Do I Really Need to be Hospitalized?

[sunnylove]

I have incompetent cervix. I am almost 26 weeks pregnant, and have been on bed rest now for almost 7 weeks, 3 of those in the hospital now. I seriously want to leave and carry out the rest of my bed rest at home. They have basically given me no hope of leaving until possibly 32 weeks (that's 6+ more weeks!).

I seriously am considering leaving. I'm here because I have no cervix left (it's been immeasurable for almost 4 weeks now) and I'm funneled to my cerclage stitch (placed at 19 weeks), so am 100% effaced and have been for 3+ weeks. I have also been fingertip dilated for at least 7 weeks now. But baby is doing great, and like my doc said, this condition isn't one that puts the baby at risk (like pre-eclamsia, high blood pressure and other conditions would), the risk is just for premature labor.

BUT... I have not had any contractions or gone into labor at all. I had frequent Braxton Hicks after I had my surgery, but I think it was due to the surgery making my uterus irritable because it stopped after a couple weeks and I haven't had any since. I have had no bleeding (except very light spotting at 22w5d). Baby is doing wonderfully and is already weighing above average.

Unfortunately my doctor just went on a 2-week vacation so I'm not sure I feel comfortable having this conversation with whatever on-call doctor is here. However, I personally don't feel there's any point in my being here. Since nothing is happening, and you can only monitor a perfectly developing baby so much, I just don't see why I can't carry out the rest of my bed rest at home. I am doing nothing differently here than I would at home and I am also no longer getting cervical exams/measurements. I feel like there have been women in a similar situation to me who have not been hospitalized for this.

I live 5 miles from the hospital (this hospital has a level 3 NICU) and the only thing we're looking for is my water breaking, which does not equal baby immediately falling out of me. I would have plenty of time to get to the hospital in that type of event. I am too far along now for the baby to just fall out of me like it might at 16-20 weeks.

So what do you ladies think I should do? Do I bring up some valid points? Would I be a bad mom for going against doctor's orders?

 

[girlinyork]

If it were me, I'd definitely stay in. I know you said the risk is "just for premature labor" but at 27 weeks that risk comes with other potential risks. Because of the IC baby could come very suddenly if/when they do and they've need immediate intubating and incubating to breathe and survive - something you can't actually do at home. At the end of the day, I imagine you're free to discharge yourself, but I'd say you're in the safest place for you and baby at the moment x

 

[25weeker]

I personally wouldn't as nothing is worth risking your baby's life for. I was hospitalised at 21 weeks and I was there a month before I went into labour. The doctor told me they would keep me to 32 weeks then I would be transferred to my local hospital as I was over 300 miles from home and they would want my local hospital to keep me in too. As uncomfortable as the hospital was I wanted to give my babies best chance.

 

[imthatgirl]

In most cases I'm very anti-hospital, but in this situation, based on the info you've given, I would stay in. It's great that you're not having any contractions right now but your risk is quite high that it could start. If you discharge yourself and go home maybe you'll be fine, but what if you do go into preterm labor? You would be wasting valuable time. Once you realized what was happening you'd have to get yourself to the hospital, get admitted, be checked, and then treated. And what if there was a complication with getting to the hospital? Everyone has had their car not start, or get a flat tire, at the worst possible moment. Murphy's Law. And at your gestation the labor could very likely be VERY fast. Is that something worth risking? Not in my opinion.

 

[TTC First]

I would also say stay in. I have been in the hospital for about a week and yes, it sucks. But....if it means that you will have a lifetime of happiness, it's worth a couple days/weeks of your life.
I know it's a very boring place to be. Maybe you could get a NetFlix subscription and watch movies. There are several free online universities, maybe you could do an online course. Knitting is not too hard, maybe you could learn to make a blanket that will always remind you of the sacrifice you made to bring your child into the world.

 

[Dream.dream]

I would stay in for one it will be different because at home you'll be more likely to be tempted to do things that could put you at risk. Also if something were to happen you'd be better off in the hospital with doctors seconds away then having to be rushed to the hospital

 

[Dinah93]

As a mum of a 28 weeker who spent 101 days in hospital trust me, it is 1000x times better for you to stay in now than to see your child going through all those procedures and confined to a perspex box later. I would give just about anything to be able to turn back time and take it easier, not think that I feel fine so I'll just do x,y,z. There is nothing I wouldn't do to buy my baby an extra day on the inside, even for a slight chance of an extra day and I'd do it. It's so, so hard to be visiting the hospital every day to see your baby, then walking away and leaving them, it's horrible. A 26 weeker would likely be in for even longer than my 28 weeker was, although there is no exact science to it, do everything in your power to minimize that risk, rather than rationalize it. While preemies can do well from early gestations, it is an emotionally draining road and lots of preemies still have challenges even years later, you don't want to risk going down that path any earlier than you need to.

 

[babyhopes2010]

Stay in! id find it impossible too as i have a toddler but if i didnt id def stay in. its not long really and the risks are way too high. I mean as harsh as it sounds this could be difference between life and death. and u need to make sacrifices and think of ur baby not urself

I know if i were at home id be doing things as we all do we cant help ourselves

 

[d_b]

I am sure hospital bedrest is awful but it's really for the best. It is hard to stay on strict bedrest at home with no one watching you. I know it's not like you would immediately go into labour because you are on home bedrest but it's not worth the risk if your doctors think you might deliver early.

Why don't you ask about going home around 36 weeks and then you'd have something to look forward to?

 

[bellaxgee]

i would definitely stay. as miserable as you are, just the car ride alone can put you into labor. keep that baby cooking as long as you can. it will be worth it in the end when you can bring your healthy baby home with you hang in there hun!

 

[laila 44]

My god! No cervix left?? Wow. No question about staying in hospital. If anything should happen and you would take a chance and go home you would never forgive yourself xx

 

[sunnylove]

Thanks for all the responses, ladies. You bring up some valid points.

Laila, I'm not the type that would blame myself for anything because there is no way to know if x, y or z made my water break, or put me into labor etc. There's no way to know if my water was going to break anyway at the same moment I sneezed. My doc brought up that point too, but it's not an issue with me.

I would agree with all of you if I was contracting, they were having to stop labor, I was bleeding, leaking, etc. But I've been perfectly stable for 3 weeks here now. And I don't cheat on bed rest at home. I was on bed rest for 4 weeks before coming to the hospital and I only got up to use the bathroom and shower every 2 days. I don't have any children or pets, nor do we have stairs on our home so I never cheated, I was always laying down.

That said, I think I will stay here until the doctors say I can go home (which will hopefully be 32 weeks)...