After having to take fertility drugs to conceive our first child, Hannah, we were extremely happy to be pregnant again, without all of the drugs and trips to the specialist. I made my first trip to the OB/GYN on December 8th, where they confirmed my pregnancy. They also did an ultrasound to make sure they had the dates right. By the ultrasound, Conner was already 7 weeks! So, I had been pregnant when I took the first pregnancy test...why it came back negative, who knows?
We had my husband's parents, my parents and grandmother meet us at a local restaurant, where we proudly announced that they would be grandparents again! Everyone was thrilled and surprised. So much so, my mother started telling all of the people that happened to sit near us that night at the restaurant! Embarrassing but cute :-)
The morning sickness stayed for the first four months and then, thank God, went away. I started to gain weight and feel much better. Although I did have some slight anemia and some problems with water retention, the pregnancy was uneventful, until my 34th week. I had been experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions from very early on and while eating dinner one night, I started having contractions every five minutes apart. Since they were definitely uncomfortable and regular, we rushed home, dropped our daughter off with her grandparents and made our way to the hospital. I was pretty laid back about it, since I didn't have any bloody show or anything, but my husband was a basketcase and drove too fast all the way there. I had to laugh, considering he used to be an EMT and should have known better...
Once we got there, they set me up on a monitor, where lo and behold it turns out I really WAS in early labor. They checked me and although I was effacing, I hadn't dilated yet. They sent me home, put me on partial bedrest and some drugs to keep the contractions away. Terrible drug...it made my hands shake almost uncontrollably. I quit work to say the least, and slept as much as I could. By 37 weeks, they took me off the drugs and told me that if I went ahead and went in to labor again, they would just let it happen. Well, the next three weeks passed and although I would have little episodes with contractions, nothing happened. At my 39th week, I came down with the worst case of food poisoning/stomach flu I've ever had, and even THAT didn't start my labor. Two more weeks passed and the doctor decided it was time to have the baby. By this time, I was HUGE and could feel every little movement he made.
I checked in to the hospital the morning of August 17th and had a hep lock put in. I was adamant about not having an epidural this time (with my daughter it had complicated things). I wanted to feel the baby and the labor this time. When they checked me before breaking my water I was already four centimeters and having contractions every six minutes.
