At my OB appointment on Friday I told my doctor that we’d been so sure that “labor” was imminent that my husband had been home from work since Tuesday. We were starting to feel pretty desperate.
This whole pregnancy I’ve been trying for a VBAC. (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean for those of you not savvy) Despite a diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes and some other small complications and hurdles along the way, I found myself past my due date with a provider who was still willing to let me give this a try.
I’d felt like I’d been truly laboring since Wednesday night when contractions became largely regularly and LARGELY painful. Friday Morning I went to birth triage because I felt like this had been going on forever and wanted to make sure everything was okay. I felt really, really silly going in, as I knew I was not in active labor, contractions had slowed down, even stopped, instead of picking up. No one belittled me though, in fact when I saw my doctor later on that day she seemed overjoyed that I’d gone in.
She said, “Andrea, this really may be what early labor looks like for you.”
Again, she’d given me a strange validation, and I went home feeling as if maybe I really wouldnt be pregnant forever, besides, we’d scheduled an induction for the following wednesday, just incase.
I took half a benadryl Friday night. I’d been told it can stop false labor, and since I hadnt slept for more than an hour at a time for over 3 days, I figured it’d be a good idea to get some rest. Unfortunately I got about an hour of sleep before contractions came back, to their regular 7 minute apart pattern that they’d been doing EVERY night. They hurt. I had to breathe and concentrate through them… and I could NOT be laying down when they hit. I’d propel myself out of bed at the beginning of each one so I could ride out that torturous minute kneeling on the floor.
I felt pretty broken down. No rest, and this was obviously the same old deal. Everyone said I’d know the difference between false labor and real labor, the contractions would CHANGE, they said.
They never did.
Saturday morning my water broke. We slowly made our way to the hospital.
Saturday night around 11pm or so I broke down and got an epidural. I didnt want it, but after 14 hours of “laboring” (after my water broke) and 4 days of “pre laboring” (no difference in pain intensity really, I’m inclined to lump them all together). I was pretty exhausted.
Sunday morning, after two hours of pushing. (and a night of sleep laboring) We welcomed Baby Alice Rose into the world.
