About 00:30, 24th September 2013.
So I've just woken up with horrible, dull, aching pains in my lower back. Ouch. I don't think its related to labour though as like I previously said, I'd decided to let nature take its course, and I'd given up on trying all of the 'kick-starts'. 5 hours later I'm still tossing and turning trying to find a position comfortable enough to go back to sleep, which is failing miserably. I've also probably visited the toilet at least 4 times too. At about 05:30 I eventually fall asleep, only to be woken up at about 08:00 by Ole who is now getting ready for another hard days work. Ole leaves at about 08:45 and I think I manage to fall asleep for another 3 hours before waking up hungry haha.
Roughly midday, 24th September 2013.
I received a text message from my mum asking if I'd like to go on a walk with her just to see if it makes any difference or starts labour off! If I'm honest I was really up for a walk but since waking up, my lower belly began to hurt, sorta like Braxton's Hicks pains. I replied saying I'll see if the pain goes and if they do then I'll come on the walk. But they don't, they just keep coming and going, as well as my back having the constant dull pain. I let my mum know and she just tells me to keep her posted.
14:30, 24th September 2013.
The pains are still coming and going but getting more and more uncomfortable. And when they do come, I can't just keep still, I feel like I have to get up and move to try and ease the pain. This is when I decided to let Ole know of the situation, but I am still wary that it could be Braxton's Hicks again. He replied saying he could come home but I knew even if this was the real thing, it was still likely that there were a fair few hours to go anyway. Plus it was only 3.5 hours til he was due home. I look down and see that my toenails weren't painted (shallow I know) so I thought, 'before this gets any worse I should probably attempt to paint them.' I'm not joking when I say that painting your toenails, whilst pretty much 41 weeks pregnant and having contractions every 3 minutes isn't one of the easier tasks in life. Especially when every time you do have a contraction, you have to get up and try all positions possible in order to ease the pain. Looking back I must've looked like a complete nutter hahah.
17:50, 24th September 2013.
By this point I didn't know what time it was and I felt like I was in my own world. Ole arrived home and everything seemed like a blur. I remember saying I wanted to try getting into the bath to see if it helped the pain so Ole helped me upstairs, we lit some candles and put some bubble bath in. The warmth from the water helped my back pain a lot and I felt a lot calmer. I remember worrying that I was missing 'The Great British Bake Off', especially as it was nearing the final but Ole and Julia kept telling me not to worry and that I could catch up on it later haha. Funny what you worry and think about during huge amounts of pain.
20:45, 24th September 2013.
At this time my contractions were coming every 3 minutes roughly and lasting at least 50 seconds; that's an incredibly short amount of time in the real world, but when you're in labour it feels like forever. We rang the hospital and they told us to come in; thank god we had everything packed! (I'd only packed a few days before haha, I know most mummies-to-be have their bag packed at least a month before their due dates!) Julia decided the best idea would be to drop me and Ole to the hospital as the car parking charge was astronomical. When we arrived, Ole ran and got me a wheelchair and we headed up to the maternity ward. I was really hoping I'd almost near the pushing stage, but when she did examine me she told me I was only 3cm dilated. I felt really disheartened but the midwife told me I could stay in tri-age for the night in case I progressed (definitely about to be mine and Ole's longest night ever!)
I don't want to bore you to death so I'll save the rest for my next post...
J xxx
