Learning Labor in a Day

We went to our “Learn Labor in a Day” class on Saturday from 9am-4pm. I have never seen so many pregnant ladies in one place before! It was a neat experience. We learned what to expect in the different phases of labor and when to go to the hospital. I think there was an audible gasp from all of the ladies when she said “It’s time to go to the hospital when your contractions are 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute, for 1 hour.” I don’t know how I missed this fact in all of the reading I have done. Personally, thought I should probably be there by the time they are 10 minutes apart. I certainly thought I would be comfy cozy in the hospital with my epidural already pumping feel-good medicine through my body by the time they were 5 minutes apart! Dan feels better now knowing where to take me when said contractions are 5 minutes apart. We also learned positions for increased comfort and breathing techniques. When she taught one breathing technique, the running breathing pace, I was taken back to my soccer conditioning days… I had an in-in-out breathing pattern and would sing in my head with each breath we-ee-will, we-ee-will, rock-you-pause, rock-you-pause. I’m sure that will pop up at least once during labor…and I hope it does!

We also went on a tour. The reality of it all began to sink in during the tour. My favorite part was standing at the admission nursery window watching a nurse poke and prod a newly born baby girl. I could have stood there for hours watching this chubby, pink, screaming stranger. I wonder what it will be like to see my own.

I think all of that practice breathing and positioning gave our baby girl some fancy ideas, because Sunday I woke up cramping and running to the bathroom every ten minutes. I also had some unusual lower back pain. I lied in bed and keep track of my Braxton-hicks for the next three hours. I was having about 8 or 9 per hour. I called the on-call doc and she said to take some Imodium and rest, and if I had any painful contractions to call her back. I didn’t have any painful ones, but the BR ones kept up pretty steady until bedtime.

Monday, I went to the doc and had a fetal monitor on for about 40 min. All is well! It did make me think I better get my bag packed. You never know! We are just glad it wasn’t more serious. I wouldn’t want to be put on bed rest at this point, not to mention, have this baby yet! AHHHHH! I am not ready in so many ways!!!! But it is comforting to know that if she was to come now she would most likely be perfectly healthy. Only 6 more weeks until the expected due date!