Quit playin’ games with my heart uterus
Thursday, June 3, 2010
39 weeks, 4 days pregnant
3 DAYS TO GO!
Where was I yesterday? Oh right, not having a baby. But almost. Sort of.
Yup, there was another episode of false labour, just like Sunday. Actually, it seemed much more real than Sunday. Once again, Mrs. Sky-High Hopes (me) got very excited for something that turned out to be nothing.
The good news is that I’m starting to learn more about this mysterious “false labour” business, based on my two recent episodes. Here’s the deal, so you can all learn from my genius findings:
What happened on Sunday:
- Had contractions 20-30 minutes apart
- Contractions lasted for maybe three hours
- They were not regular at all
- Pain was focused on the lower part of my belly
- I felt nothing in between contractions
What happened yesterday:
- Had contractions 5-15 minutes apart
- Contractions lasted for seven hours
- They were not regular at all
- Pain was all over my belly
- Felt like my belly was being squeezed by iron bands
- It was hard to tell when they were stopping and starting
Crazy, right? Something is definitely happening in there — it just hasn’t developed into the something (LABOUR) yet.
Yesterday was intense. I had gotten my pre-baby eyebrow wax and pedicure early in the afternoon (chose a lovely shade of blue polish, to welcome my boy). I had been feeling crampy all morning, but once I got out of the salon, it was Contraction City, population: me!
I tried not to get too excited, and continued on with my afternoon. I went to the mall, bought gifts for an upcoming baby shower and a wedding (both of which I won’t be able to attend, sadly, because they’re out of town). I wandered through stores. I navigated the vastness of Wal-Mart in search of a spray bottle for my cloth wipes.
All the while, I was feeling contractions! I wasn’t timing them, because (A) I can barely walk and chew gum, and (B) they weren’t hurting enough that I was concerned. I just kept strolling around, and was delighted that I still felt them even when driving. It was almost uncomfortable to drive, at some points, because of the tightening.
I got down to business after picking Darling Husband up from work that evening. I was still feeling them, so it became his job to time them.
We remembered “4-1-1” from our birthing class — that contractions had to be four minutes apart, lasting at least one minute each, for at least an hour, before you come to the hospital. So if you began a contraction at 5 p.m., it would need to last until 5:01 p.m., and your next one would need to begin at 5:05 p.m. — four minutes after the last one ended, but actually five minutes after it began.
Um …
We had no idea it would be so HARD to time them! I think this is a definite sign I was not in real labour. The contractions were so ripple-y — as in it was hard to say for sure when one was stopping, and when one was starting — that we both kept getting confused on what we were timing.
Darling Husband kept blindly activating the stopwatch on my BlackBerry, and then we’d both be clueless as to what we were timing — the length of a contraction, or the distance between them. Arrrrgh!
But before we spent too much time arguing over how they were supposed to be timed, and who should be telling who what numbers, they stopped. Just … stopped.
I paced around the condo for a while, trying to get them going again, and then dragged Darling Husband and Little Dog on yet another walk. But all I got was horrible back pain — the contractions never came back.
False labour? Please stop screwing with me!
S is for "soft"
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
39 weeks, 2 days pregnant
5 DAYS TO GO!
Well, I ended up keeping the appointment they said I “wouldn’t keep.”
When the appointment began, I saw a different medical student this time. He was fine, but not as nice as Cute Medical Student. This one will be dubbed Slick Medical Student, as he had a very strange, greasy gelled-back hairstyle.
Anyway, Slick Medical Student did my blood pressure, fundal height, and the baby’s heartbeat. Then he asked if I wanted Dr. L to do a cervical exam.
UM … YES PLEASE!
So I changed into a gown, and soon he returned with Dr. L. She said she’d been disappointed that she hadn’t seen me come into the delivery room when she was on duty over the weekend. I explained that I’d tried REALLY HARD. Our baby is destined to be born in June, I guess!
Soon I was lying back on the examining table, getting checked out. I’m not sure exactly what happened down there, since my gigantic belly blocked my view, but I think it was just a one-or-two-finger dealy. Didn’t hurt at all — just felt pressure-y — which was a relief, since I’d been envisioning horrible instruments or something. Dr. L said it’s the same way they check your cervix when you’re in labour.
Unfortunately, I was not dialated. But my cervix was “soft” and the baby’s head was “right there,” so I’m happy there is at least something positive happening down there. I was worried I would have to hear that my cervix was still hard, which would have been very depressing.
For preggo newbies, here’s the translation: your cervix progresses from hard to soft as part of the birthing process. As it softens, it thins. This can happen slowly over the course of weeks or in just a few hours — which means it’s impossible to predict when you’ll go into labour. Annoying, right?
So I booked an appointment for next Tuesday, as usual. At that point, I will be one day late, so Dr. L says she hopes I don’t make that appointment. ME, TOO!
However, if I do go past my due date by one week, she says I can decide to keep waiting (and have them monitor the baby more regularly), or book an induction. Hmmm, I wonder which one I will choose? Oh, right — INDUCE ME, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!
One week late would be Monday, June 14. But since I only see Dr. L on Tuesdays, it would be Tuesday, June 15 before I’d get to book it — and then would hopefully get induced on Wednesday or Thursday. So the latest I will have this baby, God-willing, is maybe June 16, 17 or 18.
OK, back to thinking positively! It’s going to be sooner than that, I hope. Dr. L says that walking and having sex (she actually says “romance,” because she is more dignified than me) can help speed things along, so that’s what I’ll be doing!
Here are the rest of the details from the appointment:
- Pee: Fine. No protein, no sugar.
- Weight: Up one pound. FML.
- Blood pressure: 118 over 78
- Baby’s heartbeat: Loud and clear, but lower than usual (146)
- Baby’s position: His head is “right there”
- Fundal height: 40 cm
- Mommy’s mood: Impatience x 10,000,000
False labour’s a bitch
Monday, May 31, 2010
39 weeks, 1 day pregnant
6 DAYS TO GO!
Still here, still pregnant.
Yesterday I woke up and was determined to walk the baby out of me. After my hours and hours and hours of Googling ways to kick-start labour, it looked like walking was the #1 answer.
So I dragged Darling Husband to the mall, and we walked around for at least two hours. It was working, because I started feeling contractions every once in a while, woohoo!
I was so motivated from that that I insisted we go to a nearby shopping/business park so I could continue walking. We wandered through Home Depot and a million other big-box stores, and I was feeling the contractions every 20-30 minutes. It was SO exciting, because it was hard to walk and it really hurt during some moments.
We had dinner out at Mom’s, and I had a couple of really painful ones at the table. I was ready to head to the hospital, but Darling Husband said they should be closer together before we did anything like that. He was right, of course, so I agreed to wait.
We left right after dinner and came home, and took Little Dog on a long walk. My back was killing me at that point, but I wasn’t sure if it was labour back pain or just too-much-walking back pain. So we went home and sat on the couch to watch some TV, but unfortunately the contractions slowly went away. Noooooooooo!
I handled it calmly was extremely upset, because I had been so sure that it was the real thing. Feeling them stop entirely was just confirmation that the baby was not going to arrive while Dr. L was working in the delivery unit, and that was sad. I went to sleep hoping my water would break in the middle of the night or something, but … nope.
I’ve felt a few twinges so far this morning, but nothing like yesterday’s contractions. So it’s back to walking like a maniac. Lovely friend C and her baby boy have agreed to join me in doing laps around the mall, so we’ll be heading out shortly.
Fingers crossed!
Welcome to Week 40
Sunday, May 30, 2010
39 weeks pregnant — now in Week 40!
7 DAYS TO GO!
So in case you haven’t guessed by this post, the baby did not arrive in Week 39. The baby was not eight days early (like my delusional rationale suggested he would be). I did not get to deliver during Dr. L’s Saturday shift. But there’s always today! Dr. L is working today! C’mon, baby!
OK, all pleading aside, here is the current situation:
- Thursday: I started having a lot of pelvic pressure (and started the killer walking regime)
- Friday: I had some pretty significant contractions and back pain (not enough that I thought it was really “time,” though), and cramps for the rest of the day
- Yesterday: I had more cramps, more mild contractions, more back pain, and more pelvic pressure — with the occasional shooting/twinge pelvic pain
- Today: I felt some more kinda-significant contractions this morning, and then they just faded into the more usual Braxton Hicks ones.
Oh, and I’ve also been having less blog-worthy (i.e. disgusting) symptoms for the past few days. If you’re really curious, it’s been this and this.
Ew, right? Anyway, here’s what happening with Baby Boy this week (in what we hope will be the final week before we get to meet him):
Baby’s size: Probably close to eight (or 18) pounds (as the doctor said, “This is probably not a seven-pound baby!”), measuring 21 inches. I’ve heard a lot of stories of first babies (first boy babies) being close to 10 lbs., so that wouldn’t surprise me.
Development: Fully-cooked and probably getting bored in there. Come out, come out, and Mommy will give you an educational toy!
Appearance: Adorable, I’m sure. Come out so I can see you!!!
Weekly re-cap
(May 23 – May 29)
Symptoms: Swollen feet/ankles and fingers, leg pain, major trouble sleeping, Braxton Hicks contractions, not much appetite, pelvic pressure, cramps.
Body changes: Belly looks the same, but I’m probably scowling more.
Belly button: In for keeps.
Stretch marks: Yes. Very annoying how they snuck in at the last minute.
Baby movement: Definitely has slowed down considerably this week. It starts to worry me sometimes, but when I do the kick-counts, he passes.
What’s new? I have been driving myself crazy Googling “early labor signs” and “labor cramping” and anything else you can think imagine. I can’t stop myself!
Baby preparations: Made nine million bran muffins and nine million pancakes, and froze everything in single-serving baggies. No motivation to make dinner-food. Too much work.
Cravings: Do I have to eat? Sigh. Then “cereal” is my answer. Quick, convenient, nourishing cereal.
High point: Attending a family dinner at Best Friend’s parents’ place last night. After a week of isolation and discomfort and flat-out crazy obsessing over when this baby is arriving, it was a welcome relief to get out and do something and get my mind off it. Distraction is key, I have learned, so I hope I can keep finding distractions until the big day (whenever that might be).
Low point: Learning that I tested positive for Group B Strep, and then worrying like crazy that it will affect Baby Boy. I’m feeling better about it now, after learning that several people I know also tested positive (and had no problems), but it was really upsetting at first.
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