Practice run

Wow! We've had a busy and scary day.

I woke up this morning at 10 and was immediately hit with pain in my pelvis and lower back. I soon realized that the back pain was coming in short and sudden waves. Yesterday when I had a back contraction- it was clear. It lasted about 45 seconds and felt like it wrapped around and then up to my mid back. And it only happened once. Today, it was much more painful, lasted about 5 seconds, and was reoccurring about every 30 seconds. They quickly developed into contractions that were both in my back and belly, but they were strong, short, and happening right after each other. And I mean strong! I was having a hard time breathing or talking through them. Jonathan even had to carry me to the bathroom because I couldn't walk. I was rolling around on the floor, and at one point, I even yelled for an epidural! This isn't how labor is supposed to start! I'm supposed to feel a contraction that lasts a lot longer and come few and far between- so I was in denial. Each contraction made me so extremely nauseous, so I took one of my pills and got in the tub. I was freaking out. Jonathan, on the other hand, was excited! As I got in the bath, he started packing the hospital bag. I had a list saved on the computer, so he gathered everything we would need, just in case. He also decided to go ahead and call the doctor because the rule was to go into Labor and Delivery's triage if I felt 6 or more contractions in an hour for two hours. Well, it had been 40 minutes, and I had way more than 6.

As soon as he called and they told me to come on in, my contractions slowed way down, but I was still having them about every 10-15 minutes, so we decided to head to the hospital. I knew I needed to eat something, so we stopped in Panera for a quick lunch. I had two contractions while we were there and no appetite... so we packed it up and got checked into the hospital around 12. And of course, I wasn't feeling any more contractions!! I got hooked up to the monitors, and even though I wasn't feeling anything, contractions were measuring on the machine pretty regularly. The nurse checked my cervix, and it was not dilated, but she could tell it was thinning out and said I was about 50% effaced, which means the contractions were doing their job. They gave me a pill to stop them, and I was monitored for another hour. The medicine was working, so they let us go home with instructions to just take it easy. I'll be full term in less than 3 weeks, and the nurse thought I could make it that far. I guess she thinks Eli will come early though! We left at 4, and I was exhausted! I slept on the way home and napped for another 2 hours. So far, no more contractions.

I know I'm supposed to take it easy (and I have been!), but I have so much to do if Eli could be arriving at any time! I'm hoping we can hold on at least until our prepared childbirth class that begins July 30.

I have to say though, Eli really put us to the test today, and we rocked it! Well, Jonathan gets all the credit. I couldn't imagine what I'd do if I had been here by myself. Oh Eli, please keep cooking a little longer!!