false labor

On Sunday I had quite an embarrassing false alarm. I always swore I would NEVER be one of those.... but I WAS!!
A little after 1 I started having contractions every 5 minutes. They weren't super strong till about 5. Even then I wasn't "breathing through them" but they were painful.
So I called my doc, as instructed, and he said I should go into triage.

Although my contractions were then 2-3 minutes apart and their little arches turned into big tall arches on the graph I was only dilated to a 1. After an hour of walking the halls they calmed down in intensity (not frequency) and I was only dilated to a 1 1/2. So they sent me home to labor there....come back when I had been "breathing through my contractions" for an hour or more.

I came home. we put kids to bed. I went to bed.
and contractions stopped sometime in the night. I woke up a couple of times to strong ones but otherwise slept well.
super sore back next day....

I was excited to go home. I am was not ready for him to come!
during the time I was counting contractions I thought of the million things I wanted and needed to do before the big day!! I had cleaning, (especially cause family will be coming after) laundry stacked, sewing projects, things to buy, groceries, meals to make....just plain not ready.
I sat there hoping they would slow down and stop.
(although, a part of me..very small part...was of course excited to meet this guy)
I know I shouldn't be surprised at "going early" I should have been ready to have this baby at 37 weeks. I like to save those little things for RIGHT before though, it helps makes these last weeks go faster and keep me busy.
today already I feel as if I could have this baby and be better prepared about it. BUT I still have much to do. so stay in there, k bud?
It's too early.
your too little.

When your sister goes into labor....

My last NST was so pleasant.
I had a cute little english nurse.

Rosie.

She has straight short blonde hair (in between her ears and her shoulders) with bright pink streaks.

I love her!
She ran through all my meds, asking, Are you still taking the low-vin-ox? and was surprised when there was a page 2.

We chit chatted, and she left me to relax.
I had left both my kids at home, and ate up the relaxing.

Baby was happy and squirmy and had passed the NST  within 3 minutes of being hooked up.

The way NST's work is you have to be hooked up for 20 minutes.
I didn't mind 17 more minutes of this.
especially childless.

It was a quick 20 minutes and I was out of there.

TODAY however, was quite a different experience.
I did have little Jack with me.
(who is loosing his fear of toilets and also going potty when we ask)
So he went potty before the nst.

and I had cute Rosie.
After about 15 minutes I mentioned I had been having a lot of contractions, I noticed them on my drive there...I had like 2 on the car ride.
 She examined the sheet- and yes I was having them about every 5 minutes.
I stayed hooked on to be monitored and kept having them regularly.

At this point I think it is appropriate to mention my sister is in labor today.
same time as me sitting here doing this NST. Do you think these could possible be sympathy contractions?

Worried...she talks to doc.
I'm going to another room anyway for a growth u/s so she has to swab me and check my cervix.

I ALWAYS have a be prepared attitude when going to the doc. meaning shave and prepare for a just-in-case check.
but I didn't prepare for today.
ug.

Contractions still going we-
do the swab (which will tell us if I will go into labor in the next 2 weeks)
do the check (cervix high and closed, phew)
do the ultrasound. (baby is growing good! just cause I'm small doesn't mean he is. a little over 4lbs.)
talk to doc.

while we wait for swab results I get to sit and be monitored.
and get some medicine that is a muscle relaxer. I never quite understood the name from my cute english nurse.

I was over come with shakes and got super hot and kind of dizzy. It scared me! but apparently is normal side effect. (I'm fine now, in case your wondering. just a little leftover shake)

I didn't have another contraction, and my swab result came back negative.
I can go home.

Good little Jack was amazing.
He sat quietly for all those hours. he ate a few snacks. we didn't have any lunch, so I bet he was starving. I was.He did have to go pee and additional 2 times, but luckily I wasn't hooked up to anything when he would announce his bladder problem.

He wanted E-I-O's for lunch.
so he got it.

don't you think he deserved it?

top is baby heartbeat

bottom is my contractions