I got hospitalized for severe dehydration and hectic contractions

Well yesterday was quite the rollercoaster ride. It all started around 9:00 am. I took a shower, but when I got out of the shower I didn't feel so good. I had what I thought might be a cramp from diarrhea about to start. It lasted maybe 10 minutes. I went downstairs and prepared my usual lame breakfast of cheerios and a handful of almonds. I was hit with a very strong cramp. And the cramp didn't go away! I messaged my husband upstairs and told him I was cramping. I immediately logged when it started and when it ended. Then 10 minutes later, I got another one. This one lasted about 5 minutes. A third one came and I started to notice tears were rolling down my cheeks.

We logged the fourth and fifth one. I thought I might be having an upset stomach, but I tried to go #2 and nothing came out. By the time I logged the sixth one, I decided to call my specialist. They said I should call my OB first. If my OB wouldn't see me, they would let me come in. I called my OB and did my routine introduction, "I'm a patient there, I'm 32 weeks pregnant with a cerclage and history of incompetent cervix." I added, "I've been having severe pain / cramps for the last hour and there have been more than 4 in an hour. The nurse put me through to the nurses' voicemail. Of course in my mind I'm like WTF!!! Anyway - the voicemail message said they would call back in an hour. I repeated my little speech and waited.

30 minutes passed, and still no call back. At this point I Was in severe pain. I tried all the things they say to do, drink water, lay on your side, try to relax, etc and none of it was working. Out of frustration I called the OB back and told them my deal and said - I've already left a voicemail - no one called me back and I need to come in. Finally after a 10 minute wait on the phone, they said if you can be here by 11:30 - we'll see you.

DH packed an overnight bag in lightning speed and we hopped in the car. In the car I started crying. It was a combination of the waves of pain that were coming as well as just plain fear. The last time I raced to the hospital while pregnant - I ended up losing the baby and I just didn't want to go through that again. I got to the OB office and had to go through the whole routine. It was frustrating because I was contracting in the waiting room while waiting for them to see me. Then I had to walk to the first station to give a urine sample. Then walk to the second station to get weighed. Then I had to walk to the waiting room. All the while I'm contracting. They called my name and moved me to an examination room. They tell me to get undressed. Oh no - more contractions! Finally the midwife comes in and says, let me ask the doctor if he wants me to examine you. She steps out - more contractions! Ugh! It felt like forever, but she returned and said - the doctor doesn't want me to examine you. We're going to give you an ultrasound and then admit you to labor and delivery. So please get dressed again and I'll take you to the ultrasound waiting room. I get dressed - and guess what - more contractions!!

In the ultrasound waiting room, DH and I are sitting there and two women walk in. I'm barely paying attention to their conversation, but I distinctly remember them basically badmouthing their friend who was dating an overweight woman with no ambition. Of course it was odd because they were both overweight... but hey ....who am I to judge. More contractions start. Finally the ultrasound tech calls my name. I get on the table and get an ultrasound. My cervix is still closed - PHEW! I start having contractions again while on the table. She looks at the baby - and she's looking good on the ultrasound - double PHEW! Oh this means I'm not in labor yet.

We go back to another waiting room. The midwife comes over, tells us how to walk over to Labor and Delivery.  She tells us that they are waiting for us and also arranges for me to have a diabetic lunch meal when I get there.  We make the trek through the heat and get over to Labor and Delivery. We do some paperwork. In the middle of doing the paperwork it hits me - we've just preregistered for the hospital. One more thing on my checklist done! Again the contractions start. They finally get me into a delivery room and they get me hooked up on the monitors. They also get a urine sample from me. The nurse brings me a jug of water and tells me to start drinking.

For a little while, I was feeling good. Then I got scared, that maybe once I'm finally under observation, my contractions will disappear and I'll look like one of those hypochondriacs who claim to be sick when they aren't. I lie there and the pains start again. The nurse comes in and confirms, "yes - you're having contractions". They tell me they are going to try giving me water first to see if that stops it. If not, they will give me an IV. If that doesn't work they will give me medication. She eventually comes back and says my urine sample shows me as being dehydrated. I drink a bottle of water, a jug of ice water, and even the unsweet tea from my lunch they gave me - and still no luck. I'm still contracting. I'm getting up every 10 minutes to go to the bathroom - but still no luck. And the contractions are still going.

The nurse decides to put an IV in. She struggles to get a vein. Once she finds one that she likes, the puts the IV in. It fails. It hurt like all hell to have her pushing that needle in and out trying to get my vein. I'm used to getting lidocaine to numb the area before they stick. She didn't do that. I start moaning in pain. She gives up and gets a senior nurse to try. The nurse tries the other hand. The same thing happens. They push and pull the needle in and out but no luck. At this point I have bruises on both arms from attempts to get an IV in. The nurses conclude they need to pull in the IV specialist team.

During this entire time I'm still trying to guzzle water and the contractions aren't going away. FInally after an hour, the IV specialist shows up. She was really pleasant. We spoke a bit about epideurals and her advice was get the pain meds if you can. She'd done a pregnancy with and without and swore she'd never deliver without again. She started looking for a vein. It took her quite a while but she was able to get it and to get an IV in. FINALLY! The nurse comes in and starts running the IV into my arm. My contractions start slowing down. My mood definitely started improving. The midwife came to see me and talked to me a bit about how I may have gotten dehydrated. She explained that in my case, the traditional 60 ounces of water a day might not be enough. She suggested no less than 80 ounces but ideally I should drink as much as I can tolerate even if I live in the bathroom. She also offered to give me a drug by IV for pain and to calm my uterus. She explained that it was good that I came in. If I hadn't come in, it would have progressed to full labor.

They put that drug in my IV and I didn't feel anything until it was almost done. Then I suddenly lost all sense of balance. I also started dozing. I saw another nurse come in and tell me I was being released. DH walked me over to the bathroom to pee again. I could barely walk. He had to help me get dressed. I remember him walking me back to the wheelchair and I plopped down but my head was still spinning. I remember being walked out of the hospital and we waited for him to pull up. DH took me home, I believe we stopped to pick up sandwiches. I stayed in the car. I dozed off while sipping water, and spilled water down the front of my shirt. In fact I think it spilled out of my mouth. He brought me a sandwich. I took some bites, but I dozed off mid bite and the food nearly fell out of my mouth. DH woke me up before it did. I passed out a few times on the drive home and I remember walking into the house.

So here I am the next morning. I'm on the couch, guzzling water, and hoping for the best. I have 4 weeks until my cerclage comes out - well now under 4 weeks, and I'm just grateful for every day that we get.