Thursday, October 12, 2017
Waiting Waiting Waiting
Baby's official due date is 4 days away.
We are as ready as we are going to be. The hospital bag is packed. The date night(s) have been had. My last day in clinic was 4 days ago.
And I am going crazy just sitting here, waiting.
My husband is too - a few nights ago I was feeling uncomfortable/crampy, and he read to me off Google that "being uncomfortable might be a sign of early labor" - but then I took a bath and felt better and we were both disappointed.
I never understood women that were "so done" with pregnancy until I hit 38 weeks. After all, childbirth doesn't look like a whole lot of fun and I've never seen the point of trying to hurry it along. However, at 38 weeks, all of a sudden, sitting sucked, standing sucked, walking sucked, and so did laying down. My clinic patients would catch me wincing at work while waddling from room to room. One of my most complicated patients who has multiple serious concerns at each clinic visit told me I should probably go home and take it easy. Another one caught me making a face while I was auscultating his heart and told me he was afraid I was going to have the baby right then and there. No longer scheduling me in clinic was probably a good idea.
The rest of the last three weeks have been filled with research elective time. I thank my lucky stars my program director has had enough pregnant residents to know that research would be a great use of my time leading up to baby. I have probably been driving my research mentor crazy - I have nothing else to do to distract myself from the waiting and the constant discomfort, so I've been working ridiculously hard on my research project and I have a tendency to send her these long detailed emails only a day after we've met and hashed out the details on the last one. I also find myself spending a lot of time on Google reading terrible parenting/pregnancy advice on blogposts (obviously not this blog!) and also relevant medical literature on PubMed to my situation (Fun facts: 30% of women will try some kind of non-pharmacological measure to try and start labor. And there is good evidence behind "membrane stripping" with a number needed to treat of 8 to prevent a formal induction!).
I haven't had this many nights/weekends off in a row since before med school clerkships. We've stopped making any sort of plans on the weekends. Last weekend I couldn't handle the not busy-ness any more and spent a day making 10 of those freezer meals for when we don't feel like cooking (never done that before).
I know I will want to cherish these moments of quiet, of resting, of the calm before the storm, but I still find myself silently pleading with baby to hurry up and meet us soon.
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it's ok not to cherish those last few weeks of pregnancy. I remember having a uri that wouldn't go away and not being able to sleep. Not fun times. Stop reading the baby blogs you'll make yourself crazy!
ReplyDeleteOur first was 8 days late. I remember taking long walks in the park where strangers would come up to me and ask if I was having "surgery" since there was no way my baby would come out of me naturally--I was that big. Had membranes stripped. Ate spicy foods. Watched with horror as my legs grew into elephant trunks. My daughter took her sweet time. She was born with lots of hair and long nails! Good luck, Kicks! Excited for the end of the waiting period for you.
ReplyDeleteI didn't start labor until the day after my due date with my first. Every day after 38 weeks new stretch marks! She was 8lb 4oz. I ate so much spicy food the last two weeks trying to induce like you KC. So much constipation at end too my bowels were squished together. After the fears were over I was so relieved my son was 6 weeks early - he was projected to be at least ten pounds. I'm so excited for you! It will be a relief not to be so preggo that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys for your support - OMDG you make so much sense about not cherishing these weeks. Last night I was rolling around so much trying to get comfortable the only place I could find was on the bedroom floor. Not a super awesome time. I'm always glad to hear about people going late too - all of the residents in my program have always gone early for some reason, and the running joke is that I'm trying to set a new record (even though statistically speaking first babies are probably going to come after the due date!). And Gizabeth - the stretch mark comment is so real. I'm pretty sure I didn't have any until 38 weeks, and now I'm finding them in placed I didn't know stretched that way.... Will keep you all posted about life on the other side when it finally happens :)
ReplyDeleteAny day now! I went 38 first (loved that timing) then most surprisingly went to 40 weeks second time, 9 pounder.
ReplyDeleteDaughter has said she likes my stretch marks (she didn’t know that’s the name of them) as little white lightning bolts. But then again, she likes my facial wrinkles because she says i look happy.
Walk and rest and do that last minute (last week) mega-organizing!