Surprising Doctor Visit (March 8, 2010) and Afterwards

After my short week of bed rest, I returned to a half day of work on Monday, March 8th and then to the doctor. I was feeling some back pain at work and maybe a little cramping, but I didn't really think anything of it. At the doctor, I was first put on the fetal monitor, which was different from my regular routine. I wasn't feeling anything special in the belly area, so I was extremely surprised when I looked at the contraction portion of the print out to find a large hill forming. To someone at 35 1/2 weeks, I was hoping to see a flat line on the contraction portion of the print out, but instead, I saw a hill that reached close to the top of the paper. The closest I had ever come to a hill would have been about a 1/4th of what I was looking at. I knew it meant that I was having some major contractions, but it was o weird to see contractions that I wasn't feeling. I sat on that monitor for over a half an hour without my doctor or even a nurse coming to check on me. The entire time that I sat on that monitor, the hills up without failure. At first, I just thought that it would be one big hill, like a fluke, but after consistent hills, I knew that it wasn't good.

When the doctor finally came into the room, her eyes got very large as she asked me if I felt any of the contractions. I told her that I just felt bloated and the occasional pinch in my belly. She said that what I was feeling was contractions. I just couldn't believe her, and I really couldn't believe what I saw on the print out. She quickly told me to get off of the machine and that I would be having my ultrasound next. The ultrasound showed me that Andrew was moving and doing alright. The tech also pointed out that his lungs were working and strong. I could actually see him breathe! :) It was wonderful to know that he was healthy. The tech seemed pretty confident that if he were born soon, that he would be healthy. I was very happy to hear that. After the ultrasound, my doctor check my cervix in another room. She wanted to see if there was any changes since I was having some major contractions. She mentioned that the contractions were 4-5 minutes apart, which is very close, but she said that it wasn't extremely serious if I wasn't in a lot of pain. She mentioned that I must have a strong tolerance to pain. I knew that wasn't true. Even though I had never been in labor before, I knew that it couldn't be so painless as what I was feeling. I'm sure it was just too soon in the whole process for the pain to be there. I couldn't be so lucky to have a pain-free labor experience. I don't think those exist. After checking my cervix, she told me that I was a fingertip dilated. I don't know exactly how big her fingertip is, but I assumed that since my cervix was now open, I should be a bit prepared for labor at any moment. Especially since she told me that I was also 80% effaced, which means that my cervix was thinned out up to 80%. Everything I had learned about dilation and effacement told me that these were signs of labor. I hoped that it didn't mean that the labor would be coming soon. The doctor said that since I was nearly 36 weeks, she wasn't as concerned about me being in early labor with consistent contractions. She didn't even suggest that I go straight to the hospital. She just said that if the pain started to get bad, that I should go to the hospital. I was determined not to go, because I needed one more day at work to get copies ready for the substitute as well as fulfill my duties the next evening at the German Honor Society induction ceremony.

The contractions started to feel a bit painful at bedtime. That night sleeping was difficult because when I normally would get up to go to the bathroom, I felt the contractions very strongly. I kept thinking if I should wake up Dennis and have him take me to the hospital, but I thought that I would wait for them to get worse. They seemed to feel the same that night until about 3 or 4 in the morning. At about that time, I didn't really feel any more pain. I thought that maybe it was just false labor, but since the doctor's appointment, I knew that what I was feeling was real.

I got up around 6 in the morning to get ready for school. I wasn't feeling bad, and I thought that I could have a good day and was excited to have another day at work. I was feeling some contractions and back pain while at work, but I didn't want to go to the hospital until I felt worse. I was able to get through my half day of work, and I even made it to the honors induction. I was so worried the entire time that my water would break or that I would go into labor somehow. I was feeling contractions, though. My belly was tight, and I was having cramps. Luckily, the evening went fine and I made it through without giving birth. I went home to feel cramping still, and I just knew that the baby would be here very soon.

Dennis was getting excited, because he spent part of Sunday painting the letters to Andrew's name on canvas to place over his crib. We were actually able to hang them up after the induction ceremony. Dennis even took pictures of the room, which is starting to look much more ready for the baby to come home. I think that the recent labor scare really helped Dennis get excited about finishing the baby's room. I can't be more excited about it, and I just think that it is the cutest little room that I've ever seen. I'm so excited that it is in my house, and we are going to bring our little boy home to it! :)