Last Wednesday at 26 weeks and 5 days, I went into l&d contracting every 5-6 minutes which quickly turned to every 3 minutes once I got to the hospital. My local hospital shipped me to a bigger hospital in Indianapolis that night because I dilated to 1.5cm. Steroid shots, Magnesium sulfate, terbutaline shots, morphine, and Indocin and a big bolus of more magnesium sulfate all eventually worked to slow down my contractions but not till I got to about 3cm dilated. That hospital sent me home last Friday with instructions to take Procardia every six hours. No bedrest, just take it easy and no exercising.

The Procardia mostly worked to keep the contractions at bay, but they always came back over that weekend by the five hour mark - a whole hour before my next dose was due, and then would take an hour to start working.

By Monday morning, I called my Ob about the returning contractions and we decided to start taking the meds every four hours instead. Except I started contracting every 3-4 minutes just two hours into the last dose of procardia. So, back to the hospital where I stayed till yesterday morning. Again with terb shots, morphine and indocin, but thankfully not the mag that time, and the contractions were stopped.

Anyway, I’m back home yet again. 27 weeks today. And my Ob said I don’t need to be on bedrest, still. Is this a new thing? Because I went into preterm labor with my son 8 years ago at 32 weeks - one week in the hospital and then two and a half more weeks at home on strict bedrest before my water broke and he was born at 35wks and 5 days.

I’ve basically put myself on bedrest because I don’t have contractions when I’m laying down, and whenever I stand up they come back. Thankfully I work from home, so I can work still. But have protocols changed that much in 8 years? I’m really confounded that none of the medical professionals I’ve seen have mentioned bedrest - and I’ve even asked about it specifically, just to be told no need, just don’t exercise.