I'm now just two days shy of my due date and I've been eagerly reading signs of labor into every little thing since before Christmas.
The holiday season came. The holiday season went. Our baby remains snug as a bug in a rug in my tum.
What's a first time mom-to-be to do once she's full term and still nothing is happening down there?
Be grateful for the increasing distance from holiday spread? We had over 6,000 new cases of the covid-19 in NYC on January 2 alone.
Enjoy these last days of twosomeness with her husband?
Find ways to be productive that future her will appreciate? They say you can never prepare too many freezer meals when you have a newborn on the way.
But of course not. Instead, I did/am doing what any impatient woman would: looking for signs that aren't there.
Yesterday, I ran for the elevator after checking the mail.
Even at 9 months pregnant, with an enormous baby bump and no intense cardiovascular exercise in the better part of a year, running for the elevator totally makes sense in a NYC apartment building. If you time it just right, you can get the mail and get back into the elevator before anyone on another floor (pray heavens, especially not someone on one of the top floors) summons the elevator that you rode down on.
When I ran for the elevator, I felt a twinge of something pain-adjacent in my lower right abdomen.
If I wasn't pregnant, I'd call that a cramp - especially under the same conditions, having not run in almost a year and suddenly charging for an elevator from a full, cold stop.
I am pregnant, of course, so naturally it couldn't just be a run of the mill cramp at 39+4. No, I was in labor! Surely.
I hurried upstairs (on my elevator that I didn't have to wait for, thank you very much) and plopped myself down on my yoga ball to bounce away as I waited for the next 'contraction.' It did not come. I eventually gave up and abandoned the ball to go make my zillionth cup of double strength red raspberry leaf tea.
The day before, I woke up in the middle of the night with a stabbing pain in my stomach. That must have been the start!
Nope. Gas.
On the morning of New Year's Eve, I threw up for the first time in my entire pregnancy. Whoa, what? Definitely labor.
...or maybe the new iron supplements I'd switched to after running out of SlowFe, that tasted like death and I had taken on an empty stomach. Oh, the joys of pregnancy anemia.
I think we'll stop there, as you can see where this is going.
I've been putting my husband on edge declaring myself on the cusp of labor for going on two weeks now, but here I sit as round and pregnant as ever. Alas.
Posts
Oh, good luck with labor and delivery!!! :) I was induced for BOTH of mine after being a week late, so I didn't have any signs I was about to go into labor.
ReplyDeleteCarrie
curlycraftymom.com
I think I'll have to be induced at this rate, too! I hope your inductions went well.
DeleteMy signs were losing bits of my mucus plug during the day and I would get what felt like a minor contraction, but only happened like once an hour and didn't hurt so I let it slide, then I woke up at 2 AM with contractions, which I thought was just a bad stomach ache, apparently my body was emptying itself before birth, as another hour later we were in the hospital and then at 8 AM baby was born.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds great (and so speedy for a first birth)!
DeleteIt was different for all three of mine! But overall I can say this... there wasn't any DEFINITE signs. All things I wished were signs... but when it happens. It just happens! And it's so worth the wait. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's what I keep hearing!
DeleteI have heard that first time moms usually don't go into labor early. I did not really have any signs of labor, until I started having contractions. I felt totally normal!
ReplyDeleteSadly, it looks like I'll go into labor late (or even need to be induced). Boo!
DeleteI've never been pregnant, so no advice here! :) But wishing you the best on your big day!
ReplyDeleteShauna
www.lipglossandlace.net
Thanks!
DeleteI had preeclampsia and was induced so I don't have any advice. It will be so exciting when it happens! Wishing you the best!
ReplyDeleteJill - Doused in Pink
Thanks, Jill! At this rate it's looking like I might end up being induced, too... my ob doesn't like to allow mothers to go too overdue.
DeleteI always just starting having minor contractions and with my first losing some of the mucous plug. My girls were very punctual as I was in the hospital on both of their exact due dates which was crazy! My first was born the next day and my second on the due date. Wishing you all the best.
ReplyDeleteMartha
www.alovelymessylife.com
Hope baby doesn't keep you waiting too much longer! I lived on the exercise balls with both my pregnancies, I did some of the exercises to try encourage baby to drop but mostly I just enjoyed that it supported my aching back, haha! With both my boys I'd had false labour before the real things started - in fact with my last boy I was so sure it was the 3rd day of 4am false labour so I didn't even wake hubby - not a good idea as he was born 20 minutes after we got to the hospital, left it a bit late, oops!
ReplyDeleteHope that your week is off to a good start :)
Away From Blue