still waiting....

Yesterday was one of the most disappointing of my life.  Around noon, out of nowhere, I started having fairly strong contractions between 2-4 minutes apart.  Knowing how dilated I was and how low the baby was, according to my doctor, my husband (who was home for lunch just after they started) started rushing around the house like a maniac, getting us ready to get to the hospital while I frantically called my parents and various friends, looking for somewhere to take Rachel until my parents could get here and pick her up.  He had visions of delivering the baby in the car if we didn't hurry up.  Within the hour we were at the hospital, with the contractions still a steady 2-4 minutes apart. 

(Someday I'll add details here about the horrible accident we almost witnessed on the way to the hospital and the way my husband practically broke my hand while squeezing it in the triage room....but for now, I'll get to the story at hand.)

They took me back to the labor and delivery triage room and got me all hooked up to monitors.  The baby's heart rate looked good and my contractions continued to be every 2-4 minutes.  They checked me and said I was 3 cm dilated, which I had been at the doctor's office last week. 

The nurse called my doctor's office, but my doctor wasn't in, so she talked to another doctor there (who I've never met).  He wanted me to walk for an hour and see if I'd dilate and labor progressed.  So my husband and I waddled around the labor and delivery floor (15 times, if I remember my husband's count correctly--and I should say that I waddled...he just walked slowly for my benefit!) for an hour, while my contractions got stronger and stronger and closer together.  We went back to the room, hoping for some good news of more dilation.

Nope.  Still 3 cm.  She said they'd let me labor for another half hour and check me again to see, but that they'd probably send me home.  Meanwhile, a doctor from the hospital came in to talk to me and tell me that it probably wasn't active labor and they didn't want to induce me because I wasn't 39 weeks, everything looked fine with my health and the baby's health, and it wasn't medically necessary to get the baby out yet (I was 38 weeks, 2 days yesterday....6 days shy of when they apparently would've induced me).  They checked me again a bit later, and I was still only 3 cm.  Another doctor came in and told me the same thing.  Not labor.  Huh?  I was in PAIN!  It sure was labor!  Maybe not active labor, but definitely labor. 

So even though I was still having painful contractions every 2-4 minutes, they sent me home. I don't know if I've ever been more disappointed.  We were sure this was it--who has contractions that close together, that painful, and is already 3 cm dilated, and gets sent home????  I was devastated.   They also told me that it would be a hard call about when to come back, since I was already having the contractions so close together and they were painful.  They said I'd have to judge when they started getting more painful and then come....or if my water broke.  I was hoping for the water to break so I'd know for sure.

So I spent another couple of hours in pain every 3 minutes or so at home, until finally the pain started dying away and the contractions slowed down.  More disappointment.  No baby.  At least not on May 18th.  (Not that I was set on May 18th....I'm just ready for this baby to come out!!!!)

The good part was that I was able to sleep last night.  I was worried that the contractions would last into the night and I'd never get rest, but I did.  And today at Babies R Us I was still able to park in the "expectant mothers" parking space....I have to look at the positive side here.  :)

Today there haven't been any contractions.  Just lots of discomfort, like usual.  I know the end is in sight...but it just seems to be taking FOR-EVER to get there.  Tomorrow I have another doctor's appointment and I'm anxious to see what MY doctor has to say about the whole thing.