About to crest the hill....

Last night was what I'd call 'eventful'.

Just chillin' reading my book, I felt my stomach harden into a braxton hicks contraction, and felt a small gush. I called the nurse in, and she checked me out and hooked me up to the fetal monitor to measure baby's heartbeat and my contractions. Baby looked great, and they weren't picking up any noteworthy contractions, so they took me off after about an hour. Then the contractions started being accompanied by pain in my lower back and thighs, and they were a lot more uncomfortable. Back on the monitor. I stayed on for a couple more hours, and the doc came in the check my cervix a couple times, and after noting no change in my cervix, and only minimal contractions, they took me off the monitor again and said they'd keep an eye on it. The cramping pains died down and I was finally able to go to sleep at 2am.

I didn't feel like I was going into labor, and I also knew that if the contractions got more intense, they have the means here to calm everything down and keep me pregnant for a while longer if need be. But I couldn't help but feel worried, not wanting Ronan to come just yet! It took my hubby gently reminding me to relax and pray to calm me down. He helped focus me and reminded me that a tense body will just make the contractions worse. I feel for all the mom's that face a premature labor, it must be such a scary thing, with the fear and concern escalating the labor pains. I remember my childbirth instructor going through relaxation techniques with me every week, training my body to release all tension. She told me that fear and tension make labor harder, take longer, and hurt more. During my labor with Judah, I thought briefly of testing that theory by tensing up during a contraction, but decided I completely believed her and that didn't need the extra evidence!

While I was hooked up to the monitor, and waiting for my contractions to die down, I was distracting myself with continuing reading my book. I had just reached the part of the story where the heroine becomes pregnant. As I lay there reading, the story unfolded....she went riding with her husband, and stopping to take a rest, they found blood all over her saddle and quickly took her home to bed. Her midwife said the baby wouldn't live, and that she needed to be confined to her bed until 'birth pains' began, about 4 months. I thought this very providential, and thought I'd include the portion of my reading that struck me the most.

'I have seen this before,' said Heilyn gravely, 'and it is never good. The child will die and take you with it unless you do as I say. Even then, nothing is certain.'
Charis gripped Taliesin's hand hard, but her jaw was set and her glance strong. 'Is there no hope at all?'
'Little enough, child. But what hope there is lies with you.'
'With me? Why, you have but to tell me and I will do all in my power to see my child born alive.'
'There is no hope for the child,' Heilyn declared flatly. 'What we do, we do to save it's mother.'
'But if I am to be saved, may the child not live as well?'
The midwife shook her head slowly. 'I have never known it. And often enough the husband digs two graves in the end.'
'Tell us what may be done,' said Taliesin
'Stay you in that bed until the birth pains come on you.' She paused and shrugged. 'That is all.'
'Is there no remedy?' asked Charis, thinking that four months was a very long time to lie abed.
'Rest IS the remedy,' replied Heilyn tartly. 'Rest-and it is no certain cure. The bleeding has stopped, and that is good, but I have no doubt it will begin again if you stir from this room.'
'Very well, I will do as you say. But even so I will not give up hope for my child.'
'Yours is the life we must look after now.' She made a slight bow of the head and turned to leave the room. 'I will send food and you must eat it. That is the best way to regain your strength.'
When she had gone Charis said, 'I will do as she says, but I will not give up hope.'
'And I will sit with you every day. We will pray and we will talk and the time will take wings.' said Taliesin
'I will endure my confinement.' said Charis firmly. 'I have endured more difficult trials for less worthy ends.'

It was encouraging to me to be going through a similar trial as the characters in my book whom I have grown to love. My situation is not nearly as dire, but it strengthened my resolve to read of theirs.

I feel much better today, and am glad to be here in the hospital with help right outside my door. I'm a mere 1 1/2 weeks away from 34 weeks, a milestone in Ronan's development, insuring a much healthier baby than if he was born earlier. I'm praying for the next 10 days to go by uneventfully, and will be praying each week following for another week after that. It feels like I am about to crest a hill, and after next Saturday, it'll all be downhill from there.

'In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.' Psalm 4:8