Contractions and the hospital...

All day Saturday I was having contractions but blew them off as braxton hicks. Around noon I layed down with the kids and tried to get rid of them but they started getting worse. So I decided to call Dave and let him know that I was having contractions about 10 minutes apart and to let his work know {just in case}. Around 4:30 they started to get really bad so I logged onto Contraction Master and started logging all of them in.

After about an hour I decided to call my Dr's after hours line because I was contracting every 5-6 minutes apart. My Dr told me to "get my butt in here NOW!" So I called Dave and told him what was going on. Then I called my dad to have him pick the kids and I up and just drop me off at the hospital and Dave would meet me there when he got off at 8pm.

I got up to L&D and had a gnarly contraction when I was filling out my information. The nurse then took me to my room and I had to get into the gown and try to pee in that tiny ass cup. I got in the bed and got all hooked up to the monitors. My BP was great {its never bad}, had a low grade fever and had a very hyper baby in my belly. It took her a few minutes to get the heart monitor on Allen because he kept moving around and she would lose it. She asked me all of the mandatory questions and had me sign all of the consent forms.

Then came the dreaded cervical check... {OUCH!} I was still 2cm, really soft and there was blood. The nurse said that she will see how I do for an hour and then if the contractions don't go away, I will get a dose of Terbutaline. An hour goes by and I'm having contractions about every 4-6 minutes and they are really hurting. So she comes in and gives me 1 dose of Terb and says that she will watch me for 30 minutes and if they don't stop, I get another dose. Well 30 minutes go by and she is giving me another dose. She said that she  will watch me for another 30-45 minutes and if I am still having them she will check me again and then talk to the Dr.

I'm still having bad contractions and I have to get checked again... {OUCH x2}. I'm still at a 2 but my cervix is getting a lot softer. So the good news was that the contractions were not dilating me, it was just making my cervix softer. She then leaves and talks to the Dr on call. About 20 minutes later she comes in with 1 Vistaril and 1 Nifedipine and said that if this doesn't knock out the contractions, we will then have to get a different game face on. About an hour goes by and the contractions are still rolling in. So a different game face is now put on... She told me that I am now going to get an IV for fluids and says that she will have to monitor me for 4 hours. If in the 4 hours the contractions stop, I get to go home {4am}. If they don't stop I will be admitted. So I tell Dave to just go home so my dad can go home.

My nurse comes in with 2 bags of fluids and starts the procedure. But before then, I get another cervical check {OUCH x3}... She is looking for a vein in my right arm and finally finds one, But 2 seconds later my vein blows and blood is going everywhere {I now have a gnarly bruise}. She then goes to my left arm and looks on that side.. Nothing. So she goes and gets a hot towel and wraps my arm up to hopefully get some veins to plump up. After about a minute later, she takes everything off and no veins. :( So she had to put it in my hand. I forgot how bad those hurt and they are so sensitive {another gnarly bruise}. She finally gets the fluids going and I go through one bag in 40 minutes and then get the other bag a lot slower. While I am getting my fluids, I finally get some time to sleep.

Around 3:15a she comes in and lets me know that they are sending me home! I had 3 contractions in 1 hour and we basically knocked them out. But, I have to be checked one more time {that's OUCH x4}. The contractions are not making me dilate but I am very very soft and thinning. So she tells me that if I am contracting 4-6 minutes apart for an hour, if I notice any changes and/or if I lose my mucous plug to come right in and not wait 6 hours like I did.

Since then, I have been having contractions but they are not as strong/painful and frequent. So now I am at home just trying to relax and keep him baking for a few more weeks :)