I’m sitting in my car in heavy traffic 45 minutes away from my home, which is an additional 30 minutes away from where my honey is working when I start having contractions. I’m not talking Braxton Hicks, I’m talking “can’t talk through them, omg I’m going to birth my baby on the side of the highway” contractions. As I made my way through traffic while attempting to time them, I called my sweetie in a bit of a panic. (Ok totally panicked) I managed to make it home at about the same time he did and he quickly threw our hospital bags into the car. I was nervous, scared, and excited. This is it! The baby is coming and I am soooo over being pregnant!
We get to the OB ER in record time and I’m taken into labor and delivery, still contracting every 5 minutes. I thought, surely, I was at least 5cm dilated by now, but when the doctor did my cervical check , I was at a whopping 1cm. An hour later with consistent contractions it was time for a recheck. Still only 1cm… no progress. When the doctor came in and said, “You are having contractions but you are not in active labor,” I completely broke down crying. (Like nervous breakdown, nurses all probably thought I was crazy, bawling) “I just want the baby OUT!!!!” I’d hit my breaking point. These last few weeks have been more challenging than I could have ever imagined and even the mere though of waiting 7 more days to birth this kiddo was just too much to bare at the moment.
Apparently, I had not been eating enough and drinking enough water, which was the culprit of the, once again, false labor. I did finally compose myself and leave the hospital without being committed to a psych ward. This was a good lesson for me though.
What Lisa learned about false labor (take 2):
- Hey! You’re pregnant!!! AND you have a chronic illness!!! EAT! I was in traffic and I was super hungry and didn’t pack snacks. (How many dang times have I preached about packing snacks throughout this pregnancy?!) NEVER leave home without them!
- Hey! You’re pregnant! AND you have a chronic illness!!! DRINK! …. And I digress. I think I’ve written about the importance of water in EVERY pregnancy post. I had run out of water and I should have had back up water bottles. Keep extra water bottles in your car at all times!
- We made it this far. That’s a Blessing. I wasn’t feeling it in the moment but, truly, as exhausted as I am at this point, what a miracle that we really have made it this far! We knew it wouldn’t be an easy journey, right?!
But you don't look sick... 