RE: Home Monitoring can be good
Mary J. S. Roth (rothm@lafvax.lafayette.edu)
Thu, 28 Mar 1996 14:46:01 -0500 (CDT)
Hi -
I haven't contributed much to this list except an intro and a few responses
to individuals, but I'm the mom to Emma and Sarah born at 31 weeks and a
home monitor made all the difference!
At my ob/gyn appointment around 27 weeks the doctor decided that I should go
on a home monitor (I was having braxton-hicks (sp.?) and I was worried. As
I left the nurse said it would probably arrive by the end of the week (this
was Tuesday afternoon). I told her that I was looking forward to its
arrival and the sooner the better! She took me seriously and decided to
rush the delivery. It arrived early the next day and the instructions said
to wait until the evening to do the "trial" run with the modem and all. On
the first run the service called me back immediately and said I had 13
contractions in the hour! I drank two big glasses of water and did it again
- 14 contractions and a quick trip to the emergency room. Thankfully,
though they could never really stop the labor (yes, it is possible to be in
labor for almost 4 weeks!) they were able to slow it considerably by
complete hospital bedrest (did I "hear" someone else talk recently about no
showers, no bathroom priveleges - and to add a bit of the insensitive, I had
the only room in L&D with a view of the shower!) and that nasty drug
ridadrine (I was on Mag for a day and maxed out with a complete toxic
reaction - throwing up without being able to move my head was an experience
I'll never want to repeat!).
I would recommend a home monitor to anyone who might be likely to go into
preterm labor - it allowed my girls to get the steroids and vitamin K over
a nearly four week period that
made their stay in NICU relatively uneventful (except for the RSV and a
nasty reflux problem - see previous post).
Mary
Mom to Emma and Sarah - due 3/5/95 born 12/31/94
P.S. Emma was to the pediatrician today - 15 lbs 6 oz!! We're so pleased
- I think I'll by stock in Carnation Instant Breakfast (Sarah weighed
in at over 21 lbs - she likes to eat...)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mary Roth, Ph.D., P.E.
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Lafayette College
Easton, PA 18042
Tel: 610-250-5427
Fax: 610-250-5059
E-mail: rothm@lafayette.edu