Because I'm sure everyone wants a play-by-play of my last days as a sacred vessel...
I can't think of any other life event that is so momentous yet completely unpredictable. It may be the only thing that Google can't tell me (I checked). I am definitely more of a head case about it this third time around. I have been having contractions off and on for over a week now - I put a friend on high alert, insisting she keep her phone by her at night at least a week and a half ago. I am seriously surprised (a strange mixture of relief and disappointment) when I wake up and it's a new day (not that I sleep all that soundly). With my other two I never even thought about it until I was within a day or so of my due date. But with my other two I never had any inkling from my body that something was going to happen until something imminent was about to occur.
Two weeks ago I had the free time and was ready for the big arrival. This week I spent walking gingerly and taking it easy so I wouldn't do anything to encourage it*. So I got to go to lunch with a friend I haven't seen in about 8 months, got to attend the parent-teacher conference, got to take Avery to the ballet and got through the date my doctor asked me not to go into labor because she only sees her husband once a month (that was yesterday and happily coincided with a most beautiful first day of spring). Although, the other thing I worry about is Ben. He falls asleep reading to his kids, watching TV and while we are discussing names. Sometimes he can catch up on a little sleep during the weekend, but this weekend he his on call. The last thing I want to do is have no-sleep johnny have to endure an all-nighter with me, for his sake. (I have considered not telling him if he is at work though and then just paging him when the whole thing is over, but I'm a little crazy like that though. He is 100% welcome to wait in the lobby handing out cigars if he wants.)
So now my schedule has drastically opened up. Which just gives me more time to think about it. And unfortunately when the 500 lb elephant in the room (or is it 800 lb gorilla?) is you, it's hard to avoid thinking about it. My due date is not until Wednesday, so I don't know why I feel like I am entitled to an early birth. My mom recently told me that she was a few days overdue with me and nearly two weeks with one of my sisters! And it's not like the baby stops growing in the meantime. I always imagine a baby growing in the womb like a ship being constructed in a bottle, only the baby has to come out in one piece.
So I am about to shift gears from delaying labor to trying every trick in the book. With Miles, a jump on a trampoline and one bite of whatever spicy curry Ben made for dinner the night before his due date was enough to do it**. I've got an accupressure guide up for Ben to read and help me with pain management while we're still at home and it has a few pressure points that can supposedly speed things along but I'll wait until my due date comes and goes to try those. I won't try castor oil - too many horror stories. I'm pretty content to have everything happen how and when it's supposed to - I just wish I knew when it was going to be. My March baby could technically end up coming in April. I just want to know!
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* If you are a fan of The Office - I didn't go so far as to wearing a shirt with a certain area cut out a la Merideth.
**With Avery I was induced the day before her due date while attending a routine appt. they discovered I had zero amniotic fluid - which turned out not to be the case - and they treated me with magnesium for pre-eclampsia which I also didn't have (swelling yes, high blood-pressure yes - but the protein test was negative) and they told me when it was time to start pushing because they thought I had an epidural and couldn't feel when it also might be time - which resulted in a a marathon pushing session and lots of burst blood vessels in my face/eyes and a very rude doc I felt was threatening me to get her out. Our house also had been broken into the night before (while we were home) and we had spent the entire night awake with Officer Schminky (which would become one of Avery's nicknames and actually what we called her while we settled on a name) and his burglar sniffing dog. I had not showered, eaten or packed a bag when I arrived for my appt. Eating would have been a really good idea. When they said I had to go have a baby now (mostly under whispered breath amongst the hospital staff - I still think it was just a convenient time for them) I called and then hid in the bathroom and cried until he made it over. First year medical students don't know a whole lot about the labor and delivery process so I think he felt a little helpless too. My doctor that I had been seeing couldn't make it over and he expressed disappointment in the way things had gone down for me...which just fuels my conspiracy theory.
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8 comments:
I think our husbands must be related or something:). Tyler did a LOT of snoozing during the birth of Jacob due to very little sleep. I'd look over at him and think, "Whatever. I can do this on my own." He was wide awake for the last intense hour.
Best of luck. Hope this guy is a March baby!
I tried everything with Paiton too. The easiest was to spend my evenings bouncing on one of those big exercise balls, you might wanna try it. I also did jumping jacks for hours and ran up and down our stairs. I don't know that any of those things had anything to do with her finally being born, but it might be worth a shot!
Lynn, you're so funny! Have you tried having your membranes stripped? I was told at my last appointment that there's one midwife who is really good at it. She had some hyphenated name like Mary-Paul, or something. Maybe you should ask for her. I plan on scheduling with her a week before my due date. :)
I don't know if you were referring to me or not, but I'll still keep my phones at my side from now on! ;)
good luck lynn! hopefully this boy will be a march baby and everyone will be all smiles:)
Didn't you have Unwin? Yes he told me he tried to make it to every delivery but he was 0 for 5 and if he had to teach, or had family obligations, or this or that he wouldn't come. Pretty much if he had some "free time" he would come deliver the baby. When does that happen? I quickly changed doctors before Ben was born, and had a present DR for the delivery.
lynn, i went through the same BS with charlotte. having contractions for weeks, seriously over three weeks and on three different occasions we packed our bags and almost headed to the hospital, but i decided to wait and sure enough the contractions would fade away. it wasn't until 2 days before my due date, that it was the real thing. we spent all day at a huge park, walking around everywhere, even visiting a zoo while we were there. but i believe the thing that sparked it was love making that took place before the trip. are you trying that?? i know, sounds exciting huh. :)
Ben stays way over on his side of the bed Jen, I don't think I could even trick him into it at this point. But I don't blame him for not wanting to be steamrolled by an elephant. But the contractions are frustrating.
oh my goodness, you are hilarious!!! i'm so glad i checked your blog comments, you make me laugh. and you are hot no matter what! put some makeup on, dim the lights, show some cleave...IT WILL WORK. if you can track him down when you're having contractions your chances go up significantly. xoxo
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