Just wanted to update that I had my baby girl, Dalila, on November 30th - a week before her due date (she was due on December 6th).
My labour started on the evening of Saturday, November 28th, with Braxton HIcks contractions every 10 minutes or so. I thought it was a bit strange they were coming so fast because I didn't have many BH"s during my pregnancy, but I just figured it was my body gearing up for labour in about a week or so. I didn't think much of it and just went to clean the baby's room and finish packing the hospital bags, as I had planned to do that night. While I was cleaning I noticed that the BH's weren't letting up - they were coming very regularly, almost like clockwork every 5-7 minutes. By 12:00 am, they started to get painful, almost like very strong menstrual cramps. I was thinking, "Oh my gosh, this better not be labour, I'm soooo not ready! We dont' even have a name yet!""
I tried to dismiss the cramps and go to sleep, but I couldn't get to sleep because the cramps just kept on coming! When I got up to go to the bathroom after 1:00 am, I noticed a few spots of watery blood on my undies. I was thinking, "uh oh...this isn't good". I stayed up that night trying to get some rest on the couch, but really being wide awake. I went to the bathroom several times that night, but when I went at 5:00 am there was this dark-brown stringy mucousy discharge when I wiped. I was like, "Oh No!! This is real! This is my bloody show!" I was so scared - I couldn't believe that I was going into labour already! Anyway, after the bloody show- I stayed up and finished cleaning, washed the dishes, bathed/changed, and then woke DH, telling me we'd have to go to the hospital that morning because I was having strong cramps. He was really surprised!
Anyway - to make a long story short - I had a pretty painful natural labour (they don't offer much pain medication where I'm from). I took a long time to dilate (I was in labour for about 30 hours) and so the doctor had to break my water bag, and put me on Pitocin. All I can say is OUCHIE!!!! Pitocin without pain relief hurts like HECK!!! It was almost unbearable!!! Anyway, after the Pitocin I dilated really quickly (from 4-10 cm in 2 hours), and ended up having my baby with just three quick pushes on the delivery table! (She was right there waiting to come out - the funny thing is that just before delivery, I was running to go to the bathroom to have a bowel movement when the nurse forced me into the delivery room instead). It was a great feeling of relief when she was born!!
So that's my story. It's been an overwhelming and tiring week and a half, but good as well!
All the best with your deliveries, everyone!
My labour started on the evening of Saturday, November 28th, with Braxton HIcks contractions every 10 minutes or so. I thought it was a bit strange they were coming so fast because I didn't have many BH"s during my pregnancy, but I just figured it was my body gearing up for labour in about a week or so. I didn't think much of it and just went to clean the baby's room and finish packing the hospital bags, as I had planned to do that night. While I was cleaning I noticed that the BH's weren't letting up - they were coming very regularly, almost like clockwork every 5-7 minutes. By 12:00 am, they started to get painful, almost like very strong menstrual cramps. I was thinking, "Oh my gosh, this better not be labour, I'm soooo not ready! We dont' even have a name yet!""
I tried to dismiss the cramps and go to sleep, but I couldn't get to sleep because the cramps just kept on coming! When I got up to go to the bathroom after 1:00 am, I noticed a few spots of watery blood on my undies. I was thinking, "uh oh...this isn't good". I stayed up that night trying to get some rest on the couch, but really being wide awake. I went to the bathroom several times that night, but when I went at 5:00 am there was this dark-brown stringy mucousy discharge when I wiped. I was like, "Oh No!! This is real! This is my bloody show!" I was so scared - I couldn't believe that I was going into labour already! Anyway, after the bloody show- I stayed up and finished cleaning, washed the dishes, bathed/changed, and then woke DH, telling me we'd have to go to the hospital that morning because I was having strong cramps. He was really surprised!Anyway - to make a long story short - I had a pretty painful natural labour (they don't offer much pain medication where I'm from). I took a long time to dilate (I was in labour for about 30 hours) and so the doctor had to break my water bag, and put me on Pitocin. All I can say is OUCHIE!!!! Pitocin without pain relief hurts like HECK!!! It was almost unbearable!!! Anyway, after the Pitocin I dilated really quickly (from 4-10 cm in 2 hours), and ended up having my baby with just three quick pushes on the delivery table! (She was right there waiting to come out - the funny thing is that just before delivery, I was running to go to the bathroom to have a bowel movement when the nurse forced me into the delivery room instead). It was a great feeling of relief when she was born!!
So that's my story. It's been an overwhelming and tiring week and a half, but good as well!
All the best with your deliveries, everyone!
.. 
hope al is well x
