A weekend in Labor Land
Saturday was chill. After Friday evening of increasingly uncomfortable rushes, we went to bed and I was still able to sleep through most of the rest of them, which surprised me. I did wake Tom up a few times, because they are getting so intense.
Rushes waned over the course of the morning, and Tom took Luna to the vet (she's perfectly healthy and the new mole on her cheek is benign-- Tom told me later last night that even if something had been wrong, he wouldn't have told me). Our 5yo daughter, Miranda and I had been sitting up in bed and I got up, had some eventful occurence in the potty room, and asked Mira to grab my phone. She did and noticed that the bed was all wet. I talked to the midwife and we determined it was most likely NOT amniotic fluid, so stopped panicking until Tom got home. Bubba came over briefly and hung out and read to me and Mira. I was intending to go for a walk but felt really nauseous after I got up, so we stayed at the house.
Midwife Catriona came over to check on me and... tada! She found my mucous plug! It was one of the most vile things I've ever seen! About 3" long and slightly clear, slightly slug-colored. In fact, it looked like a slug. It was effing gross. So I had to call my dad and share with him because he hates slugs. "I gave birth to a slug dad. Yes, the Pacific Northwest has ruined me." haha. I was impressed though because both Tom and Mira wanted to check it out. Mira asked me, "Are you embarassed that something so gross came out of your dilly?" HA! I guess I could be, but whatever. It is what it is.
And then most everything stopped again about noon, and I wanted to spend some time with Mira (or FOR her, rather) so we asked her what she wanted to do out of anything in the world and she said go swimming. So we packed up the car and the adventure gear and the dog and went to Lake Padden for 4 hours. It was great. And then we got her a movie that she wanted desperately to watch and had movie night. Then she fell asleep to me lightly rubbing her back last night and easing her anxieties about bedtime (typical kid stuff, which we don't really encounter that often). That made me feel good.
And then I can't remember how this all started but within an hour I was having regular rushes, took a shower, and we comtemplated another movie but opted for bed. Good freekin idea, I tell you what. Within 20 minutes, my rushes were 5 minutes apart and getting incredibly hard to deal with. It's true what is said about sometimes the only thing that gets you through them is knowing they will end shortly. I have relinquished all management of this ordeal over to Tom, who is being incredible. When we decided that we need to call in the woman-power, as Tom reached for the phone, fireworks lit up out bedroom! Fun. I bet this will forever change how I feel about the 4th of July.
We called the midwives (Christine and Catriona) and Bubba about midnight. Catriona said that we should see how things went over the next 30-60 minutes. So we went to bed and slept for 4 hours (me, sproadically and Tom lightly) and then about 4:am, I couldn't breathe comfortably through my rushes alone so I woke Tom and we got in the tub. He helped me in there first and went out to the garage to get stuff we needed, and Luna got up to check on me because I was rushing and making a little noise while breathing... so then she had to go check on Tom and actually scratched at the garage door to get his attention and waited for him at the start of the hallway as if to say, "Dude. What are you doing? There is a baby coming..." and then when she was convinced he was joining me, she went and laid back down in her bed.
Tom made me tea, brought me apples, made me drink some energizing drink, boiled water to increase the temp of the tub, helped my rushes, lit candles, started some aromatherapy oils, got in the tub, got out of the tub, made coffee, and helped me get up to pee about 6:am. Then I wanted to lay back down so I did and fell fast asleep between rushes, as they waned.
Tom slept, too. We woke about 10:am and lounged about while rushes slowed even further. Mira was helping by squeezing my hand and Tom read some info about labor from the Hypnobirthing book... and we just kinda woke up together. Completely out-of-the-blue, Miranda turned and said to me, "I think you're the best mommy and I think you're going to be the best for Sweet Pea, too." And of course that made me mush-up and she kissed me and we hugged for a long time while Tom stood at the end of the bed, waiting for a moment to continue reading.
Mira is being incredibly patient with this whole process. And, she believes that it was the card she made for me on Thursday night that made everything start Friday morning. And of course, it was!
All three of us went for a noon walk and ate lunch and now most everything has stopped again. Bubba is here to make a birthday cake for Pea with Mira, and Auntie Mickey is due to arrive in 1/2 hour for a quick visit. Tonight we shall dine on cheeseburgers and probably ice cream and then kick-start this labor thing after dinner, since that seems to be my normal rhythm. Catriona called today and she informed us that most mammals prefer a quiet, safe, dark spot in which to give birth and many of them do so at night precisely because everything is secure and silent. So let's hope for a July 3rd or 4th Birthday, everyone.
Rushes waned over the course of the morning, and Tom took Luna to the vet (she's perfectly healthy and the new mole on her cheek is benign-- Tom told me later last night that even if something had been wrong, he wouldn't have told me). Our 5yo daughter, Miranda and I had been sitting up in bed and I got up, had some eventful occurence in the potty room, and asked Mira to grab my phone. She did and noticed that the bed was all wet. I talked to the midwife and we determined it was most likely NOT amniotic fluid, so stopped panicking until Tom got home. Bubba came over briefly and hung out and read to me and Mira. I was intending to go for a walk but felt really nauseous after I got up, so we stayed at the house.
Midwife Catriona came over to check on me and... tada! She found my mucous plug! It was one of the most vile things I've ever seen! About 3" long and slightly clear, slightly slug-colored. In fact, it looked like a slug. It was effing gross. So I had to call my dad and share with him because he hates slugs. "I gave birth to a slug dad. Yes, the Pacific Northwest has ruined me." haha. I was impressed though because both Tom and Mira wanted to check it out. Mira asked me, "Are you embarassed that something so gross came out of your dilly?" HA! I guess I could be, but whatever. It is what it is.
And then most everything stopped again about noon, and I wanted to spend some time with Mira (or FOR her, rather) so we asked her what she wanted to do out of anything in the world and she said go swimming. So we packed up the car and the adventure gear and the dog and went to Lake Padden for 4 hours. It was great. And then we got her a movie that she wanted desperately to watch and had movie night. Then she fell asleep to me lightly rubbing her back last night and easing her anxieties about bedtime (typical kid stuff, which we don't really encounter that often). That made me feel good.
And then I can't remember how this all started but within an hour I was having regular rushes, took a shower, and we comtemplated another movie but opted for bed. Good freekin idea, I tell you what. Within 20 minutes, my rushes were 5 minutes apart and getting incredibly hard to deal with. It's true what is said about sometimes the only thing that gets you through them is knowing they will end shortly. I have relinquished all management of this ordeal over to Tom, who is being incredible. When we decided that we need to call in the woman-power, as Tom reached for the phone, fireworks lit up out bedroom! Fun. I bet this will forever change how I feel about the 4th of July.
We called the midwives (Christine and Catriona) and Bubba about midnight. Catriona said that we should see how things went over the next 30-60 minutes. So we went to bed and slept for 4 hours (me, sproadically and Tom lightly) and then about 4:am, I couldn't breathe comfortably through my rushes alone so I woke Tom and we got in the tub. He helped me in there first and went out to the garage to get stuff we needed, and Luna got up to check on me because I was rushing and making a little noise while breathing... so then she had to go check on Tom and actually scratched at the garage door to get his attention and waited for him at the start of the hallway as if to say, "Dude. What are you doing? There is a baby coming..." and then when she was convinced he was joining me, she went and laid back down in her bed.
Tom made me tea, brought me apples, made me drink some energizing drink, boiled water to increase the temp of the tub, helped my rushes, lit candles, started some aromatherapy oils, got in the tub, got out of the tub, made coffee, and helped me get up to pee about 6:am. Then I wanted to lay back down so I did and fell fast asleep between rushes, as they waned.
Tom slept, too. We woke about 10:am and lounged about while rushes slowed even further. Mira was helping by squeezing my hand and Tom read some info about labor from the Hypnobirthing book... and we just kinda woke up together. Completely out-of-the-blue, Miranda turned and said to me, "I think you're the best mommy and I think you're going to be the best for Sweet Pea, too." And of course that made me mush-up and she kissed me and we hugged for a long time while Tom stood at the end of the bed, waiting for a moment to continue reading.
Mira is being incredibly patient with this whole process. And, she believes that it was the card she made for me on Thursday night that made everything start Friday morning. And of course, it was!
All three of us went for a noon walk and ate lunch and now most everything has stopped again. Bubba is here to make a birthday cake for Pea with Mira, and Auntie Mickey is due to arrive in 1/2 hour for a quick visit. Tonight we shall dine on cheeseburgers and probably ice cream and then kick-start this labor thing after dinner, since that seems to be my normal rhythm. Catriona called today and she informed us that most mammals prefer a quiet, safe, dark spot in which to give birth and many of them do so at night precisely because everything is secure and silent. So let's hope for a July 3rd or 4th Birthday, everyone.