A slow start, if that?

My 24 hours of early labor yesterday was not enough to jump start this labor machine yet, so we're still home. Went to the hospital last night just to be sure and, sure enough, there's not enough happening yet (which we fully expected to hear).

(For those of you who haven't experienced it, early labor isn't really hard. It's not hard at all actually, just irritating and noticeable - just enough to interrupt your life but not enough to warrant stopping what you're doing. The contractions are not painful like you see in the movies during this phase of labor, just rhythmic and long. Which is probably why the movies always leave this part out and rush right to the "Oh My God We Have To Go NOW!" scene.)

So we woke up today hoping that this would continue. It has, but at a much slower pace than yesterday, so there's really no telling what's going on here. Another wrench to throw into the labor machine is the fact that the dense barometric pressure yesterday could have been the culprit for this slow start. Apparently, air pressure sets pregnant women into labor all the time, ready or not. So if Amelia wasn't really ready...well, then this could just be one big, long, slow start or maybe not a start at all. No way of knowing.

However, when we FINALLY got to meet with the midwife yesterday (how many nurses do I have to see and talk to before I can just get to the one healthcare provider with whom I want to talk and who actually knows what she's talking about?!) she said a couple of great things:

• "Things are happening. Pressure or not. Things are moving and this baby is on her way."

• "If you want a VBAC, go home."

She reiterated how hospital staff can get so nervous around women who have previously given birth via C-section and typically call them in too early (as in my case). She made it clear that my best bet for a healthy VBAC is to stay home as long as possible so the artificial clock does not run out too soon at the hospital, causing the staff to leap to conclusions.

She and one of the nurses also reviewed my entire birthing history and current situation and agreed that I have a very good chance of having that VBAC with this child, so that was also very reassuring to hear. (This was a different midwife than my regular one so it was like another trusted opinion, which was nice.)

But for now, I'm tired. I'm bored. I'm exhausted. And I'm tired. I slept a lot last night, we walked more today, Jackson's with Grama for the day and we have a couple of movies to watch...but still. This may not be today, or tomorrow, or the next day. And that's just very, very tiring.

Maybe I'll feel better with a frozen coffee drink this afternoon?