Kidney Stones and Contractions

Since my last post a lot has happened.  I entered my third trimester, got a kidney stone which required hosptilization and started experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions.  We'll start with the first event. Four weeks ago, I started my third trimester. If you're doing your math that means I'm entering month eight and have only two more months to go until baby arrives.  So far, my third trimester has been kind to me.  I haven't had any side effects, and knock on wood, haven't felt uncomfortable.  I do have pain in my hips and back when I sleep, but other than that I can't really complain.  That is if you don't consider the kidney stone.  I have never had a kidney stone before and there's no telling what caused it, but based on Dennis' research, increase in calcium from prenatal vitamins may be linked to kidney stones.  All I know is I suffered for 20 hours because I thought I had a UTI, and my stupid doctor's office was telling me I had to wait until the antiobiotic kicked in.  In reality, I did not have a UTI and at 4:30 a.m. when I was bent over the toilet with nausea from the pain, I told Dennis to get my doctor on the phone and get me to the hospital. By the time I was placed in a bed and hooked up to an IV, the pain had subsided to a dull pain that I could handle, so I opted to wait on the pain meds. I was also afraid of getting sick from the pain meds.  So it wasn't until about 9 a.m. that I finally took some pain meds. The first dose did nothing for the pain. By the time I was ready for the second dose, I had been diagnosed with having a kidney stone measuring 8 mm in my right kidney.  I took the second dose of pain meds, and finally got some relief. When I woke up at 2 p.m., I had no more pain.  The doctor, the nurse and Dennis were all pushing me to be admitted to the hospital. I just wanted to go home, but I stayed and I hated every minute of being there. Luckily, I never experienced anymore pain and by 9 a.m. the next morning, my doctor discharged me. To this day, I don't know where the stone is. It may have dissolved or it's sitting in my bladder waiting to cause me pain the next time I pee.  For a while my guard was up everytime I took a pee. I was just waiting for that terrible pain. Now my guard is down.  My luck, I'll pass it in a public restroom and my screams will be heard by all.

After my lovely experience with the kidney stone, I also started to experience Braxton Hicks contractions. Luckily they were not painful, but it's scary to have contractions when you know the timer is not up on that baby of yours who is still cooking everyday.  It's also stressful counting them to make sure you aren't having too many in one hour.  Other than one day where I was having a lot of them, they have subsided. And that makes me very happy.  Here's hoping for no more kidney stones and no more contractions (that is not until week 40).