June has whizzed by with Pip in New York on a work trip the first weekend, followed by cricket for him the following weekend and then his cycle race (London to Brighton), which he achieved in 7 hours (proud wife) last weekend while I had a jolly of my own up to London and also a wedding (beautiful day) to attend!
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| Medals at the finish line (and apparently Mick never smiles for a photo...) |
Just before I share our eventful 24 hours I will take my usual time to document size/weight of this bubs. As per advice online baby D is now around 45cms in length, it still baffles me how that is all fitted inside my somewhat neat bump, and should be weighing in at a slightly alarming 4.5lbs! I am all out for any vague food comparisons without refering back to CC blog from HT's story. But in case you are curious, in this weather it amounts to a slightly uncomfy, unbalanced feeling :) I have fallen on my backside several times the last few weeks, strangely I am crouching down more than last time, and each time J thinks is Really Funny. Hahaha son. It's actually the getting up that's more of a problem...
And so to our eventful day. Monday I awoke feeling decidedly out of sorts and bubs had definitely shifted down, very down. I had a very achey pelvic area and was walking very much John Wayne style. I took the morning as holiday (having spooked Marie about potential labour twinges and told her I would draft handover emails to my colleagues) and spent some welcome time with Pip to see how I felt - we popped out for a coffee and some baby bits - and logged on to work from home in the afternoon, the aches now coming and going and me thinking I was very much over thinking things.
The evening continued and off to bed we went with me still grumbling about how odd I felt.
At around half mid-night I woke feeling a familiar pain. It is strange how something I have only experienced once before can be referred to as familiar. I led in bed and sleepily kept an eye on things and they were certainly coming and going so nudged Pip awake and told him. After an hour and 8 or so "contractions" I got up and went downstairs to make-up a hot water bottle and test whether I was being a bit neurotic and talking myself into something that actually wasn't happening.
Being me I wrote a quick list of things to do; Home, Work, James breakfast routine...
Pip got up, re-made our spare bed (for mum), called mum (who then woke Ali - much appreciated at half 2 in the morning!), brought down our hospital bag and essentially completed half the things on the list I had written. Uncanny doesn't cover that...
While we waited for mum to arrive I called the Labour Line - yes it is actually called that and they agreed with Pip that at this early stage I should really pop to the hosp for the once-over.
And so there Pip and I were walking onto labour ward at quarter past 3am where I was promptly strapped up and monitored and tested. Emma our midwife had a very dry sense of humour and after a passing comment from a colleague about another patient wanting pain relief Pip and I both sensed she had not had the easiest of nights. Pip passed comment and given her "it would be very unprofessional of me to comment on other patients needs" reply and the tone we said it in we shared a chuckle.
Bubs heart rate was in the 160's so I was told to lean back and relax and press the beeper everytime I felt bubs move. We stayed like this for a fair old while, listening to the radio that Emma had put on to "wake everyone up" - lady its gone 4am, some of us haven't really slept..... But Seal, Lionel and other disco classics did the trick.
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| One bump strapped up for monitoring |
I had a slightly more invasive test that I think was checking hormone levels to confirm if I was in/about to go into labour, while we waited for the results we were told (again) that 34 weeks is a little earlier than preferred and also that Southampton's Neo-Natal unit was full at the moment - as it's one of the biggest locally I sent a silent prayer out to those parents with children there, having gone through some emotions towards the potential experience Pip and I thought we were about to have - so I could be shipped anywhere. The not most jolly consultant jumped from Bristol to Liverpool during the conversation which I can assure you got an eyebrow in response (even at 5am)....
But the results came back with no baby on the horizon so now there seemed to be a little bemusment as to what was causing my symptoms. The solution seemed to be a dose of painkiller and to see how I was after an hour of taking it. While we waited Pip headed off to make a cuppa (nectar) and we played scrabble on his tablet. Another midwife came back with my painkiller and released me from my straps to I could nip to the loo and then we were moved round to a labour room for monitoring.
The labour room, well! When we arrived at Princess Anne to have James we were told by the midwife that we were in the smallest room (it wasn't that pokey) but now Pip and I saw what she meant. Tuesday we had a bathroom, with an actual bath! The luxury! Though I said to Pip I felt a fraud being in there as we weren't going to be using it. As I called mum to check in (she had apparently, unintentionally, shocked James so much with her appearance with morning milk that he simply stared at her saucer-eyes instead of having his drink) Pip headed out for toast (best tasting food ever) and we played more scrabble and then drifted off in our respective chair and bed.
Another midwife tapped the door at around 8.15am to see how we were offer us a drink and tell us the Dr would be around shortly to see how I was doing. I was now pain and ache free and despite little sleep felt much more myself than I had Monday. We awaited the Dr. and another (the third) all-clear wee sample later the Dr. said that they weren't really sure what had caused my false alarm, the test they had completed not only confirmed I wasn't in labour but also tells that my body isn't likely to start the process for a couple of weeks unless the situation changes i.e. my waters break, how clever a test is that?! I find it amazing that a simple swab can give so much information about what the body is up to. He went on to say that the painkiller seemed to have worked and that if I needed anything more than a couple of paracetamol in the next few hours then I should go back but we were free to go. Off we headed to collect James from mum and headed home for slightly worn out day!
Yet again I find myself grateful for the excellent care we received at Princess Anne, we were seen and treated by 7 different people in our 6 hour visit and felt comfortable and very looked after the whole time.
Now I just have to mentally cross my legs for a fortnight at least and hope for that lovely labour room when we return soon enough!
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| A preggo and her bride chum |
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