Prodromal Labor

This has got to be the most frustrating thing ever, and today has been the worst of it so far.

Last night at around 11 pm, or so, I started timing contractions at 6-8 mins apart. They were steadily increasing in intensity so I was hoping this was the real thing. By 2 am I decided to try to sleep through them, since they weren't too painful, and I was semi-successful. I would only wake up every 30 mins or so when a contraction was particularly strong.

At 6 am Shaun woke up and asked if he should go to work or not. I told him the contractions were still regular but manageable so it was up to him. He decided to stay home so we timed contractions and watched a movie (Major League, since he was appalled to find out last night that I had never seen it). Contractions were now coming every 4.5 mins and were slightly stronger than last night.

Around 8 am we decided to see if we could get things moving along by going for a walk. During the walk my contractions definitely picked up in intensity but were still very manageable. We got home and I sat for a while. This is when the contractions started to space out again. I was still having them, and they were still at the same level of intensity, but they were no longer as frequent.

Back to walking.

We decided that it would be a great idea to walk to Shaun's grandpa's house; a mere 2.5 miles. HA! Not something I'll do again anytime soon while hugely pregnant. Anyways, the contractions really picked up on this walk to every 2-3 minutes and got so intense that I couldn't walk or talk through them. I just hung off of Shaun's shoulder and employed breathing techniques. Awesome, right?

No. As soon as the walk was completed (fully swollen ankles and tender knees included) the contractions spaced out again.

Talking with the midwife confirmed what I feared: PRODROMAL LABOR. Previously known as false labor, yet again. This is just plain frustrating.

I'm still getting contractions now, just not as frequently nor as intense. Looks like this little one will not be making an appearance today. Perhaps tomorrow.