Well, it’s been one heck of a past 48 hours, and I think I
just experienced my first false labor ordeal.
In my past 3 labors, I felt pretty confident and sure of
myself. Sure I had lots of Braxton hicks,
and the odd question of, “could I be in labor” a few times the week before each
child arrived, but nothing where I went into the hospital or called for back-
up, or packed a hospital bag unnecessarily.
In fact, they were all pretty normal early labors, “ text book” I’d say. My
contractions would start as mild and gradual, and then become closer and more
intense, and then they’d hit the point I just knew that I’d need to head into
the hospital. I’ve told friends
expecting their first child, “Oh- you’ll just KNOW!”
Well, on Tuesday I didn’t feel the greatest. A bit under the weather and tired. By supper I was having cramps and
contractions fairly close together, and I thought,” THIS IS IT!” They felt like real contractions with back
pain and cramping and close and consistent.
But, then they’d slow a bit,
then pick up again. I knew that the inconsistency
of them probably meant it wasn’t the real deal, but it sure felt REAL! I was exhausted by ten pm with the
uncertainty and strain, and noticed they were slowing down a good amount when
laying down, so I just decided to try and fall asleep and see what the night
and early morning might bring.
I slept great until 5 am, then woke up just wide awake with
more dull pain and cramps and feeling VERY off and awful. However, I didn’t have any contractions. So, after considering everything decided to
take on the daycare kids, send Dave to work, and see what the day would
bring. By 8 AM, I regretted my decision,
as I was having contractions 2-3 minutes apart, long and painful. I put all the kids in front of the TV, and
moaned away trying to time them and decide my plan of action. After about 30 minutes of this, I decided to call the hospital and see what
they thought I should do.
After talking to a nurse on the phone, she advised I come
into the hospital to be assessed. She
said not to rush, but to get child care arranged and leave within an hourish. SO,
I called Dave home from school. He got
home in 10 minutes flat, and pumped out
some lesson plans for his supply while I called parents to pick up kids, and
arranged childcare for my own, and finished
up packing my bag. This with many pauses on the staircase or
floor to breathe through a contraction, etc.
By the time everything was lined up a bit over an hour later, my
contractions were spacing out to about 5 minutes apart and were less
intense. We headed into the hospital,
and got checked into an assessment room pretty quickly.
Sure enough, the monitors registered contractions 5 minutes
apart, but they got less and less intense over the 2 hours I was there. I expressed
my pure uncertainty as to whether this was true or false labor to the
nurses. I would swear I was in labor one
minute because of the pain and intensity, and then have nothing for a while. I have never been early, and that was also a
big question mark. I had a great seasoned nurse, who assured me
that 4th babies were always “tricky” in their timing and very rarely
seemed to follow textbook patterns. It
was both reassuring and scary to hear.
Finally, they checked my dilation, and although a few cms (which is
normal for somebody who has had a few kids) they thought I was a bit too high
and hard, and that my cervix was not currently, “laboring.” They sent me home and said to relax, have a
bath, go for a stroll. Perhaps it would
pass, or progress.
Oh man! I felt so devastated. It was so much stress and work making all
those plans to get the kids and Dave’s classes covered, and then to be sent home! I felt bad for all the people who just
reorganized their life for me. I cried
on and off the whole van ride home, all the while experiencing random painful
contractions here and there, and still feeling like I was in labor! I
arrived home to confused kids, and some friends who were hanging out with
them. They offered to stay the night and
next day or 2 in the event I was just in super early labor, and also just to
ease my load and help out. The workload
of my life feels a bit unmanageable at this point, and the stress of wondering
if I was in labor, made me readily accept.
After a relaxing afternoon rest and bath, I got up and had a cup of tea, and by 4pm,
was certain I was in labor. I was having
contractions 2-3 minutes apart that I had to breathe and sway through, and bolt
to the bathroom for, thinking the pressure might bust my water! This went on for a little over an hour, and I
was feeling so thankful the kids were in good hands, and that Dave was
available.....and then it just STOPPED!
Totally stopped. For an hour.
Nothing! I had a few more hours of
milder ones 5-10 minutes apart, but by 9 felt totally exhausted from the day,
and went to bed to see if I could sleep.
It was the strangest sleep last night! I slept hard and well, except for every hour
or 2, I would have the most intense contraction from nowhere. It wake me up out of the blue and would make
me JUMP out of bed, and lean forward and grasp onto the corners of the bed and
holding in my breathing and moaning as best I could from the snoring Dave. They would last a minute, and then I’d just
get my feet under me and brace myself for another one....and there would be
NOTHING! Not even a Braxton hick!
So, this morning the same pattern has followed. I woke
up feeling heavy and having some back pain and dull sort of aches. But all that has happened is every few hours
out of nowhere a contraction hits like a log, and then nothing follows. I did meals and homeschooling with the kids today, and the lovely Sarah
Guindon has been hanging out with them otherwise. I had a great afternoon nap, and since then
haven’t had BOO! Nilch. Nada! Zero.
So, I feel entirely confused and somewhat frustrated, and I
think it may have been a false alarm? Or,
maybe I am going to have a very long drawn out early labor for a few days? I am VERY thankful to have Sarah staying with
us until tomorrow, and so my mind is much more at ease currently as I write
this.
Although, I must say I feel terrified my body just did a lot
of prep- work for the real deal, and when labor does come, it will be fast and
furious, but I won’t believe it’s real, and then I’ll have a baby in the
van! I’m feeling uncertain if I should be in “labor
go” mode....or just forget about the past 48 hours, and pretend nothing will
happen until my due date! I have friends
all signed up for different shifts the 2 weeks surrounding my actual due date
who are able to come quickly to relieve me....but should I try and put plans in
place in the meantime? Oh, I just don’t
know. Taking it one day at a time is
hard.
Taking things one day at a time is hard when you are super
pregnant. Really hard. Trying to keep my chin up. Thanks for reading, and weigh in on your
guess for my due date on my facebook page.
Date and Time! That will be fun
to see. I’m out!
So, that is where I am at!
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