I was awaken by a sharp, throbbing pain on my left abdomen early morning of Sunday, December 11. It was accompanied by a more-painful-than-usual contractions on my tummy and pressure on my hips and lower back. At first, I thought I just needed to go to the bathroom, but after almost 30 minutes of trying to empty my bladder, the pain persisted so I went back to bed and hoped that relief would come soon. But what followed were more painful contractions that occurred every 5 minutes or so.
My mother asked me to stand up but I couldn’t do so without doubling over. My knees were wobbling with each wave of contraction and I was holding on to the back of a chair for support. It was then that they decided to bring me to the hospital. Initially, I just wanted to go to a nearby clinic and have an internal examination (IE) or “cervical checks” because it could just be a false alarm. But my mother, judging from the way I was wincing in pain, thought that I might be going into labor already and said it’d be better if we head straight to the hospital.
When we reached the hospital an hour later, the pain has subsided and the contractions were not as intense nor as closely spaced as they were. The doctor who performed an IE confirmed that I just had a false labor and promptly sent me home after monitoring my baby’s heartbeat and my contractions for an hour.
Two days later, I had my weekly prenatal checkup with my OB and she performed an IE on me again. She noted that my cervix is still closed, uneffaced (not yet thinning) and posterior (pointing toward the back) but is already softening. She added that it would probably be 1 to 2 weeks before I have my real labor and that I might even give birth a few days before or after, or on Christmas day itself. But stressed that I should continue to observe any signs of labor, especially if my water bag breaks or if I start bleeding or spotting, because no one can accurately predict when I will go into labor.
I asked what if my due date falls and baby isn’t out yet. She said we’ll wait for a week first and if still nothing happens, I’ll be induced for labor on January 2. So basically, it’s a waiting game for all of us.
Currently, I’m 10 days away from my due date, which is on December 26, but if I were to choose, I’d like to give birth now. Aside from being excited to see and hold my baby, this waiting game is becoming more and more uncomfortable and difficult for me. My mother would always remind me that all these discomforts and pain are part of my new role as a mother. But then, even she would wish that I give birth soon whenever she sees me how much pain I’m in.
But like what I said on my previous post, it’s all baby’s call. Whether he wants to come out already or stay a little longer inside, it’s all up to him. As much as I want to free myself from all these discomforts, my more fervent wish is to have a safe and normal delivery and to give birth to healthy, happy baby boy.
