False Labor

On Tuesday night at around 11 PM, I started feeling really, really sick. Just completely out of the blue! I started throwing up and I could not stop...it was beyond miserable. I hate throwing up so much. Pain, I can deal with. Vomiting - excuse my french but screw that. While getting sick, I was having severe stomach pain and cramping in my upper back. I put my heating pad on my back, which seemed to help. Finally around a quarter to 1, the vomiting stopped. I then started noticing pretty regular contractions, so I began to time them. They averaged about 3 minutes apart and a little over a minute long. After almost two hours, I decided to call my midwife, who told me to go ahead and go into labor and delivery.
When I got there, contractions were two minutes apart. I was so dehydrated from getting sick, that they wanted to get me on some fluids. I had to be poked four times before they were finally able to draw blood and hook up the IV! Apparently the dehydration was what was making the contractions so close together and stressful; they weren't doing anything to dilate me. After the first bag of fluid, the contractions began to space out a little and get stronger. I was checked again and I went from 75% to 80% effaced, but dilation did not change. I got a second bag of fluids after that and was sent home once it was gone. Since I had an appointment with my midwives set up for 11, they figured I could rest at home and then my midwife would check me again in a few hours. I was discharged at around 7:30 in the morning. 
Because of medicine I was given at the hospital for nausea, I was pretty drowsy and able to sleep for a couple of hours before going in for my appointment. I was still having contractions about three minutes apart, but they weren't as strong. My midwife checked me and there was no progress. :/ I was really upset. My midwife was beyond certain I'd be calling her in the evening in active labor. I was again sent home and just crashed out. When I woke up later, the contractions were gone. Needless to say, I was very disappointed.
Meanwhile, it was Mike and my anniversary and I was too emotionally and physically exhausted to even sit up on the couch to watch a movie. Mike was such a trooper. He was so sweet and encouraging. He made us some burritos and we got through half of the movie before we both went to bed. I think that the whole thing had exhausted baby boy to the point where he stopped squirming and slept, which allowed me to get a LOT of sleep, which I desperately needed. I got up this afternoon and forced myself to take a shower, put on some makeup and take my chalkboard picture. I feel a lot better now. And baby boy has been dancing around, so he seems just fine too. :) 
This is the second time that this whole thing has happened (last time was on the 15th) and it was so much more severe this time around. I am so afraid of it happening again and the contractions stopping. I was having them for 12 hours straight and they just went away. I'm afraid to experience the vomiting again...I am literally afraid of vomiting, as ridiculous as that sounds. I know baby boy will come whenever he is ready and I still have a little less than a week until my due date. But man, I am so ready to be done with the contractions, the vomiting, the acid reflux and the discomfort and just meet my baby!! The last few weeks of pregnancy are emotionally and physically exhausting. They really are. Hearing "Just wait until the baby gets here" does not help. I know that it won't be easy once the baby arrives. I know it will bring a new set of challenges. But I will focus on one word: new. I am excited for new challenges! I am excited to be a new mommy. I am excited about the entire experience of parenthood, even though I know I will struggle at times. Pregnancy is part of this journey. It's the first path. I am definitely ready to get off that path and onto the next one!