Contractions and stuff

Last week was busy. I noticed I was feeling a little heavier than usual...lots of pressure in my lower half. It wasn't until I really sat down on Friday night that I started to question whether or not I was going into labor. I had 5 contractions in an hour, so I got up and called labor and delivery...the usual answer...drink water, lay on your left side, if they continue come in. Not a big fan of going to the hospital, especially when they get all text booky on me. If I went by the general rules of "labor" with my son, the first born and waited for contractions to start after my water broke...we would have both been massively infected...because I didn't have a contraction one until they induced me with pitocin.

With Evyn, if I would have waited for my contractions to be consistent and regular, I quite possibly could have delivered her at the office I worked in.

I don't buy into the text book definition of labor. I don't count on going 40 weeks or anywhere near it...because for me that has never happened. I'm going out on a limb here but I'd say if we make it to Thanksgiving without having a baby, and not that I'm in a huge hurry, because really I have stuff to do....I would be really surprised. If we make it a week past, I would say it was a miracle. I just know how it feels when I'm close. AND I'M CLOSE! Too close.

My contractions continued after I went to bed and actually woke me up Saturday morning around 2AM. I wasn't uncomfortable enough that I was ready to get Adam up and run on up to the hospital. In part I think it's a mistake to wait for my water to break...because with Evyn that's all she wrote and it was all I could do to keep from pushing while I waited for my doctor to arrive....but for some reason I kept waiting for my water to break. Things seemed to calm down a little by 4 AM so I went back to bed and slept in until 10 when I woke up again to more contractions. On and off through out the day I kept thinking to myself that I should really head up to the hospital and get it checked out. We went to see The Christmas Caroll at the IMAX in 3d (which, if you have the chance, GO SEE IT! It's amazing! Just don't take young children with you!) All through out the movie I kept feeling tons of pressure in my bottom, achiness in my back, and I couldn't move without having a contraction. Thinking to myself the whole time "o you are so going after you get out of this movie". But I didn't. I took the kids to get their hair cut, then headed for home. I sat down for dinner with the hubs and at 5:11 I thought, "okay, enough pissing around with this" as I get a pretty strong contraction. So I thought I'd better start timing them. Had another. And Another. And I stood up to grab something, stepped down on my left leg and put some weight on it, and O DEAR LORD...I didn't think I was going to be able to walk. So I said to hubs..."I think we better head up". He freaked out for a minute. He was ready to drive well over the speed limit...and I said "relax, I don't think I'm in labor, but something is up and we need to get it checked out". So they monitor me. I have a big contraction while on the monitor, and a lot of uterine irritability. My urine is clear, and no signs of infection...so guess what...I drank a big jug of water, and they sent me on my way. They didn't even check me. HMPF! ( Interestingly enough I was reading an article tonight in the newspaper that was discussing Nevada's unusually high rate of premature births. Part of the reason was cited as no prenatal care ( lack of insurance was to blame for that...uhhhh...okay...what about Medicaid?) and the other reason was "early elective c-sections". What damn doctor schedules a woman for a c-section at 34 and 35 weeks? Let me slap them! I have heard there are a handful of doctors through out the valley that have a habit of scheduling elective sections...so they don't have to get up in the middle of the night...but really...for the sake of the peanut....leave it alone to roast awhile longer! I couldn't help thinking to myself after I read this article that my doctor sometimes can be a little "too" laid back about everything...and really...if someone comes in having contractions, and you get some on the monitor...wouldn't it be prudent at that time if you didn't suspect something like a previa or an abruption to just do a quick check to make sure dilation and effacement isn't out of control. I'm just sayin'.
Fast forward to Tuesday. I get a call from my doctor's office. They're completing our FMLA paperwork, and they want me to come in to get checked out since I had my little visit to the hospital Saturday night. So I go in. I get checked. A little bit dilated. A little bit effaced. They put me on Terbutaline, which is a medication to slow down and stop contractions, and set me up to come in for check ups the next three weeks in a row. Nothing to freak out about. Just my doctor's attempt to put a cork in it for a little while longer. So....we may make it into December. Just maybe.