L & D Triage Visit

I found myself wrapped not-so-warmly in a hospital gown last night in Labor & Delivery Triage at about 8:30 pm.

It all started at 5:25 pm, while I was finishing up the decoupage on the table for the art studio room,

when I had a contraction that was different than all the others I had had before. I took a picture of it, actually, because my stomach was sticking out like crazy during it. See how my belly is so far out front? It's generally very low and long. It didn't hurt, but the contraction was very obvious and just felt different than the others I've had.

Excuse the film on the mirror. It is clean, but the mirror is as old as our house (1934) and is starting to get that old mirror film...don't hold it against her. 

So, I snapped this picture, then went back to finish the edge of the table, as the contractions came what seemed like every ten minutes. It was around 6:30 that they began to come about every 3-4 minutes, but they didn't increase in intensity...they were simply there and they weren't letting up. 

At this point, I began to walk around the house and drink water, hoping they would go away. By 7:30, I decided to call K, but then I decided a text would be better, because they still weren't hurting, they just weren't going away. I wasn't exactly sure what was going on. I thought of those crazy articles I had read where women claimed to have babies without pain. I was even thinking about a video I had seen while watching natural birth videos, where a woman actually had an orgasm while giving birth. Could I be the next insane woman to orgasm during childbirth? I really started to wonder. This never happened with my first two. I was for sure in pain, but it's been so long, I honestly can't remember what that pain was like and I especially can't remember what it was like in early labor. Was it like menstrual cramps? Did it hurt enough to make me really know I was in labor? 

With my second son, all I remember was waking up from a dead sleep and holding my belly...it was very much like the scene from Marley and Me, where the Jennifer character wakes up in labor, except I wasn't panting heavily and I had no husband to wake up. Instead, I got up and began pacing the kitchen, while my stepfather took his high blood pressure pills and drank a small glass of milk, as was his usual morning habit. He, not I, woke up my mother, who came to investigate. She was the deciding factor on going to the hospital. "Let's go," I remember her saying. I don't remember how or why that was decided. Next thing I know, we were in the drive-thru at McDonald's to get her a coffee and off to the hospital we went. 

I can't for the life of me really remember what it felt like though. So I'm worried that this time I won't really know if I'm in labor and after last night...I don't want to go to the hospital and not be in real labor. 

So anyway, I digress...I sent K a text that read, "Are you busy? Do you think you could skip out early?" (He read between the lines on that one, as I learned as we were later headed to the hospital.) He replied with a phone call...during the call, he's like, "Do I need to take off work? Or do you think I can finish up this guy's tattoo?" 

"How much longer do you have on the tattoo?" I asked. 

"Probably 30-40 minutes." He replied. "It is totally fine if you need me to come. I just need to let him know." 

"I don't know. I'm just not sure." I replied...I wasn't sure. I mean, I had been contracting for 2 hours very regularly. They weren't going away, but at the same time I wasn't sure if I was in labor, because I wasn't necessarily in pain. I was just very uncomfortable and not feeling right in general. 

"You just tell me. I don't know about these things." He said, genuinely wanting directions. I could hear the nervousness in his voice. 

"I think I want you to come home." I said, reluctantly. I did. I just wanted him with me, whether we ended up at the hospital or not. I just needed him at my side. 

"I'm on my way. Just let me get this guy wrapped up." He said. "Love you." 

"I love you too." I said. 

He got home around 8:30 and nothing had changed. My contractions seemed to be about 3-4 minutes apart, but it was hard to say...it was almost as if I was in a constant state of discomfort with peaks in between, so I was confused. I definitely didn't feel like that with my boys. I remember very distinct contractions with distinct peaks during them. This was different. 

When K got home, he was looking for direction. Let me tell you about K. When he is nervous, he's like a chicken with his head cut off. You must give him directions or he'll just talk to you a mile a minute and pace around more nervous than you are. So, I gave him jobs: get the hospital bag and the car seat and put both in the car. Please get my pillow and we'll need the towels I put on the table. Oh, put the toothbrushes and toothpaste in the bag as well. 

Once all of this was done he looked at me questioningly, "So now what? Do we just leave or do we hang out? What do we do." Now this makes me smile, because the poor guy had no idea whatsoever and the funny part is, neither did I!! Ha! Yes, I've had two kids, but my first was a scheduled induction...I just happened to be in labor when I arrived at the hospital, but had no idea. I remember just feeling uncomfortable int he truck on the way there. 

My second was described above and my mother said, "Let's go," not me, because I'm always worried about being THAT pregnant woman. The over-reacting woman who doesn't know labor pains from baby movements. I didn't want to burden anyone with a false alarm. 

Anyway, I looked at K and said, "I have no idea. My mom made me go last time. She just said, 'Let's go,' so I did." 

"Okay, then I'm saying it. Let's go." He smiled. 

So we went. 

My hospital is undergoing renovations, so it's really confusing. We tried to go through the blue elevators area, like we did before, but the elevator wouldn't go to the 6th or 7th floors. I was getting irritated by this point and grumbled that we should just go to Emergency and they'd tell us something. 

So we did and we were greeted by a very nice young lady who gave us directions. In triage, we were greeted by very nice receptionists who checked us in and made me realize I had not changed my name...that made me think...CRAP! The baby's bassinet will have my ex-husband's name on it. Just fabulous. It really made me want to turn around and leave right then. 

I was sent back to the triage nurses and K was sent to the waiting room until I was finished with my HIPPA questions. I've answered these in front of K 3 times prior, so I don't understand the secrecy. Next time I'll just tell them to let him come back. At this point I was nervous and just complied. 

The nurses were super nice. I can't remember the lady's name, but she was light-hearted and very welcoming. The guys name was Tony and he was nice too. 

I was hooked up to the fetal monitor and the contraction monitor. The baby sounded GREAT! During contractions, the highest her heartbeat got was 152. The lowest it got was 130 (K told me this later). 

The nurse determined that my contractions were 7 minutes apart, with "irritation" between. BAsed on this, she wanted a urine test. The urine test showed that my Ketones were off. She asked about my water intake and food intake. I had felt nauseated all day, so all I had eaten was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and applesauce while working on the table. She said a Ketone issue usually came with dehydration and not eating enough. 

My midwife came in...Nancy D. Who gave me a less-than-gentle vaginal exam. Ok. I've been examined many times in my life....during pregnancies and during pap smears, etc. This was the worst! Ugh. I really hope she's not on-call when I go into labor. I will post-pone labor!!! I swear it! I will. (of course not, but in an effort to protect my vagina, the thought will cross my mind if she is on-call). If not that, I'll at least ask for FEWER vaginal exams...or I may just hit her in the teeth. 

So I received 2 bags of fluid and had to use the restroom twice more. The second time, my Ketones were gone. 

So, in the end I learned that dehydration is a pretty serious thing. I really don't know how I ended up dehydrated. I thought I was drinking enough water. I'm going to contribute it to my lack of adequate food intake. today I will do better and I'll continue to do better in the days ahead. 

We learned a lot from our visit though: 

1. Go straight to emergency...the big red, glowing sign of redemption. Don't worry about the blue elevators. 

2. The car seat is ready to go now. 

3. I need to get my name changed. 

4. The nurses at the hospital are very nice. 

5. We know our way around the area we will be visiting. 

6. Don't go to the hospital until you're truly in pain. 

7. Eating adequately and drinking massive amounts of water is important. 

I'll be seeing them in a few weeks, I'm sure. This time, with the end result being a baby, not just a couple bags of dextrose-laden fluids.

Me, in L & D Triage...donning the fashionable hospital gown. ;-)