Hi Ladies,
Hope you're all well, you all sound like you're doing amazingly.
Jessi- you have done so well to get to 26 weeks and have the steroid shots with baby's head low down. There must be some strength there, as Lizzie said, and the bed rest in hospital will hopefully gain you some cervical length. You are in the best place, as much as it is difficult to be there, and you seem so upbeat, which will really help you. Good luck.
Sunkiss- the most common times to be on bed rest are post stitch, and then during the mid 20's when the growing baby puts pressure on a weak cervix. However, with a preventative stitch, you have so much more hope going for you, and there have been many ladies on here with a stitch placed before any cervical changes have occurred, and have carried on with their pregnancies relatively normally. That said, it is important to rest up wherever possible, be horizontal as much as you can to take the weight off your cervix and allow the stitch to do it's job. Also, make sure that you drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, which will prevent contractions and ward off dreaded uti's. You should be fine at work, but you must not be afraid to mention to your doctor if you feel uncomfortable being at work, both physically and psychologically, this is your baby and you need to fell supported. Couple that with the tvu's you will be getting, and you and bubs will be in safe hands.
Congrats on your sticth Selena. Just as I've said to sunkiss, you have done the best possible thing. Bed rest is hard work, but you can get through it, distraction is the key, tv, dvd's, magazines and lots of tlc. Good luck.
Kate- hope you're feeling better, not long now....how exciting!
Lizzie- oh I so feel for you, I am a terrible cook and I always stress that I've undercooked something, or given my DH something that was out of date. My children are used to me overcooking their food, as i'm terrified of poisoning them. I was obsessive about this during pregnancy, and then weaning Bella and previously Oliver, so I understand your worry. I have panicked myself to the point (whilst non-preggo) that I have made myself sick through worry, (not a way I'd advise to solve the problem!)Anyway, my logic agrees with Kate, you would have been sick by now if you were going to be, speaking from experience with seafood that I ate in a restaurant once, it didn't hang around long enough when it decided to make a reappearance! It was literally, the worst value for money meal I have even eaten as it only lasted 3 hours! DH wasn't impressed lol. Also, I have always thought that shellfish being ever so slightly put of date is the most likely to cause a stomach upset, and something like cod was not as risky, even if out of date. I don't know if I'm thinking about this too much, but that's the reason why some religions forbid foods like shellfish, as typically, in hotter climates, it is difficult to store without "going off" and posing a health risk. If it were truly unsuitable for eating, you would have been overcome by the smell, I'm sure. Good luck and don't panic.
