At the end of this pregnancy I could not believe how uncomfortable I was. I did not remember it being THAT bad with either of the boys pregnancies. I began having braxton hicks contractions around 34 weeks that were incredibly uncomfortable. They usually came at night, and would make my belly SO TIGHT. Also she was riding very low so by the end of the day my body was just worn out. I would take baths just to attempt to get some relief. She also could have been sitting funny because I felt as if she had no room, my skin was tight, my insides were tight, everything. All of this just led to a very much irritated me. I was uncomfortable 24/7 and had just what I am sure was the worst attitude. I didn't want to go anywhere, do anything, and couldn't imagine going longer than 37 weeks!!!
We went to Tyler the weekend before thanksgiving. I had contractions in the car on the way there some, and then some infrequently throughout the weekend. Riding back on Saturday night was the same story. I remember feeling more contractions that night though than any other. I figured my body was just exhausted so after we got the boys in bed, I got the order from Mark to go lay down. We finally fell asleep for a few hours, until around 3 on Sunday morning to Mark snoring. I than began to realize I was having pretty consistent contractions. I moved to the couch so I didn't disturb Mark and started timing them. They were semi sporadic, ranging from 6-10 minutes apart. Finally around 430 or so I went and told Mark not to be alarmed but I was going to go get in the bath to see if it helped. I got in the bath but they didn't go away. . . it wasn't unbearable, but you could definitely tell they were happening. So I went back and laid down, trying not to worry about it and tried to go to sleep some. By the time Mark got up for church (around 6) I told him I was still having contractions, so I probably shouldn't go that morning and that I would ask Mom and Dad to come and get the boys so I could rest. All of those things happened and I sat down and rested, got in the shower, and rested some more. The contractions stayed consistent, so I ended up calling the on call nurse at my doctor's office and she said if they weren't gone by 2 to go to the hospital.
Mark came home to me still contracting so after eating we loaded up and headed to the hospital. They got me all hooked up and said "Oh honey, your contractions are coming every 1 and a half to 2 minutes." I said "I know" and Mark said "You didn't tell me that, you told me every 5!" I said "I didn't want to completely freak you out." They checked me and I was only a 1, and so they monitored me for a little bit before giving me some medicine to stop contractions. It made my heart race and it makes you anxious, and it didn't stop the contractions at all really. By now it is the evening and I have still made no change so at 10 p.m. we go home, still contracting, but with no baby. I asked the nurse if this was apparently false labor and she said "Your contractions look like your in labor but if you don't dilate it isn't true labor." Who knew?
Mom and dad take me to get a honey butter chicken biscuit and go home to continue this labor thing. I was still having contractions throughout the night, and around 5 I go to the restroom and then stand up and feel what I think is my water breaking. So I wake Mark up and tell him, we call Adam and Abby to come stay with the boys and head BACK to the hospital, sure I was in labor at 35 weeks 1 day. We get there only to find out my water didn't break according to two separate tests. They also do a sonogram on her to make sure she is ok, and once again say she is riding very low. My doctor, whom I love, comes in and has sympathy for me, but says there is nothing we can do... If it was two weeks from now, he would give me pitocin and let me go, but since I am not far enough along, we just have to wait it out. So we once again leave the hospital with no baby, but a prescription for ambien to help me sleep and I head home. I am so thankful for my family who just jumped in and helped with the boys, stayed at the hospital with me, got us lunch, you name it. We also had wonderful friends from church bring Mark supper that night we were in the hospital, as well as the children's director brought us Cowboy chicken for Monday night. We are part of the best church and just oh so thankful for the people in our lives!
We make it to and through thanksgiving with me still contracting, sometimes with very hard contractions throughout the week, but nothing that is significant. It is more just mentally and emotionally exhausting waiting to see what is going to happen. Basically we have decided we wouldn't head back up to the hospital unless my water broke, because honestly it wasn't worth it. The next Sunday roles around and we do make it to church, to everyone's surprise, and have a good time with friends and our church family. I am so glad I went because it was just a nice break from all of the physical and mental drainings of pre-term labor. I of course am still having contractions every so often and am very irritable (poor Mark and boys). He was such a trooper through this whole ordeal, and put up with me and my crabbiness wonderfully. I don't think I have ever ever ever been more uncomfortable for such an extended period of time in my entire life! Luckily it was drawing close to the end, if only we knew how close it really was.
Part two coming up next.
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