Little Miss snuggled up in the cocoon her grandma knitted for her
Several people had suggested they thought I would go into labor early, even giving specific date ranges as their guess. For three weeks, one of the doctors I work with occasionally had seen me a couple of times and each time said "You are still here?" Every time I would tell the vice president I work with that I would see him at our next meeting 2 weeks out (the day before my due date), he said "no, I don't think you will." Even my dentist predicted I would deliver 6 days early (based on absolutely no scientific evidence). My goal was to make it through Father's Day (June 16) which would put me at 39 weeks, 2 days.
Little Miss had other plans.
On Friday, June 7, I had my 38 week OB appointment. I left this appointment in tears because my doctor (whom I've seen for 7 years) basically forced me to have a cervix check after I had declined it (due to the anxiety it caused me). At this point I had progressed from about 1 cm to 2 cm dilated. This knowledge annoyed me (and made me anxious) because it could mean anything -- I could go into labor that day or not for a few weeks. That night a good friend and I got pedicures (I got pink and blue in hopes it would last until delivery) and had dinner out, while P enjoyed a weekend with the boys.
On Saturday, I had an early morning and evening meeting at work and after the morning meeting ran some errands. I felt more tired & achy than normal, but nothing a nap couldn't fix. And being 38 weeks pregnant, I was getting used to being achy.
Sunday morning we had brunch with my aunt at a local restaurant, and I may have overindulged in the buffet. That evening, we met my parents and my dad's two sisters at a pizza place as they wanted to see my ever expanding belly. Sunday night I tossed and turned in bed, wondering why I ate all that food at the buffet and the greasy pizza we had had that night. I spent a lot of the night feeling like I had to poop (sorry TMI), and moving from the bed to the couch to the bathroom. Oddly enough, our cat, who never cuddles with me at night, came and cuddled with me on the couch.
By Monday morning, June 10, I was exhausted, and was feeling some intermittent pains in my belly, but didn't think much of it because Father's Day hadn't passed yet (in denial much?), so there was no way I could be in labor. I was moving slowly and took longer than usual to get ready for work and arrive at work. When my boss walked by my office, she came in and said "I really expected I would get a phone call from you this morning saying you had gone to the hospital." I remember thinking, that was random.
It was about that time I started realizing the "pains" I had been having all morning (and probably overnight) were coming at pretty regular intervals. Even though I was in total denial that this might be it, I decided to download an app on my phone to monitor the length between and of the contractions.
At 9 a.m., I went into a meeting with my boss to discuss some issues/hot items that would need covered while I was gone. My boss is a nurse, and when I told her what I was feeling, she told me I was in labor. We continued to meet, and I timed the contractions throughout. By the end of the hour long meeting, they were about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes apart. My boss asked me if I wanted to go home, but I told her I thought I was safer here, across the street from the hospital, than at home, 20 minutes away. (note: I work at a hospital, but in HR; and not in the physical hospital, but across the street - about a block away). She then told me I should get over to the hospital. I went back to my office and tried to call P, but wasn't able to get a hold of him, so I sent him an email that said something along the lines of "I think I'm having contractions -- just wanted you to know we may have a baby today." I went into another meeting with another nurse to talk about coverage while I am on leave, and she concurred that I was likely in labor. But her advice was to not go to the hospital too early as it could be a long time still before anything happened.
I kept working and timing the contractions, trying to get as much done as I could since it appeared that I would be heading over to Labor and Delivery sooner than later. (at one point my boss told me to stop sending emails) Finally at noon, the contractions were coming 3 1/2 - 4 minutes apart and were getting more and more painful. I called my OB's office, and told the receptionist that I thought I was in labor and would like to talk to a nurse. She asked how far apart the contractions were, and said "honey, you don't need to talk to a nurse, they are going to tell you to get to the hospital."
I called P and asked him to come and get me to take me over to the hospital. I told him not to hurry, but to finish up what he needed to and then come get me. I was eerily calm (much like right before I walked down the aisle at our wedding). At that point I decided since I wouldn't get to eat for who knows how long, I should eat something, so had the leftover pizza from the night before (this would come back to haunt me later on). My dear friend, who I am fortunate enough to work with, came in and I also told her what was going on. We chatted for awhile and she told me to text her as soon as I knew anything. She was having to go to an off-site location for the rest of the afternoon, and I could tell she was really concerned about me. A little before 1, P called to tell me he was in the parking lot and by the time I gathered everything, he had come into the office. At this point, only the three co-workers knew what was going on. I didn't want anyone else to know just in case it was a false alarm...
I had grabbed the camera on my way out the door that morning (okay, maybe I wasn't in complete denial), as well as had a small bag packed and in my car for the last week or so, so I grabbed those and we drove over to the hospital. P dropped me off and went to find parking, while I went up to the Labor & Delivery unit. I had pre-registered so once I got up there, checking-in was quite simple and quick. Strangely there was another woman checking in at the same time who had the same due date as mine. The department director walked in about that time and was excited to see me there and told me she would check on me later (working at a hospital does have some advantages when it comes to being a patient). As the admissions representative walked us to the room, we saw a couple walking the hallway, dragging an IV pole, and I thought "that will be us shortly - walking around, trying to get things to progress." We were greeted by our first nurse (of 3), who handed me a gown and asked me to get changed and in bed so she could check me. P helped me into my gown (the nurse stated she had never seen anyone try to tie it quite the way he had -- it took her 5 minutes to get it undone and redone correctly), and I stepped on the scale in the bathroom for what would be the last time as a pregnant lady.
I got into the bed, and the nurse told me who from my practice was on call that day. Wouldn't you know it, it was the doctor who had forced me into the cervix check on the Friday before. The nurse then proceeded to check me and tell me I was 6 cm dilated.
That's when things got really real!
