You may have read my post about our first visit to the hospital on Sunday. I was allowed to go home because my blood pressure was ok, and if they didn’t phone me that night/the next morning, my blood tests were ok and I was to see my community midwife as normal on Wednesday.

Graham had the day off work (thank god!) and took Harrison to school. Whilst he was picking him up just before lunch, I started to feel really unwell again. My feet were even more swollen that the day before, my headache was back, I still had ‘floaters’ in front of my eyes, and even more worryingly, I kept going dizzy. I phoned the midwife and a community midwife came out to the house shortly afterwards. I still had +1 protein showing in my urine, but my blood pressure had also gone up quite a lot. She phoned the assessment unit at the hospital and booked me in for a couple of hours later. I got straight on the phone and arranged for my mum to come home from work to look after the boys whist we went up.

My blood pressure was still on the slightly high side when it was taken at the hospital. I was monitored for a couple of hours, until a doctor said he thought I was developing pre-eclampsia, and so I needed to stay in to have my blood pressure monitored.

I was taken up the ward and settled into my new home for the next two days. The ward was quiet when I went in – just one other lady in the bed opposite with her newborn. Graham went home at this point – there wasn’t much he could do hanging around with me.  By bedtime, the ward had filled up a bit, with all four beds occupied – everyone else had babies with them!!

I slept relatively well – obviously being on a maternity ward there are crying babies, and I was woken at 12am and 4am for blood pressure, pulse and temperature checks. The worst thing was the heat – it was incredibly hot and uncomfortable!

Through the night my blood pressure and other checks were coming back as normal. I still had a thumping headache and felt pretty crap, and ended up being given codeine as paracetamol wasn’t touching it. A lovely doctor suggested that they may do a sweep and see if they could break my waters, rather than a full induction. Although, I didn’t want to be induced, I began to get a little excited at the possibility that Ben could be here sooner rather than later.

It was incredibly boring though!! I had some credit on the hospita TV but there was nothing on. I’d used my internet allowance up so couldn’t go on Facebook, and because of the floaters in front of my eyes I couldn’t concentrate on my book. I dozed on and off until Graham brought the boys up for a visit. My mum also came up as well to say hello.

The evening passed pretty much the same. Dinner came and went as did the four hourly checks, which were consistently normal. I was was still on painkillers for my head and I had a few cramps in my lower tummy, so was strapped up to the monitor to see if they were contractions (they weren’t!). There were no doctors around that evening – I assume the delivery ward was really busy as a lady who was 2cm dilated was brought up. Three hours later she was taken down and was 7cm – I felt really sorry for her having to labour without her husband or birth partner on an open ward. It was a bit freaky as well hearing her trying to manage. I just wanted to give her a hug!

That night was a harder night. The midwives on shift weren’t quite as considerate as the ones the previous nights – they didn’t turn the main light off until about 1.30am, and weren’t exactly quiet out by the desk. One of the ladies newborns was really unsettled, and screamed pretty much the whole night – the poor lady kept apologising!

When all my tests came back as normal again I began to realise I was more than likely going to be sent home. Obviously, I was pleased that there isn’t any sign of problems, but at the same time I was, and still am, nervous about being home. I explained this to the doctors but obviously without any evidence they can’t do much, and so was discharged with an appointment to go back to the assessment unit to be monitored on Saturday morning.

I still feel very nervous about being on my own. Graham has had to take time off work to help me, although we have kept Harrison off nursery. There is rotravirus (or if not that, a horrendous bug!) going round nursery, and 15 kids out of 30 were off yesterday with it, three of them ending up in hospital with fits and extremely high temperatures. The virus is lasting over a week, and the absolute last thing we need is Harrison to get it and be poorly, and pass it on to the rest of us, so he’s off now until at least Monday. I don’t feel right though. I still have a dull headache and bits in my eyes. Braxton hicks are really kicking in and I’m struggling to walk. It’s the whole ‘not feeling right’ thing though – it’s really difficult to explain!

I missed an appointment with my community midwife whilst I was in, so phoned the doctors to make a new appointment for next week – but there are no appointments until after my due date, which is obviously helpful when I need regular monitoring! I’m going to speak to them at the hospital and see if they can arrange home checks – Gray will need to go back to work next week if there is no baby – and I just cannot manage the walk and bus journey with a 3 year old and 2 year old to the doctors, and obviously can’t take them to the assessment unit!

Now we really are playing the waiting game – I’m 38 + 1 weeks pregnant today so obviously baby may come of his own accord now!