When Will Baby K Arrive?

Update: It's now been over 48 hours since my unexpected visit to Labor & Delivery. and the contractions have not yet stopped. I have been keeping track of them, and they still are not happening consistently or particularly strong, but I'm giving it until tomorrow afternoon before I call the doctor back and find out what to do next. I'll keep you posted!

Original Post: While I do not know the definitive answer to that, I do know with certainty that it's not today. After a little scare this afternoon, Dr. Mernitz has determined that I am NOT in premature labor.

Here's the story...I woke up around 2:30 this morning to contractions (the real ones, not Braxton Hicks). They were by no means coming at regular intervals, but they were definitely coming. I called the doctor this morning and spoke with a nurse. I knew right away that I wasn't going to get the token "That's perfectly normal" reassurance. I was right because, after asking 10 minutes worth of questions, she said she needed to "consult the doctor" and would call me right back. When she called, she told me that Dr. Moore wanted me in Labor and Delivery immediately. Talk about nerve-wracking! I was fully expecting to have to go to the office, but I was definitely NOT prepared to go to the hospital.

Once I arrived at the hospital, they hooked me up to a fetal heartrate monitor which showed Baby K to have a strong heartbeat and be moving around a bunch. Just imagine being able to feel, see AND hear Baby K's kicks...so strange! Dr. Mernitz arrived and ran some sort of protein test that predicts premature labor. Fortunately, the test came back negative. He also determined that I am not at all dilated. All good news! Unfortunately, he does not know what is causing the contractions (which, by the way, we were able to watch on the monitor). While he said it could be a number of things, his best guess is that it's my body's way of gearing up for actual labor. Maybe Baby K really is coming early as I have been predicting! After they monitored Baby K for a little while longer, they finally let me go home and told me to call if the contractions worsen.

So, here I am at home, trying to get some rest and wondering what's in store for me in the coming few weeks. I guess time will only tell!