The Waiting Game

The past two days have been quite adventurous.

It all started innocently enough with a dr's visit Friday morning. I was seen by my group practice's midwife (who I had never met before). She examined me and then declared that I was 4 cm dilated, 90% effaced and that the baby was at -2 station. Then she sent me off for the day.

I get to work and all the women I work with want to know how it went, as they do every week. So I give them the statistics and they all start hollering at me to go home and get ready. They insist that I will go into labor by Sunday, if not sooner. I, ever in denial and trying not to be anxious about the impending change in our lives, tell them they are all getting up in a tizzy for no reason. After all, I can't go into labor until at least Wednesday - my doula has to go to Florida Sunday through Tuesday!! I promise to call Brad and my doula, and then return to the solace of my workspace.

I get in touch with Brad (who is already impatient for Gaius' arrival) and give him the news. He shares with the women that he works with, who immediately start a pool as to when I will go into labor.

Around 3pm, I finally reach my doula. She is impressed with the stats, and offers an acupressure treatment that may help to speed things along, if in fact anything is imminent. I discuss with Brad and we agree that it wouldn't hurt. I go to her house for some TLC. She checks out the baby's position, and everything is great. I leave from there with instructions to have sex - which is known to induce labor as well. She promises that she is mine until at least midnight on Saturday and to call in the morning.

All this urgency has us amped up. Saturday morning, I actually begin having contractions which I can feel for the first time since this thing has started, and they seem to be coming at regular intervals. Brad jumps out of bed and builds the co sleeper in preparation. Michelle calls and she asks us to start timing the contractions. She also advises me to eat as much as I can, rest comfortably, and call back in an hour with the results. Brad and I set off for a nice breakfast downtown, and begin timing the contractions. We begin to realize that they are about 8 or 9 minutes apart and start getting excited about the prospect of Gaius coming.

We call Michelle with the news. She says this is great, and offers to come over for more treatments designed to bring the contractions closer together. We agree excitedly. Around 2 pm she comes over and offers us 3 options: 1) more acupressure 2) burning mugwort over acupuncture points 3) sweeping my membranes. I go for a combo cocktail of 1+2 for starters.

We begin to notice that the contractions have begun slowing, not speeding up. After the treatment I declare that I am open to the sweep. We traipse upstairs to the bed. She begins the exam and starts going "hmmm." It seems that I am an not as dilated as the midwife had originally declared - more like 2.5 cm. We decide it is best not to do the sweep, since I am not as progressed as originally thought. Its a little disappointing, but anything could still happen.

Michelle leaves and we return to normal life. We go out to eat. The contractions slowed down to around every half an hour, and were down to one every 2 hours by the time we went to bed last night.

Then this morning, I lost my mucous plug (this is as disgusting as it sounds), and no more contractions. So frustrating! However, the loss of the mucous plug does mean that things are moving along and Gaius could decide to show up at any time. Until then, we wait.