Labor and Delivery

It was Sunday 9/6, my contractions started at 11:15am. They were 10min apart to start. I chugged water which had always stop contractions and soon they were 5min apart, by 2:00 they were 2 min apart and strong. When we got to L&D they gave me IV fluids to stop them and said I was still "only a fingertip" dilated. My OB was down the hall so she stopped in right away and said she may have to do a Magnesium Salifate IV, but wanted to hold off for a bit. They kept giving me Procardia (my regular anticontraction  medicine), 3 doses on top of what I'd already had. By 4:30 the OB said it was clear the labor was not stopping and we were going to have a baby today.
I had to get in line behind the other 34wk mom delivering down the hall so the NICU team would be ready and then the OB ran to another hospital to deliver a baby. It was about 6:30 when they started prepping me for surgery. Riley Grey was born at 7:26pm she was 5lbs 6oz. She came out screaming! I knew she would.
She had no respiratory issues. I knew she wouldn't. They had a feeding tube in for the first few days to make sure she got enough food, but as the neonatologists put it I've been "aggressively breastfeeding." She's doing well her weight finally went up 5g yesterday and so did her bilirubin so she's on the biliblanket now. Her numbers are all really good though they're just being over cautious. If everything keeps going as well as it has been she'll be home by the weekend.

Propaganda

So, I get newsletters and occasional ads from some of the baby sites I visit. This particular gem is from "What to Expect When You're Expecting." What a load of crap! I can't imagine someone bringing this to their doctor and not getting laughed at. First of all no one dies from adhesions after a c-section (or most other modern surgical procedures) and second whatever needs to be done is your doctor's responsibility. These jerks are preying on paranoid pregnant women. Like there isn't enough worth worrying about and besides it's not nice to mess with the hormonal.

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Possibilities

Worst Case Scenario

I picture the worst case scenario going something like this: I go into labor, but I'm not sure that's what it is because the anti-contraction meds are masking the frequency of my contractions. Hours of dilation go by before there is some clear sign of labor. It's of course after business hours or a weekend so I have to leave a message with the doctor's answering service. Thanks to Michael's habit of not filling gas tanks we'll have to swing by a gas station the way to the hospital. By the time we get there I've been feeling the contractions for awhile and I'll be exhausted. The labor and delivery nurse will have three people at least ahead of me and when she examines me will tell me I'm in the late stages of labor at this point. They’ll rush me into surgery. Michael has to wait outside and because of the urgent situation they have to put me out completely.

Best Case

I go in for one of my weekly doctor's appointments and complain I feel a bit off. She examines me and cheerfully exclaims "it looks like today's the day." We go over to the hospital with enough time to start the epidural. Michael is allowed to hold my hand in the operating room and I am awake to see my daughter's arrival into the world.
My thoughts are that it won't happen on my terms no matter how many likely scenarios I prepare for mentally. But establishing the beginning and end of the range of realistic possibilities gives me a better idea of everything in between. Excuse me I'm going to start making my list of things to pack for the hospital now (I figure it'll be less likely to happen when I'm ready).

"The Easy Way Out"

An article with some interesting comments from male (of course) medical professionals

It really is unfair. I never had the choice of a natural, vaginal birth because of my medical issues and now there's a pretty clear indication that this little one's coming early. I got pregnant knowing it would have to be a c-section delivery and I'm ok with that.
But just like a 1,000 other things, why do people who shouldn't have opinions (aka men, etc) tell you you're wrong and should feel bad for making any other choice? I do feel bad sometimes that I don't have a choice, but in the end I feel that whatever I need to do to survive the delivery in the best possible shape and leave with a healthy baby is my responsibility as a mother.
PS: C-sections are not easy. This is my first baby, but I've had the same surgery to remove a fibroid from my uterus. Anyone man or women who thinks abdominal surgery is a piece of cake needs to try it some time, especially under emergency conditions.
I mean what does that imply? That anyone who can't have an uncomplicated vaginal delivery deserves to hemorrhage or that their baby will never love them? Ridiculous.