long version

wednesday. It all started with terrible, terrible back pain. Nothing would get rid of it. NOTHING. Changing position, laying down, bath, ice, heating pad, bath, hot cocoa, tylenol, bath. The right side of my back started hurting worse. I couldn't sleep all night. I called into my doctor, since I had a suspicion that something just wasn't right. But I didn't have anything more than severe back pain and abdominal/uterine pain, so no need to go to the hospital.

thursday. After a night of no sleep, I had a reason to go into the hospital--painful contractions 10 minutes apart. Great.

9 am I go into the Family Birth Center at the hospital. My pain was coming from where my right kidney would be. Urine test comes back clean--no kidney infection.

Still have no answer for the back pain.

Michael rushes through a test to come to the hospital. I guess I should be more clear in my texts than, "Having contractions, going to birth center". I guess that can come across as, "She's coming!" Oops.

Test to see if Baby is releasing the hormone that tells docs she wants to come out comes back negative (which is good...if it was positive I would have a 90% chance of delivering in the next 2 weeks).

They stick an IV in and strap me with monitors to track contractions and Baby's heart rate. Baby was happy as a peach the entire time and showed no signs of stress; although her head was so low it made it difficult to actually check how far I was dialated--my contractions were actually doing their job (just a bit too early), so they put me on meds to slow them down. I also get a lovely steroid shot in the butt so Baby's lungs will be more developed when she comes (and now chances are she'll come earlier than her original due date).

My contractions and pain finally subsided by about 3pm. Turns out all Wednesday I was having uterine irritability (like mini never-ending contractions that for me were worse than the big ones) mixed with regular contractions that I didn't notice since my back was manifesting most of the pain. As contractions got worse my back pain would be 3 times as bad (masking the contractions), as they got better my back got better. Good thing to know for when I actually go into labor.

Michael spent what time he had in between classes/tests with me. He also spent the night at the hospital, which was great. I definitely underestimated how important it was to have someone there. I think I would have lost it otherwise. He took care of so much and even brought back movies to watch.

I got no sleep again with all the monitors and nurses waking me up to adjust them.

friday. I can't wait to go home...until they tell me I am going to be on bed rest. Ugh. During these last few months that was my worst fear. Oh well. You have to do what you have to do.

They finally take those awful monitors off, and I get in a few mini naps. I have to stay until 1 pm to get round #2 shot of the steroids (shots have to be 24 hours apart). Round #2 comes, the IV comes out, Baby is still in, and I get to go home!

Preterm labor sure wasn't fun. I only wish I didn't have to do this again--and then some--in a few-ish weeks. I guess I don't have 8 more weeks to do what I want! I wonder how many times I have to go into the Family Birth Center before I actually deliver a baby. I guess the third time is the charm, right?



p.s. Thanks for the calls, visits, dinner, and just overall concern for us! We have wonderful friends here in Portland and wouldn't know what to do without them!

p.p.s. Thanks for everyone picking up the slack for the ward activity. I hope everything went okay, Haley!