The Long Night

After coming back from the emergency room, we more or less went back to our routine. My husband to work, my mom and I around the house, getting things ready, finishing errands and site seeing around town.

Wednesday the Braxton Hicks contractions, the ones that happen but aren't really painful or associated with active labor kicked up a notch making us all hopeful. I canceled my Arabic lesson because I didn't feel I could focus on any one thing which was highly unusual for me.

We stayed close to home and just hung out: at 2:30 p.m. I went up to take my usual afternoon nap and said to my mom "That was a big one." The force that rocked my body was a like a fist pushing it's way up through my back.

I had been sitting all day on an exercise ball - the magic ball - of a friend who swore that doing so had caused both her babies to drop and bring on labor within 24 hours. She was one of the five people who had her baby early this summer, by a week.

I slept and there all was quiet within my body. The afternoon came and went, dinnertime, and then it was evening.

I wasn't sure when labor would start (if was also a dim question in my mind at this point) so I took advantage of being alert and worked on the laptop upstairs. There were a few loose ends to tie up and miraculously the wireless signal was also working (which it normally does not in our bed). But near the window on the chaise lounge chair, I was able to send and receive emails.

1:30 a.m. the contractions were starting in earnest. As my mom had said we needed to do when the time came, I started timing them. About 45 minutes apart. So I kept working.

3:00 a.m. I shut off the computer after debating whether to keep working; the entire house was sleeping and I let them, though now the pains were coming 15 minutes apart

We had an appointment at 8:00 a.m. with my doctor so I wanted to hold out if possible and just go once to the hospital. Plus I heard stories from friends of going up to the hospital thinking 'this was it' and being told to go home. The magic number was 5 minutes. That much I knew. Plus my water hadn't broken - even though I also knew this was no guaranteed sign and other people had gone to the hospital and had their water broken there.

4:00 a.m. I dozed as the contractions came closer and stronger

5:00 a.m. I took the advice in all the books and took a shower, washing my hair, and putting on lotion.

6:00 a.m. I dozed again for a bit

7:00 a.m. I got dressed, woke up my mom, and then my husband

"This is it," I said to them. Everyone started getting ready; my hospital bag had already been in the car with the car seat for two weeks. I pulled myself together, plus the last minute items like contacts, journal, toilette and went downstairs.

My mom was on email, my husband was texting, their bags waited by the front door. It was 7:30 a.m.

"What is everybody doing?" I asked.

They jumped a foot and then we were out the door, letting the nanny know that we'd call her and there was a good chance we were not coming back from this hospital visit.

Mentally I prepared myself. This time I wanted to go into the hospital and not come out until we had our baby.