My Labor Story: off to Wausau

July 13, 2014.

We're in Phillips, Wisconsin visiting the Hoge family. I woke up that morning at about 5 am (after getting up every hour to use the bathroom) in excruciating back pain and was unable to get comfortable in any position. I think I dozed in and out of sleep and at 7 am realized my tummy was cramping every once in awhile and was occasionally painful and then would be fine. I started to check the time every time I felt the tightness and realized it was coming every five minutes or so. This is when I woke Adam and said, "I think I'm having contractions." I don't think he believed me at first, but I didn't even believe myself. How did I know what contractions felt like?

 We continue to time them (still about every five minutes, some four, some eight) as we're looking up early labor signs and what to do if you're in preterm labor. Adam read that I should try and distract myself to see if it went away so I got up and walked a little and brushed my teeth but they were still coming. He began packing our things, as we were planning on leaving for home after breakfast anyways while I called my OB doctor: "Go to the nearest ER and have them check you out." The nearest ER was I think Rhinelander or even Merrill's hospital but they don't even have a birthing unit. We looked to see what was in-network in the area and that brought up Aspirus in Wausua. 1.5 hours away, we can do this.

We said goodbye to Don, brother-in-law to Adam's aunt and uncle and who were were actually staying with, who told me I would be in good hands, that Wausau had a good hospital and that's when the first tears came as it hit me that we were going to a hospital. Not exactly in the plans for that week and I definitely was afraid of what that might mean. Then we dropped Maggie off with the rest of the Hoges and more tears, more good byes and reassurance everything would be OK. Also a good laugh at Adam's cousin Ron who had walked into a ceiling fan earlier that morning and had the biggest bump on a forehead I had ever seen. Luckily he's recovered fine!

Off to Wausau we went and I think I only to Adam to hurry up one time. I called my parents to let them know we were off to the hospital but that I thought everything would be OK. No need to rush up or anything. We get to the ER and I'm sent up to labor and delivery but only after being told "you're tiny for 31 weeks!" If I had to hear that one more time I think I would have punched someone.  To triage we went...