Oh Those Darn Contractions!

Oh end of pregnancy!  You always confuse me.  Yesterday I had contractions at irregular intervals from about 1PM until I went to bed last night around 10:30.  Some felt like Braxton Hicks, but many of them were much stronger, real contractions that I know without doubt were real.  They were the ones that wrap around your entire middle from back, to front and up your abdomen.  They aren't painful until you are much further along in labor, but I know without a doubt they were real so what gives?  Every "textbook" labor ever says real contractions start out, are in regular intervals, and get closer together and stronger, then why do so many women have different contractions than that?  I have a friend who for the entire 24 hours before her baby came had contractions like I just had yesterday.....difference is, she got a baby out of the deal the next day....I, well at least at this point I do not :(  Maybe tonight :)

Just to be safe last night I cleaned up the house a little more and then went to bed (Hey you know you would have done it too!  I have people coming to stay with Abbie while we are gone so I don't want to leave my house a total pig pen :)  They must have stopped shortly after.  The bright side- I got a really good nights sleep!

The last of my "pregnant around the same time as me" friends had her baby yesterday.  I've been here before so I should be used to this feeling, but dangit I am only 39 weeks and my mind says "they had all their babies early!  Please let me be one of them!"  With Abbie I never remember having real contractions like I had yesterday up until the day I had her.  I had braxton hicks at the end with her, and because I'd never had a baby before, there were a few times when I had braxton hicks that we were counting and missed things for cause we thought it might be the real thing for.  In hindsight, I know they weren't real contractions, but after you've had one baby you know.  I remember asking people "How will I know it's the real thing?"  And most of what I heard was "You will just know,"  and they would try and describe what they felt like to me.  You really just can't know until you actually are experiencing it.

Today we are watching my friend from church's kids so and her hubby can go out on a date.  Yesterday she asked if I would rather just rest and honestly....my chances of this baby coming out sooner are much higher if I am running around with 3 boys and my own daughter for a few hours, rather than sitting on my butt!

This baby will come.  They all do.  This is just the point in pregnancy when patience gets hard.  Anxiety heightens and self confidence starts to plummet.

I must keep reminding myself of this:

Philippians 4:6

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

I just have to keep reminding myself that God's got a specific date and time in mind already.  He knows exactly how my labor will go.  He knows when in labor I'll start doubting myself.  He's got this.  He wrote out all the details long ago, and I need to let Him tell His story cause I know, without doubt, it will be beautiful.

Blessings,