Blogging birth

(Just realized it's hard to tell if I've updated, so here's the time of the latest update: Jan. 3, 11:32 p.m.)

As always, when I am blogging about childbirth, reader discretion is advised! :) Also, since you are reading this, despite the first few paragraphs, I am almost certainly in labor at this time.

December 22, 2006

I'm not posting this officially until I'm certain I'm in active labor, or until my water breaks. But I'm getting some hints that labor might start soon. A few days ago I felt very much like I was PMSing: grouchy, irritable, and feeling as though acid was coursing through my blood. Last evening and even through the night as I tried to sleep I had lots of cramping and intense Braxton Hicks contractions, some quite uncomfortable, but none I could call true labor contractions. And this morning, despite my lack of rest, I got up with far more energy than I have the right to claim. I'm feeling an irresistible urge to make sure everything is in order for the birth: finish up the week's laundry, wash those baby blankets I bought, make sure things are generally tidy. I really would like to mop the kitchen floor, but I'm not feeling quite that ambitious.

There are also some ambiguous signs that I might be leaking amniotic fluid, but with the small amount I'm feeling, it is too hard to say.

Here are things I still want to get done: sweep the bathroom floor, get all the laundry put away (at least it's all folded), tidy the living room a bit, get the bins with Aislinn's outgrown clothing out of our bedroom and put away.

I'm feeling very bittersweet right now. Anyone remember when I posted this, early when I first started this blog? I'm feeling more certain this time that this is our last baby, which means, of course, this is my last pregnancy, my last birth. And I want to savor every minute, every second of it. I don't want to forget what it feels like when a tiny foot presses against my ribs from the inside, as uncomfortable as it may be, or the wondering of, girl? boy? The anticipation is so sweet.

December 28, 11:18 p.m.

Well, you've figured out by now I'm still here, no baby, by the posts that I've done between the 22nd and 28th. I do think my body was progressing on the 22nd, but that was apparently not the day.

Today I've once again felt a bit crampy, but less so than 6 days ago.

But everything is absolutely ready. I got the very last of the supplies on the list that we were lacking. I even found the receiving blankets I thought I'd lost (along with baby bath towels, the cloth diapers I use as burp cloths, and the sleep positioner). They were in a box that was UNDER another box in the unused bedroom upstairs.

Oh, I guess the tripod for the video camera is still...somewhere. Leo says he knows where it is. In his office, I think. I looked, but did not see it. He'd better get it up here!

I'm realizing it was kind of stupid of me to tell people I was hoping to go the day after Christmas. That's worse than telling them my due date, because ALREADY I'm getting the people asking "Oh, still haven't had that baby yet, huh?"

I'm trying to keep my days fairly normal, getting up around the time I normally would if I had to take Audrey to school, getting daily tasks done...and yet trying to get away with as little as possible, because it doesn't take much to wear me out. After cleaning up breakfast dishes, making the bed, getting myself and Aislinn dressed, and getting a load of laundry started, I'm winded. But I'm getting some good naps in.

Next midwife visit: Saturday morning.

It's late now, though, almost 11:30, so I'd better turn in for the night. I'll update in this post as necessary. But now that the 26th has passed, I'm thinking I'd better settle in for the long haul. I'm reading birth stories from some of my favorite sources (Spiritual Midwifery and Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, both by Ina May Gaskin, and Adventures in Natural Childbirth, author I can't remember) because earlier in this pregnancy, they tended to give me very strong Braxton Hicks contractions...maybe they will put me into labor!

January 3, 2007

I've had some signs today that may be my mucous plug, though it's not coming out in one piece, or even two, as it did with Audrey (I never saw it at all with Aislinn).

4:50 p.m. Getting up from a long nap with Aislinn. I had a few healthy contractions (which could still possibly be Braxton Hicks) that were all 5-8 minutes apart. When I rolled over to get out of bed, I felt a trickle that may or may not have been my bladder.

7:30 p.m. I am almost certain now that the trickle was indeed my water breaking! I have had a few more trickles and there is a pink tinge to it; still no mucous plug, but I think the pink qualifies as "bloody show".

8:50 p.m. Called the midwife again. Contractions are still holding steady at 5 minutes apart; getting a bit more intense, but still very manageable. Midwife (MH, as I will refer to her from now on) says that since they're still manageable, I can try to go to sleep tonight if I want (and I do), though realistically we both know I will likely call her in the middle of the night.

Called my parents; they are on their way as soon as my dad gets back from the drugstore.

Leo had a brainstorm. Aislinn still sleeps in our room, but we were worrying about waking her up with the noise. Sometimes for fun the three of them (Leo, Aislinn, and Audrey) sleep down in the basement, in one of our camping tents. Wouldn't tonight be a great night to put them to sleep down there? We thought so! We'll leave the baby monitor on down there for Aislinn until my parents get here; they'll sleep in the same room on the sofa bed.

I think I'm all ready, the house is clean, etc. While Leo is down with the kids, I'm going to lie down and listen to some quiet music on my lovely new iPod and talk with this baby one more time before it makes its way earthside.

11:32 p.m.

This is likely my last post for the night. I may be calling MH soon to tell her to come. Contractions have slowed down, but are getting harder to handle. I can still get through them, but they are tougher. My dilemma now is...do I try to speed them back up by moving around, or try to get through the night with slow but intense contractions?