One Year Ago Part 2

So after I was discharged, I wasn't really given specific directions. Take it easy, drink fluids, see you Friday. So I worked some, my MIL hung out with me for a day & on Friday, I went in for my check up, not expecting much. Again, I was wrong. I had dilated to 1.5-2 cm and was 50%. Oh... And I was told "You may spot a little after this check up. If its heavy or a lot and doesn't stop, call." Ok. Great. Thanks for being specific. By the way, have I mentioned this is my first one? I'm not really sure what you consider a lot, heavy, etc. So I went to Target, walked around, went to bed, woke up and there was blood. To me it wasn't a lot and it stopped. So I shook it off. And PTL Mike was coming home today! The bleeding stopped, the spotting didn't & the contractions started again. So I watched some football, walked to the neighbor's {Side note... WHY didn't anyone tell me to stay put. sit down and keep my feet up? WHY did people suggest walking to help with the contractions?} and sat around. That night Mike & I went to Beef's for dinner. The waitress joked with me not to go into labor. I informed her I had already done that once this week, I wouldn't do it again. Sunday, came and while the spotting was still there, the contractions had subsided. We went to our neighbor's that night for Sunday dinner & to watch the Cowboys. {A few days later we joked Matt's yelling scared Palmer and made him want out.} That night, I read about "The Show" and what to expect before going into labor or when you were in labor. Yeah, I figured out that the spotting I was having, was my "show" & that I was pretty much in labor. But I still hadn't lost the plug. So I felt safe, relaxed, but on edge. 

The next morning I woke up & before I left for work, I went to the bathroom again. And there it was.... The plug. I remember rubbing my belly & thinking "You're coming soon, aren't you?" I didn't realize how soon, soon would be.

Fast forward to after lunch and it was Deja Vu all over again. However this time, I had my 36 week appointment after school so I pushed through the day, sat in the office for about an hour before finally being seen by my Dr & low and behold...she had NO idea I was in the hospital a week before. Oh, and I was also freaking out about a possible C-Section because on Friday the OB told me I had a narrow pelvis. 😣 So before believing anything, Dr. Gee wanted to check me herself and see what was going on. And as soon as she did, she asked if I was contracting, Yes. Are you now, eh I was in the waiting room. Yeah, I was now 3.5 cm, 75% and Palmer was at Stage 1. She used her hands to show me just how close Palmer's head was to coming out. Crap. Needless to say, she wanted me back in triage, I objected & on bed rest. Again, I objected. So, instead of triage, she hooked me up to a stress test, which ended up not working correctly, drank some water, and checked me again. Even though I hadn't dilated much in that 45 minutes, the contractions hadn't stopped so she pushed me to 4 cm & sent me to triage. With an almost dead phone, no charger, no packed bag, & no husband. There I was checked again {Side note: it was the same nurse from the week before, which also happened to be the same nurse who did our labor class) & the nurse and OB determined I was really only dilated 3-3.5 but they watched me for the next few hours, during which my phone died so I used the nurses phone to call Mike, walk him through packing my bag & twiddle my thumbs. I didn't contract much more, they didn't hurt & they weren't consistent. Mike showed up around 6:30, and at 7 I was given the option to stay over night or go home. I chose option B. I had sub plans to do, plus I needed to go into my classroom and clean/organize it, bed rest or not. However before we left, the new nurse went over bed rest with us: No standing, at all. No dishes. Quick shower, they didn't even want me driving.  So I made the decision that I would take this week off of work, and by next week I would be 37 weeks and go back to work because it would be fine to have Palmer then, just not now. Because let's face it, we had JUST gotten his car seat, (it wasn't even in my car, that was my plan for Monday after my appointment) I had ordered his bedding but we didn't have it & his nursery was being painted that weekend. He could come early, but needed to wait a week. {Ha!}

So home we went & I stood at our island for a few minutes before I realized I couldn't be & sat down, opened my laptop and started doing sub plans and watched DWTS. An hour later, contractions started again. I thought it was discomfort from the hot computer. I toughed it out to finish my plans, & went to bed around 11. Mike was already there but by this time, I was in the same pain as last week. I tried REALLY HARD not to wake him up, but dangit they hurt! I was kicking, biting a pillow & timing them. They still weren't consistent, but dear Lord they hurt. Mike {who clearly wasn't sleeping} kept insisting we go back to the hospital, & the pregnant woman in denial insisted she was fine. At 12:15 I caved. My bag was already packed, Palmer's had been for weeks & so we put on shoes (nope, didn't even change) & off we went. As we walked into the ER, I looked up at the full moon. And I may have flipped it off. I was not ready to have this baby this early. But ready or not, he was coming. Now.