I Hate This

I'm still having contractions. They are probably just your normal Braxton Hicks, but I wish I wasn't having so many of them. For the past two days, I have had about 20 each day (not counting the ones I may have while sleeping), sometimes as many as four an hour. I saw my OB on Tuesday, (the day after I was in L&D), and she was not super concerned. My cervix still looked great - zero dilation or effacement. My OB said she doesn't think the BV is causing the contractions, but she doesn't know what is causing them. However, the fact that my fetal fibronectin came back negative means there is a less than 1% chance I will deliver in the next two weeks, so she feels good about that.

She said we needed to learn what is "normal" for me as far as frequency of contractions is concerned. But, she still wants me to call if I have more than 6 in an hour for two hours in a row. She also I could keep up w/ my normal activities for now, except for the elliptical.

However, I woke up this morning at 5:30 because the baby was going nuts, and I noticed more contractions. I started keeping track of them, and I've had 14 in the past two hours. I am sooooo glad I happen to have an appointment with the high risk OB this morning.

Here are a few more notes about my OB appointment:

• I also felt a little vindicated about the fact that I did not know they were contractions until I went into L&D on Monday - I didn't think they were because they are so mild and because my entire stomach wasn't getting hard. I had two while at the doctor yesterday, and she felt them and was like, "It's mostly just on one side. That is weird!" So, at least I know I'm not crazy :P
  

• My OB thinks that my high risk doc mostly likely wants to induce if I go past my due date is because the placenta starts breaking down at that point, which means it will transfer oxygen less efficiently, and she probably doesn't feel comfortable with that considering I have a lung disease.

• The doctors at my OB's office rarely perform episiotomies (:::fist pump:::).

• My OB said she usually doesn't stop labor after 34 weeks. She said the risks associated with the drugs used to stop labor outweigh the risk associated with birth at this point. I trust her, but this information has me a little more nervous about the contractions, because I want to carry my baby to full term!

Since I started writing this blog post, I have not had a single contraction - it's been 20 minutes since my last one, so it looks like they are slowing down. Ahhhh...that makes me feel so much better. Still, I am glad I have the OB appointment today, because I need all the reassurance I can get!