Early bird? Not this time!

These are contractions.

Our little man was rehearsing for his big entrance into the world this week.  I didn't realize it, but I have been having contractions for over a month now.  On Thursday, we went to the hospital because of some concerning symptoms, and when they hooked me up to the contraction monitors, they asked, "You're contracting every two minutes - did you know this?"  I did not, as I thought the mild aches and pains were nothing compared to others I have felt during the pregnancy, and I had not noticed any pattern whatsoever.  I thought the nurse was joking with me for a split second. 

The baby was perfectly healthy and didn't seem to mind the contractions at all - he just continued his usual pattern of moving a lot and taking cat naps.  The doctors gave me two doses of medicine to stop the contractions, and it seemed to slow them down a lot, so they discharged me.

Now that I am home and I know what contractions feel like, I can tell that I am having contractions occassionally, but it is easier to avoid the circumstances that trigger them: walking, going from seated to standing, high heat, standing on hard surfaces for a long time, etc.  I just have to listen to my body more and take evasive action if I feel one start.  It's no big deal to me and the doctors aren't concerned either, but it does slow me down a lot.  I'm not on mandatory bed rest, and the magical fetal fibronectin test showed that baby is firmly snuggled inside and not planning to make his entrance anytime in the next few weeks. 

These next weeks are very important for the baby's development, especially his major organs, his brain, and his chubby cheeks (these are the weeks when the baby plumps up with fat).  It is good to know he'll be able to do that hard work and still be cozy in my belly.