Labor Pains

I had totally normal pregnancies and deliveries the first 3 times around, what's the deal with number four? I've decided I'm just getting old.

On Saturday I was preparing dinner and started having painful stomach cramping. At first I thought it was dysentery and went to the bathroom 3 times. Not much was happening there.

I didn't think about it and went to the kitchen to start dinner and that's when the severe stomach pains started. No back pain, no pressure, just low, centralized, strong pains.

Phoebe (who lives with me) came home at just this time and I said, watch dinner (it was on the stove) and I went to lay down. The pain kept coming at regular intervals and I thought to myself, "I know this pain, these feel like contractions." I was a little embarrassed but I called O. and said come right home, I need to go to my doctor.

He came after a few moments with his entourage of 4 or 5 other people. Also, our pastor and his wife and 2 children came to visit at the same time, so we, all of us, piled in the car to go to my doctor/hospital.

The whole time I kept thinking."If this is gas pains, I'm going to be really embarrassed." For this reason I was strangely relieved when the Doctor examined me and said,"Oh yes, you're contracting, the baby has come down very low."

I'm Due February 15th and Saturday was November 15th so that means I was exactly 3 months - too early.

The Doctor gave me two painful injections to stop the contracting and admitted me over night for observation. I had to lay in a hospital bed with my feet elevated above my head and no pillow - all night. It was torture. I had/have a horrible head cold and my sinuses were killing me. I didn't sleep a wink. I just wanted to go home.

During the darkness of the night I took my blanket and slipped it under my head but soon after one of the 2 ladies who stayed over night in the hospital with me, said,"Oh no no no." And whipped it out.

The Doctor examined me at 7:30AM on Sunday morning and sent me home for 4 days of bed rest. I go back on Thursday.