Not a good sign

If anyone who has read my mind ramblings from the beginning may remember that I had preterm contractions at 34 weeks with Isaiah. They subsided, never did anything except for the one night that I started hurting with them and bleeding. I had hoped to avoid that this time around. Not going to happen I guess. I'll admit that I have contractions from very early on - nothing painful or too frequent, but they are there and have never led to a preterm delivery for me. With the first 3 kids I noticed them from about 22-25 weeks. This time I noticed them about 18 weeks. I figured "hey, it's my 4th pregnancy, I'm more tuned into things this time". Or at least that what I told myself. I had to stop running weeks ago because it wasn't pleasurable and the last time I tried, it hurt. I can't walk too far either, because my uterus tightens up - something that didn't happen until 30+ weeks in the past. But I can do small things, like being able to play kickball with Jacob, etc. I again tried to explain it away as being just part of what comes with a 4th baby/5th pregnancy. Wednesday night, I had picked up an extra shift. Husband was home, so I had an easy day. I napped with Isaiah in the afternoon, and laid down at 7pm like I do before a 11-7 shift. About 8pm, I woke up with pretty severe cramping, and it hurt to move. I figured it was round ligament pain, which I think was part of the problem and tried to go back to sleep. Didn't work. I got up, drank 1liter+ of water, went to the bathroom hoping that would help, but I found it didn't. I had a lot of pelvic pain/pressure, and my whole abdomen was really tight, and not relaxing. I kept trying different things, hoping it was gas, etc. but about 9:30 I realized that maybe something was wrong. I called the charge nurse and told her I needed someone else to be a labor nurse and me be the patient. I told her what was going on and she said I needed to come in. Damn. I checked my own cervix, because I knew they'd be doing it and I wanted to know myself, and it was long, closed and high. A good sign. I was just sure I would get to L&D, rip a great big fart, and be fine, or it had to be a UTI. I just couldn't be contracting at 23 weeks. Well, I was, every 2-3 minutes. After about 30 or so minutes, they started to really hurt, and I got really worried. I didn't have a UTI, baby looked fantastic for a 23 weeker, and I got several shots of terbutaline. That eventually knocked out the contractions, but the pelvic pressure didn't go away, and it still hurt to move. It's better now, but I still have some pressure. I'm able to work - for now. I know if it happens much more, that I will be done. I don't need to be off work this early, but I also don't need a micropreemie, and 23 weeks isn't viable. I have been taking it easy, and I've really limited my activity. It drives me crazy that my body won't allow me to do the things I want to do. What worries me is the day I had this, I hadn't done much of anything. I hadn't been running around, cleaning, or anything. I napped, cooked supper, gave the kids a bath, napped again, and Husband was home all day. And the pain started as I was sleeping and I was very well hydrated. So we'll see how it goes. Maybe it was just an isolated incident and not an indication of how the rest of this pregnancy is going to go. And maybe that's just how I'm going to feel and it won't make a difference in my cervix or timing of delivery. We're keeping our fingers crossed - this little guy needs to stay put until at the very least October, preferably the end of October.