Before...

In an attempt to feel better about still being pregnant (and really, I know I should be open to the possibility of a couple weeks still-ack!), I got to meditating on the hours before each of our kids were born. The hours before labor commenced. What a special time that every mama should honor.

With S, I had been dilated to 7cm for 10 days. I had no contractions, just a bulgy bag of water. I was planning a hospital birth with a CNM. After having my membranes stripped on 3 different occasions and walking more miles than I ever had in my life, I agreed to letting my midwife break my water. I had to be admitted to the hospital for this. Even after breaking my water, it took 5 1/2 hours for me to get a single contraction. During that time, G and I walked the halls laughing and talking. Round and round the floor we went. Always stopping at the huge salt water aquarium in the pediatrics wing to oogle the fish and exotic swimmy things. All things considered, it was a lovely afternoon. I was very hungry though. I had splurged and bought myself a box of Fruit Loops cereal (something I'd never eat, but I was post dates and depressed, and that's about as self-destructive as I get!), and had had a bowl for breakfast that morning. Once at the hospital, they wouldn't let me eat at all, even though I wasn't in labor yet! And I"m a lady who needs to eat every 2 hours or I get all low-blood-sugar and cranky.
My dad showed up and brought me a small ceramic Bassett Hound from the gift shop for a "focal point", which had me in stitches. We had a pet Bassett at the time named Agnes Mae. I still have that little ceramic figure on my book shelf next to my bed. The tip of the tail was broken off by S when she was 2. When labor kicked in, it went really quickly. S was in my arms just as the sun was setting.

Before going into labor with E, we had spent the previous afternoon walking around the Detroit Zoo. It was really hot and we had taken our young nephews and S with us. I kept giving the kids piggy back rides because the exhibits at that zoo are spaced far apart and their little legs were tired. My mother-in-law kept yelling at me to put them down and I kept laughing at her, saying, "No, I wouldn't want to go into labor or anything!" That evening, S, G and I ate at a local Chinese restaurant. I was so dehydrated from being at the zoo that I drank 3 huge glasses of water and Coke with my dinner. That night I dreamed I had contractions, only I was having contractions. I would wake up to myself blowing through my lips before falling back to sleep. By 8am, I figured labor was really kicking in. I called the midwives to let them know and they started on their way to the house. I tried to distract myself by watching Are You Being Served? with G in the living room. I took a bite or two of peanut butter toast and within minutes I was tearing my clothes off me and was in real labor. E was born 3 hours later. It was another gorgeous day.

What will the hours be like before labor begins this time? I can't wait to tell you about them.