Bedrest - technicalities of how we got here

I realized after reading the last entry that I didn't really explain why or how we ended up on bed rest, or in the hospital for that matter.  I was going to post this after getting home, but now I'm back in the hospital again so figured I'd complete the (hopefully concise) summary.  If medical details aren't your thing you may want to skim this one.  Either way, I'm inpatient again and likely here to stay for a while.

To review, I was told we had a "low lying" placenta @ 16wks when we ended up in the ER with bleeding; was given light duty/activity restrictions.  The intermittent spotting continued until about 20 wks. Then we had our formal high detail anatomy scan and confirmed a complete placenta previa. Since the spotting had essentially stopped at that point we continued with the light duty/pelvic rest. 

Skip ahead to 24 weeks when without warning I had "significant" bleeding, which fortunately resolved relatively quickly.  But considering how early this still was, the chance for it to start up again and the timing of monitoring & interventions for both me and baby, I was kept in the hospital for a full week.  The first few days were a flurry of studies, meds, labs and consults as we went through the entire run down of the plan for worst case scenario which involved all the details of having to deliver at 24 weeks.  I underwent a series of ultrasounds, an MRI to look closer at the placenta since the possibility of having placenta accreta (besides the known previa) not only is increased in my case, but also raises some of the risk factors surrounding delivery.  Fortunately there was no evidence of that on the MRI, although no imaging study is perfect.  I also received steroid injections to help the baby.  Consults were with the NICU team, high risk Maternal-Fetal medicine specialists and gyn-onc surgeons (who apparently are backup in surgical cases that are "complex" which includes a potential hysterectomy at delivery in the setting of hemorrhage and disrupted anatomy due to enlarged uterus/blood vessels).  Physical therapy gave me options to do while on bed rest for hopefully the following 14 wks.  So like I said a flurry of information, prompting the needed emotional outlet of my last post. 

Since everything stayed quiet during that week, I live quite close to the hospital, and am deemed a reliably compliant patient, they let me home on bed rest.  I was home for 9 days and just getting mentally adjusted to home bed rest (ie - leaving the dishes/laundry/chores, adjusting to what I couldn't do with the family etc) when I had another "real" bleed, bringing us back to the hospital. Fortunately that episode also stopped, but now I expect to be hospitalized until I deliver. I am 27w 2d today.  Short term goal has been getting to 28 wks, with the ultimate goal of getting to 36-38 wks for a scheduled C section.  Of course a part of me hopes I have a chance to get home again for some time, but each day I accept a bit more that isn't going to happen.