Quick Trip to the Hospital

I was still cramping when we headed to movie night last night. I had this feeling through the movie that "this could be it" as the cramps became 'regular'. I would get this wave of cramps that would last about 45 seconds and those waves came in waves that were between 5-10 minutes apart. I have had braxton hicks contractions that became regular, but they felt so different than these. So when Daniel asked me if this was it, I honestly had nothing to say. I had no idea what it was that I was feeling. I knew that it wasn't comfortable, that combined with the back cramping, but the pain was, I'd say a 3. nothing that I couldn't walk or talk through. I was so confused as to what was going on. Daniel suggested that since we were in town, to run by the hospital and just ask a nurse what she thought might be going on. That thought sounded lovely to me. I just wanted to know what was going on. 

So after the movie, we left our friends house and headed to the hospital. 

When we got there, the nurse we spoke with was very knowledgeable, I wish I had gotten her name. After I spent a good bit telling her about my day of cramping and the "bloody show" and such, she said that she was going to admit me and check me out. I was surprised. I didn't think i would need to be admitted to be checked. I have read so many stories of women who weren't far along enough to be admitted, and I only assumed that they were check out without being admitted in order for the hospital staff to determine that she was indeed not far along enough. But, oh well. So she put Daniel and I and a Labor/Delivery Room, gave me a gown and a cup to pee in. I was starting to shake, not that I was cold nor that the pain was too much, I think just the reality that I was in the hospital and putting on a gown, it sorta got to me. 

So dressed in hospital clothes and in a bed with monitors strapped around my round belly. I was questioned about health history and such as I was being admitted. Daniel was on the phone with the hospital staff on another floor giving them insurance information. I kept thinking, "I have all this filled out in my paperwork in my hospital bag at home." That and was wishing for my pillows from home, as the pillows at the hospital are such a joke. It's like a figment of your imagination. They look like they are there, but when you put your head on it you would swear that there was nothing between your head and the wanna-be mattress. 

After the questioning, the nurse checked my dilation/effacement. She said that I was still a 1-1.5cm dilated and about 80% effaced. She said that my cervix was unique in the fact that it was thinning in layers. The outer layer could be considered dilated about 4cm but the inner layer was about a 1-1.5cm.  But she thought I was thinner than 70% effaced, which meant that the cramping did something but it was not labor. She was convinced that the appointment the day before, while my doctor was checking me, he probably did a swiping of my membranes a little bit. Which is what would have caused the "bloody show" and that is known to either cause labor to begin within the next 24 hours or cause a few days of intense cramping. She thought it was the latter since my cramps weren't "rhythmic." 

When she was checking on Jarred's little heartbeat she was a little concerned that it wasn't "active" and she wanted to monitor his heartbeat for the next thirty minutes. She figured that Jarred was taking a nap, but she wanted to wake him and make sure that his heartbeat was reacting the way it needed to. So she laid be back and got me some oj to get some sugar and cold to jump-start my little one. 

It worked! He was more alert and active in the next 45 minutes than he had been all week. My cramps also changed and became stronger and more like contractions. only lasting about 35 seconds and 15 minutes apart. 

The nurse came back in after monitoring Jarred and I from her desk in the hall for about 40 minutes. She had talked to my doctor, who happened to be on call, and they both felt comfortable letting me go home. So I had admission and release forms to sign, got dressed and after being given some advice from the nurse (still wish I got her name) Daniel and I were on our way back home. 

I was so exhausted emotionally and physically. I am still cramping as I type this the next morning, but at least through all that, I know why I'm cramping and that I'm not in labor. 

Daniel just left for a video shoot this morning, I'm too exhausted to make it into work. It's been an interesting 24 hours, I'm going back to bed.