was moving and had a good, reactive heart rate. My cervical length was stable and coincided with my last doctor's appointment. The cerclage was holding fine and there was no internal bleeding either in the uterus or around the cervix. The bleeding I experienced was erroneous and not a cause for continuing concern.

The OB allowed me to go home, but as a precaution, he put me on modified bedrest until I see my MFM for my regularly scheduled appointment on Wednesday morning. The doctor and I are both fairly sure the MFM will remove that restriction, particularly since my cervix is completely unchanged, still, better safe than sorry. As for my continuing care, he also said that it's really time for me to move to weekly appointments, though I'm not sure my regular OB is ready for that. I'll see what my MFM says because ultimately he has the final say when it comes to my course of care.

I am so glad to be home and not in the hospital -- even for the night. I'm thankful for our good news and that there are no immediate threats to me or the baby. I'm grateful for compassionate L&D nurses, wise doctors, and this very effective transabdominal cerclage. I'm thankful that my house is (fairly) clean, and my laundry-lovin' mama was already planning to spend the day here tomorrow. I'm thankful for a precious husband who takes excellent care of me (and the kids and the pets and the dishes). I'm extraordinarily thankful for God's mercies that are new every morning, noon and night.

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

A View I Hope to Avoid for a Good Long While...