Tuesday, November 6, 2012

A trip to L&D...but no baby.

So. As those of you following along know, as of last Tuesday I was dilated to a near 4, and having lots of contractions, but they just wouldn't settle into any sort of timetable for any consistent amount of time. I'd have the "perfect" 4-1-1 contractions for an hour, and then right when I was getting ready to call, I wouldn't have another contraction for 40 minutes. It was irritating.

Last night Justin had a late playoff softball game. I'd been having contractions for a few hours before the game, but again they were like 8-10 minutes apart...then 4 minutes apart...then 8-10 minutes apart. They were uncomfortable, and I was starting to get really short with Justin and Lizzy if they'd talk to me during them, but I wasn't convinced that they wouldn't just stop all of a sudden like all the other ones. Since the softball fields are much closer to the hospital than our house is, we decided to just pack all of us up and head to Justin's game. Even though it was way past Lizzy's bedtime, I figured that maybe keeping her up late would actually make her sleep in past...oh 5am.

I timed contractions the whole game. Every once in awhile I'd have a big gap of time in between them, but they were still averaging about 4 minutes apart. They were still uncomfortable and I definitely had to breathe through them, but I didn't know what to do because I did NOT want to go to the hospital only to be sent home. Justin convinced me that we should at least call labor and delivery and see about going to get checked, and that it was no biggie if they just sent us home. So, he called and we went in.


I was telling the nurses that I wasn't 100% sure this was it or that the contractions wouldn't just stop again, but that things had gone so quickly with Lizzy and I was already so dilated that I just wanted to come in and make sure that it wasn't it. The sweet nurse assigned to me had actually been to mom's group before, and was so nice and kept telling me that she was glad that I came in and that I did the right thing...which was sweet...but honestly, I just kept thinking 'Yeah...I did the right thing IF I'm in labor.' She checked me, and said that I was dilated to a 5, and could be easily stretched to a 6, and was about 50% effaced. And then the contractions slowed down.

They monitored me for a little while, and then conferred with my OB, who said that we could either just call it a night and go home, or walk for an hour and then be re-checked and see if that either got things going more or if I dilated further. So, Lizzy went home with Stump (who had been at the softball game too), and Justin and I got to walking.

The contractions started picking up in intensity and frequency, and I was eventually leaning on Justin and swaying through them. At the end of the hour, they were about 2 mins apart, and Justin commented that he could tell they were getting more intense. Those suckers HURT. So, the nurse checked me again, and said that I hadn't really dilated or effaced any more. And once I'd laid down to be checked, the contractions had decreased again, so we were on our way home because they didn't really think I was in active labor.

The nurse kept commenting how strange it was to be sending someone home who was dilated to a 5-6, and how I was a total medical outlier in this situation...which is really kind of funny, because if I had a dollar for every time I'd been told that in a medical setting, I'd be a rich girl. Anyway, they sent us off about 12:30 or 1am, with assurances that they were sure they'd be seeing me again soon, maybe even later that night/morning.

And then I cried most of the way home. Because it sucks and it's frustrating, and I'm sore from head to toe even when I get a break from contracting. The contractions are still coming, but have slowed back down a bit since coming home. I've given up timing them for awhile. I slept a little, but not a lot. I'll probably have this baby in the car, because I'm not really sure when to head back in (and will probably second-guess myself like crazy) other than if my water breaks...so I'm kind of praying that my water just breaks and then there's no debate!

Now, I'm just trying to decide whether to take it easy, pop on a movie for Lizzy, and try to get some rest this morning, or whether to pack us up, head into the mall, and walk like crazy trying to get things going again. But that seems like an awful lot of work for something that I'm not convinced will make any difference, because the trick isn't necessarily GETTING things going, but KEEPING them going.

Blah. Sorry to whine, but I'm kinda over this.
 

17 comments:

  1. Awwww, hon. I can imagine how frustrating it is. I was dilated to a 4 with Landon and was like, COME ON ALREADY! I walked like crazy! I saw walk and bounce on a ball. Come on, baby! We're all ready to "meet" you :)

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  2. DANG IT! Well, at least your body is starting to figure out what's going on and labor... a little. :(

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  3. I'm sorry, Meredith. :(

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  4. You didn't whine! It's called labor for a reason, it's hard! Praying for you!

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  5. Oh man! That is frustrating! I'd rest for awhile. You earned it!

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  6. Hang in there Meredith! Baby will be here soon.

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  7. It totally sucks. Having just been there. Yep.

    But I have a feeling you'll be like me in the sense when it IS IT, you will have NO question in your mind at ALL because more than just getting irritated with Justin or Lizzy you will want to crawl in a hole and die. Or you'll be sobbing. OR SOMETHING. haha. I freaking hate contractions, especially the really nasty near-the-end ones...you'll know ;) So soon, lady! SO SOON!

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  8. Good luck & hang in there! I hope your babe comes today!

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  9. Oh my gosh!!!!! How is that baby staying in there?! I can imagine you are frustrated beyond belief but man oh man, you are sooooooo close. Hang in there, lady. Hopefully the next time you post, you'll be introducing us to that bean :)

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  10. Oh my gosh!!!!! How is that baby staying in there?! I can imagine you are frustrated beyond belief but man oh man, you are sooooooo close. Hang in there, lady. Hopefully the next time you post, you'll be introducing us to that bean :)

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  11. How frustrating. I say walk like crazy. I mean...you are at a six so even if they arent full blown labor contractions, they are doing SOMETHING. I can say - having gone through natural childbirth - that you will know transition contractions when they hit BUT that still doesnt mean you could dilate to a ten right away so yeah...I would be nervous as well!

    COME ON LITTLE ONE!!

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  12. hang in there, you are CLOSE!! Hope all goes well and I'll be praying for you :) Can't wait to see baby girl #2 :)

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  13. SO FRUSTRATING!! And girl, you better RUN to L&D when contractions actually stay consistent, cause at 6 cm and your quick labor with Lizzie, I don't think this baby is gonna take all day to make her way out.

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  14. You'll be there in no time! And don't feel bad at all - at my hospital if you'd walked in at a 6, they wouldn't have been allowed to send you home...I had to walk to go from a 3 to a 4, and once I got there, they had to admit me (though I ended up needing pitocin to get to delivery, because your contractions sound VERY familiar to me. So funny how policies vary hospital to hospital.

    Can't wait to hear about the new one! It will be soon!

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  15. Oh I'm SO sorry. I had contractions for 36 hours with Jaxon... it is *SO* frustrating, and exhausting!! Hang in there sweet friend!!

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  16. No fun! Sorry it's getting frustrating. Hopefully she'll be here soon!

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  17. Hang in there, mama!! I cannot freaking believe this. You are a 5-6 and NOT in labor?? Isn't 'active labor' from 4-7 cm?? Ugh. Thoughts and prayers to you, lady. I would be a freaking MESS.

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