Info on contractions

Had my first set of contractions today. It wasn't fun. The pain comes fast and sharp, and within half an hour I've had it three times. The fourth came about 15 minutes later, after that I was just feeling all sore, down there.

Fearing the worst, I made a list and checked it twice, gave instructions to my colleague to help me settle some last minute work and drove myself home. The last part gave my other colleagues a scare.

"What if you get contractions again?" Er... I'll stop and take a break first?

"Why don't you just get your husband to come pick you up?" Err.. it will take forever for him to get here. I am trying to beat the jam here, hence leaving earlier than expected.

"Will you deliver here in the office?!" Err.. that's why I am taking off earlier than closing time. I won't want my water to burst here on the floor, in the office, miles away from the hospital and my home.

By the way, my husband only found out about it when I arrived home. As in, I opened the door and found him looking at me with wide open eyes, saying "why are you home?"

"I'm having contractions.. and we haven't packed."

Yes, we have not packed 'everything'. I mean, I have all the baby stuff ready two weeks before this but most of the mommy stuff, I was going to leave until the end of this week to pack. I am due in another 18 days, which by most standards is still a long way off. [I think].

We got to our usual clinic at a little after 6 pm, after I've taken a relatively long bath, washed my hair and had a nice meal - three things you should do before you go deliver - only to have the doctor put her fingers in me and declared me still 'undilated'. I wasn't sure if I was more disapppointed (having to wait to see Eva), or more relieved as we have yet to prepare for 'help' to arrive so soon.

My doctor gave me medical leave for a day. And I am to return tomorrow for another check to see if I should be given extended medical leave.

By the way: in order to find out if your contractions are real or not, notice the following:
(a) the contractions should start from the top of your belly and make its way down towards the front of your tummy; it is not isolated in one particular spot.
(b) it will occur in intervals and it will not stop. The intervals will become shorter and shorter. If it stops then it is a false alarm.
(c) if your uterus suddenly feels very tight or you feel that there is tightening of the tummy when you walk, then be aware that is one of the symptoms. The contractions, however, is a more accurate symptom.

When my doctor was checking my tummy for tightening, she was saying that sometimes if the baby is too active, the uterus will tighten itself to calm to kid down, or to restrict its movements. Something like a natural elastic blanket which has a mind of its own. This act could be mistaken for contractions. Although mine hurt like hell!

Later that night I found myself on the phone with my mother [mother of four, grandma of 2... er, 3 in a few weeks' time]. I said that perhaps I have to go through natural but induced labour since I have not reached 39 weeks and I am feeling false contractions already.

I read somewhere that that is better for the baby since natural labour will help push out fluids from the baby's lungs, something a Caesarean section will not give the baby.

Anyhoo, she told me that for natural labour, the pain, horrible, oooo, you will feel like your bottom half is being ripped apart, and you cannot push until the baby starts crowning (which means you can see the baby's head trying to push out of that hole which was previously your vagina) and prior to that you are subjected to torturous, world-ending pain for hours on end since the body is 'expanding' to make way for the baby to come out.

like trying to pass a melon through a straw

"Yeah, I heard that the pain makes you feel like you're half dead."

"No-ap. It makes you feel like you have died."

Oo-kay.... thanks mom. That makes me feel a whole lot better.