The False Alarm

From  Thursday May 30th, 2013

All black and white photos by Cassie Idler from Simply Cherished

Let's recap: On Tuesday I had been 4.5 cm dilated.  My doctor was willing to induce me on Thursday the 30th, but I declined.  She was willing to break my water and see if things got going, but there is no guarantee with that so I chose to wait it out.  I had been experiencing uncomfortable braxton hicks for weeks and they had always turned into nothing.  On this Thursday - I had forgotten to take my morning heparin shot and had decided to give myself an early evening shot (around 7) because that would be an easy 12 hour routine to get into.  Around 5:30 I started to get regular uncomfortable braxton hicks.  They were around 7-8 minutes apart and lasting around 45 seconds.  I wasn't sure if I should be giving myself a heparin shot in the middle of regular contractions or if I should just wait until they disappeared.  At 7 I decided to call the on call nurse to see if I should take my shot or not.  I left a message and she called me back half an hour later.  I tried to explain that the contractions were not painful, but I think all she heard was "3rd baby, contractions every 7-8 minutes" and she told me to go to the hospital.

Forrest and I finished getting the kids in bed, called our friend Matt to come stay with them, and left after Matt got there.  Forrest called his parents as we left to tell them to come up and I texted our birth photographer - Cassie to let her know we were headed to the hospital.  Forrest and I both knew that I was not in real labor - but we also knew that it was very possible that the hospital would admit me anyway and then get things started, which is why we told his parents to come up.

The drive to the hospital was pretty uneventful.  We arrived at around 8:30 and when we pulled up to the emergency room the car in front of us was this Jimmy John's delivery car - and the driver went into the hospital with a bag of food.  I thought it was funny and snapped a picture.

When we walked into the birth center's triage area - we were told that there were no triage rooms available and to wait in the birth center lobby.  The pregnant woman that came in right behind me was told the same thing.  It was pretty funny and I'm glad I wasn't in actual labor and moaning because that would have been AWKWARD with all of the small kids in the waiting area.  About half an hour later - the other pregnant lady was taken back to triage.  I was slightly annoyed (seeing as how I arrived first) until the janitor came out to clean up the water on the floor.  Apparently her water had broken when she stood up to walk back to triage.     I waited another half an hour - played on my phone, Forrest took my picture and walked around until they called me back.

When I was in triage, they hooked me up to the monitors.  It was fun to listen to baby's heartbeat and thankfully I was still having contractions - every 6-7 minutes apart, but they were not very strong.  While we were sitting there, Forrest and I made the final decision on what baby girl's name would be.  We thought it would be helpful if she was possibly going to arrive that night.  The nurse checked me and I was still 4-4.5 cm.  I talked with the on call hospital OB and they decided to have me walk around for an hour and see if that would do anything.  By this time it was after 10 PM.  Cassie-  our birth photographer had arrived and she decided to stick around and take some pictures.  

 I was determined to make the most of my hour - so I started walking - FAST.  Well, as fast as a 39 week pregnant lady can.

 I did a lot of squats, hoping that maybe baby would move into a better position.

 Forrest and Cassie just followed me around.  Cassie and I discovered that she went to college with my good friend Bailey Willcox - who is now married to my cousin Alfred.  Small world.

 I created a loop around the hospital going up and down the stairs.  The lobby area outside of the birth center had two sets of stairs, so I was able to go up one and down the next with squats and "fast" walking in between.   I did not want to go home, but obviously from my smiles - I was not in any real pain.

 Me pretending to do ballet while squatting.

 Reading the displays.

 About half way through my hour - I was hot and sweaty.  I had been working hard.  Back by the cafeteria there was an outside sitting area.  We all went outside to get some fresh air and cool off.  Since it was so late, the doors locked behind us.

 We then had to walk around the hospital, back to the ER entrance since it was the only entrance open and go back in to resume my loop of stairs.

When I went back to triage - they hooked me up to the monitors again and now my contractions were a steady 5 minutes apart.  When they checked me again - I was still 4.5 cm.  The OB on call talked to my doctor - and while my doctor was willing to have them admit me and induce by breaking my water - the hospital did not have enough staff to cover an induction.  They were too busy.  However, the hospital OB and my OB decided that I could be induced on Saturday.  When the nurse was checking us out - she said, "we normally tell people to come back when they are having contractions every 5 minutes, but in your case they need to be stronger."  Umm... thanks.  It was a bit frustrating to be sent home, but since I knew the entire time that I wasn't in actual labor - it was not too much of a surprise.

Forrest and I left and went home - getting there around 1:30.  Forrest's parents had arrived about 45 minutes before us.  We let them know we were home and that a baby would be coming on Saturday.