Diary of a Laboring Mom: Chapter Three
I love Saturdays
October 19th, 5:18 a.m.
Last night was a little rough. My oldest was coughing through the night, so naturally I kicked my husband out of bed to get him some Motrin or Mucinex. We could hear him through the nanny cam, which we still have in the boys' room for that exact reason. By that time, my toddler had already crawled into bed with us and was claiming the bed as his own continent, pretty much. Baby was moving around like crazy that whole period, as if even he was irritated that we were awake at 1 a.m.
So, it is no surprise I slept an extra 45 minutes. Came down to find the robot vacuum eating the kitchen rug. Typical.
I listened to the Mass readings today while prepping the batter for crepes this morning. I think my kids prefer the crepes to my pancakes, even though it’s the same recipe with more milk and eggs and no rising agents.
I sweeten the batter with maple syrup since real maple syrup is less processed than granulated sugar. A little goes a long way!
Then I put my croissants in the oven which were chilling overnight.
Then finally started my sourdough.
During all of this bustling about, I was having sharp pains with all of baby's movements. They were very low down and moving into my low back as well. They did not feel like typical contractions. I used the restroom hoping that would help, and it has so for the most part, but a hard kick just now proved to be just as painful as before. Hopefully this will not last because it is truly intolerable.
An hour after coming downstairs, I can now sip my tea and fit in a scary movie before the boys wake up!
6:34 a.m.
Croissants are done. Yeah, I am happy with that first batch!
8:08 a.m.
My oldest came downstairs at about 7:20 looking pretty well-rested despite the sleep interruptions from his coughing. The crepes are finished so he is eating breakfast. My toddler is awake and playing while watching his obligatory Ms. Rachel preschool video before my middle son can wake up and complain about it.
Still having pelvic pain with baby's movements, sharp, uncomfortable, but only one big contraction so far today.
My husband is taking my phone for repairs this morning, hopefully my camera will be good as new, or better!
10:33 a.m.
Well, my phone needs new parts and will not be fixed until next week.
The boys are hopped up on sugar from crepes smeared with Nutella. They were thrilled about their rare weekend indulgence, and now we are paying for it.
With how much pain I am having today, and how much bending I did yesterday, I fully plan on being as lazy as possible today, with the exception of baking. I will say, though, the beauty of good organization is that now the boys are more tempted to actually play and use what they have because it is so much more accessible… Part of the catharsis and beauty of even a little tidying.
At the moment my sugar-loaded children are all trying to speak to me simultaneously while my husband tries to describe a funny video he was watching as well as actively playing a video that he also expects me to watch right this moment.
I realize I am an introvert living in a house of extroverts, but seriously?
11:36 a.m.
My husband keeps pointing out my sagging belly.
Thank you, dear, for confirming how elephantine I look, considering that is indeed how I feel.
But really, his point was that compared to my previous pregnancies, I looked like I did when I was at term (37 weeks. I only made it that far with my youngest). And yet, as large as I am now, I still need to control these contractions and make it at least another week.
We have a shared anxiety because of shared trauma over losing our daughter five years ago. We talked about it this morning for the first time in a while, just remembering our reactions when we learned she was gone, and the reaction of our oldest when he watched my husband take the news from me over the phone when I was at the hospital. Talking about it with our oldest this morning, in the clear light of day when shadows of sadness are easier to evade, it was easy to explain to him that everything we have been through has been worth it to have him and his brothers. He seemed satisfied with that closure. The last thing we need now is for him to worry about this baby, too.
7:58 p.m.
As anticipated, this was a very lazy day, and I kind of loved it. My contractions were minimized, but pretty much every time I walk, the intense pelvic pain starts. I did manage to finish my sourdough and make a crustless cheesecake sweetened with dates and a few chocolate chips, so I will call that a win. I am still having tightness and cramping all through my back.
Most of the day I did no more than bake, do some laundry, do a few dishes, and make this week's batch of kombucha. This sounds like a lot, but normally I am cleaning or doing some form of exercise in between my domestic pastimes. With the largely sedentary lifestyle at the moment, I just do not feel like myself. I was doing some pregnancy-safe cardio and strength-training last month, but it got to the point where any exertion was causing frequent contractions, and I just could not risk it. I think this was due to the polyhydramnios as well as baby's large size. Either way, it was too early to be throwing myself into contractions, so I backed off.
My hope is that as soon as I deliver this baby, I will shoot for 10k steps a day minimum. The first six weeks postpartum, you should not engage in vigorous exercise to allow your uterus time to heal, and I plan to adhere to that. However, I certainly do not plan on being sedentary! Besides, it will be the holiday season and I have a lot to do in the house - seasonal decor has taken a backseat, so we have a lot to do in preparation for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is my favorite time of year, and God-willing we will have much to celebrate as a family of six!
9:34 p.m.
The downside to a lazy day?
None of us are tired enough to sleep, we haven’t burned off enough energy! Looks like it might be a late night. Hopefully we can wake up in time for Mass.
Even baby is awake - the boys are getting a kick (no pun intended) out of seeing his feet practically coming through my skin. Painful, but reassuring. I'll take it.