02 October 2013

Waiting.


The evening walk after dinner
From our hotel room windows (that are clean, by the way) I can see the hospital.  And because the only thing I seem to be able to do while waiting to go into labor is to think about going into labor, this post will possibly appeal only to women. Then probably not to all women.  Possibly "only women who have gone past their due date" and know the happy expectant madness that occurs in those days.

Solidarity 40WeeksPLUS Club! (if you just did a fist pump, I could see why)

Here's how the Rivers kids rank in wait time:

Isaiah- 2.5 months. Absolutely incredible that one. Removes the whining I'm tempted to do with the other 3. (To clarify, this post isn't me whining, it's me anticipating!)
Immanuelle- 40 weeks + 1 day
i4- 40 weeks + 3 days and counting (seeing as how I doubt I'll deliver before midnight tonight...which is 25 min from now)
Isaac- 40 weeks + 5 days

By now we should have weeded out all males and uninterested females from reading this post, so let's crack on. (and if you're still reading, Man, I predict your immediate withdrawal after the next sentence)

"So, any signs of labor?"- asks Everyone.


1. As of 13 hours ago I was 4-5cm dilated. No contractions. Its like I've been handed the first few centimeters free of charge and get to start the race to the Labor and Delivery Ward that much closer.

2. As for the rest of the afternoon, I've finally started having "early labor" contractions. They're stronger than the "fake" kind, but not strong enough or come regular enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. I can still walk and talk and blog through them.

Sounds promising. Doesn't it?

Honestly, I'm pleased and hopeful.

But here's what's in the back of my mind.

1. When I went into labor with Isaac I also got those first 4 centimeters for free. Then 36 long hours later, I was getting a csection. Boo.

2. When "early labor" contractions- like what I have now- started with Immanuelle I got all excited. And 4 DAYS later, I finally went into real (or "active") labor.

So I am hopeful but also trying to just be relaxed and let things happen as they will. 
Experience is a phenomenal teacher, isn't it?

I perfectly understand where "first time laborer Sharon" was coming from when she refused a pitocin induction and considered herself a labor and delivery queen when the doc said she was at 4cm without any labor. And her resignation for an epidural after 28 hours of no-pain-meds, back labor, and 2.5 hours of transition contractions that did not transition her. And her disappointment (and relief) when Isaac was finally delivered healthy in an operating room, firmly and forever throwing off the thoroughly thought out "birth plan" of the expectant months before.  (Don't you like the way I've distanced myself from that by using 3rd person? Me too.)

I'm proud of the way 2nd-time laborer Sharon handled her VBAC attempt. (vaginal birth after cesarean) Though understandably after zero "early labor" with Isaac, her trip to the labor ward for "false labor" does make me smile.  How she didn't blink at saying yes to the epidural once active labor DID start, and the relief and thankfulness when the VBAC was successful. It was the first time Anthony was in the room to see one of his children born and the first time I got to hold one of my babies as soon as they were born.

And i4's story is already different and his/her birth story will be different as well. 

The free 4cm makes me think it's a boy...so for the dwindling numbers who have made it this far down in the post, pray this kid doesn't turn that head of his to the side like his brother did and land us both on the operating table again!

But the "10 minutes apart" early labor - that has only minorly disturbed me while typing this post- puts just enough edge on things to keep me guessing and makes this a nice meshing of the 2 previous "before labor" experiences. More than likely i4 is gonna let me sleep tonight (possibly 3 more nights?!) just like her big sister before her did. If I'm not actually heading to the hospital, I'd like to just sleep!

So, ladies. I could still very well be pregnant by morning. If not, we'll do our best to notify y'all of all of i4's particulars as soon as possible.

Goodnight!

2 comments:

  1. I loved this post and am so glad you shared all this fun labor info. :-) It's just the sort of things I was wondering about!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Did you found out at one of your last dr visits it was a girl before you wrote this post or was it just a typo or some kind of weird thing where you typed "her big sister before her did", subconsciously knowing it was a girl????

    ReplyDelete