Before The Contractions Kick In...

As I type this, I have just taken my second dose of cervix-ripening Cytotec and the nurse is preparing my IV. It's 8:25 p.m. Ish and I are in our very comfy hospital room. I'm hooked up to a fetal monitor and something else that's supposed to gauge my contractions, were I having any.

We called the hospital this morning to find out what time we'd need to come in for our final check-up/potential check-in. They said they were crazy busy and to please call back at noon.

Hey -- when you're ready to go at 37 weeks and then almost 2 weeks overdue, what's another 4 hours, really?

We were told to come in by about 2:30 this afternoon. We figured this had to be it, and packed our stuff up with more care than ever before...remembering all the things we forgot and/or decided not to bring on our four prior trips, when we weren't sure we'd be staying. I even had a bit of an emotional good-bye to the kitties and to Sherlock in particular, since he was, really, my first baby.

-- Hold for setting up the IV --

That took longer than expected. It's 9:30 now.

Anyway.

They did the non-stress test and then decided to give me a cervix-ripening drug and monitor me for a few hours to see what would happen.

Can you guess what happened?

That's right. Not a damned thing.

So we met with the doctor at 6 p.m. She said that we could go home if we wanted to, let the Cytotec "simmer" in my system, let me go a couple more days and see if this baby would come of her (mostly) own volition. Or, we could stick with the Cytotec tonight and keep going and get the labor going.

We chose the latter. Neither we nor the doctor think that much would happen over the next two days without help.

So here we are. FINALLY.

I don't think I technically qualify as being "in labor" at this point, but I'm not sure. I'm having tiny contractions -- which, believe me, are plenty uncomfortable -- but they're going to try to have me sleep tonight (I get a sleeping pill, even!) to get as much rest as possible.

I guess we're all hoping I'm in active labor by morning. Which would rock. Although at the same time, I know this can be a one-to-THREE-day process, so it's anyone's guess.

OH. And speaking of guesses...

No one has guessed the name yet! Feel free to re-enter (post below)!

Lastly. I don't even know how to begin to express how amazing and special it has been to share this experience with you. I think it would have killed me to have gone through this waiting game without having a way to express my fears and frustrations. Your support, advice, warmth, care, and thoughtfulness has helped calm me more than I could have ever guessed.

I am so lucky.