I had a scheduled doctor's appointment for that morning, and as I had been doing since my 36th week, I sent up a silent prayer that I had dilated to 4 centimeters, and was ready to be admitted to the hospital. I waddled into my doctor's office, squeezed in a chair and awaited my turn.
After performing an internal examination, the doctor told me that I was still only fingertip dilated and 50% effaced. Yet another week without any progress. I noticed immediately after she finished the internal exam, that I was beginning to cramp. The cramps weren't unlike the menstrual cramps I'd experience during PMS. I thought nothing of it, and just chalked it up to having an internal so close to my due date.
I was met at home by a barrage of family, all anxious to hear whether or not they could start heading for the hospital. They were as disappointed as I was when I told them that my little girl still was not ready to make an appearance. I headed for the bathroom so that I could be by myself and have a good cry in solitude. I was so exhausted. Every movement drained me of energy, and each time my precious little girl would move, I would double over in pain. The contractions I was having on and off were unbearable at times, yet doing nothing to help labor progress.
After a good ten minute cry, I noticed that I felt rather damp in "that" area. Upon checking, I found that my underwear were soaked in blood. I had experienced slight bleeding before, but never bleeding with such heaviness. I immediately called the labor and delivery unit at my hospital. This is where the entire thing got a little hairy. The conversation went like this:
Me-"I just had an internal over an hour ago, and I'm experiencing heavy bleeding, should I come up to labor and delivery?" Nurse-"Bleeding is normal after an internal ma'am." Me-"I'm aware that slight bleeding is normal, but I'm experiencing heavy bleeding and clotting, and I'm having painful cramps."
