Groundhog Day?

Did I mention having contractions before? I was mistaken. I was having mildly uncomfortable cramps. I am now having contractions.

These contractions started Friday night and have continued with various durations, various spacing, and a few short breaks since. The current average is 50 seconds of contracting every 8 minutes, but they've been as close as 3 minutes and as long as 70 seconds. This run started around 10am.

When I say contraction, I mean painful combination of cramping and sharp pain that's enough to take my breath away and cause me to negotiate with any diety whose name I can pronounce to make the pain stop. A minute after the contraction recedes, I'm fine - chatting with Jeff, blogging, visiting with Eric during his regular weekend pop-in, whatever.

My nifty Labor and Delivery book (Prepared Childbirth: The Family Way) indicates that in early labor, contractions will be comparable to menstral cramps and will occur every 5 - 30 minutes for 30-45 seconds; whereas, active labor is described as having strong contractions every 2-5 minutes for 45-60 seconds. Early labor can last days or weeks, and active labor can last up to 12 hours. It seems that I've been trapped in a purgatory between the two for about 24 hours now...intense but inconsistent.

Jen, remember your first marathon when you overheard the women talking about labor vs. marathon pain? Maybe it's just been too long since I ran my first and only marathon to date, but as of right now, I'd run/walk/crawl 26 miles to avoid the level of intensity that I fear is in my near future.

Can you say epidural? I know I can.