Well, I’m in some kind of labor . . . but I think this is somewhere between prodromal labor and stalled labor. I’m contracting regularly (and prodromal labor is usually irregular contractions) but the intensity of the contractions has been inconsistent (perhaps a sign of stalled labor). I also seem to go through phases – I have hours when the contractions are 4 minutes apart and fairly intense, 4 minutes apart but not so intense, and other blocks of time when they may stretch out to hours of contractions every 7 minutes or every 10 minutes. What this means is I’m starting labor but I do not seem to be getting there particularly fast. Apparently, this could go on for quite some time. I have no idea if all the contractions I’ve had in the last 24 hours are causing any progress yet. All I know is I do not think I can do this part for weeks. I’m willing to be patient this week, but this part is no fun. I’m just uncomfortable enough that it keeps me from keeping my “normal” routine, but it isn’t intense enough most of the time (or moving fast enough) that it makes sense for me to drop everything and focus exclusively on birthing. So, I’m trying to relax but keep busy, increase my physical activity in the hopes of speeding things up, and try any other ideas I can think up! The most frustrating part is that I think my body believes it is in labor – it isn’t letting me keep any food in my system. Anything I eat comes right out, and trust me, with contractions that part is just miserable. So, I have yet to figure out how to fuel my body without making myself feel awful. I’m going to try some juice and clear liquids today to see if that helps.
keep the faith – it will all happen in good time.