Alright, I knew that going on a weekend 5 hours away at 28 weeks might have been a little less than desirable, but I figured better now than in another 4 weeks, right? Right. (Just agree with me.)
For the most part, the drive up was uneventful. I was having a few more Braxton Hicks than normal, but whatever. Old news at this point. We luckily had a room in the cabin owned by a friend…which is awesome considering 12 of our closest friends were also staying at said cabin. So, I made up our beds (bunk beds, I had the top since I was SUPER claustrophobic on the bottom) and enjoyed the day. We made dinner (what I assumed to be low-fat and pro-gallbladder: chicken breasts and potatoes) and later I indulged in just ONE smore. JUST ONE. Not long after this point, the contractions were getting to be annoying and slightly worrisome, so I excused myself and went to lay down with the fafillion pillows I brought with. They wouldn’t really calm down, and then my gallbladder started in on the fun. Did I mention the only toilet option was either an outhouse or a portopotty? BECAUSE THAT WAS IT. No flushing toilets. And then…the gallbladder hit. AWESOME. Needless to say, I went back to bed after some QT in the biffy and silently wished my demise to be more quick than was apparently going to play out.
The next day I felt better, gallbladder and contractions were back to normal. We spent the day in the sun and on the boat – it was quite fun. However, by evening, the braxton hicks were back in full swing. I ate dinner (this time, JUST chicken breast, and fruit) and laid on my left side…and nothing was helping. Finally, I called my clinic. I was getting worried – I was getting one every 5-10 minutes…and me being the worst mother-to-be…had NO idea where the closest hospital was should I need to go. I finally talked to the midwife on call and she suggested a hot compress of sorts and more laying down…and no more water. She attributed them to the fact that I had had a HUGE growth spurt in the past month (she kept saying “You gained FIVE POUNDS and FIVE CENTIMETERS in your fundal height” as if I wasn’t already aware of this…but apparently it’s enough to warrant additional braxton hicks.)
So, I went to bed, and after another full night’s sleep – I was better again this morning. And I couldn’t have been more excited at the prospect of spending 5 hours in the car because it meant I was THAT much closer to flushing toilets and a bed that’s not 4.5 feet off the ground.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my recap of traveling at 28 weeks with a shitty gallbladder and a uterus that just won’t quit. Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of fun…but I’m seriously reconsidering any travel I may have to endure in the next couple of months.