One week to go. Or somewhere around there. Let’s just hope this baby comes sooner, rather than later!
The weekend came and went. Three-day weekends don’t count when work is involved. As in, all day work, everyday. Matt’s parents came by for a brief visit with us on Monday and we celebrated Labor day with leftover clams, chicken, corn, potatoes, yams and yummy desserts catered by the Clambake Master and his associates.
This week I seriously thought I was going into labor on Wednesday. My back hurt, my stomach was tight and I was feeling about as grumpy as I could be without going postal. After drinking lots of water, eating a banana and taking a shower, I got out our suitcase and made sure that our hospital bags were packed and ready. It must have been practice, because nothing happened. However, I slept horribly, waking up every hour, but in the end I know we have stocked bags. I also was inspired to go get a pedicure on Thursday, so my poor swollen feet have some specks of red on the toenails now.
I didn’t have the midwife check my cervix this week. I figured that whatever she saw wouldn’t change anything. Either I had progressed or not and either way I was going to go back home. Urine, blood pressure, baby’s heartbeat and everything looks good. My fundal height is still 40 cm., which is reassuring that I am not growing King Kong inside.
This week the advice started coming. It’s been coming since I was pregnant, but only recently have I started getting really frustrated with it all. I know my friends, family and even people at the post office mean well, but still. Excerpts from my daily life are as follows:
Dude at the post office : Want that baby to come? Go home, order pizza, drink beer and have sex. (Note : I asked if he knew this from experience. I wanted to ask him who I needed to be having sex with, but declined. I should keep the conversation PG-rated, plus, I didn’t want him to follow me home in the case he was propositioning me.)
Various people : Now, you know most first babies come late, don’t you?
Postlady : When you get to cleaning house, that baby is going to come. I had all this energy, started cleaning baseboards and I delivered two hours later.
Various people (regarding my swelling) : Can’t you take water pills? Make sure you drink lots of water. Don’t eat so much dairy foods. Are you sure that’s normal?
Sharing experiences is one thing, and that doesn’t bother me. However, it does infuriates me when people…
…think that because it happened to them, it will happen to you
…give ignorant advice. It’s an insult to my intelligence.
…don’t understand that things have changed. Hello, you were pregnant twenty years ago, when things were really different than they are now.
I could go on and on, but I need to get off my soap box to eat some pizza, drink some beer and have some sex before I start cleaning baseboards.
