Waiting for Baby - Part 3

And now on to the third scenario, today’s pregnancy: Our daughter was just shy of her second birthday and we realized that I wasn’t getting any younger. Our third attempt at in vitro again was successful. I have to say that having to go that route to get pregnant is not the most enjoyable manner of procreation, but I am eternally grateful to the powers that be for having such luck each time. We know far too many people that have made repeated attempts at every type of fertility treatment to no avail. I can’t begin to imagine their frustration and disappointment, and my heart goes out to everyone in that situation. It just shouldn’t be that difficult to do something that most take for granted as a naturally-occurring and enjoyable thing.
Anyway, my doctors and I decided that since my daughter was born full-term we would skip the cerclage and bed rest this time and just pay attention to the signals my body gave me (in addition to cervical length ultrasounds every 2 weeks). Everything has been wonderful: No stress of preparing for a horrible disease or deciding whether or not to continue the pregnancy, no bed rest (aside from a couple of days after a scare at 18 weeks due to my irritable uterus), and I have felt really great. This is what pregnancy is supposed to be like! No wonder Mrs. Duggar has so many children! (Well, OK, maybe 18 or 19 is a bit drastic.) Then, about a month ago, I started to feel like things were changing and I asked my OB to check things out. Several hours after that I went into preterm labor and was admitted to the hospital (see my blog on patients’ rights from September 11), but thankfully the doctors were able to stop things in their tracks. After two days in the hospital I was discharged to go home on bed rest for 3 weeks, at which point I would be 34 weeks along. Even though that is still 3 weeks before a baby is considered term, the OB felt confident everything would be fine if he was born.
I have to say that bed rest is much more challenging with a toddler around, but 3 weeks compared to 4 months is not too bad at all. Finally it was my last day of lying around. The doctor said to be almost as careful as before, but if the baby came it would probably be OK. I awoke that morning with a feeling that things were about to happen. Our son was going to be born, and soon. Why does a mother know these things? There were no physical reasons to think so until later that day when my contractions, normally irregularly spaced and somewhat mild, became regular and much more intense. Then the lower back pain came with each contraction and horrible sciatica radiated in either leg (or sometimes both) every time I tried to walk.
I made it through the night without going to the hospital, but now my bag is packed just in case, the car seat is installed, the co-sleeper is ready, and I’m heading out for my OB appointment. Wonder what today will have in store? Will my mother’s intuition be right?
~~Katie~~