Are We There Yet? 38 Weeks Pregnant

So, yesterday marked 38 weeks pregnant, and if you've EVER been pregnant...you know these last few weeks are really trying on the ol' patience! This is my third pregnancy for those of you who haven't read past posts, and each one has been different. I love to get into long discussions with my awesome midwife Sarah, because she's so knowledgeable and makes sense of so many things for me. So, we are in the all out throws of prodromal labor. Prodromal what you ask? Prodromal labor has a lot of names: false labor, pre-labor, latent labor, it's basically just your body getting ready for the real deal Holyfield. Is it fruststrating? Oh you betcha! The difference between this and active labor...you don't have a baby by the end of prodromal labor...just frustration and lack of sleep because you spend the night thinking 'this could be it!' Sarah told me this lasts longer with each subsequent pregnancy, so by the 3rd, 4th, 5th baby and so on...it's very confusing as to when the active labor will begin.  

My latest addiction...eating ALL the watermelon

I have been feeling contractions and prodromal labor for the past week now. Last night sitting at my daughter's soccer game it was the most consistent, I was having contractions about every 6-8 minutes. They weren't the hard gotta' breath through and ignore the pain kind, just like a serious menstrual cramp that let's you know they're there and you're going to be uncomfortable. So I sat there thinking, excellent, if this keeps up maybe it will lead to actual labor. Now, that's a very dangerous path to allow your very pregnant brain down...to at any moment think that you've possibly reached the end pre-maturely. Now as I've mentioned before I had both of my kids early, Keaton was almost 3 weeks early, and Reese was 8 days early...so I've smugly thought to myself all along during this pregnancy that I could go into labor before the 40 weeks is up. So there I sat happily aware of consistent contractions, and I made sure to take the dog for a walk when I got home to keep things 'moving along'. We also had our 38 week check up with Sarah our midwife last night. She reminded me to 'hang in there' because these last couple of weeks are physically and emotionally wearing.

My girl after the soccer game last night, she
played AWESOME!!!

I went to bed at 9:30 thinking that these contractions are totally feeling productive and like they would amount to something...mistake number one. Sarah had also reminded me to get plenty of rest because when it's the real deal, the labor pains & contractions will wake me up! So I woke up at 11:30 to use the bathroom, and I started paying attention to my contractions, I was clocking them about every 4 mins. or so. They were more intense than earlier in the day, but not 'painful' yet. So I watched the clock until about 12:45, and then I thought I better get some rest because if they continue to progress I'd need some sleep. I was starting to worry about calling my mom to pick up the kids if this progressed, I didn't want to wait too long, but I didn't want to wake anyone else up if it didn't turn into labor. Then I was worried the kids would be tired the next day at school, and my mom would be tired at work...my mind was reeling a hundred miles in every direction, so sleep was eluding me. I woke up again at 3:30 a.m. to go to the bathroom, and again I paid attention to the contractions, they seemed about the same in intensity, and still about every 4 mins. so I got up to walk a few laps in the living room thinking maybe it would help things along. I felt a LOT of pressure in my lower pelvic area, but it wasn't really making anything more intense so I laid back down. I woke up once again at 4:45 to go to the bathroom and the contractions were still there, but a little more dull. I laid down for the last time before my alarm went off to get up for work, and still nothing had changed. 

So, I've been working all morning, and still contracting, they feel a little more intense, but I hate to even let myself think anything of it. My husband was saying last night during our appointment with the midwife that he should probably go ahead and inflate the labor pool so we're prepared. I told him that was a sure fire way to jinx things and I'd get pissed off upset every day that I was still pregnant and looking at that thing. :D I know the baby will come when he or she is good and ready, and quite honestly you couldn't pay me to be induced...so the alternative is absolute frustration with this waiting period haha. I want the baby to be healthy and I just keep telling myself all of this prodromal labor is just helping my body get prepared, and hopefully it means that my labor and delivery will go smoothly & fairly quickly! So I'll be trying to hang in here with a positive attitude, however, patients keep saying, "you're still here?" and one asked me today "how can you continue to work?" They seem just as ready as I am :D To all of the mom's before me, and those that will come after me, just know I have deep respect for all of you, but most ESPECIALLY to those of you that go past your due date...that's a true test of sanity for any pregnant woman!!!