False Labor

Sometime during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics I felt the first pulls.  Almost like a back pain that decided to wrap around my waist to create a band of construction, I was sure they were contractions.  The first was so mild I paid it no real mind, but then I had another one two hours later, and then again another hour or so later.  I downloaded an app that keeps track of these things, and soon enough I was having contractions every 40 minutes.  We decided to go to bed because obviously they weren't really strong or close together, but we thought we'd need our sleep for the next day.

On Saturday I woke up and they were still coming on.  Not really horribly painfully, but uncomfortable, and more regular.  My husband went alone to a wedding we had finally decided we would be able to make after all, and RSVP'd on Thursday before all of this.  He skipped the reception though.  I was still just hanging out at home, every 30 minutes to an hour having a contraction.

We'd had a friend over Friday before the opening ceremonies, and having a real live baby in our house had been a little bit of a wake-up call for me.  I realized that I would really need to get a few more things done before I'd want infants to crawl around downstairs.  Like, say, clean the floors more and at least close up holes in the baseboards and floor...  She drove, and I loved her car.  So much so, that I decided as a distraction that we should go look at the Subaru dealership.  Honestly, I might have to give up on my small car idea.  Looking at the gear she carried for a one hour visit, I wondered what we'd do if we had to try to fit it all into the Yaris, times 2.  My husband, amazingly, agreed.  He said something like we might be able to trade his car in!!! (WOO HOO)

So we went to the dealership, with me thinking I was in early stage labor, and test drove a Forester and an Outback.  Our friend had the Forester, and I liked it, but we both liked the Outback a little more, although for no clear definitive reason.  Not that we're buying one this second, but the idea exists for once the dust settles after the babies come home.  Our other idea is a Jetta Wagon (ideally TDI, but not sure if the price is right...). 

Anyway, we hit a few bumps in the road on the way home, and contractions, although mild, started coming every 10 minutes.  Now I was really starting to think things were coming along.

By the time it was bedtime they weren't really any stronger.  Again we thought we'd get our sleep and wake up prepared for the morning.  But overnight, they stopped.  Nary a one today.  We didn't do anything to induce or speed along labor, considering it's still only 37 weeks and we thought we'd just take it as it was.  If they come back and are more painful we'll try all the natural induction methods we can think of, after we hit 38 weeks.  I don't really want to rush them out really, although I would LOVE for them to be out now.  Really, I'm pretty disappointed that it was only false labor.

But we have a pretty packed week this upcoming week, including a visit to the vet about my sick cat.  I'd love to make it through that appointment with him to see if the medicine is helping or not...he does seem to feel better, but that doesn't mean his life is in any way prolonged.  If the babies come before then my mom will take him, but this particular cat is extremely attached to me, and I'm hoping not to stress him out too much in one week!

So we're back to the humdrum experience of waiting.  We've planned our meals for the week and finished the laundry (still not really up for scrubbing floors) so there's not much we really HAVE to do (until we have all of the appointments next week anyway). So we wait, and wait, and wait :)