Slow down, Mama!

So, apparently, shopping at 8 pm after a busy day is not a good idea. I came home from a night out with my neighbor and started having contractions about every 5 minutes. Yikes! (This did happen with Emma. From 35-38 weeks I had very, very regular contractions, and we ended up in the labor and delivery triage about 4 times wondering if it was "time". However, those 3 weeks of contractions really didn't do anything except put me on maternity leave early.)

So I sat on the couch on Thursday night, waiting, feeling and writing down my contractions.

"Umm..Trav? I'm having another one. That's 5 in the last 25 minutes??"

By now it was about 10:30 pm. The doctor on-call told me I could either get some medicine called in to my pharmacy to stop the contractions, or come in to the hospital to get checked out. While my head was really telling me this happened before and he's not going to be born now, I still couldn't help but want to make sure he was staying put. And I really didn't want to take any more medicine unless I HAD to.

So I called my neighbor around 11 pm and she came over and stayed with sleeping Emma. Isn't she nice??? :)

On the way to the hospital -- I had like 1 contraction. So I felt silly, but we kept going. It took a while at the hospital, but eventually the contractions picked up again and were about every 7 minutes. However, there is a magical test called a fetal fibronectin test, that predicts whether or not you'll go into labor any time soon. And mine was negative! I did get to hear Sam's heartbeat for about 3 hours on the monitor! :) That part sure was fun!

Since the contractions weren't doing anything (to prepare me for labor), around 3 am, they discharged us, telling me to contact my doctor in the morning and see what he wants me to do. And to rest. And take it easy.

So MY nurse, when I spoke to her in the morning, told me to take it easy and if they pick up again to drink a bunch of water and rest on my left side. But I was a bit worried that this would be the beginning of "bed rest", like with Emma at 35 weeks. But this would be many, many weeks of bed rest! But, thankfully, not the case.

So my plan is to take it easy. And do ONE thing each day. So yesterday, I rested alllllll day (thanks to GranJan) and saved up all my energy for my hubby's 10 year reunion last night! Today the plan is to really do nothing. :) Maybe I'll straighten the house in little spurts.

So, the contractions are back to where they used to be -- about 1 an hour. And we hope and assume that Baby Sam is staying put. He needs to grow a bunch before he gets here. :) I vow not to go back to Kohl's until I can bring Sam with me in a stroller!