Carter's Birth Story Part 1

When people would ask me kmy due date, I would politely tell them June 15, but then explain that I knew I would go early, because I had so much trouble when I was pregnant with Wyatt.  Then the person asking would look at me like I was insane for thinking I would have a clue about when I would go into labor.  What they didn't know was that I was having painful contractions since before my 2nd trimester and I promise, I am not exaggerating.  After taking natural remedies and then prescription medication, I was able to hold the labor off.  At 36 weeks, I was told to stop the medication.  By 37 weeks, I couldn't sdtand the pain any longer.  Long, constant, irregular contractions prevented me from being able to move freely and take care of my son.  So I began walking the park loop by my house.  Round and round I'd walk, never going too far for the house and always with my cell phone.  I even talked to my nieghbors who were closer to the park and arranged for them to drive me home if I went into labor and couldn't walk home.  A spit fire of a grandma, Pat, even offered me her white plastic chair that she had kept out on the porch for an old man nieghbor up the street who would sit there and rest, before making it back up to his house.  He had recently passed away, and so now I was the "occupant" of that chair if I needed.
Finally the contractions were getting into a rhythm.  One afternoon, I lay on the couch and could start timing the length of the contractions.  But the intervals were never regular.  Finally by that nightcome contractions would be 5 minutes apart, other times they would be 15.  I sent all my boys to bed, and got a few hours of sleep myself.  But then the pain intensified.  However the timing never got closer.  It was a long loney night.  I was not about to wake up anyone unless I was positive I was going into labor.  I didn't want to spend anymore time at the hospital than I had to either.  I made it through the night, still with regular contractions.  We all woke up early and were out the door by 8 am, and headed to the hospital.