Trip #1

We had a bit of a scare this morning. Just as we were getting ready to head out for a day of finishing things up, I discovered I was bleeding. Bright, red blood. I thought to myself first that it may be what's termed "bloody show"... but then I remembered being told to call the midwives if I have bright red bleeding. So when I was still bleeding 10 minutes later, I called and was advised to meet the midwife at the Emergency Room.

Not wanting to get everyone all worked up, but also wanting to be sure someone was there to take care of Margaret, we had a bit of a difficult time getting in touch with family. My MIL is the one who is supposed to care for Maggie when I'm in labor... but she refuses to have a cell phone. She wasn't home. Hubby tried my SIL next (she lives with MIL) but got no answer on her cell phone. I called my sister and found she currently had no transportation. My mom was last, but I didn't want to get her in a tizzy so I just explained what was going on and she offered to come get Margaret if we didn't hear back from MIL. Finally when we arrived at the hospital, hubby was able to reach his sister, who agreed to come down and get Maggie.

My trip through the ER was swift... I guess there was no one to do admission in maternity so that's why they sent me through there. I was whisked away up to the maternity floor in a wheelchair, feeling rather foolish. Also a bit perturbed since this was not the natural birth in the hospital's birth center that I was planning.

Once in the room, I was hooked up to the monitors to check contractions and fetal heartrate. My midwife came in and asked when I last ate - apparently the baby wasn't responsive enough (and I hadn't eaten breakfast yet at that point). She brought me some ginger ale and cranberry juice and then I was left to the mercy of the monitoring equipment.

Maggie was AWESOME while we were there. I brought her labor activity bag and she happily colored in the rocking chair or played with the baggie of hospital-issue socks that I never got on my feet.

I'm not sure how much time passed but the midwife returned to say that the baby looked good on the monitor and that I was having contractions but they were weak and infrequent (which I had already told her before that I wasn't having regular contractions). She did an internal and determined that the bleeding must be bloody show. My cervix was barely dilated and I was only somewhat effaced, so I definitely wasn't in labor. There was concern before I got there of a placental problem, but she felt the bleeding I was experiencing was normal.

Discharged...just as SIL showed up. LOL, it figures! In any case, I was advised to rest and walk (not sure how you can do both...LOL!). MIL did get in touch with us and asked to take Maggie for the weekend so she is now out of the house. I did some walking this afternoon and now I'm going to rest...

One of my friends seems sure that I will go into labor tonight or tomorrow. We shall see! I feel like such a dope though... Never had any of this with Maggie and it was so not "textbook" so I wanted to be sure there wasn't a problem. At least I still have a chance of the natural birth I was planning, though!