Back track to when Jared went to Africa while I was 31 and 32 weeks pregnant. We went forward with the plan of this trip because A) it had been planned before this pregnancy was a reality and B) I was feeling good, baby was healthy, no red flags were presented that made either of us think I could possibly deliver while he was gone. And I halfway teased him when I dropped him off at the airport that if I went into labor right then would he stay home? He of course said to knock it off and he'd be home in a week and a half.
So it was the day before he was supposed to leave Africa to come home from him super fun trip while I had been stuck at home working and continuing on with real life. I had been careful while he was gone, double checking the doors before I went to bed, eating right and not lifting anything heavy. But I woke up that Tuesday morning and something just didn't feel right. I got up to get ready for work, noticed my underpants were wet and thought nothing of it because...let's be honest sometimes you just don't have that much control over your bladder when you have a bowling ball sized baby sitting on it.
I got dressed for work, fed the dogs and decided I'd better go to the bathroom before I left. And again, my underpants were wet and it was definitely NOT pee this time. And working where I do I hear all the time of slow tear leaks in the placenta and women leaking amniotic fluid and being a pregnant woman who is already overly emotional and prone to jump to conclusions I immediately started fearing the worst. And without Jared around I tend to lose control of my emotions more quickly and have overreactions including crying over incredibly small things since I've been pregnant (it's the hormones I tell you). So I call the OB on call, who promptly calls me back and I tell her about my symptoms and she tells me immediately to go into L&D to get checked out.
So now I really start freaking out because my husband is on another continent and I have no real way of communicating with him other than email and my parents were currently at their home in St. George for the week. I call my parents at seven AM (yes I leave for work that early) and my half asleep mother answers the phone and freaks out because I'm bawling on the phone telling her I'm going into L&D, they immediately pack up and start driving home probably around 90 MPH, and then I emailed Jared just 'call me ASAP, it's an emergency' because at this point I'm under the impression (that I came to by myself in retrospect) that I will be delivering baby TODAY. Because that's the only reason why the OB on call would tell me to go to L&D right? And the only thing I could think about the whole drive in other than 'it's too early' is 'I haven't packed a freaking hospital bag yet'. Yes I know, I was freaking out. I can tell that now, but at the time I felt like I was justified. Anyways.
I get to my hospital which is way to far to have to drive when you're freaking out and by yourself, checked into L&D very quickly (the OB on call had called to let them know to expect me which made it faster I think) and was immediately put on the monitors. Baby started waking up about then and was moving crazy lots and listening to his quick little heart beat on the monitor was very reassuring so I started calming down at this point. They asked me bunches of questions that I don't really think were pertinent to having a baby in my own personal opinion but OK. Mom and dad called soon after I arrived asking if I'd made it to L&D yet, which I told them I had and they could drive safely that at this point since I was in good hands. The nurse gave me some water to drink and I sat listening to my babies heartbeat while we waited for the tests if it was amniotic fluid to come back. This seemed to take forever. And when I say forever, it felt like hours whereas I know it was probably less than a half hour. When the results came back even the nurse who admitted me was surprised because she thought they would be positive, but they came back negative for amniotic fluid. Of course this was a huge relief because baby could cook longer. Diagnosis? Softening cervix preparing for labor and excess fluid from that. And then they sent me home.
So at this point I've already called into work, raised a three alarm panic mode from my mom and dad, and I had no clue if Jared had even read the email yet. I drove home feeling more than a little stupid and like I overreacted, got home and emailed Jared that it was a false alarm. Just as I hit send my phone rings and it's Jared. Of course he was panicked thinking he's become a father from another continent, after I explained what happened as best I could over a crackly phone connection he felt better and the positive of it all was we were able to talk for a minute which was so nice. Once I finished talking to Jared and was able to get pulled together-crying and stress makes for frizzy hair and runny makeup-I headed into work for a half day since I hadn't been told I had to go home and rest. Thank goodness all my coworkers were supportive and my boss (who is very empathetic and was very concerned that I had no family in town for what could have possibly been an early delivery) said it's always better to be safe than sorry, I started feeling a bit less like a crazed pregnant lady and more like someone who is just cautious.
All in all the whole experience made for an interesting story and something I definitely learned from, but now everybody is waiting for me to go into labor like I'm a ticking time bomb so nobody is going out of town. I had a checkup appointment with my OB the next day who said he definitely didn't think I'd make it to my due date, and to take it easy. But just watch, I'll go past my due date although I really hope not. I'd be more than happy if baby made his appearance in November. Either way we want a healthy baby boy, and less dramatic of beginning of labor than my water breaking or leaking. And that is my (hopefully ONLY) emergency L&D trip before the actual event occurs.
All in all the whole experience made for an interesting story and something I definitely learned from, but now everybody is waiting for me to go into labor like I'm a ticking time bomb so nobody is going out of town. I had a checkup appointment with my OB the next day who said he definitely didn't think I'd make it to my due date, and to take it easy. But just watch, I'll go past my due date although I really hope not. I'd be more than happy if baby made his appearance in November. Either way we want a healthy baby boy, and less dramatic of beginning of labor than my water breaking or leaking. And that is my (hopefully ONLY) emergency L&D trip before the actual event occurs.
