Alaine's Birth Story-- Part 1 of 4

In which labor shows signs of beginning…

We found out we were expecting our new baby on Brian’s 31st birthday in January. What a gift! I calculated my due date as September 20th, but having delivered our other children anywhere between 1 week late and 2½ weeks early, I told people my due date was a vague mid-September. In my mind, the whole month of September was a possibility for delivery. With our other children having birthdays in July, August, October, and December, we thought September was the perfect filler, too!

On Sunday, August 29th, we spent the entire day reorganizing and cleaning the older children’s shared bedroom. We had finally decided to move Benjamin in, too, so we spent many hours making the room an efficient space for four! I was pleasantly surprised to find I had a bit more energy that day than I had in the previous weeks and I was so relieved to have the project finished. That evening I remarked, “Well, we have our bedroom to ourselves again…for a few weeks anyway.”

On Monday, August 30th, we had a big day planned. Maddie attended horse riding camp in the morning (something she had anticipated all summer!). We returned home for a quick lunch before making the hour drive to an appointment with my midwife, Dana. Having reached the 37 week mark that day, Dana congratulated me on being full term! Baby was head down and beginning to engage. I set up another appointment for the following week and made my way back home so Gavin and Maddie could get ready to attend a minor league baseball game in the evening with Brian and some close family friends. I had a few noticeable contractions in the early evening so I fixed myself and the little boys grilled cheese sandwiches then put them to bed before taking a bath and settling on the sofa with a big glass of ice (my late-pregnancy craving).

Tuesday, August 31st was a welcome quiet day at home. Brian was away for close to 12 hours, working overtime to compensate for expected bad weather at the end of the week. I felt odd all day. I had quite a few true contractions, not the squeezing, practice kind, but the painful, stop-what-you-are-doing kind. I also lost my mucous plug. I seemed to have a fair amount of energy, but at the same time felt the need to rest and be alone. I needed to go the bathroom at least once an hour (sometimes more) so I knew the baby was pressing on my bladder. When Brian and I talked on the phone in the late afternoon, I told him what was going on and he said, “So you think maybe within the next couple of days?” “I’m not sure,” I said. “I hate to get my hopes up or make something of nothing, but something is definitely going on.”

Maddie and I made a big pan of macaroni for dinner and we ate in the living room with slices of homemade bread and piles of peas. When Brian came home, he put the kids to bed and I settled on the sofa again with another big glass of ice and some mindless TV watching. After experiencing contractions all day, they finally settled down and I had none for the rest of the night.

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4