Clarity

There is nothing very clear at all about labor, unless it slaps you upside the uterus with undeniably painful contractions right from the start. There's Braxton Hicks (had those), irritable uterus (had that), pre-term labor (past the threat of that), false labor (whooppee! having that today!) and the real thing (still waiting... obviously). I started having mild contractions around 6am this morning and they continued through around noon. I looked up the definition of false labor, even though I knew I would find nothing helpful. I thought, "Maybe I've just forgotten and there really is a key indicator of whether or not this is false labor." Nice try. Basically, the difference between false and real can only be known after the fact. If you continue to develop contractions stronger and closer together, congratulations! It's real labor. If contractions never intensify, then stop, it was false labor.

So, dress rehearsal today, I guess. It used to be, back in my performing days that if the dress rehearsal stunk, the show was good, so I'm ready for a good show.... whenever the star decides she's ready to enter the stage.