Spring Break & Bedrest

Three years ago during spring break, I was supposed to begin analyzing data for my dissertation. I took a few days off at the beginning of the week to celebrate my birthday, went in for a *normal* OB check-up and was told I wouldn't be going home without a baby. With high blood pressure and pre-e setting in, it was time for us to meet Miss Eden.

This week during LSU's spring break, I was supposed to begin grading 50 final projects for one of my classes. I took a few days off at the beginning of the week to celebrate Easter week with an egg hunt and brunch at our house, "relaxed" and cleaned up the house while E and G were in Mobile, and on Tuesday ended up having to be checked out at the hospital because my blood pressure had started to climb. While I was admitted to the hospital for observation for 24 hours, at least this go round I was sent home to bedrest.

It has been an eerily similar experience. Looking back on things, it seems clear now that the pre-eclampsia set in between my 34 and 36 week appointments with Eden. We just didn't know to be looking for anything at the time and thought the swelling was a normal symptom of pregnancy. This time because of finding out about the MTHFR gene abnormality and the pre-e last time, I have been checking my blood pressure at home for over a month. I hit the 34 week mark on Monday, and I think simply caught the earliest indication of things while checking my bp at home.

Being in the hospital for 24 hours this week and barely moving at all really showed me how much I was doing when I thought I was "taking it easy." Here is what I did on my relaxing day at home on Monday waiting for G and E to get home from Mobile:

• 4 loads of laundry
• cleaned our room and put up clothes
• cleaned out winter maternity clothes from my closet
• organized maternity clothes to return to friends
• made one trip to Wal-Mart
• put up the new lamp in the den
• organized and cleaned out the back cabinets with the new storage bins from Wal-Mart
• sorted through E's artwork from school
• finished our monthly budget
• checked the mail
• rested on the couch for lunch and my snacks

No wonder my legs hurt at the end of the day. I know I have only been on bed rest for 4 days, but it seems like a blessing in disguise. I am able to continue working with my feet propped up with grading projects, etc., and a few gracious colleagues are facilitating my final few classes so that I can remain at home. I know that I am doing everything I can to help this baby grow as long as possible before meeting the world, and I do not have to worry as much about my own health. Being at home, I get to see E and Graham throughout the day and still lie on Eden's bed at night to tell her about her day.

Thankfully, Momma was scheduled to arrive the day after I was released from the hospital, so Eden has been getting plenty of attention and activity. With E going to Jackson for the week tomorrow, I know I will be able to fully rest and work next week. I am feeling really blessed today.

- ashley