did my water break?!?

i keep hearing and reading about women who have said that when their water broke it felt like they peed their pants. it make sense, after all, what other experience do you have when water is running down your legs. not that many of us have had this experience in many many years, but it's still a familiar correlation.

so we went to the dr. yesterday, and then went to the hospital for a "non" stress test (monitoring the baby for 30 min or so to make sure the heart rate is good). i wasn't feeling great in the morning, and thus was eating bread as we walked into the labor and delivery deck. they walked us into an actual birthing room for the test and as we walked in, i was overcome with emotion. something about seeing the bassinet holder for the baby, the birthing bed, and hearing the little lullaby over the loudspeaker (indicating another mom was literally having her baby at that moment). i got choked up (literally and figuratively)...tears came out, and at the same time bread got lodged in my throat. as i was tearing up and choking on the bread, i felt the well described "water is running down my legs"....i quickly gained some composure thinking "is this really it?!?!"....and ran (aka wobbled) for the rest room. chad was a bit stunned, trying to figure out his crying, choking, wobbling wife, speaking to him through a mouthful of bread in slight hysterics.

by time i swallowed the bread, i called him in to check out my undies with me (we've really taken our marital vows to a new level) with the TACO test (Texture, Amount, Color and Odor) our doula taught us (i don't know if i'll ever think of tacos the same). once we were done smelling my undies (chad is really a good husband, have i mentioned that yet?), i redressed and came out to the nurse who was waiting, and told her i thought maybe my water broke, explaining the choking up episode followed by the stream of water. she then asked to examine my undies, and gave me some replacement disposable undies that were fishnet in design, but really the least attractive things i'd ever seen. she also gave me this super pad (that seemed as big as a neck pillow). she proceeded to examine my undies and then use the pH paper. it was negative, but she wanted the dr. on call to come check it out. after a full speculum exam by the dr. and nurse and more pH testing, and some other poking around down there it was confirmed...my water hadn't broke at all...i had just plain peed my pants. i wonder how my bill will read for that somewhat emergent exam? Dx: pants pee'er
to top matters off, i had to go to the bathroom one last time before we left. after i peed and went to flush, i noticed the super pad, the size of a neck pillow, had fallen into the toilet and was rapidly absorbing the toilet contents and gaining size (think back pillow). thank heavens chad came to the rescue (have i said what a great husband he is) and dug it out. i couldn't be known as the girl who got choked up (literally and figuratively), peed her pants, and then clogged the toiled with the super pad. enough is enough already.