Well it happened. I experienced false labor. I attribute it to stress at work and trying to do too much at home. Regardless, it happened and now I know the difference between false and real labor!
On Sunday evening, I started feeling a little different. In the back of my mind I wondered if it might actually be time for little M's debut. On Monday morning as I headed to work, I began having what felt like menstrual cramps. Work that day was rather stressful, as I was still trying to catch up on pre-existing work and plan ahead for deadlines that woukd occur during maternity leave--all without having coverage while I would be gone. End of the day, I approached my boss with these frustrations and he did not seem to care or feel that the situation would improve.
I was pretty upset as I left work, but talked over the situation with a colleague/authority figure. She was reassuring, for she stated that my boss was definitely overworked with too many deadlines and was still in denial that I would be gone for 6+ weeks. She also thought he was pessimistic that a replacement would be hired in time, so he thought he would have to pick up the slack while I was gone.
The last think I wanted was to leave a pile of responsibilities on my already too busy boss. I wanted help now so I could orient someone in the position and feel reassured that I could relax during maternity leave. My fear was that anything I left unfinished would be waiting for me upon my return, in addition to any new projects. Yikes!
Around 11 pm, I was awoken with what felt like a serious menstrual cramp. Fearing the worst, I thought I was going into labor. How could this be? I don't even have my hospital bag packed! The cramps continued, increasing in severity and number. I jumped out of bed and began doing laundry and packing for the hospital. D was startled from his sleep and asked if he should stay up with me. Not knowing how long this would last or how far apart the "contractions" were, I suggested he get some sleep.
The contractions continued to increase in frequency, but were sporatic. They would come every 2-3 and 10-15 minutes apart and then stop for 30+ minutes. I continued to prepare for the hospital, as I finished laundry and went through my checklist of items to pack.
Around 2 or 3 am, I decided to lay back down and try to get some sleep. I was again awoken by contractions around 5 am, but tried to stay calm since they were not close enough to be time for real labor. I continued this throughout the night, awaking every few hours or so with a contraction and then falling back to sleep.
In the morning, I called my Ob's office and explained the situation. They made an appointment for me to come in around noon to be examined. In the mean time, I finished packing and discussed the logistics with D. I stated that I was not yet ready to have the baby (with so much more to do) and he said that I would be a wonderful mommy. How great!
After D left for work, I was left with the responsibility of getting the car seat installed and inspected. Still having contractions, I was extra slow at getting ready and out of the house. I did my best to finish everything and focused on making it to the Ob office on time. After calling around, I found a car seat technician (yes, there is a professional for this task) at one of the local fire departments who agreed to install the car seat. Unfortunately, as I was leaving one station I had a contraction and backed into their extremely short fire hydrant! Just wonderful! I proceeded to the next fire station and tried to focus on the details of the car seat installation as the technician explained it to me.
Afraid that this might be it, I was worried that I may not get a chance to eat after my appointment. I called D and explained my mishap with the fire hydrant; he was not surprised, knowing my poor driving skills. We discussed lunch and he convinced me to go to his office for a quick bite to eat. I agreed in hesitation, knowing this would make me a little late for my appointment. I was so nervous; so many emotions were going through my mind.
Upon arriving at the Ob office, I was strapped to a device that measured uterine contractions and a fetal heart monitor. I was instructed to press a button every time I felt what I thought was a contraction. After 30 to 45 minutes, I met with the doctor and was examined. Although I was 80% effaced, my cervix was only 1cm dilated. He stated that I was experiencing false labor, differentiated between false and real labor, and instructed me to go on with life as usual until the contractions were continuous and five minutes apart. What a relief! All that stress for nothing. At least my hospital bag is packed and the car seat is properly installed. Now all I have to do is try not to get too worked up and take it easier at work. We'll be ready next time!
