Waiting for the baby
If there was 1 thing I didn’t want to have to do, it was waiting. From the very beginning of this pregnancy I’ve focussed on it lasting 42 weeks, so it doesn’t feel so incredibly long at the end. It seems like all first-time moms say: “I think the baby will come early.” (how about you?), or at least the moms I meet. Sometimes the baby does come early, and they say, “I told you so,” but in 8 out of 10 cases the due date comes and goes, and the mama has been waiting since 37 weeks…. waiting….
I’m not doing that, I decided. I know the due date, I’ll just assume it’ll be 42 weeks, and then we’ll see. The only thing is, I didn’t into account that my body could start getting restless before my due date…
It caught me completely unawares. Would the baby come earlier after all? And then suddenly, you’re waiting after all, and you start thinking: what can I do to get things started?
There are so many old wives’ tales, and there are only a few things which could work. The rest really are nonsense, and even the things which could work offer no guarantee. If your body isn’t ready, then it’s just not time… Only, my body was restless, so I thought: I’ll just try….
So, what can help to get things started?
- Sperm
- Orgasm
- (Foot reflexology/ acupuncture)
That last one can help in a situation where your waters have already broken, but you’re not contracting. I’ve seen good examples of women who already had broken waters, received a foot reflexology treatment, and got contractions started. It’s a really good tip for moms in that situation.
But let’s get back on track: number 1: sperm. There’s a reason for that. A lovely word: Prostoglandin. Prostoglandin is in sperm, and can help (‘can’, not ‘will definitely’) to ripen the cervix, which is the first step in starting labour.
And an orgasm makes your uterus contract, just like a contraction.
So with all that restlessness I thought of these things, and I made an appointment for foot reflexology, and I batted my eyelashes at Denny (begging for prostoglandin, which meant he had no real desire at all 🙂 ) And it wasn’t really a success anyway, because afterwards he apologized 10 times to the baby. Hahahaha! And it didn’t do anything. Nothing helped – not the prostoglandin, the contracting of the uterus, or the reflexology.
When I was at the midwife that same week, it turned out that baby had descended much deeper into my pelvis, so all that restlessness was probably the mild contractions helping her to descend. Nothing more, nothing less. I had to change gears a bit, but after a good yoga lesson, my mind was back in the right place, and I found my strength again. No more waiting mode!
Being pregnant is wonderful. I feel good, even in warm weather (in contrast to what everyone thinks: even when pregnant I LOVE warmth!), and I should really be celebrating the fact that I can enjoy this pregnancy for so long, after looking forward to it for so long. 🙂 She will decide when she’s coming, and whatever she chooses: we’re ready!
PS. I wrote this blog before the extreme heat wave of the last week, and I’ll be honest: it’s been very, very hot! This is a bit much!
(iphone foto)