Seriously…

So I went in for my non-stress test and to check the fluid… pretty routine, right? The hub was going to go back to work after the appointment and I was going to go home and do some work.

The dr (not my OB, but a specialist) checked the fluid on a sonogram and said it was normal, but on the lower end. Then he asked me if I had any contractions and if the baby had been moving. I said I had been getting the menstrual cramping pain since last night and I thought the baby had been moving fine. He pulled out the results from the non-stress test and said, “Well, it looks the baby’s heartbeat went down three times and as a precaution, you should go directly to labor and delivery.” “HUH?!” both the hub and I said. “Hahaha, yes, go get admitted and we’ll send over the paperwork. We don’t want to risk anything,” he told us. “But I’m being induced Monday,” I said. “Oh, well I guess it’s today! ” the dr said. He asked how far I was effaced and dilated and I told him. “Ah, you’re in good shape then!”

So the hub and I quickly walked to the hospital (which is right next to the dr’s office) and I was blubbering about all the things I had to do and whatnot. As we took the elevator up, we met another pregnant woman who was doing her labor breathing. “Are you OK?” I asked. “Yeah, it’s not so bad,” she said. She told me she was also supposed to be induced on Monday but her water broke in the morning and the contractions started. She seemed remarkably calm. Then we all walked over to get registered and the staff were stunned that two pregnant women were being admitted at the same time. One of them asked, “Are you here together?”

I was admitted and had to get undressed and put on a gown. The nurse hooked me up to be monitored again. She asked if I had any contractions or fluid and I told her I had some of the cramping, but nothing bad. “We’ll just recheck everything and call your OB,” she said. “But I’m thinking you might go home.” At this point, I was still freaking out thinking about the labor and not really ready for it all! The nurse came over again to take a bunch of info from me and she asked, “Any outside stress? Like work, family…” “Yes,” I said, “My sister! Who has shingles!” “Oooh,” the nurse said, “You might want to ask your OB about that.”

We called my sister to let her know and she totally freaked out saying the baby’s room wasn’t ready. What the heck? So I asked what she meant. “The hooks! You need hanging hooks by the changing table!” she yelled. “Uh, we could do that later,” I told her. “No, you need to do it NOW! You can’t do it when the baby’s here! I KNOW! I have experience!!!! And the bassinet! It’s not in your room! We need to move it!!!” She was totally stressing me out, so I started yelling at her that those weren’t important and I was more concerned about going into labor. “You’re being so stubborn! You have to listen to me!” my sister yelled. If you haven’t noticed, my sister has OCD and was definitely obsessing over something so small, that it made no sense. Finally, the hub grabbed the phone from me and told my sister to stop stressing me out and that everything was fine, we could deal with those things later. “Fine,” she said. “You’ll learn the hard way.” “OK,” the hub said, “We will.” I was really stewing by then and crying from being so angry with her and wishing she had never come.

We were there for another hour or so and I fell asleep for a bit. Then the nurse came in to check the results. “I think you’re fine. Everything looks good. The other dr was being overly cautious, but your OB will be in later to check,” she said. After a bit, the OB came and said, “You’re good. Everything’s normal. You can go home,” she said. “Fluid looks normal. So see you Monday, if not sooner! Just make sure the baby’s moving.” Then I asked about the shingles. “Oooh,” she said. “You don’t want to mess with that. Your sister can’t come to the hospital or be near the baby. You might want to wipe everything she’s touched down too. Ask her to call her dr and find out the incubation period. But yeah, you don’t want to mess with that with a newborn.”

In a way, this little trip to the hospital benefited us because I didn’t even think of asking about the shingles. Plus we got to ask a bunch of questions to the nurse about the delivery on Monday. The nurse came over with some paperwork and said, “Since you’re contracting, here are some things to pay attention to.” “What?”I said, “I’m contracting?” “Yeah, the cramping you’re feeling. They’ll get stronger. You might be here before Monday.” I asked her about the inducement and gave her my status and she said she thought I was a good candidate. I felt better about that. But then I started worrying about the dr saying the fluid was on the low normal side, so does that mean he is big?!! Again, my mind racing and me freaking out.

When I came home, I told my sister about the shingles. “What? It’s not that bad,” she said. I told her I didn’t want to risk it with a newborn. “Your OB is being paranoid,” she said. I got really mad. “I don’t want you near him, OK?!” Nope, had to argue with me. “I just won’t touch him,” she said. GAD — isn’t my sister infuriating?!! I told her she should go home early. “I don’t know if I can change my flight.” I told her we’d call the pediatrician and find out, but if the baby comes early, my sister will have to go stay at my in-laws. She didn’t like that idea and as of right now, is still in denial about her damn freaking shingles.

My sister and my nephew has been more work for me. I came home yesterday to find the house a mess and they had gone to the museums. There was clutter, leftover food, and random used cups all over the kitchen counter. I had to clean it all up and do the dishes. Then she left loads of laundry and I had to finish those. She will do things half-way, get distracted, and forget. She was folding laundry earlier, got distracted with lecturing me about the baby’s room, and left the laundry half done. Just now, she was making dinner and kept calling me to ask me where everything was when I’m supposed to be resting. I had t get up at least five times to show her where things were. Then she started criticizing my kitchen because as an architect, she’s “an expert and I should listen to her.” Then she complains about her shingles and how she’s gaining weight because she’s not supposed to exercise.

I told the hub it’s all his fault that my sister is here. When she initially proposed the idea, I didn’t think it was a good idea because I remembered how she came to visit two years ago and got on my nerves. She cannot adapt to other people’s ways of living. She will insist on doing things her way and eating food her way. So, when she wanted to visit to “help,” I said no and the hub said, “Come on, it’ll nice for her to see her nephew.” Today, the hub said he forgot all about her yacking, know-it-allisms, and lack of organization. Even the dog is annoyed. When they’re in the room near her, she walks away. She doesn’t like being left alone with them. Let’s just say we won’t be having her visit for awhile after this…