Shannon Phillips

Hi!

Shannon asked me special guest-blog her blog while she is having the baby. So here I am, blogging.

We got to the hospital at 11AM this morning hung around the OB-Admitting while they made extra special certain that she really should be at the hospital and admitted. By 1PM Shannon was having pretty bad contractions so she decided to get an epidural which I fully support. By 2:45pm they had us admitted into a room and the epidural had been administered (the exact words that Shannon said had something to do with “…a knife in the back…”) Shannon is now napping, and they have started giving her potossin.

Nina and Elizabeth have been great! They rode to the hospital with us, and went on a very special food mission. Also they are totally fabulous.

More as soon as it happens!

Still at home: labor’s progressing slowly, but I’m actually having a certain brand of fun, sitting around with Sam and the girls, pacing the hallways, timing the contractions…the pain’s definitely still managable, especially with all the backrubs I’m getting!

My BFF Nina and her lovely girlfriend Elizabeth touched down yesterday for a weeklong visit; they’re staying in a hotel about two doors down from our apartment.  They’ve just arrived on the scene, full of wit and optimism and warm helpful energy.  Their presence is tremendously bolstering and I’m flooded with gratitude.

Did you know that you can track your contractions using the magic of the Internet? Well, you can! At Contraction Master, you hit your spacebar when the contraction starts, and again when it ends, and the site tells you how long your contractions are lasting and how far apart they’re coming. (Thanks to the ever-resourceful Nina for the tip!) Here’s what Contraction Master has to say about the last hour of my life:

06:48:06 am 06:48:48 am 41 secs 5 mins, 56 secs
06:42:10 am 06:43:02 am 51 secs 7 mins, 58 secs
06:34:12 am 06:35:20 am 1 mins, 7 secs 8 mins, 14 secs
06:25:57 am 06:26:40 am 42 secs 4 mins, 9 secs
06:21:48 am 06:22:35 am 46 secs 3 mins, 14 secs
06:18:34 am 06:19:01 am 26 secs 4 mins, 7 secs
06:14:26 am 06:15:12 am 45 secs 6 mins, 40 secs
06:07:45 am 06:08:28 am 42 secs 3 mins, 51 secs
06:03:54 am 06:04:14 am 19 secs 5 mins, 3 secs
05:58:51 am 05:59:15 am 23 secs 9 mins, 24 secs
05:49:26 am 05:50:22 am 56 secs 6 mins, 55 secs
05:42:31 am 05:43:02 am 30 secs 4 mins, 35 secs
05:37:56 am 05:38:38 am 42 secs 6 mins, 19 secs
05:31:36 am 05:32:16 am 39 secs 7 mins, 25 secs
05:24:11 am 05:24:45 am 34 secs

I think the contractions are trending longer, but I’m not sure. It’s still pretty all over the map. Really intense ones seem to alternate with weaker ones. The doctors say to stay home until contractions are five minutes apart, lasting a minute apiece, and things have been that way for an hour.

Quarter past five. No sleep 🙁 The contractions are getting more regular, and stronger. Time to start timing properly.

We probably still won’t call people till we head to the hospital, but I’m believing in this thing now. Hooray!

Okay, I’m posting this at 2am because I can’t sleep, due to the fact that I’m feeling what I think are Braxton-Hicks contractions, or “false” labor. They’re short, mild-to-moderately painful cramps that come on irregularly and pass quickly. Even though I don’t think this is the real deal, it’s a totally encouraging sign that active labor might start soon. I’ve got a couple other signs of progress too, but if you’re of a sensitive disposition you might want to skip the next paragraph, as the details are both intimate and pretty gross.

We’re all friends here? Okay, good. I’ve had three bowel movements today and I noticed a little bit of blood-tinged discharge this evening when I went to pee. The “bloody show,” as it’s called, is caused by the cervix thinning, while the frequent bowel movements may well be sign that my gastric system is shutting itself down in preparation for labor.

If I don’t update this blog for a while it probably means that the Braxton-Hicks contractions passed and I was finally able to get some sleep. If we end up heading to the hospital we’ll definitely be calling people and we’ll also post something here. In any event, I’m very glad to be greeting my due date with some signs of actual progress!

The doctor is starting to sound like a broken record: “Your baby’s still pretty high and your cervix is closed.” He notes in an attempt to be reassuring that “all this can change very quickly with a couple of good strong contractions.” Still, I’m a little bummed—I’m only three days away from my due date and I was hoping for some forward motion, here. Making my appointment for next week, on the 16th, was depressing. I sure hope I’m not still pregnant on the 16th.

Doc also says that nausea is common towards the end of term and doesn’t necessarily mean that labor is imminent. So, fooey.

The nausea passed about an hour after it came on, and nothing exciting happened today.

I feel sick to my stomach. Apparently that can be a sign that labor is nearing: this site tells me that “Indigestion, nausea, or vomiting are common a day or so before labor begins.” Will I actually throw up? And if I do, will it be meaningful vomit? Watch this space!

I’ve written about this before, but Auntie Nina pointed me to this excellent article debunking pretty much all the restrictions that pregnant women are told they must religiously follow. I wish I’d read it nine months ago!