False Alarm

Im going to try to give the short version. Yesterday (at 38 weeks, 6 days) I started cramping pretty bad around 4:30ish. Around 5:30, the cramping turned into contractions, but I wasnt really paying much attention to them. By 7:30 when they were still going, I decided to start timing just out of curiousity. About 7 minutes apart, no big deal. Watched some American Idol....go Jordan and Melinda! (My mom made me sit on a towel by the way...she didnt want me to mess up her couch, just in case!) I was still having contractions at 10:30 and they had been about 5 minutes apart for a few hours, each one lasting between 1-2 minutes. I called L&D and the nurse there advised me to hang out at home for a little longer and wait until they are closer together and stronger. (Ok, even though you always hear about the 5-1-1 rule...5 min apart, 1 min long, for 1 hour) So, I tried to go to sleep. That didnt work so well and I might have gotten a few minutes, but I woke up abruptly at 12:30 with pain in my tummy and went into the living room to get comfortable, not wake Scott up, and time the contractions. I was hurting pretty bad in my abdominal area in general, so it was kinda hard to tell exactly when the contractions were starting and stopping. Anyway, they were about 2-3 min apart, so I woke Scott up and we went to the hospital. We got checked in, hooked up to the monitor, checked and was dialated to 2 cm, 70% effaced. After two hours of monitoring, no change, so we were sent back home. It is much easier to read about how labor start and think, "No problem, I'll be able to tell when it is time." and totally another when the time actually comes (or doesnt!)

Keep praying for us and this baby! I know that he will come in his own time, it is just so hard to be patient. We will keep everyone posted!!!