Baby Time!

I remember the week leading up to my due date very clearly! I made it through Christmas without going into labour – You’re Welcome Dad! - Then through Boxing Day. It was the first year my sisters and I didn’t hit the malls to get some good deals on clothes or a new purse! At almost 9months pregnant, I could barely walk to the bathroom let alone walk the mall on Boxing Day. I love them….but not happening.

That week I could breathe finally – Christmas was over and no baby! My mother had a dinner party with some friends of hers so my boyfriend and I took my dad out for some beers and apps (I drank water!). Afterwards, I went back to my mom’s house and thought I would help clean up while she chit chatted with the ladies. At the time I didn’t realize it but I was nesting. Nesting: refers to an instinct or urge in pregnant animals to prepare a home for the upcoming newborn(s). It is found in a variety of animals (both mammals and birds) including humans. I thought I was just doing a favour by tidying up so she didn’t have to do it all when they left. I’m so thoughtful.

The next night we had some old friends come for dinner at my parents house. I used to babysit these 3 kids and now they’re 22, 13, and 12 years old! It’s just crazy how much they’ve grown up over the years since I was babysitting them. It was a nice night and they wish me well whenever the baby came. They had guessed I would be late – they were proven wrong.

That weekend was New Years! This was the weekend we were waiting for because my due date was January 4^th but we were determined to have the first baby of New Years! Silly us. On New Years Eve, we walked around Walmart I don’t know how many times, drove over all the speed bumps as fast as we could, I ate spicy pizza and walked around doing lunges in our apartment. All the things said to induce labour – all except eating pineapple! By 1am we came to the realization that the baby wasn’t coming. Off we went to bed to try again the following day.

Tuesdays was my yoga night but I wasn’t doing great. I had the worse back pain and it was a late class so I decided to just go on Thursday. I had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for that day and if all was good, I was going to yoga! That night I went to bed early.

Wednesday, January 4^th, 2012 at 6am I woke up and thought I had peed my pants. Okay, I sort of knew what was happening but I needed to be sure. I ended up changing twice and then jumping in the shower to relieve some of the back pain I had. After about an hour, I went back to the bed and tried to go to sleep again. Even though my water broke, I knew I had plenty of time until it was baby time! I remember the exact conversation my boyfriend and I had that morning:

“What time is it?”

“7 o’clock”

“What are you doing up so early?”

“Oh nothing…my water broke but I’m still tired”

“WHAT?! Are you sure you didn’t just pee your pants?”

LOL oh he’s soooo funny isn’t he? He couldn’t believe how calm I was. Needless to say, I did not go back to sleep after that. My boyfriend got up and made me breakfast – we knew once I went to the hospital I wouldn’t be able to eat much. I called my doctor’s office and asked if my doctor was on call today – he was *phew*. I was advised to go to the hospital if I thought my water had broken. I didn’t think it did, I KNEW it did! I called the hospital and talked to a triage nurse for a little bit. She asked if I had done the smell test, colour test, etc to be sure that it was in fact my water breaking. The conversation ended with me saying “I will see you in about an hour I guess!”

We packed a few last things – granola bars, juice, music, toothbrush, etc. – and off to the hospital we went. I was put in a temporary bed so they could check some things. Monitors for the baby were attached and they took some blood. My boyfriend doesn’t do well with hospitals so I sent him back home to wait and if they were to make me stay, he would come back with everything. At 11:30am, it was confirmed by the doctor that my waters had broken and I was to stay at the hospital until a delivery/labour room was ready. I was told to go walk around the hospital, maybe have a light snack, and they would call me back up in a few hours.

By this time, I had already been messaging my mom and sisters that its BABY TIME!!!