Birth Story, Part 2

Following terminology discussed further down: mucous plug, bloody show

You've been warned.

In the morning of Week 38, after being up till 1am, then waking up at 3:30 with false labor, staying awake freaking out about being unprepared, I finally slept around 5 or so. Then a bunch of alarms went off at 7 - about half an hour before they should have. Turns out an old cellphone, intended to be recycled, had gotten turned on during the moving process. It took forever to find it and shut it off - and I burst into tears. "I'm so tired," I cried. I was tired, but also terrified. The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe didn't know that part, of course.

Anyhow it was our first morning in our new house, and our first night in our new bed. It was a happy exciting morning anyway. We each commuted to work from our new house for the first time. THCSITU left before I did, and that gave me opportunity to call the midwives. They recommended what I expected: I could walk around "like this" for days or even weeks. Business as usual, but if there were any change I was supposed to call in right away. "Things are moving!" the nurse said cheerily. Ulp, I thought.

After all the moving, I took the lazy way: a longer trip both in time and distance traveled, but less walking. I was hoping not to exacerbate the contractions or send myself further into labor. The contractions came and went all day. My suegra called a couple of times to see how I was feeling, or really whether things were progressing. The thought of impending labor really lit a fire under me to wrap things up at work.

That night, we had a breastfeeding class. Most of the content was review from the breastfeeding session in our great birth class, but there was a "hands on" component with waterballoon nipples and teddy bears that we hadn't had before. Once we got out, we went for dinner. One of two options available in our new neighborhood at that hour: IHOP.

We go in and start talking about first priorities for our new house: which things to arrange, what to do with all the boxes, what we have to buy first, when to paint the baby's room. After we order, I tell The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe that I have to tell him something.

I explain that I lost the mucous plug the night before and had been having Braxton-Hicks or false labor contractions or something all day. He first got a little peeved that his mom and I had conspired to not tell him right away. "I'm gonna come home from work one day and the baby's just going to already be there or what?" He was mostly joking though. I figured that if I'd told him, it would've just kept him up and there was no point in that. Since there was no bloody show, I knew it wasn't really labor yet anyhow. He acknowledged that to be true, and got kinda quiet. I think it sorta hit him as it had me in the night that this thing was really going to happen for real. I told him that I felt that way in the early morning when the contractions has started. "Holy shit, I am actually going to have to do this. For real. Go through labor, and be someone's mom. Holy crap."

So that bit of news got some quick re-prioritizing done: get stuff for baby's room and buy the damn carseat!

The next nights after work we were never home before 10pm. And then we would do a bit of unloading the car and rearranging/unpacking in the house. Tuesday I think we got the paint for the baby's room, blue and yellow. Tuesday in the daytime Guillermo ordered the carseat and stroller combo. It was due to arrive the next Tuesday. I teased him, "You feel like gambling, huh?"

Thursday lots of stuff was supposed to happen in our house: the electricians were coming for the last time to fix things in the kitchen and basement. The cable guy would bring us internet access. The guy installing the kitchen would finish painting to be ready for the appliances to come Friday. Huzzah!

Birth Story, Part 1

So we moved. We moved on Saturday & Sunday, March 12&13. The only reason this came to pass is because of my amazing suegra. After working a full shift herself each day, she came and stayed till midnight packing our apartment. Her husband and The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe ran their butts off carrying boxes and our 3 pieces of furniture down to the cars, then drove out to our house to meet my dad and brother and unload. Repeat.

Saturday THCSITU spent most of the day at the new house, waiting for our bed to be delivered and finishing the painting in our room. Sunday I left him packing the computer equipment/desk and went to buy sheets for our grown-up sized bed so we could have someplace to sleep that night. Our twin bed (yes, you read that right) was going back that night to the mother-in-law's house from whence it came.

At the end of Sunday, the guys left to start the unloading and left me and THCSITU's mom to finish the cleanup of the apt and drive the last carload of stuff away. She did all the real work, I just participated in a few of the activities. Right before leaving, I stopped to use the bathroom. The 15 minute drive to our new house would otherwise be too much for a 9-months-pregnant person's bladder.

"Creo que este bebe va a venir en unos dias," I told her.

"No me digas," she groaned.

"Bueno, hoy no pero... puedes ver que me salió si quieres."

*explicit content warning* if you are prone to being grossed out, quit reading now.

So with my pants around my knees I showed her. I knew it was the mucous plug that had started disintegrating. Yep, she agreed, but maybe I still had a week to go. Since there was no blood, it was certainly early in the process.

*end of explicit content*

We agreed there was no need to worry THCSITU about it yet - it had been a very long couple of days and no baby was showing up that night anyhow.

When we got to the new house... my god. The boxes were piled between 5 and 7 feet high. I arranged the bedroom as best I could as everyone else unloaded that car. My purse, the backpack of vital electronics, clothes, etc. One thing was missing: the backpack I'd started as the "hospital bag." I hunted around and asked about it. No one could tell me if they'd unloaded it or where they'd put it.

As everyone was leaving, around 11 or midnight, I asked THCSITU again.

"We gotta find that bag," I said sort of teasingly (I hoped).

"We will," he replied. "I mean, you're not having a baby tonight."

His mom and I tried not to look at each other as we laughed it off. Right, not tonight...

Around 3 or 4, the contractions started. I was at 38 weeks that day. I remember the first one, realizing what it must be. But even in the moment I knew it was false labor. I hadn't felt any up till that point. I sort of monitored them for a while and then tried not to panic: we didn't even have a frigerator or kitchen sink. We could NOT have this baby yet!!

Lightening

This baby's a-droppin'

Lightening during pregnancy

I realized yesterday that this kid has dropped somewhat. I don't know if there's more to go (before making the Final Exit, that is) since I haven't experienced this before. In the past week or so I have been kicked in the ribs far less and haven't experienced any heartburn, despite a few incautious late night food choices.

But yesterday I realized the whole baby/belly just feels like it's hanging down. When I sit, I can sort of lift it up, which I couldn't before. When I go up the stairs, my thighs smack into the bottom of my belly.

And, surest sign of all - I can eat. A week ago I would fill up after half a normal-for-me serving and go back and eat more an hour later. But today I ate 6 pieces of French Toast no problem. (Hey, that had 2 eggs in it and nearly a cup of milk! Those are sanctioned foods!)

Other, even-less-sexy sign of new baby location: I feel like I have to pee essentially all the time. But when I go sit, very little or nothing comes out.

Sex dreams

No, not that kind.

I had a vivid dream that the baby was a girl. Actually, her girl parts weren't on display in the dream, but she was born already and known to be a girl.

In the beginning of the dream she was brand new, still slimed up and lying on top of me. I couldn't see her face, just the top of her head and her tiny naked body. Then somehow we were at my dad's house in the de facto "guest room" which had two twin beds. The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe got up and went to another room, and I picked the baby up and tried to feed her - but she wasn't biting (metaphorically). I started thinking about what I've read about breastfeeding and considering what to do to convince her, but then a bunch of people showed up to visit "the baby" and I felt really frustrated that we were interrupted and worried that she was hungry. :(

When I told my dad the next day, he said "Sorry to disappoint you, but it's a boy." Everyone is totally sure this baby is a boy, so much so that we sort of tend to believe them. Cuz we hear it every day.

Long time, no see.

How's it going. This belly has only gotten wilder as the month went by. Due to some connectivity problems and being outrageously busy, posting went way down. But I feel there is some stuff I should write down that I might forget.

Stabby

The guajolote smuggled a knife in there, or what? There is an occasional sharp pain, sometimes bad enough that it stops me in my tracks. The midwife said that could be due to slight separation of my pelvis, and a nerve getting pinched in there. One night I asked The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe to get the car to pick me up from work because it was taking so long to walk due to my stopping every 3rd step. Lesson learned: don't climb up and down off of tables in the 3rd trimester.

Crazy undulations of the belly

THCSITU has finally felt some of the weird stuff from the outside that I've been feeling for months on the inside. It freaks him out sometimes. He asked the midwife at our most recent visit if that was "normal." She was pretty impressed with the show she saw when trying to pin the baby with the doppler - Guajolote was having none of it! A close cousin who is a high-risk OB says that fetal activity correspond to post-birth activity levels and recommended that I "have my running shoes on" Ulp!

Sleep vs pee

There is no more sleep. I realized I was lying awake in the middle of the night - I had to pee so badly that I couldn't really tell anymore, but then I couldn't sleep. Also then I can't really let it out, only a tiny bit and then 5 min later I have to go again. In the course of six hours, I either get up 3 times to pee (every time I realize I have woken up) or I only get up twice and lay there awake thereafter. I am sure it is adversely affecting THCSITU's sleep as well, since he has 165 lbs of monster crawling over him every 90-120 min.

Maternity clothes are also too small

At the beginning of February, all the maternity clothes fit my perfectly. Now I have an inch and a half of belly peeking out the bottom, and still a month to go (and, presumably, grow). Ew.

Size impresses

THCSITU, coworkers, and random people now stop to comment on belly size. I don't mind it.

Pregnancy clumsiness: it's the belly, stupid

Several have asked if I am more clumsy. I think my hand-eye coordination is unchanged: THCSITU tossed a pen at me from across several cafeteria tables this weekend and I caught it just fine. However I do knock things off of tables/counters with my belly, or slightly impale myself on frying pan handles, etc. By now I've mostly figured out that I can't squeeze past anyone or anything. Either I get a wide path, or I just stand there and wait for things to clear out before lumbering along.

Other confessions

• I quit cooking months ago. This now extends to weekend breakfasts (my favorite to cook). We are too busy. At least half the week we are getting home at 11pm, we volunteer all day Saturday, all the other days/nights we are at Home Depot for this neverending house project, or Babies R Us to look at equipment to later order online, or someplace. I have to try for at least 6 hours of sleep and if I make dishes there is no WAY they are getting washed because we are never here.
• Sex is one day a week. And that is it. This is, I think, mostly for the same reasons I quit cooking. We are problem-solving through the time we brush our teeth and then it's 12:30 already and usually I have to get up by 7, THCSITU is asleep by the time I finish flossing, etc.
• I SHAVED MY LEGS oh joy that was nice. Well it wasn't nice but it was nice to have that done. We have a shower stall and it is not possible to shave in there any more. But we spent a night at my dad's and he's got tubs so hallelujia soap lather still works same as it did when I was in high school. It was the first time in at least a month, and possibly the first time since Christmas. Not kidding.

I'm sure I'm leaving stuff out but there you have it. 3 weeks and 6 days to go...

Alien attempts escape!!

Guys, this is what I mean. He/she is seriously trying to get out!

You can scroll through, I added titles before and after the most move-y parts so you don't have to sit and stare at my striped belly for the whole video length.

15 minutes later I rolled onto my right side and he/she started with the dancing again.

This sort of thing is constant - if I am still for a bit or eat, the belly-twitching begins. I silently hope that whoever I am talking to at work at that time doesn't notice.

Every night I am hollering "Come check this out!" at The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe but of course it's only a few seconds or maybe a couple of minutes at a time. By the time he comes over, or finishes his paragraph and looks up, the Guajolote is still again. A friend with a blog said she posted video, and it finally dawned on me to do the same thing. THCSITU can see it, and might's well share here too.

7th prenatal visit

Heartbeat (Guajolote's): 150s (I think?)
Weight (mine): 160

Darn babies!

This appointment was supposed to be a week ago, but about an hour and a half beforehand, the office called and canceled because the midwife on duty was at a delivery. Today, they called in the early afternoon: same problem! The earliest they could get me in at a time I could make it was a full week later. I'm supposed to see them every 2 weeks, this would have put me at a whole month between appointments! Then they called back an hour before my rescheduled appointment today and said the woman had delivered so the midwife would come back and see me.

This rescheduled appointment was too early for The Hottest Computer Scientist in the Universe to make, so it was the first one he's missed. There is a CNM-in-training in the office now, so I got two ladies attending to me.

My only question was: why have I felt kicks, motion, etc. EXCLUSIVELY on one side of my body (the right side) for the last 3 weeks? Sometimes by the end of the day I am really sore on that side, other days it is just noticeable but not so "bad". The midwife said the guajolote must just be comfortable how he/she is positioned and doesn't see need to change spots. So I guess it's OK.

She offered us a 34-week ultrasound, but I said no. No sense in peering in there again - we know there's something in there for sure!