So last weekend we spent 13 hours in labor and delivery, with my cervix only dilated from a 1-2 to a 2 while we were there. How I see what happened looking back:

*I had regular contractions for a few hours and then decided it was time to go to the hospital. 3-5 minutes apart for two hours is a pretty sure sign, don't you think? We called the doc's office and they said "Yeah, I think you'd better go!" Our doula even agreed. All signs pointed to yes.

*Got to the hospital. I was dilated to a 1-2. Wigga-wha? Okay, whatever. The contractions sucked, so we hung out for a while and waited. We walked around. I sat on a ball. I curled up into a ball and sucked my thumb like a little baby. I showered. I bathed. I whined. I snuck some potato chips with the nurse wasn't looking. They checked my cervix. I was a 1-2.

*Pissed, I tried to take a nap. I actually slept through a few contractions, which was interesting. They came every 2-3 minutes or so. I ate some ice chips. I was so very thirsty!

*I wanted to mention that the nurses gave me a "yeah right" attitude when I told them I wanted a natural birth. Whatever. Maybe I'm a masochist and love pain, you don't know! They checked my cervix. 2. (That was after about 10 hours of terrible, horrible, painful contractions. I know!)

*MY actual doctor comes in and the first thing she says is "something we can do is give you pitocin or break your water to get things moving a bit faster." In the back of my mind I say "Yeah! Do that!" In reality I say "Let me give that a minute of thought and I'll get back to you..."

*When my doctor realizes that the dumbass nurses have given me NO fluid in the 13 hours I was there, she tells me she's not giving me pitocin, she's giving me fluid. Lo and behold, the contractions are magically whisked away on a fluffy cloud and I get to go home.

Dumbass nurses! Of COURSE I'm going to have horrible, painful, non-productive contractions when I haven't had any moisture in my system for 13 hours! Could the whole thing have been nipped in the bud by having fluid upon arrival? My doctor told me that next time I go into labor and delivery to ask for a bag a fluid, and I'm also going to ask for a nurse who is experienced with natural child birth because I'm not putting up with this "yeah right" bullshit.

And now I'm trying to be zen about it. I'm going to go into labor at some point. There is no way to plan when a baby comes. I still have to write a paper for tomorrow. I still have to make my pot of Happiness Potato Soup. I still have to finish playing Fable II on the xbox before Fable III comes out. Oh yeah, and we just got Beatles Rock Band! All in good time, but it's so very hard!

Sunflower, aren't you a doula? Who is it that's a doula on here? I'm interested in your take on the whole thing.