False alarm- 35 wks 5 days

I was getting ready for bed last night and just didn't feel right.  I had had almost no appetite all day, so every time I ate I got really uncomfortably full, but with my diabetes I have to eat whether I am hungry or not so I figured I just had to suffer through.  But right before bed, my stomach felt weird....it was kind of a hollow ache, kind of like you might get when you need to throw up, but I wasn't nauseas per se, I didn't feel the need to run to the bathroom.  My back also got really tight and sore out of nowhere.

I've had a sore, tight upper back through out the pregnancy, but this was more intense and it was more my mid to lower back.  I knew some women didn't really feel contractions at first if they just had back labor, so I was worried that's what this was.  My husband was getting ready to go to work, and he kept asking me if I needed to go to the hospital and I was like no, I don't think so.  So I tried going to bed, but as soon as I got into bed I was doubled over in pain and couldn't straighten my body out.  It wasn't like contraction pain because it was constant, so I guess it was more like constant RLP.

So I tried to tough it out and go to sleep, but my husband came in and said he was going to shower and shave before going to work, and he heard me kinda whimpering and asked if I was ok.  I said I didn't know, but I think I needed to get up for a little while.  By this point I wasn't exactly sure what was wrong, but I knew something wasn't quite right.  I wasn't quite ready to say I needed to go to the hospital, but I wasn't too keen on him leaving in case I needed him later.  So he said he was going to shower, and to see how I felt when he was done.

So I went and laid on the couch by my breathing was kind of labored.  By the time he got out of the shower he was like get dressed, we're going.  So we got to L&D around midnight, went through the usual drill, pee in a cup, get hooked up to the monitors, tried to describe my pain.  Under normal circumstances I would have probably waited it out a little more to see if I felt any worse, but with the cerclage still in I was worried about contracting against it, and dilating and would damage my cervix.

So the nurse asked if I felt anything just then and I said no not really, but my back does still hurt, and she said because you just had a small contraction.  So the monitor was picking them up, they were about every 5-7 minutes but not strong enough to feel.  I was kind of glad I was actually contracting so there was a valid reason to come in.  I know they say it's better to be safe than sorry, but it's nice to realize you didn't just come in because you had bad gas.  So they monitored me for several hours and a resident came in to do a pelvic exam.  She thought the cerclage was ok and that I wasn't dilated, but I guess she wasn't real experienced with cerclages and wanted a second opinion, so another resident came in and did another exam.  This one was much more painful, not as bad but close to the pain of being fisted when the doctor removed the placenta when Kayla was born.  So kept pushing really hard and grabbing my cervix.  She said I was fingertip dilated, but not enough to actually get a finger in and she felt that the cerclage was ok.  But then she did a speculum exam so she could actually see it.  Ugh, I HATE the speculum.  Thank God I had my husband's hand to squeeze the life out of.

So after a while longer and them speaking to my doctor on the phone, they said they wanted to monitor me for another hour to see if the contractions calmed down, which they did some and then they did another spec exam to make sure I hadn't dilated further.  So we got home around 6am, went to bed and then I woke up at 9 to see if my doctor could get me in for my regular appt any earlier than 1:45.  Right before I called though they actually called me to see if I could come in earlier, so we got ready and went.  They kept saying my regular doctor, who I assume was on rounds in the hospital, would likely come see me, but instead the jerk one that I don't like came in.

He rolled his eyes at my one high bloodsugar reading from when I went to my Godson's birthday party the other day.  Oh excuse the shit out of me if I am not perfect, and have to make do as best I can with the food available to me.  Then he was asking me what happned last night and what brought me in....I explained about the backpain and the overall weird feeling, and that I couldn't really feel any contractions but the monitor did show I was having some.  He was like well most women have some contractions at some point and aren't actually in labor.  Ugh, I felt like he was being dimissive and almost acting like it wasn't a big deal, whereas everyone other person I came into contact with said it was good that I came in, especially with my cerclage and my history.  Besides, I've had like 6 NST's so far and to my knowledge they've never showed any contractions, so that was new for me.

So then he did a speculum exam....holy hell, he was not gentle at all.  I get that men don't have those parts, but why can't some male OB's (and women I suppose) be a little more gentle? Especially seeing as how things are more painful when you're pregnant, and I had just had two pelvics and two other spec exams just hours earlier.  He also did the strep B swab, which I had done several weeks ago the last time I went to L&D and I barely knew they did it, but with him I almost jumped off the table.  Ugh, I really hope he isn't the one to deliver Boo.

So he concluded that the cerclage was fine, and the dilation was barely enough to even consider it dilated so all is well.  We got home from there around noon and then I napped like all afternoon.  I feel pretty much fine now, no back ache and no weirdness.  He did say I'll be getting my cerclage out next Tuesday, and they'll also do a growth scan to check on her size.  I wasn't supposed to have another growth scan until the week or two following, but since my husband is coming for the cerclage removal, I am glad he'll get to see the growth scan too. 

It's funny because even though I wasn't certain it would progress and she would come last night, there was always the possibility.  And I was amazingly ok with her coming if that's what happened.  In fact a part of me was kind of hoping I would progress because I am so excited to meet her.  Ryan said the same thing, he kept flipping back and forth as to whether he actually wanted her to come now or not.  Since the nursery isn't ready yet, I always assumed if I went into labor anytime soon I would be terrified, but I was actually excited.  But since it didn't progress, I am glad she's decided to bake a while longer.  I know she would be ok if born now, but another few weeks will only make her even stronger.

My cats were acting very strange last night and this morning.  So amazing how animals can sense things.  As we were getting ready to leave last night Zoey was just sitting on the counter watching us.  He's normally getting into something and being annoying, but he was just sitting, observing.  Then when we got home this morning, our other cat Vinny kept following me from room to room, meowing.  As if making sure I was alright.  Sometimes when I am laying on the couch he'll come up and sniff my tummy.  So cute.

Well I'm off to shower and go to bed.  Hopefully this next week goes by fast so I can get my cerclage out, then I'll feel a lot more relaxed about going into labor early.  We haven't been scheduled yet, but my induction will be a month from this week!