Stop and go, to and fro

That's been my labor with this pregnancy.

Monday started the whole roller coaster, up for 7 hours in the night with contractions every 3 minutes. But they never increased in intensity, I knew they weren't to the point that the midwife needed to come over. By 3 AM Tuesday morning they had stopped cold. I had dilated to 3cm from them, so it isn't "false labor." No such thing really, there's always something happening with contractions, even just turning the baby, or dropping.

So yesterday contractions picked up at 3 in the afternoon, pretty good ones but still wasn't sure how long labor would be still, or if it would "stick." James's mom came to the house anyway, she is our adult to be there for the kids. They went to bed fairly early, so she and James just took care of things while I labored.

By 1 AM, I called my midwife, they were getting more intense. James had checked me (thank you medical background!) I was dilated to a 5, so midwife came on over. She got here just before 2 AM, listened to the baby, checked my BP, checked dilation -now a 6cm. Looking like it was time! So just before 3 AM she suggested I try to rest in between contractions, and everyone in the house layed down for a while.

Contractions started to slow down, ease up. I tried a few things, and walked around my room until 5 AM, talking to the baby and trying to keep things going. By 5 AM I decided to lay down and see if they intensified as they usually do when I lay down. But they stopped. I ended up falling asleep, only to wake up at 6:30 and realize that my body was done for the night.

So frustrating to think about my day and go on with normal activity, when I thought I would be laying in bed holding a sweet tiny baby girl right now! But, trying to remind myself that THIS IS NORMAL, just not observed much in our society.

I know she will come soon, I just wish I knew how soon! This stop and go is testing me!