I woke up about an hour and a half ago with a painful contraction. I didn’t have another one for almost 45 minutes. But when it came, it was a doozy as well. Then another twenty minutes and another one that was painful, but much shorter than the other two. I don’t think I’m in consistent active labor yet, but I think it’s coming.
The trouble is I have a Dr. appointment in the morning. With both Everett and Roo I started labor at home, but had doctor’s appointments anyways. So when I went in, they always said “yep, you’re in labor” and that was it.
For some reason two weeks ago I decided that I was going to have this baby on the Friday after my due date. It wasn’t a spiritual premonition, it was just a mental decision. So last week when they tried to make my Dr. appointment for Friday, I told them Thursday would be better. I was trying to avoid the “going to the Dr. and not getting to go home because I’m in labor” thing.
And for the past week Olivia has been hugging my belly every twenty minutes. Every twenty minutes! And telling the baby how excited she is. She went horse back riding on Tuesday with Auntie Leslee, and Leslee told me Olivia was worried the whole time I would have the baby without her.
And I suggested yesterday that Olivia go camping with her grandma and aunts who are taking the horses camping this weekend . . . and Olivia cried at the thought of not being here when I have the baby.
So I’ve been up for the past hour and a half worrying about what to do. I don’t want to just “go to my dr. appt.” and never come home . . . Olivia needs, and at this point, deserves, something more dramatic than that. She needs that moment when I announce (hopefully with sudden and dramatic excitement) that I have to go the hospital!
I’ve been arguing in my head with my Dr. about how I’d have to go home after the appointment anyway, and how he wouldn’t want me to because it’s my fifth child and the hospital is a full half hour one way away from home. And they’d worry that I’d have the baby in the car even though I’ve never had a labor shorter than 6 hours.
But finally just a few minutes ago I realized that if I really feel like I’m in labor (if these contractions continue through the night) that I can just call the Dr.’s office and tell them I’m in labor and I won’t be coming in for my appointment. Then I’ll just go to the hospital when it’s time, but labor as much as I can from home (which is better anyway).
The good thing is because this is my fifth baby, I have confidence in my ability to distinguish labor from the normal pre-baby contractions.
Anyhow, so that’s where I’m at. It’s now 4 am on the dot. I should go back to bed and try and get some rest.
Looks like the little one has arrived! Congratulations!!! Can’t wait to see more pictures.