2 days before birth: I woke up feeling tired as usual, but I couldn't shake it during the day. I had more little signs of labor (of which I will not go into detail: you're welcome), but I had been having little signs for weeks now. Plus lots of irregular contractions that didn't hurt. We politely declined a dinner invitation with friends because I still wasn't feeling great by the evening. Oh, and we cleaned the whole house. Yay!
36 hours before birth: We went to bed at about 11 pm, because that was our stupid habit. I fell asleep, but woke up because I was having some painful contractions.
1 am, 31 hours before birth: I realize it will not be possible to fall back asleep, and start timing my contractions. 8 min apart.
1:30 am: I wake Alex to rub my back to help me get through the contractions. 6 min apart.
3:00 am: We are up and about, puttering and trying not to get to excited. We tidy whatever is left of the house to be tidied, and finish packing our "go bags". Contractions 4 min apart.
The last belly picture at home. I. was. enormous.
3:45 am: I call the answering service, and the on-call doctor calls me back. I report that my contractions are have been 4 minutes apart for an hour and a half, and he tells me to come in. Alex and I finish packing, he showers, and we are off!
4:30 am: We arrive at the hospital, the let me walk from the ER to L&D thank goodness. We get all checked in, they start my IV (hospital policy. I asked if I could be the exception, they said no. But the nurses were funny about it!), I don't like IVs.
I had the nurse, Erin, wrap my IV so I couldn't see it. Out of sight, out of mind.
5:00 am- 6:30 am-ish: We are walking the halls and doing laps like its the Indy 500. Contractions still 4-5 min apart. We change directions from counter clockwise to clockwise to mix things up. Woo.
A little after 7 am: The Doc comes in to say hello and check me. I'm dilated to a 2, and 100% effaced. This is about a 1/2 cm change from my appointment 2 days ago, so I am a bit disappointed. My dreams of a 6 hour labor like my mom are dashed. Doc estimated that Little Miss will be 7- 7 1/2 lbs. I am skeptical given that I was 8 1/2 lbs (10 days early no less!) at birth, and hubby was 8 lbs. Little Miss is a whole week late. He assures me she will be under 8 lbs; "either that or she is hiding it well!" I am not comforted...Contractions still 4-5 min apart.
Sometime soon after that: We are up and about doing laps again, the nurses let us into to Mom & Baby wing so we can walk past the nursery and possibly inspire Little Miss. Contractions are 4-6 minutes apart now.
Around 8 am- 24 hours before birth: We are pretty pooped since we didn't sleep last night, and my contractions have slowed down a bit despite our walking. We decide to rest for a bit. Hubby falls asleep in the reclining chair, and I miraculously doze for a while in the bed.
A couple hours later- ish, maybe around 9:30 or 10 am: New on call doc from the practice checks in, says Hi, and gives me the ok to eat breakfast. I express my shock and concern that my contractions are now 10 minutes apart, neither he nor the nurse are overly bothered. I am reassured that I won't be sent home.
11 am: Breakfast. I am grateful that this new Doc's philosophy on eating during labor is "Order a steak if you want to, I'm ok with it". Bless that man. We eat, then walk some more.
Noon- 20 hours before delivery: Contractions have not picked up. I am wondering what my options are. We ask the nurse what we can do. She says since we have already been walking, the options are really to either go home, or start pitocin. I dislike BOTH options, but agree to think about them.
