Monday, November 19, 2012

Progressing Towards Labor

Well after I got my cerclage removed at 36 weeks I'm pretty sure I began dilating shortly after.

I ended up in labor and delivery once because I swore my water was leaking.  They denied this but did say I was 4cm.  Of course, they proceeded to tell me it was unlikely I would make it to the end of the week without delivery, this was around 37 weeks if I remember right.

Well, 2 weeks later I was still waiting!  Now we were trying to decide if induction would be a good way to go....

Oh, more details on water leaking.  I know that use that fibronectin test when you come in and think your water has broken or is leaking but obviously that test doesn't work because even when my water did break they tried to send me home because it came back negative!

The first time I thought my water was leaking I literally woke up with my shorts and bed just wet, sorry TMI but really it's kinda gross to wake up to and relavant to my story.  I called L&D after it happened 2x that night and they said I probably just wet the bed!  I decided since I wasn't actively leaking fluid that it was okay, and I could feel the baby moving so I decided to just go back to sleep.  I highly doubt that I wet my bed 2x in one night and still had to pee when I woke up so I am sticking by the story that my water was leaking.
I think it's a well known fact that pregnant women may have "leakage" issues at times but I think we all know our own bodies well enough to know what's really going on.   

I walked around until just over 40 weeks being dilated at least 4 cm.  Everyone thought that was insane but I was having no contractions and wasn't in active labor.  We had decided to schedule the induction for Tuesday June 6, just 4 days past my due date.
On Sunday we planned our day for Monday, the last day of being just a couple.  I honestly do not even remember what we had planned for that day because it definitely ended up being better than we had hoped!
I woke up in the middle of the night to a "pop".  I swear I heard and felt my water break and I just kind of knew what it was.  I decided to get up to see what would happen and yep, definitely confirmed that my water broke.

We were shaking and excited as we gathered our bags and got dressed.  It's always amazing how calm you are when the time comes, you are the one keeping your dh calm!
I didn't really have contractions, just felt kind of crampy.

Again, when I got there they told me my water didn't break and said I could be induced or go home.  The "test" came back negative for amniotic fluid.  I assured them that my water did break, I have no idea where else all of that water would have come from?  A while later they confirmed that yes, it really did break. :D

I quickly proceeded to dilate, contractions were not what I would call intense but I opted for an epidural before they got too intense.

So the warning signs of labor that I had?  NONE until my water broke.  People will tell you and you can read all of these things that they say are signs you are going to go into labor soon but really I had no signs.  It was like any other day until my water broke.  I actually didn't have a ton of time before I really started to dilate so I'm kind of wondering how quickly my second full term baby will arrive....we won't be going far from home with that one!

Next post will be my birth story!