Modified bedrest in Pregnancy

I worked Monday evening and around 6pm ended up with the worst headache I’ve had in a long time. I took two Tylenol and I had the med nurse check my blood pressure. It ended up being 130/78- totally within normal range but particularly high for me (I usually sit between 109-115/60-70). I worked the rest of my shift and by the end of it noticed that my ankles, feet, neck, and face were all pretty swollen and I wasn’t feeling quite like myself. That, and the headache still hadn’t gone away.

I went home and went right to sleep, hoping that I’d sleep the head ache off and the swelling would be gone before my OB appointment in the AM. I woke up several times throughout the night, still with the headache, and finally pulled myself out of bed at 7 and got into the shower. I took two more Tylenol, drank some water, and headed to my appointment around 8. The swelling in my feet was still pretty bad and my face looked pretty bad too.

I get weighed in at my appointment and I’ve gained nearly 6 pounds in the past week. When Ginny came into the room she immediately noticed my swelling and asked me all of the usual questions. Had I been drinking enough, do I get to put my feet up, am I dizzy, nauseous, etc. I explained that all I do throughout the day is sit and drink water, and that while I wasn’t dizzy or nauseous, I had had a headache the prior day that lasted through the night. At this point it had finally gone away and my blood pressure was sitting at 118/80.

She then asked me when I was planning on leaving work. I told her that I really wanted to make it at least until the week I was due. She said that could still happen, but that I was to take the next 2 days off of work on modified bedrest to see if we could get the swelling down. She checked baby and everything looks fine there, but she didn’t like the fact that I had a headache that Tylenol hadn’t touched, especially since I wasn’t dehydrated.

So I left the appointment, had some labs drawn, handed my boss my doctors note, and I have to be back in the office Thursday at 1 for a BP check and to decide whether or not I’m going back to work. I really don’t want to be out this early. It screws with my whole plan of not returning to work until after the New Year but I’m obviously going to do whatever it takes to keep Oliver and I healthy. I may talk to my boss about only working part time for the next few weeks if Ginny thinks that would be doable… but at this point I’m just hoping that my BP is normal tomorrow and that I can keep the swelling in my feet down.

Yesterday I went swimming at Marie’s mom’s place and Amy came by and rubbed my feet and ankles and those two things combined really did the trick. At the end of the night I had no swelling and I didn’t feel any pressure. I know I can’t get in a pool every day, but I do have a husband who will gladly rub my feet for me, so I hope that, combined with lots of water and not much moving around, will keep the swelling at bay.

20 days. Just 20 more days and then I can take my leave. Oy.