The Pregnancy Journal of a Late Bloomer: Chapter 5

TMH: Can’t believe it’s any day now, and everyone keeps asking if I’m ready. Well, I’m never ready. I’m the person standing at the open door of a plane, wearing the parachute with no real intentions of jumping. If someone doesn’t push me, I just might…

I’m the researcher. I’m not the jump-in-with-both-feet-and-hope-for-the-best kind of person. This is probably why it took me four and a half years to get my master’s degree. Don’t get me wrong: I’m excited to meet my little girl, but I could use a little more baking time in the oven.

HH: This is it, Toni! Your last pregnancy journal before you get to meet your little one! What a momentous time! I know that it feels like a LOT right now, and fortunately nature does have its own clock and will be the one to help tell you the time is now for birth to begin. That is what is so amazing about childbirth—the reason it’s so intense for us. It’s supposed to be so categorically different than normal life. It makes us stop whatever we’re doing and pay attention to what our bodies need!

TMH: Couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen for the cover of Indulge Magazine. I feel like lately society is embracing the maternal body instead of just promoting the high-fashion prepubescent one. That’s such a wonderful change because becoming a mother is a blessing and should be celebrated.

Been wondering if my belly button is going to pop like a thermometer when she’s ready. I’ve had an innie all of my life and I can’t imagine being able to see the inside of my bellybutton on the outside. It itches as well. It feels the way this belly looks.

HH: This is such a sweet thought. I wish it worked that way. The belly button would just pop out, a ding sound would go off, and then labor would begin as if the timer had just finished! However, while labor is very different than normal life it is also hard to give a designated start time. For a week or more, you might feel your body start to warm up to contractions. The day labor begins you might mistake it for just feeling gassy or under the weather, but trust that when things finally do get going, there is no mistaking it! It will make you pay attention…belly button changes or not.

TMH: Made a birth soundtrack with songs that remind me of New Mexico, with artists like Robert Tree Cody. My home state has a way of calming and soothing me into a great meditative state.

HH: This is wonderful! Bringing things into your birth room that encourage positivity has been shown to help with the coping of labor’s intensity! I’ve heard many beautiful birth stories where particular songs have even helped mothers get through especially challenging periods of the labor.

TMH: I’ve been having crazy dreams every night now, and maybe because people keep mentioning the craziest things to me (like the mucus plug). Had a dream my mucus plug came out of my boob. Between the mucus plug and the trials of breastfeeding, I can’t seem to hide from these things.

HH: It’s your job as a parent to worry about your child. Worrying about yourself as a good provider to them is part of that as well. Dreams are very normal part of helping you to process the momentous change that life is about to bring.

In reality, you might not even notice your mucus plug coming out. It might happen during labor when you aren’t aware of it, or it might even happen up to a week before labor starts. While it is an indicator that birthing will commence soon, it is in no way a telltale sign in regards to timing or efficiency of labor.

TMH: Had the cars detailed and the car seats installed to get ready for the big day. Also packed up our hospital bags and put them in our separate vehicles just in case I went into labor when my husband was at work. Who knows if I’ll need all of these things, but it doesn’t hurt to bring them and find out. I’ll make sure to post what I actually used later.

HH: Wonderful! Remember, too, that labor usually doesn’t come on full force like in the movies. It’s not like one second you’re in your kitchen making a sandwich and the next you need to be immediately rushing to get to the hospital. Most of the time you have hours and hours and hours at home in a calm state as labor really starts to warm up and kick in. Sometimes having everything all ready to go can make you hurry to the hospital way before you need to be there. Your doctor or midwife will tell you that the longer you can wait to come in the better. This has been shown to have positive effects on the birth. Talk to your birth attendant about how far apart they want contractions to be before you come in to the hospital, and be open to having this take a while to reach.

TMH: Fire marshall isn’t going to let me bring a portable birthing tub to labor in after all. I’m so annoyed about this. The only option he’s giving me is basically a small bucket. I guess I could get a mani-pedi while I’m laboring instead…hmmmm.

HH: I’m sorry to hear this, Toni. If there is a shower in the room, you can use the pressure of the water on your low back as a soothing technique to help you during labor, although the doctor or midwife will probably have you come out of the shower to push. You can even have your husband bring a bathing suit and join you or you can place a chair in the shower and sit on it backwards so you don’t have to support yourself. This can be really helpful.

TMH: Took another breastfeeding class. This one was totally focused on pumping. I think I have a good grasp on things now, but if I don’t, that’s what lactation experts are for, right? Here’s the breastpump that I ordered.

Another wild dream: This time, I delivered my baby while I was jogging on Katy Trail. The good thing was that I felt no contractions. This might be the way to go…

HH: Visualization can be helpful during birth as well. Maybe this is a good place to return to in your mind during particularly intense periods of labor. Imagine yourself pain-free in one of your favorite places, doing a physical activity that brings you immense joy!