Filtering Life

So I did just what my Labor and Delivery manual said. There are three reasons to go to the hospital. One…bleeding (we don’t like that one). Two- Water breaks or “trickles consistently”…..no my Hoover Dam is still in tact! Three- Your contractions are 5 mins apart for at least one hour for 45 second durations. OH YEAH…….it happened!

So I lay my sweet anticipatory head down last night at midnight only to be awoken moments later by my first real contraction. One that was much deeper and quite uncomfortable. Definitely much more intense than the Braxton Hicks I was feeling for the last 8 days. I can’t say I was doubled over in pain…but it got my attention. I have a super high tolerance so I won’t exaggerate anything. They were uncomfortable, radiated down my legs and pelvis…but totally doable!

This wake up, pee, contract, wake up, pee, contract routine went on till 2:30am when I finally decided to get up, go in our spare bedroom, turn on a light, get a clock with a second hand and start recording. Can I just say Conan O’Brian from 3:00am-4:00am is HORRIBLE to watch and not the least bit distracting, but I did enjoy Home Improvement….childhood memories. Finally, I started getting regular contractions that would peak and valley at 5 min. intervals. I got Ryan up at 4:00 and said…lets finish getting packed, you shower, and let’s keep timing for another hour. By 5:00 we were packed and ready to go. I notice a little bit more spacing in the contractions, but as I walked around the house they would pick back up. We decided to wait another 30 mins, pray together and do some devo’s and just submit to the day. The only glitch was my parents are 2 hours away and I told them to come on. Silly ME!

So long story short. We go to the hospital, they temporarily let you check in. The lady at the reception desk royally ticked me off. She looked at me and said, “Honey, I look more exhausted and uncomfortable than you…you sure your in labor?” So note to self….don’t wear make-up, dress like a slob, where a pained expression, or else you are NOT in labor. I was biting my tongue hard with her. I got checked by the Dr. on duty….I dilated another centimeter….2 down, 8 to go. She told us to get walking the Mother/Baby Unit for 1 hour and then come back. So I get in my lovely green gowns, have my slippers on because I stupidly forgot sneakers and we start walking. After an hour and approx. 3 miles we come back, they take Chloe’s heartbeat (which they raved that she is a very happy baby with a strong heartbeat…go Chloe!!!). They tell us that the next doctor is coming on at 8:00 and for us to come back at 8:30 so have to walk for ANOTHER HOUR!!!!! People…do the math…walking for 2 hours in slippers with no support. My feet, calves and low back felt like they were going to blow out! Once we got back at 8:30 Dr. Phemister was in a C-section so we were hooked back up the monitors for contractions and for Chloe’s heart rate for over an hour. My parents show up at the Labor and Delivery Unit just as the doctor finally arrives.

Bottom line. My contractions are 4-7 mins apart, but they aren’t strong enough to put me into “strong labor” so I had the choice of staying there and walking some more or going home, eating breakfast, sleeping, and hoping and praying that my contractions pick up ASAP.

Let’s see….walk some more in a hospital or go get a huge breakfast and finally sleep after 28 hours of no sleep…..yeah…check my butt out of here! So sadly, I am sitting at home after eating b-fast and sleeping for 3 hours….hanging with my parents…waiting. Waiting on my body to pick up the pace. They said come back if they get 3-5 mins apart and more painful or #1 or #2 happen.

Please please please continue to pray that tonight is the night. My parents are already here…God bless them, my friend Brooke comes on as a L & D nurse from 7:00pm-7:00am tonight and I would LOVE to have her as my nurse and Dr. Phemister is on until 8:00am tomorrow. So basically the team I would love to have deliver Chloe.

Keep hope alive in 2007….word to your mother.