Fighting Fate

72. Contractions

I take slow breaths, deeply breathing through the stubborn pain in the pit of my stomach which has been pestering me since the late afternoon yesterday. In the beginning, the pain was tolerable. I had eaten an entire pizza to myself and suspected nothing because that is usually what happens when I over indulge in gluten. 

There's usually a great deal of bloating that comes along with that, however since I am nine months pregnant, the bloating from gluten is a little hard to point out. Since it is pitch black in the room and I cannot see a thing, I reach over to the bedside table - only to realise that I am not in my old room and we are in our new house on an air mattress instead. 

"What are you doing?" Harry asks me raspily, his voice filled with sleepiness. "Have you been awake this whole time?" I feel the air mattress become more firm on my side as Harry gets up from it and walks across the large room in the dark.

After hearing a click, there is light in the room because Harry turned the light on. Harry blinks a couple of times, his eyes are still partially closed and his under eyes are puffy. His lips are more plump and pink, they're the most juicy when he wakes up in the morning. 

"I can't seem to get comfortable. Therefore, pretty much no sleep." 

After singing to me for a little over an hour, I drifted off into a light sleep. However, that wasn't for long because the taunting pain in my stomach had other plans. 

His face falls into a concerned frown. "You're still in pain?"

I nod. "Yes, and they're-" as if on cue, another sharp pain comes again. "They're fucking painful. I've never had gluten pain last this long before." 

When I feel like the position I am sitting in is only causing me more pain, I roll onto my side to try and get out of bed, but not before Harry gets up, sprints over to my side of the bed and stops me from moving any further. He has one hand on my arm and the other on my thigh. 

"Pain as in bad pain? You've had pregnancy pains before. How are these compared? And I think you should stay sitting down on the bed. You should sit."

"No, it hurts to sit. I need to stand." I take a few deep breaths to try and ease the pain but it's persistent. 

After helping me get off of the bed, Harry places his hands on my hips to hold me up while I double over and hold the rest of my body up by putting my hands on the mattress in front of me. Twenty seconds later, the pain subsides and I am able to stand up properly. Harry's hands remain on my hips as he stares down at me worryingly. 

"This was worse." I step away from him and his hands leave my body as I walk into the bathroom to wash my face with cool water. "This was even more severe than period cramps on day two."

"Do you want me to get you a warm compress like you do for your cramps? You don't think you could be in..."

I look up at him and shake my head. "I can't possibly. I'm only 37 weeks and 2 days. It's too early for her to come."

"I'm going to call Dr Nelson."

I shake my head and wave my hand out in front of me. "No, don't. Just wait a bit." I turn on the tap and wash my face. I've worked up quite the sweat whilst being in pain for the most part of the night. The pains started off as hard tension in the bottom of my stomach, but as the hours went on they got more intense. They'd come and ago. It's as if I am contracting, but surely I can't be going into labour. My due date is still 3 weeks away. 

"Hailey, it's three A.M. and you have been experiencing pain since what, seven?"

"Around eight. Pretty much right after I ate that pizza. It's got to be the gluten."