Fun Times with the Baby!

Sorry I didn't get pictures up yesterday. We had an adventure instead.

So.... about an hour and a half after I posted my entry yesterday, I started having some pretty regular contractions. I would have chalked this up as being Braxton Hicks, except I also hadn't felt the baby move at all, since I woke up. That in itself is strange. What normally takes place upon awakening is this: I wake up, roll onto my back and stretch. The baby then kicks all over the place, as if to say, "Hey thanks for clearing me some more space!" This happens every morning without fail. If I -don't- roll over and stretch after I wake up, but keep laying on my side, the baby will start pounding on my tummy, the side that is on the bed, to remind me to give him some room. But I figured the baby must be asleep still, so no big deal.

When I noticed I was having some contractions, I went and laid on the couch, on my left side like you're supposed to do. Drank some water. Put my hand on my belly and waited. No movement. Not even the little rolling or fluttering of him chilling out. Hmmm. I tried calling Caayn's work number. No answer. Called his cell, it was off. GRRR. Repeat. Same results. So I jumped on the baby forums I read regularly and asked what they thought I should do. As I figured, they all suggested calling the midwife anyway. I didn't want to because there is nothing they can do in this situation other than tell you to head down to Labor & Delivery, which I wouldn't be able to do. No car, no friends, no family... no way to get there!

Luck was with me though, because FINALLY Caayn's cell was on. I called him over and over. He said there were 6 missed calls from me, lol, and those were just the calls made while it was turned on. I, of course, start sobbing at him and become totally unintelligible. He tells me he will be home as soon as he can. So I finally call my midwife, who indeed tells me to head to L&D.... at this point I started having tiny shooting pains in my lower back with each contractions, which was even more scary.

We show up, I get strapped with monitors.... It took some hunting, but they found the heart beat. He's really quite down low, and she had trouble keeping him on there. I got to hear him have some hiccups (I for whatever reason don't ever feel them, didn't with Sully either). And it was probably 20+ minutes before I felt him moving, even when I heard him kick the monitor. I was having some regular contractions. They settled down after I'd been laying there for awhile, but start back up if I got up or moved around. They weren't too big either, but there.

After like 2 hours of monitoring, I was given the results of my urinalysis. She said there was some bacteria in there, but not enough to worry about. (Now I'm all wondering if maybe I has having a hint of a UTI or something like that?) I was told no heavy lifting, drink extra water, rest, and if I feel more contractions, my uterus is hard for an extended period of time, or no fetal movement, to come right back in.

So yeah, we didn't get home until after 6pm. But the baby is safe, and that is all that really matters. Of course, now he is back to moving just as much as normal. I still think it was really strange that I didn't feel him for so long--I always, always feel him. Even if he isn't moving, I sense him in there. It was spooky. Possibly the most frightening thing I've yet to experience during pregnancy! I told Caayn, this kid is totally going to be grounded when he gets here. Scaring his mother like that. Geez!

I totally forgot how uncomfortable those monitors are. They make any tensing in your tummy feel about 100x worse. Just a reminder to myself to do as much laboring at home as possible, to keep those bad boys offa me!

Sully was a total trooper throughout the ordeal. He (for the most part) played happily in his stroller, messing with his crayons. He's such a good kiddo! We were lucky too, because this all took place during what should have been his nap time.

So. I apologize for no pictures yesterday, but given the circumstances, I think I'm allowed. :D I'll attempt to get them up later today, when Sully is napping.