Woke Up In a Panic

This morning I woke up at six o’clock and realized besides my one trip to the bathroom I hadn’t woken up all night.  This is very unusual for me seeing as I am an incredibly light sleeper.  Turing onto my side or even my growing baby’s kicks often wake me up and innumerable amount of times throughout the night.  Well, I guess I looked the gift horse in the mouth because instead of being grateful, instantly I panicked.  Why hadn’t my baby girl moved all night?  I instantly began massaging my belly in hopes of making her kick to give me some sort of reassurance.  After a couple minutes, I still wasn’t feeling anything and my panic hit a whole new level.  I woke my husband up to have him help me massage my belly and expressed my fear. The two of us began rubbing my belly, despite the contractions and still we weren’t feeling anything.  My heart jumped to the worst possible scenarios and I started imagining my little girl all twisted and chocked in her umbilical cord.  I began crying, which sent Josh into a panic.  I told him I needed to use the restroom and then would need to go into the hospital.  After reliving myself I felt a little kick.  A kick so light I began to doubt I felt it.  Then I felt a swish, deep inside and I knew although they were little movements my little girl was moving.  Although I still feared something was wrong, relief washed over me I had memories of my past miscarriage rush into my mind and the complete devastation I would have felt had I needed to go through such a trial again.

Josh and I decided that since I had a doctor’s appointment that morning we would put off going to the hospital unless there was further concern.  From six in the morning to my visit to my doctor at eleven I had only felt my little girl move three times and expressed this concern to my doctor as well as recounting the contractions I was having.  My doctor was concerned and sent us over to labor and delivery after we scheduled my c-section for October 17 (a day after my son’s birthday as that was when my doctor is on call).  We spent two hours in labor and delivery where they monitored my baby’s heart rate and my contractions.  Although I was having contractions, they weren’t changing my cervix and the baby’s heart rate was strong that we were sent home with directions to come back if things got any worse.  It was such a relief to hear and feel my little girl move around after the scare she gave me this morning and I am so excited to meet her.  Six more weeks and I will have a sweet little girl in our family.