I am 16 weeks pregnant with our third child. I was considered high risk at my first prenatal but my first appointment with the high risk obs isn't until monday. My problem is that I have been experiencing painful cramping along with just as painful lower back soreness and stubborn headaches for about the last two - three weeks. I am having this issue as we speak and this occurrance has been going on for the last seven hours right now. At my normal prenatal last week, I was told I was dehydrated. I have been drinking nothing but cold water, eating healthy, staying out of the heat when possible and resting as best I can with a four and five year old to look after while my husband is at work. Tonight, I have tried calling my ob doctors and got no return phone call, even after a second call a half hour after getting no response. On top of that, the woman answering the phone and giving the doctors messages tonight is extremely rude and acts indisposed when I call. This cramping, along with the backache and headache, is very painful. So much that I can't settle down to fall asleep. I'm not sure if this is normal stretching that is causing my cramping or if it's something more serious. I have had an ultrasound already so I know it's not etopic. I'm just growing more and more worried at this point and more and more irritated that I'm not getting any help from the doctors. I will be calling the ob office in the morning and try to get answers and will sure as hell be reporting to them the rude answering service and lack of care for a patient. It could have been something serious for all they know! For all I know as well. If anyone has any advice, something to ease my nerves or has any clue what I'm dealing with here, please help me out!
~First, I would just like to make clear that this is not my first pregnancy, it is my THIRD. Secondly, I am considered high risk because I had gestational diabetes, which required insulin injections, with our first child and our second child came prematurely when my water broke and resulted in our son being born with a hole in his lung and a stay in the NICU. Also, our children are eleven months apart and were both born by emergency c sections. As a result, I have a large amount of scar tissue that the doctors had told me would make it difficult to get pregnant for a third time. Saying that, they'd like to be cautious and make sure that it doesn't pose a problem as my pregnancy progresses. On another note, I'd like to make clear that the woman on the answering service may have been doing her job, and though I did not ask her for any advice or any questions at all, she was unfriendly and seemed to be irritated by the fact that I called back twice. That was my issue. Not that she was doing her job. It just would have been nice to not have had a road block in front of me when I was trying to get help. ~After finally, getting answers this morning from my doctors, I found that I am officially dehydrated. If I don't show improvement by tomorrow night, I have to go to the hospital for an iv. They have put me on temporary bedrest and want me to push water only and rest. I would love to throw a gatorade in there but they advise against it. I will try the flat pepsi for my headaches and hope it works for me as well. My first appointment with my high risk obs is this monday so we will see then how long my bedrest will continue and what they would like for me to do going forward to ensure a smooth road from here. Thanks for all the advice and tips.
Have you tried diluting powerade/gatorade 50%-50% for the dehydration?
Have you tried 800mg of Motrin to see if that helped with the pain and headaches? It could just be simple inflammation.
Why are you considered high risk at just 16 weeks?
I'd get a 2nd or 3rd opinion!!
Have you considered finding a new doctor's office? You are so early in your pregnancy, it would not cause difficulties. If I were in your position, I would NOT want to deal with not getting calls back. What happens in an emergency?
My advice is to go to, or call the maternity level of your hospital. I did that once when I felt something was wrong. The Dr. on call had a difficult time getting reception where she was located, so I went ahead and called the maternity ward. They were wonderful and very helpful.
I actually work at an answering service-- Shane's right we're not ALLOWED to give advice at ALL. Our standard procedure is to tell you "if you don't hear from the dr in 15-20 minutes PLEASE call back" At that point we repage the doctor and tell you if you don't hear back shortly to let us know. If you still don't hear then we try the doctor's cell phone, home phone and other means (for example checking with Labor and Delivery to see if an OB doc is in a delivery, or the OR to see if a surgeon is scrubbed in) if we STILL can't get the on call doctor we start trying to reach the other doctors and/or the practice's office manager. We do NOT give up until you get help, HOWEVER since your name and number (and whatever other info the dr requests we get) goes directly over the dr's pager and the Dr then calls you back we have NO WAY of knowing whether or not the Dr called you back unless YOU call US back. Most of the time if you don't get a call back it's because the Dr didn't realize his pager or cell phone batteries were DEAD....
Call the advise nurse line at the hospital. They will tell you whether or not you should come in to the ER. They may also be able to suggest something that you can do.
If you are seriously worried, you need to go to urgent care or the ER.
I cannot answer for why your doctors haven't called back, but I want to say something about the woman taking messages who appeared "rude and indisposed" to you.
I'm not making excuses, but I've worked for hospitals and in the medical field for quite a while and we are trained to forward messages only. There's nothing wrong with being a little compassionate, but an answering service after hours is not even an office employee and they have no wiggle room as far as getting emotionally involved. It could cost them their job. They CANNOT give medical advice, they CANNOT guarantee when a doctor might call back.
Try to calm down a bit if you can. This person is taking messages for doctors and forwarding them. That's all. She may well be a mother and very sympathetic, but there are lines she can't cross.
I know this for a fact.
If you are scared....go to the ER.
If you are mad....document the times you've called and take it up with the doctors for not getting back to you.
The woman at the answering service has no control over anything but taking your calls.
I had major complications with my second child and my doctors called me immediately. I had to be admitted to the hospital for most of my pregnancy and I never had to wait 5 minutes. It was that serious. My doctor had back up lined up for me in case he was delivering another baby, etc.
I'm just saying....please don't be mad at the lady taking the messages.
She could get sued for saying the wrong thing.
The answering service is not responsible for patient care. They are only responsible for calmly taking the information and passing it on.
If you're mad....be mad at your doctor.
If you really think there is something wrong, don't call the answering service.
Call 911 or get to urgent care right away.
"It could have been something serious for all they know!"
Very true.
How do YOU know it isn't serious?
Don't wait to feel better blaming someone tomorrow.
If tomorrow is too late, you are the one who waited.
I mean NO offense, I swear and I promise!
I almost died when I was pregnant with my son.
You can't wait around for a return phone call sometimes.
I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just saying that no one can diagnose you over the phone.
I hope you'll feel better and all is well.
I personally, would go to the minor care clinic to put my fears to rest. It's just not worth taking a chance. I wish you the best.....
1. Go to ER or labor and delivery. I don't know if this is your first child, but with your high risk status, this could be contractions. Grab a water bottle on the way out and drink it.
2. Call your doctor's office during regular hours, and complain your butt off.
3. Get a new doctor.
I too was considered high risk with our 2nd pregnancy. Only due to years of numerous miscarriages (why? tilted uterus from first birth and a small fibroid). I had to be placed on bedrest until 5 months; I had a ob/gyn and a holistic doctor. I had pains, headaches, cramps etc. I kept my feet up, laid down as much as possible. Once hit 5 months its was smooth sailing. During the times for the headaches the nurse told me water wasn't enough and to do the following.
1. stay hydrated by drinking water, powerade and gatorade. (1 sports drink a day.)
2. for headache if tylenol not working, they could prescribe medicine. which they did, but it made me sleeply.
3. Alternative to prescribed headache medicine was to drink 1 oz of flat pepsi. (Have your husband shake the can vigorously for a minute or two and it goes flat) This helped me a lot.
4. No stress, stay relaxed, sit down as much as possible.
5. If out and about, for every 30 minutes you walk sit 15, only be out if need too. Later it was for every 45min-1hr I walk sit 20 min.
Everything will be okay H., just take it easy, sit with feet up as much as possible, stay hydrated, and try some flat soda.
My children are 17 and 2. We are looking forward to trying for #3 in the fall of 2012. All will be okay. Congratulations on #3.
You need to do whatever you need to do to keep your stress down. If you go to the ER, if you get another doctor, go to a different OBGYN practice altogether, just do whatever you need to do to get seen, cared for, and your worries addressed so you can focus on getting answers, being less stressed out, that's no good for you or baby. Hang in there, you can do this!
I had cramping and bleeding and 2 months bed rest early on for my 3rd pregnancy. Drinking more water did stop the cramping after several days. The bleeding was from a low placenta, and it passed. Everything turned out fine.
Keep drinking and good luck! My friend discovered the drinking advice and most pregnancy cramping is cause by dehydration.
Hi, H.:
Call the OB's office and ask them for a name of anothe OB doc to get a second opinion.
You don't need to be treated with disdain by the answering service or the docs on call.
Good luck.
D.
