Contractions and Delivery Dreams

When I was pregnant with E, I had no contractions until labor began. They didn't stop until she, and the placenta, were out of my body. It was very nice.

Since Tuesday morning, I've had two false starts. At 3:30am, I started having contractions. They were pretty mild and about 30 minutes apart. They stopped around 6 or 7 that morning. I fell asleep in my chair and woke up to one at 8:15. I'd say that was just an aftershock, because there were no more after that.

Last night, after the board meeting (I went, thinking it would induce labor like it had with E), contractions started again at 9:24. They were every 8-10 minutes, and seemed to be getting stronger. I almost called the doctor, but Paul told me we could wait until they were closer together and we were nearly ready to head to the hospital. It's a good thing. They stopped at midnight.

So now we wait some more. Perhaps this is why labor is so much faster with the second child. Perhaps there is a lot of this starting and stopping going on. Either way, it's a real pain, and this kid is in big trouble.

I had an interesting dream over the weekend. I had a dream that I was in my room and Paul was in another room with E. I was leaning up against the wall and looked down to see L crowning. I called Paul into the room and pushed him out, saying "Oh good, you were here for the birth of your child." He didn't cry much, nursed for about five minutes, then turned into a two year old. I was worried, because we hadn't called Dr. Kawahara when he was born, so we didn't have his birth weight and measurements, and now he was suddenly two, and I thought we would get in trouble; not to mention the fact that we were suddenly very behind on immunizations.

Of course, I'm a little nervous about the infancy period, and quite happy with my current two-year-old. It was a difficult time, and I'm hoping that it's a little easier the second time around. I'm sure having an infant and two-year-old will create new and interesting challenges. E seems pretty excited. She said the other day, very proudly "I'm going to be a big sister!" It was like she had just realized it. It was very cute. I hope she enjoys her new role.

The Countdown Begins -- 10

Ten days to D-Day! It's pretty hard to believe. Our house is still a mess, but I have managed to get some stuff clean. I've cleaned the bathroom and our bedroom, folded all the clean laundry and put it away, gotten the cloth diapers organized, and have the cradle ready to go (though, I doubt L will spend much time in there). I have a friend who may take our Litter Robot & cabinet, which will free up space in the living room, which will be nice. And maybe I'll get around to cleaning out the crap room before baby comes. Who knows. At times, I have no desire to do anything. At other times, all I want to do is scrub the walls.

So for now, I clean...and wait.

Advice for New Moms

When my friends are pregnant with their first child and asking me for advice, these are the tips I typically give them.

1. Read Our Babies Ourselves. Do it before the baby is born.

2. Once baby is born, stay in bed until you are fully rested. Baby won't care where he/she is, as long as he/she is with you, so stay there, sleep with your baby, sleep while your baby is nursing, sleep while your baby is awake. Just sleep, and don't get up until you feel awake and refreshed, even if it means not getting out of bed until 3:00 in the afternoon.

3. Get out of the house once per day. If this means walking out to check the mail, and then coming right back in, that still counts. Fresh air is good for your sanity.

4. Make a list of things that need to get done (laundry, cooking, floor needs to be swept, spit-up needs to be wiped up, cereal needs to be purchased, etc.). When friends come over to visit and ask "Is there anything I can do for you?" hand them the list and say "Take your choice."

5. Take advantage of the time people spend holding your baby. Go to the bathroom, take a shower, brush your hair, etc. You don't need to speak to them at this time. You will have plenty of time to talk to them while you're nursing.

6. Learn how to use a sling, wrap, ergo, whatever. Hands-free babywearing is wonderful, especially when your child wakes up every time you put him/her down.

7. Drink some wine when you nurse. It relaxes you, and the alcohol will be out of your system by the next time you nurse.

8. Find a support group - whether it's a baby & me group at the hospital, or a group of friends you have who also have babies close to the same age as yours, it's good to have a group of people to commiserate with.

9. Understand now that you will hate your husband, at least for a few months, and you really won't know why.

10. Keep snacks and water in the diaper bag, your car, next to your bed, and your nursing chair. You will be very hungry and very thirsty.

11. Don't allow any overnight guests, even if it's your mother who intends to help. These people do not know where the coffee maker is, where the forks go, or where to find that roll of toilet paper and will be asking you for instructions, which will only stress you out more. Give them the number of the nearest hotel, where they will be treated with the hospitality they expect.

I'm sure there are more tidbits, but this is all I can think of right now. I wonder how much I'll be able to follow when I have a newborn and a toddler. #2 is probably right out. :)