Tuesday, October 03, 2006

just for kicks

It was getting a bit boring around here, what with all the love and mushiness and registry talk, so I fell down the basement stairs last night in spectacular fashion. Spectacular, I tell you. Feet flying out from under me, with hands full and unable to break my fall at all. I fell flat on my back and butt, stopped my head from slamming into the stairs by slamming my elbows into the stairs and then fell the rest of the way (about 6 steps). A glass pitcher flew across the basement, the steel pan that I was carrying in the other hand was flung against the wall, and then I collapsed at the base of the stairs in hysterics.

I couldn't catch my breath, and it hurt SO DARN MUCH that I thought for sure I'd broken my tail bone, and I kept thinking about the baby, oh my GOD, the baby. I was sobbing, eyes closed, shaking and trying to catch my breath while Josh ran down the stairs to my side and begged me to tell him what had happened. It felt like an eternity before I could breathe enough to tell him how hard I'd fallen and that he needed to call the doctor's emergency line.

So we spent last night being monitored for several hours in the labor and delivery ward, with ultrasounds and baby monitors and contraction monitors and blood work. Everyone is FINE, except for the massive bruises up and down my butt and back and elbows. Frankly, though, I'll take those 1,000,000 times over, just to hear that my baby is happy and safe.

We drank some orange juice right after the fall to encourage baby to move, because he or she was strangely quiet. During the race to the hospital, baby was moving fairly actively and once we got to the hospital and I was hooked up to the monitor, the kicking and twisting was nonstop. No contractions, no bleeding, the ultrasound looked fabulous, although the little bugger decided to turn fully breach, with its bottom near my cervix, head near my ribcage, and legs and arms stretched straight out into my right side and in front of baby's face. On the ultrasound we watched him playing with his toes and umbilical cord. Baby even regaled us with practice breaths and the hiccups while on screen.

We went home around 4am after they were satisfied that everything was fine, with strict orders to rest all day and come in immediately if anything seemed amiss. Everything has been fine all day, with only soreness and bruising to show for the experience. That, and new rules about walking around the house with rubber soled slippers instead of socks. I'm only a step above going down the stairs on my bottom, at this point.

I'm hoping this is the end of the excitement for this pregnancy, I think Josh and I have had enough.

26 comments:

Suzanne said...

Oh, HL, I'm so glad you're both okay. How scary.

Tiruncula said...

OMG, glad everybody is ok, except for the bruises! Whew what a scare!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I hope you feel better soon. A scare like that is surely not someone wants to have. I think I will wear slippers now in my house - (all hardwood floors) - to be safe. I am so glad the baby is okay!

Anonymous said...

Glad you're all OK! Wow.

Anonymous said...

That must have been so scary for you. So so so glad all is well in babyville. I'm going to heed your advice and abandon walking around in socks.

mc said...

I'm so glad everyone is ok! They always say that the amniotic fluid keeps the wee one safe and sound. And it must've been sweet to see the little peanut, even if the reasons you got there were no fun...

Anonymous said...

I am so glad to hear that everything is okay. How terribly frightening.

ccw said...

Falling when pregnant is always scary. I'm so very glad that you and the baby are ok.

Take care, get some rest, and scoot down the stairs while clinging to the rail.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you're okay! I had a fall (face plant on the sidewalk - much more public and much more embarassing) but those few minutes when the baby is oddly still are just terrifying, aren't they?

I think the new "Slippers over socks" rule is a valid one, and I hope it prevents further unwanted excitement!

Andres said...

i got just the thing to make it all better... head over to starbucks and see all the cute creepy mugs and stuff... I think you'll love it.

Phantom Scribbler said...

Oh, sweetie. I'm so glad you're all OK!

Liz Miller said...

Geez Louise! I'm so glad that you are all okay.

nancy said...

Thank goodness you are all alright. Phew!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Poor Halloweenlover! You just stay away from those bad basement stairs! I'm glad you are both OK.

Back a million years ago when I was pregnant, the orange juice was magic baby-dancing juice for me, too.

Memories...

purple_kangaroo said...

Oh no! I'm glad you and baby are okay, and hope you feel better soon.

Anonymous said...

Oh God... That was so scary! Thank God there was nothing bad happened to the baby. So sorry about the bruises. Luckily you had Josh at that moment.

Hope you're getting so much better, dear. Have some rest and don't think about the accident too deeply. Your emotion may affect your baby.

Hugs,
Adwina

Unknown said...

Yikes! I'm so relieved to hear all seems to be well!!

Gawdessness said...

Oh Oh Oh OH!
and then thank goodness!

The scare is so awful and I am so happy that you are all in fairly good shape!

Maribeth said...

OMG! How scary!!! I am so glad you are okay!! Be careful and take care!!!

Girl said...

Owie. Glad all is ok.

Anonymous said...

Relieved you're okay, but that must have been terrifying! Don't do that again. Spend the rest of your pregnancy memorizing the daytime lineup on basic cable. You can master the overnight schedule after the baby is born.

K said...

Oh, how scary! I'm so glad you and the baby are okay!

Yankee, Transferred said...

ohdeargodinheaven. That's enough now. I don't want to recognize you when I see you because of the bruises all over!

Anonymous said...

Gosh -- I'm SO glad you and Baby are okay! I was so worried reading this! That sounds postively awful!

I'm glad that Baby was shown to be fine, and wiggling like a worm in there! Whew! I'm so glad to know you're all right!

Crunchy Domestic Goddess said...

omg - what a horrible scare! i'm sooooo relieved that everything turned out ok with baby. hope you aren't too sore and those bruises heal quickly.
please be careful, mama. our joints are all kinds of loosey goosey at this stage.
big hugs.

K said...

Oh dear! I'm so glad everything is okay! What a suspenseful story that was; I was on the edge of my seat!