Well well well, Baby Engels, you still have yet to make your appearance.
I went to the doctor on Monday and he stretched me, again. I'm not sure if he stripped my membranes, but he definitely did something down there! And nothing happened!!! I was expecting bright red blood, floods of mucus-y discharge and even more so, your birth. But there was nothing! Nada!!!
But on Monday night, I started having contractions. Then I was able to sleep through them, and woke up at 5:00 on Tuesday morning with contractions that took my breath away! "This is it!" I remember thinking.
Nope!
I called in sick to work, to essentially start my "Maternity Leave" and came downstairs to eat something. Yep, I was still having contractions! I did some things around the house, gliding around because I was so excited. Only to be incredibly disappointed not even four hours later. The contractions went away. I was devastated.
And then they started back up again!!!!! But it was nothing to get excited about...
This went on all day. ALL. DAY. Finally, a little after midnight, with absolutely no progression and only steady contractions that came and went, I was able to get to sleep.
Only to bolt upright in bed (as much as my 40 week pregnant body will let me "bolt" at this point...) at 4:00 a.m. to a contraction that was incredibly painful.
And here it was again. The same thing. Only to end about 6:00 a.m., when I fell back to sleep. I awoke at 8:00 a.m. and had more contractions throughout the day. I made your dad go with me on a walk, and about noon, my contractions took off. They were coming about every 7-10 minutes and incredibly painful. Your dad was awesome, talking me through them and making sure I was breathing, which is very important to the health of YOU.
I finally called the hospital at about 4:00 p.m. frustrated that this had been happening for about 12 hours off and on. I was frustrated and concerned for your health and what did the hospital tell me? "Not until they're 5 minutes apart and painful." Um, these are fucking painful. What the hell? But I hung up with them, discouraged and pissed off. Your dad suggested we do something to get my mind off of it. So I cleaned the floor, he helped me, and we made dinner.
All the while, I was still having contractions that were painful to the point where I had to bend over and support myself on something. They took my breath away.
I walked around the house and your dad timed them. 5 minutes, 5 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes? Then 12 minutes? Then 3 minutes, then 4 minutes, then 5 minutes, then 4 minutes. It went on like this for hours. It was painful, exhausting and emotionally draining. Each time I would get closer to 5 minute contractions for about a minute each for an hour, it would change. Each time I went to the bathroom, it felt like I was having a contraction. Each time I got up or changed position, it would be one or two extra minutes that it took to have another contraction.
Talk about frustration.
Then I had a freezie pop (your dad and his freezie pops!) and it was delicious, so I had another. And they started to subside. I could feel my body starting to relax. I sat down and nearly fell asleep because I was so tired.
I did some Google searches on this afterward, and Prodomal Labor is what I came up with. What exactly is it? Essentially, it's also known as "false" labor, although there's nothing "false" about it, or otherwise known as "early labor," which is the labor that prepares your body for active labor. Some women go through it all in one fell swoop (early, active, post-baby) and some women, like me, get to put up with it for days or WEEKS before giving birth. So when people say, "I was in labor for 36 hours before I gave birth" they actually aren't too far off. Usually the contractions aren't consistent and they are usually between 7-10 minutes apart, no more, no less. It's to ready your body for labor. So this might explain all the cramps I've been having for the past 2 weeks. Braxton Hicks contractions are essentially the same as prodromal labor.
It's excrutiating.
However, after my rest last night, I feel good, but I know if I do anything "extra" today, it will send me into these contractions again. And I can't do it. Not for three days in a row.
So here I am, on the couch, blogging, relaxing, watching TV and patiently waiting for your arrival. After the past 48 hours, I can wait a few more to have you in a pitocin-induced, epidural haze.
And even though I can wait, I can't. I am so excited to have you and I already love you to pieces!!!
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