Friday the 13th

Because the date isn’t bad enough, I had to spend the afternoon panicked that we were going to have a baby.

We, meaning I, since my husband is STILL IN ALABAMA.

When the cramping and lower back pain joined my fake contractions, I became suspiciously concerned. I watched the clock, washed my hair, took a bath, and drank a drum of water in hopes of slowing things down. (Actually, I washed my hair just in case. Come on, who wants to have a baby on hair day three?)

By the evening, I was feeling nothing short of panic. Jason gets home two weeks from today. My doctor goes on vacation next week and won’t be home until the 28th as well. I really can’t afford to have this baby with both of them out of town, so I did the only respectable thing: I went to the hospital to see what was up.

Praise be, while the contractions were regular, they weren’t horribly strong. After discussing it with the nurse and my doctor, we all decided that if I go home and try not to breathe or move for the next two weeks, there’s a chance I can keep it together just long enough to finish growing this baby. I’m not quite 38 weeks and the thought of having a teensy early baby is surprisingly upsetting.

I guess what I’m saying is that I care about this baby more than I care about myself, or Jason, or my doctor’s tan line. If gestating a little longer means a bigger, healthier, well done baby, it’s worth the pain and the anxiety and the inability to do anything successfully but use the toilet (which I’m really good at these days, BTW).

Two weeks. I can so do two weeks. Now if I can just do it without going back to the hospital and donning that horrid gown…


Comments

  1. Glad you’re still pregnant. Stay bottoms-up. The one and only time I went into labor, I showered and shaved before leaving the house….totally understand you there.

  2. I was going to say something silly like, “Cork! Stat!” but then I realized you really are worrying, and my being snarky wouldn’t help.

    The thing is, however and whenever this baby decides to come, you’ll be fine. I promise. At 38 weeks, most things that *could* go wrong can be handled very well at the hospital.

    I know it would suck for Jason to miss the birth, but it’s survivable, Annie. He’ll be on hand for the next several decades, and that’s what really matters. My husband left for Quantico when our #2 was 5 weeks old, and didn’t finish training until she was 5 months old. Sucky? Yes. But it was 20 years ago, and it’s all but forgotten.

    And I know it’s great to have your regular OB deliver your baby, but you’ll be in a place where everyone, including the Candy Stripers, could help you get that baby here safely and without complication.

    Three weeks from now, all of this – the kidney pain, your husband’s absence, your OB’s vacation, the pregnancy itself – will be behind you, and you’ll have a beautiful new baby and you and your family will be together.

  3. Who’d thought your 4th and last pregnancy would be so ACTION PACKED?!

  4. Catherine says:

    I’m with you Annie. As in, doing exactly the same thing. 2 weeks behind you gestationally, already 3 cm and thinning more every day. The couch and I are very good friends. And you know what? It’s all because I want this baby to have the best first shot at life. So what if I feel like a human incubator?

    • annie valentine says:

      Oh my gosh, tell me you have a serious case of ants in your pants, cause I want to go crazy.

  5. Maybe if you cross your legs really tight for the next two weeks, it’ll help keep it in.

  6. I feel your pain and anxiety! I am 34 weeks dilated to half a cm and 50% effaced! I am contracting but not regularly either. And the baby is still breach! The couch and I are becoming good friends! So we will just have to be strong and just keep incubating! Good luck to you!

  7. If it makes you feel any better I’ve had all my babies at 38 weeks and they are mostly normal.