1) That Tyler can be up and ready to drive to the hospital in less than 7 minutes.
2) We can get to said hospital in about 35 minutes when abiding by most traffic laws.
3) Where to enter the hospital at 1:30 am.
4) That muscle spasms and contractions apparently feel different.
5) That Morgan gets very flustered when I sneeze (HB jumps from the 130's to the 160's and then calms down...)
6) That I can drink a WHOLE lot of water in 30 minutes.
7) That I need to make some MAJOR changes to the way I do things at school if I want to be somewhat-comfortable throughout the remainder of the pregnancy.
8) My cervix is still very-much closed.
9) That I always imagined I would be HOT in the hospital when under stress/pressure, but was VERY Cold- need to amend the contents of my hospital bag.
10) That traffic on I-35 is much better at night.
If you didn't catch it from the Letterman themed top ten, Tyler and I made a 'practice run' to the hospital last night. After waiting it out for about three hours, I finally decided that what I was feeling warranted an exam by a medical professional, in case the pain was indeed contractions.
To try to describe it accurately, I would say that it felt like lightning bolts striking my lower abdomen and then streaking across my pelvic area. Pair that with the intense pressure that followed and I thought I just might be having pre-labor contractions. I had called the doctor on call and decided to try to fall asleep and just call back in the morning since I didn't have any really scary concerns like bleeding or losing fluid. However, I woke up after about 30 minutes of sleep and the pains were unbearable. At that point, we decided a trip to the hospital was in order.
When we reached Olathe the pains, which were fairly solid but intensified about every 10 to 15 minutes, moved into my lower left side and back. It was at that point that I dropped a few 'f bombs' (okay, several, repeatedly) and Tyler pushed down a little more on the accelerator. Once at the hospital we went up to the third floor and turned left- the dreaded hallway I had hoped to avoid (pre-term labor issues/exams). I was strapped with a fetal monitor to listen to Morgan (whom I wasn't so concerned about because she was moving and thumping non-stop) while the nurse checked my cervix, etc. I was happy to hear that my cervix remained fully closed, but puzzled as to what these pains were then.
I endured several more bouts as they monitored and examined. The final verdict from the on-call doctor was that I overdid it in my classroom on Monday and Tuesday, pulling a muscle in my lower back. The spasms from this muscle effected my abdominal muscles, causing the pains I mentioned. At this, I thought to myself, "Oh, God, if these aren't contractions what do they feel like?!?" We remained at the hospital for a couple more hours of monitoring and some water intake. The pains were still present when we left, and I nearly threw up on the ride home. However, there's not much I can take in the way of pain relief at this point in the pregnancy, so I'll just get extra practice at pain management pre-labor. I should be a pro by then!
I'm on 'restricted activity' for a while, so I went to the school today but mostly sat and did light activity. I wasn't very productive, but had some quality time with a couple Renaissance kiddos (lots of laughter there) and a parent-night meeting this evening. Tomorrow: Enrollment! Morgan has been moving quite a bit today and yesterday, and I've done a much better job at keeping a regular schedule (eating, getting up, etc.). This has been one of my major priorities since I've been sleeping in quite a bit and eating at odd times. I don't want to confuse the poor thing!
Kibbles, too, has been extra cuddly, which is appreciated. She likes to curl up on my chest and stretch her paws out over where Morgan's legs are. She does not, however, like it when she rests her hind end in that same area and gets a few kicks in the butt from Morg! HA!!!
Tomorrow night is our parent meeting with our chosen pediatrician, which I'm excited about. I need to upload pictures of the completed crib (with bedding!) and recent Morgan-themed purchases. Sunday is our last Shower, so after that we'll need to outline the final necessities we need to purchase and get down to business. Right now, I know that Breast Pump and Bottles top the list- I'm sure there are other things but I can't think of them right now.
Oh, by the way, I highly recommend you check out Tyler's blog. It's devoted to his adventures and musings on fatherhood. You can visit it at www.tjenkins.blogspot.com.
Natasha
My Stick Family from WiddlyTinks.com
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