To the hospital I went....

Yesterday, I was supposed to have a doctor's appointment so I decided to actually put on make up and kind of do my hair (it was huge and 80s sensation).  Right after I got dressed and we took belly pictures, the doctor's office called to reschedule my appointment for Monday.  

My lower back has been pretty steadily hurting for a couple of days but I didn't say anything because I was supposed to have a doctor's appointment.  However, when my appointment got canceled I said something to the nurse on the phone about my back and she immediately put me through to Triage.  I had to leave a voicemail.  They called me back like 20ish minutes later.  After explaining the pain and how I have been feeling, the Triage nurse said that I needed to head into the hospital to get checked out because she thinks I was having contractions.  AAAAAHHHHHHHH.  Mac was still napping at that time so I told Joe to just stay at home until we knew what was really going on with me.  So I drove myself to the hospital.  I got checked in and weighed.  I am currently at 160 which puts my weight gain at 27 pounds.  Then I got strapped up to the machines again.  Turns out....yes, I was having contractions.  Every four minutes.  As I am 35 weeks and 2 days pregnant, my questions were more about if they were going to stop the contractions or what the plan would be.  I am a week and a half off from being considered full-term (or where it would be safer for her to make her appearance).  I absolutely adored my nurse and I really want her to be my nurse when Nora decides to come for real.  I went to the hospital prepared with my ipad and my charger and a book.  I wasn't sure how long I was going to be there and I was determined to not be bored.  Nora spent a lot of time hitting my cervix area....turns out that she was head-butting my cervix which was kind of causing my contractions.  GET READY FOR TMI: The nurse had to check my cervix to see if I was dilating and I was.  I was at 2 cm (10 cm is where it is go time and the baby is coming) and 40-50% effaced.  Effaced means the percentage at which your cervix is thinned.  The bigger the number the closer you are to being ready to have the baby.  Nora was super super low.  As in that was the first thing the nurse said as she was checking me.  As my nurse was checking my cervix, she literally poked Nora's head.  Nora did not care for that at all and gave me a giant kick.  Let me tell you, that check was PAINFUL.  In fact, I am still incredibly sore from it.  I got a giant list of things to look out for.  I was also told what I can/cannot do.  They did let me go home though.  I think part of the reason was that I have a doctor's appointment on Monday.  Then I drove myself home.

This entire process has been a little stressful.  By a little stressful, I mean a lot stressful.  It is hard to force myself to relax.  I am such a goer and doer that forcing myself to just seriously lay on the sofa is going to be incredibly difficult.  I read so incredibly fast that I know that I am going to run out of books.  There is only so much HGTV and Food Network a person can watch.  AAAAAHHHHHHHHH.  I did ask the nurse though when she thought Nora might make her appearance based on everything going on.  She said that they were really wanting me to get to week 39 but more than likely that she would be here around or before week 38.  Me at week 38 puts me around the 14th of May (which is the next full moon and when Joe and I have always thought she would come).  

Things I am not allowed to do:

Walk a lot

cook

laundry

clean

grocery shop

stand on me feet too long

sit up for too long (apparently that puts pressure on my cervix which is already feeling pressure)

Pretty much they just want me laying down.  They are not officially putting me on hard core bedrest yet....but I am on what they call "couch rest."  Dear goodness I am going to go insane.