100% Loaded???

 Continued from Owen's Birth Story: Part I

I should have added a "?"

I admit, I was frustrated Friday morning when the contractions were nonexistent.  I was so excited and hopeful on Thursday.  I just knew that when the contractions were around 4 minutes apart, there was no way it could be false labor.  Or perhaps Owen had some way at looking at a calendar and decided debuting on Friday the 13th was not his plan.  Perhaps he wanted to be more like his big brother and come on a Saturday.  Either way, Owen had decided he was not ready yet.

However, I was BOUND and DETERMINED to try as many Old Wives Tales to restart labor.  As soon as AJ took Aidan off to daycare (around 9AM), I harnessed up Bo and went for a walk around the neighborhood.  Bo is only good for a little over a mile, so we walked about 1.33 miles in 25 minutes.  I felt some tightening, but no contractions.

So I thought, I would pretend like I cared to nest and began a load of laundry, cleaning the bathrooms, and cleaning the hardwood floors.  I figured the scrubbing and mopping motions would be helpful.  Time passed and several more loads of laundry later, nothing.  So for lunch, I opted for pineapple and spicy food.  Still nothing.  In addition, whenever I decided to sit down, I was sitting on my yoga ball bouncing. Reading, eating, or just trying to jump start labor - bouncing away on my yoga ball.

Have you heard the saying "what got you in this situation can help you get out of this situation" in regards to being pregnant.  Well, count that as an OWT attempt.  Then around 2 PM, I decided to go for another walk, sans Bo.  I figured I needed at least two miles and a better pace, ya know, since I don't have a need to stop and pee on bushes like Bo does.  I might have the urge to pee...but I would keep walking.  So while I was walking, I felt tightening, and occasionally something more, but I dared not to have hope or excitement.  Also, one of my friends who is also pregnant suggested walking one foot on the curb and one foot off.  While we don't have concrete sidewalks and curbs, the asphalt is slightly banked, and I tried to walk uneven so it would have a similar affect as if there were a concrete curb.  Also due to this suggestion, when I arrived home and thought hey, that might be a contraction, I busted out the Wii and did some step aerobics while I cautiously time contractions.

The contractions came back at 4 minutes apart lasting under 1 minute, but I was going to get my hopes up.  I did call AJ to tell him the news just in case.  I continued to time contractions and wait for AJ and Aidan to come home.  I didn't know if Owen was serious or tricking me again, but I decided I should eat dinner.  When Aidan came home, I told AJ I thought this time was real labor since I was now meeting the 4 1 1 requirement.

In addition, I lost part of my mucus plug.  I really thought I had peed myself, but when I went to the bathroom, I was surprised by what I saw.  At first, I was hesitant and not sure what I was seeing, but a quick google search (I suggest not doing that unless you really need to) confirmed it was part of my mucus plug.  And I was under the belief that if I was losing my plug surely these contractions caused me to dilate.  I knew I needed to be at least 4 cm dilated and experiencing contractions to be admitted to the hospital.

AJ showered while Aidan and I hung out in the bedroom.  I put on Elmo for Aidan and let him eat dinner in the bed!  I know, I was spoiling him, but he did not seem to mind.

The contractions were definitely a sharper pain and lasting over a minute.  After AJ was out of the shower, he packed up the truck to get ready for the hospital.  I called my dad to see if he was around to meet us at the hospital just in case I was actually admitted.

I asked that dad not call or alert anyone else because I could be experiencing another episode of false labor.  Dad was in the midst of fixing dinner and needed a shower, too, so the timing would be perfect if I was admitted.

AJ, Aidan and I scurried off to the hospital.  It was a difference experience walking into the hospital with it still light out and not stopping because I couldn't walk due to the sciatic nerve pain.

Waiting

We arrive at Labor and Delivery and begin the checking in process.  There was a lady giving birth, and Aidan could hear her.  His facial expression was priceless - he wasn't sure what was happening, but you could tell he wanted no part in finding out!  After checking in, they move us to a labor room where I would have to undress and receive monitors for the baby and the contractions.  The nurse asked me all sorts of questions and finally she checked my cervix.

I was nervous...I didn't want to go home, I wanted this to be the real thing.  I was ready to get the show on the road and meet Owen soon.  So as the nurse checked and then rechecked, I was hesitant that there was going to be good news.

Then the nurse said, you're 4 to 5 cm's, we're admitting you.  The wait was over!  Now it was time to see what those contractions would do and how fast this labor would move!  With the good news, AJ and Aidan left to go meet my dad while I continued to answer another million questions the nurse had.

Owen's Birth Story: Part III