Contractions

    SO, Braxton-Hicks contractions are supposed to be these "painless" practice contractions for your body to get ready for labor.  First of all, I find this unfair seeing as I am having a c-section and I have no need to practice for labor, secondly, my nurse told me they are painless but "they will definitely take your breath away"...she was NOT kidding.  Sometimes, I have had to lean back in my chair and try to steadily control what little breathing I have left while they pass.  So, last night I woke up several times in the night with this tightening/breathless feeling in my belly and in my back.  I just attributed it to all the wonderful other pains I have been having and tried to go back to sleep.  As today has worn on, the pains have been more frequent, a little longer, and breathless is an UNDERSTATEMENT.  Around 2:30 I went to my Assistant Principal and told her the situation and that I wanted to head to Labor and Delivery JUST TO BE SURE...she sent me on.
   I arrived at L&D at about 3 and there was no one in front of me.  I signed in and was back in a room and a gown by about 3:30.  I got a very sweet nurse, Jo, and she came in and told me she would be taking care of me.  Now, here's the thing about Jo.  She was MUCH older and she was wearing a mask over her mouth and nose so I was immediately alarmed but she quickly explained she had jaw surgery.  I told her I had the same surgery when I was 12 but it became increasingly clear that I wasn't understanding Jo.  Anyway, both babies monitored fine and I was, indeed, having contractions and they were decently close together but they were "small and short".  I kept asking what that meant, was that a cause for concern etc. and Jo just kept saying "we will keep watching and I will let the doctor know".  Ughhhhhhh...finally, she comes back to me with a pill and some water and says the doctor wants me to take this pill, Procardia, and see if that doesn't "calm things down".  She also said the doctor wanted her to check my cervix...I will spare you the full details of that experience.  Let's just say, her last words to me before she started were "I will be gentle..." well, I would hate to feel what rough was like. Whew. After my roto-rootering, she found that I was NOT dilated which was great news. After about 45 minutes on the monitors and 459845 solitaire games on my phone, Jo came back and looked at the paper and sure enough, contractions had slowed to nearly nothing.  She brought me back my discharge paperwork and it was time for me to make the million hour trek home in the Dallas traffic.

Pink for McKenna, Blue for Owen, and Blue for Mommy's contractions!

   I consider it a successful visit...I got to hear both babies (although my active son moved around so much that the monitor lost him...twice) and I was not in any sort of active labor.  I go back to the doctor on Tuesday and I intend to ask him if I need to continue taking the Procardia at home if this continues to happen. I hope and pray the next time I go back to that hospital its to have my healthy, full term babies....so I will keep on praying!