Guessing Game

Last Saturday I had a few random contractions. I don't think I had any pre-labor contractions with Micah. BUT- it's very possible I just didn't recognize them for what they were. However, this Wednesday morning I woke up and was having contractions that came one after the other-- not quite as random as they were Saturday.

I didn't think much of it until a few hours later when they were coming at very regular intervals. I started to worry...

They weren't really painful. Just like a menstrual cramp that goes from your back to your lower tummy. I was worried because I felt the exact same as I'd felt the first hour or so of my labor with Micah. At the time (Wedensday) I was only 34.5 weeks along. MUCH too soon to deliver. At first I took the commotion with a grain of salt. I even joked with Terry that if Caleb came this early, I might actually get to go to Ashley's party-barge birthday party in May. (In the end, NOT a good reason to hope your child is delivered as a preemie.)

As the hours passed and my contractions stayed strong, I finally called my doctor. I knew what they'd say- "Lie down, drink some water, and time the contractions." So, when I hung up, I did just that. Err, well, not really. I actually made a to-do list of things that needed to happen should Caleb arrive early and I began tackling the list, one thing at a time.

Eventually I made myself follow orders and used www.contractionmaster.com to time my contractions (a great tool, girls!). Turns out they were about 3.5 minutes apart and lasting for about 60 seconds. Instead of calling the doctor back, I began playing the Guessing Game.

It's been my experience that by becoming a parent, you also immediately become a player in this dangerous and high-stakes game. When you've got someone else's life to preserve, you're under a lot of pressure and you second-guess every decision. I can't tell if the second-guessing is a reasuring consequence of parental instinct, or just a sign of slight insanity (which I think is another thing that happens to you once you're a parent).

In this case, here's how my thought process went:
-Lots of people have irregular contractions (different from Braxton Hicks) during their pregnancy. Nothing to worry about.
-But Caleb is measuring big for his age (by a pretty big percentage) and I had Micah early, too. So maybe Caleb's all ready to come home and this is the beginning of real labor?
-Nope. Since the contractions aren't getting any stronger with time, this must not be the real thing. I should just move on with my day.
-Unless of course, they suddenly get really strong and then I have to rush to the hospital and it's too late to take drugs to stop the early contractions.
-But I don't want to go to the hospital if it's not warranted. I've already paid for 2 unneccessary ultrasounds!

I drove myself crazy for a total of 5 contraction-filled hours going back and forth. I complained to many people, "But this isn't my first baby. I should know better!" I finally succumbed to the better-safe-than-sorry theory and called my doctor, knowing full well she'd have me come in for testing.

After doing an internal (I'm not at all dilated and still really thick) and watching my itty-bitty contractions register on the monitor for a while, the nurse sent me home and told me to rest. So, in the end, the worry was for nothing. The nurse said I just might be more attuned to the feeling of the contractions since I know what they feel like this time.

In the end, the amount of stress I suffered by worrying all day sent me in to a hormonal tail-spin which all three members of my family got to endure the worst of for a full 24 hours. So, I wish I'd just gotten the whole thing taken care of right away instead of putting myself through torture.

This is just the begining of my Guessing Game with Caleb though. I'm watching Jill go through it right now. 6 week Adriah hasn't been making as many dirty diapers as Jill would like. So Jill's put on her sleuthing hat to figure out why. She's hypothesized about the cause and considered everything from gas, to infrequent formula supplementation, to a low production when it comes to her breastmilk. I remember being there. Micah's whole first year for Terry and I revolved around trying to interpret what our non-speaking, teeny human being required and which combination of our actions would satisfy the need.

I'm so grateful to be passed this current hiccup, though. I only had about 7 contractions total yesterday, so it looks like things might be slowing down in that area. Our slight scare did get Terry and I a little excited for Caleb, though. We walked around the hospital's new labor and delivery wing and peeked in open doors looking at the new decor. We've got less than 5 weeks to go. Shortly I'll experience contractions that DO grow in strength and then the real excitement begins!!