Spotted and in Early Labor

This can be graphic, so read at your own risk :-)

Three days ago, I started feeling like I was going to get my period. Weird feeling for someone that is 9 months pregnant until I talked to my mom. Apparently, this is the beginning of the final stage. Well, sure enough, I started spotting (brown stuff) two days ago consistently and getting much more "braxton hicks" contractions. These are sporadic false labor ones where the body is practicing for real labor.

I also had a dream two nights ago that I will be in labor on May 1. Well, guess what, I am in early labor right now. So why am I blogging, you may ask. Well, unlike the movies, labor for the first child can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours because the body is not used to all the changes it must go through for delivery.

So surprisingly between my contractions which are now 7 minutes apart, I want to occupy myself with something to do like paying my bills, watching TV, talking to the OB nurse, and blogging.

It's so surreal that I am going to meet my daughter in the next day or so. The nurse keep telling me to wait for 5-1-1 before coming in. That is contractions every 5 min for 1 min long for at least an hour. I started this morning at 6am with contraction every 10 min for 30 seconds long and now it's around 6 or 7 min for almost 1 min long. It's not fun I must say, but there is a thing called mind over matter. I noticed that if I panic during the contractions the pain is a lot worse, but if I breathe slowly and just keep telling myself this is supposed to happen to my body, it is a bit better. Even better is if I have something else to occupy my mind like folding my laundry or writing this blog.

At first I thought I had contractions last night but I wasn't sure. Now I realize last night were still practice ones because real labor as I have now have a lot more intensity even though they seem short (less than a min) I am still able to speak a little during it, but barely and it varies in intensity although getting stronger as the day goes by. We are also watching Tivo together so that helps with the distraction.

More likely or not, we will be heading to the hospital tonight and hopefully checking in. They don't let you check in until you are 4 cm dilated (which I guess is equivalent to 5-1-1). Typically you give birth at 10 cm dilation. So far, I have been bleeding a little (brown and then pink but no massive period - thank goodness).

Whether my little girl will be arriving tonight or tomorrow is up to her. My dream a few days ago only told me that I would be in labor on May 1 before it woke me up (how strange huh?) Maybe mother's instinct is kicking in already :-)

Stay tuned in a few days for the good news (keeping my fingers crossed for a smooth labor and delivery)

-Lei