I just want to point out that by 8pm tonight, I will have had back labor for 96 hours straight. (And, if you want to count the "practice" labor, which also hurts, well, that started over a week ago now.)

I hope to gods I have an epidural by then, though. Yes, originally I wanted to go natural, but that was before I was in pain for this long. And, thanks to the back labor (because the baby is turned the wrong way) it has been constant pain. Even after the morphine shot on Monday, which let me sleep through most of the contractions for about 4 hours, only took the "edge off". The best part about the morphine shot was the phenegran that they put with it for nausea and the turkey sammitch that I wolfed (and kept down!) before the morphine knocked me out.

I won't even get into the constant bladder pain, even though that might be the worst so far.

So, anyway, I am no longer afraid of a needle in my spine. Well, I am, but I'm more afraid of more pain (and more intense pain, esp. because of the pitocin). I've experienced enough "real labor" now, thanks. The only thing I'm hoping to avoid right now is a c-section, and if they have to, well, even that doesn't sound as bad as it did a week ago.

Every so often I remember that there's a baby at the end of this. I get to meet my baby soon!!

(Poor kid, though -- I don't think I'm strong enough not to use "I had 96 hours of back labor to bring you into this world, young man..." in dire situations.Heh.)

Baby soon!