After I left the hospital, I was on strict orders to remain on the sofa except for the toilet and shower. I could only leave the house if I went into labour.
I was still taking medication for the hypertension I was experiencing during pregnancy and was also still on antibiotics.
My family came to visit and fussed over me, which was very nice. My mum (a nurse and ex-midwife) urged me to use my abdominal muscles as little as possible, and I dismissed it as nagging. That was not very smart on my part.
I was waited on by my husband and my family. I watched movies, read books, and even called the boss to pick up some work. She must have thought I was mad! But I needed the distraction and mental occupation desperately. I was only mildly concerned about the baby at this stage. I was more anxious about lying down in the same position hour after hour, day after day, potentially for ten more weeks. I was beginning to get serious cabin fever.
I began thinking that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the baby were to come out soon. Of course, I knew on some level that it was not good for the baby to come out too soon, but nobody had explained the situation to me completely. In fact, many nurses went out of their way to reassure me that if the baby did come out, he would be absolutely fine in the NICU. I’m sure this was just so that I wouldn’t completely freak out, because in reality, I had very little control over the situation.
So I continued to think that in some ways (meaning, in ways that would suit me!) it would be better if the baby came out. In my head, I imagined a miniature baby cooing in a humidicrib for a few weeks.
One week after my waters first broke, my husband was preparing a dinner of minestrone using one of my favourite recipes. We were just about to sit down for dinner when I went to the bathroom. There was blood – it was a show. I felt a wave of panic, and called out ‘We have to go to the hospital, now!’ We immediately left for the hospital, and went straight to the maternity ward.
Again, I felt a rush of panic and excitement, but this time I also felt some fear.
Tags: bed rest, Hypertension in pregnancy, PPROM, preterm premature rupture of membranes
