Merry Christmas and what does labor feel like?

We had a lovely Christmas. The most difficult part about it was convincing Delaney to open her gifts. She'd open one and then want to stop and play with it forever so it delayed the process a bit. But, of course, since it was fun to watch her and we were in no hurry, it didn't matter. Still, about an hour into the slow proceedings, she absolutely would not open any more gifts and requests from us to do so illicited only screams and sobs from her ("No! I won't open any more presents! Nooooooooo!"). Excuse me for abusing my child by buying her too many gifts. Sheesh! We ended up taking a break and then sitting back down around the tree an hour later after she happened upon the unopened gifts as if she'd never seen them before ("What? All this? For meeeeeeeee?").

I've been slightly sidelined for most of the day with what I've assumed are ill effects of the single king crab leg I'd eaten the night before or perhaps a touch of a stomach virus courtesy of the dear friends with whom we had supper on Saturday night (poor things have been suffering, first one, then the other, since that meal and while I hoped Roger and I would escape whatever it is they have, maybe I didn't). After consulting a pregnancy book and reading that early labor can resemble stomach cramps and diarrhea I began to wonder what it was I'd been suffering from all along. And, since returning home around 7pm from our visit to my parents' house this afternoon, I've started having weird symptoms that led me to wonder exactly what labor feels like and whether or not it's possible I'm in it.

After my experience with Delaney (getting induced at 41 1/2 weeks with no signs of labor whatsoever) I was convinced that my body just doesn't do labor. When my doctor set the date of Dec. 27 for new baby's arrival it stuck in my mind as the birthdate, his birthdate. It never occurred to me that I could actually go into labor, and early at that. So, when new baby started moving around like crazy tonight, pushing down in my pelvis, causing me great bladder (or is it cervical?) pain and giving me sudden, shockingly painful lower back aches I had to ask myself, Is this what labor feels like? I wondered for a few hours and then, after consulting my loving and overprotective mother, called my doctor's office (yeah, on Christmas night...I felt like a total newbie dork).

Luckily (for me, but maybe not for her) my doctor is the one on call today and she called back right away. After describing my symptoms to her and admitting that although I've these weird (for me) symptoms I've felt no discernible contractions she said it was unlikely that I'm in labor and that unless things got progressively worse or I started feeling real contractions I shouldn't worry. She said if things changed or if I was concerned that I should head into L&D to get checked and they would call her. Of course, I'm hoping to avoid that tonight (and tomorrow too) because I've really been planning on Dec. 27 and I've got loads to do tomorrow to get ready. Still, I understand that the timing is not mine to decide and if new baby wants to come (he sure moves like he's ready to come soon) then he will. It wouldn't be the first time a child of mine surprises me.

Comments

[mamasutra]

My two labours felt completely different. With kid 2, I thought I was coming down with the flu all morning at work, feeling all barfy and chills/feverish. No other symptoms until 10 that night when I realized I was having contractions. So, I'm not trying to alarm you, but I know that back then I was thinking if I'd known that I was actually in labour, I would have got my act together a little sooner (I packed my bag for the hospital about 60 minutes before I delivered!). I've been thinking about you as your big day gets closer: all the best! How exciting for your family!

[Summer]

On the other hand, even if it is/was labor, I know from experience that labor does not always equal childbirth. While waiting for my son, I went in and out of labor -- real, 4-minutes-apart labor -- for FIVE WEEKS before he deigned to arrive.

But we do need an update, at least one more little entry, so we can either wish you luck or give you our congratulations. Please?

[karen]

I didn't recognize labor either time I was in it. Chris had to tell me the first time (I was in the bath and wiggling uncomfortably on an apparently very clockable schedule) and his mom the second (I thought I had the flu). You'll be in my thoughts today!