Judgement Day

Tomorrow morning at 6am PST, I am set to be induced. I'm not really looking forward to it, but we're at the point where my body just isn't doing what it's suppose to be doing. It is protecting my baby and has been a very good house for her to grow in. However, it's time to come out and I need some help with that.

My husband and I wanted the most natural hospital birth you could have, no drugs and NO INDUCTION. We waited and waited for my body to react to being 40 weeks. We waited for it to notice I had hit 41 weeks, and that all those painful false labor contractions were doing what they were suppose to be doing. My doctor, however, said it isn't safe to wait too much longer.

I learned during my pregnancy that placentas, the life source between me and my baby, have a shelf life. That life ends around 42 weeks of pregnancy. Sometimes, placentas die before the baby is born, sometimes they stop working as well. A year and a half ago, my sister lost her first child due to her placenta detaching before the baby was born. It is a scary experience to live through and very emotional to deal with. I have been dealing with it mentally ever since I got pregnant, it just adds to the normal fears of pregnancy. You can't stop it from happening and you can't predict if it will happen to you. It's scary and I have been scared the last 41 weeks. But tomorrow it should all change, the fear should dissipate.

So how do I feel about the induction? I'm scared. Scared of the pain and the unknown. Scared that it will tire me out and makes me too weak to push. Scared I will have to get a C-Section. Scared I'll never get to meet my baby. I know this seems melodramatic but these are my fears.

Nevertheless, I have a great support system. My husband has become the light at the end of the tunnel. He as been amazing, living up to more than I ever thought I could need. This pregnancy has made us so much closer, thinking that we knew each other as well as we could. His enthusiasm to be a new dad has kept my head up this whole time. We have made a great team and always have a plan, including the hospital tomorrow. That would be my biggest advice, always have a backup plan and make sure you and your partner agree. Before things get hairy. He as proven to be my best friend in all of this.

My fears, hopes and dreams are all on the table. So my judgement day? It will be the most exhilarating day of my life.

"The" Salad

According to the internet and some of my post-pregnancy neighbor moms, there is a restaurant right down the street from my apartment that has a labor inducing salad. It has become one of those Los Angeles urban legends. But many swear that they ate this and within 24 hours were having major labor contractions. Do I believe that balsamic vinegar and olive oil is going to push my pregnancy into high gear? No, not really. But, if something doesn't happen by Wednesday, my doctor is pumping me with labor inducing drugs. As much as I hate salad, I don't like the idea of pitocin even more. Plus, I get a nice date with my husband out of our trip.

We'll have an update soon one way or the other.

And So It Begins.... Almost

I am waiting.....

But not very patiently. I have been walking. I have eaten more pineapple in the last few days that I did all last year. We have had sex, but that is logistically hard to do now that I am so far along (I'm not that big comparatively to most pregnant women, but much bigger comparatively to my own body).

There are a whole slue of things people say you can do to induce labor (red raspberry tea, caster oil, nipple stimulation, cleaning the house, acupressure points). This site says it has 40 different ways, some I have already mentioned--> http://hubpages.com/hub/Ways-to-induce-Labour-Naturally I have not made that big of an effort to try too many things because I don't really need to be in such a hurry. Inducing labor just means lots of pain and crying, even before the baby gets here. I've only tried about 3 things, but I'm also kind of sacred to try too many of the other things. Nature works in its own time and who am I to argue? The baby is healthy and I have had no complications during the last 39 weeks. A few more days can't hurt either of us. My doctor will not let me go too many days pass 41 weeks so even if she is late, it won't be much longer now (sadly I would be induced). I say it will be June 1st, just so I can relax and take all these days off stress free.

I know my body is working well because I have been getting pre-labor pains. What are those you ask? How can you have labor pains before labor? Well, they are the pains you get that are really just a tease. Science says it is to get your body ready for the real thing, but sometimes they hurt. Sometimes you can't tell the difference between the getting-you-ready-for-labor pains and the actual you-are-in-labor-go-to-the-hospital pain. My doctor's advice- lay down and if the contractions are five minutes apart for more than an hour, then you are in real labor. And you should call the hospital. I haven't had that yet. I get one or two really bad contractions, back-to-back, and then they are gone. Funny though, it's usually in my kitchen and I don't know why. My kitchen induces false-labor pains, almost daily, and I'm usually trying to cook in my kitchen. Yeah, so I lay down and just wait them out. Nothing more. Today, I had a lot of contractions and they all happened while I was out walking. Once I got home, showered and started to relax? No pain whatsoever. So no labor yet. But I will keep you posted.

So.....

I started this blog just to keep a log of the crazy and amazing moments of being a new mom. I know I won't have all the answers, but maybe I will give a different perspective. I know that race and income will be thoughts on my mind, because I am one half of an bi-racial couple and don't know if I plan to go back to work after the pregnancy. Also, I'm one of the first in my group of friends to have a baby, so most of the time I have been explaining to them the unpleasantries of growing a new life (not that the life part of it is what's unpleasant). My husband and I have talked for hours about the things we will and won't do in the attempt to raise this child the right way. However, I know, sometimes, you just do what you have to do. There are so many things to look forward to and probably some that will suck, a lot. Believe me, I'll let you know.

Motherhood was not a journey I thought I would take so soon, nor did I think I would be so excited about it (I think some of that is my husband's fault because he is over the moon about being a new dad). So I am overjoyed for you to take this journey with us as we make room in our lives to welcome our new family member.