Too Prepared

I've done it to myself and I now know that there is such a thing as being too prepared. Everything from freshly laundered swaddling blankets and sleepers down to sterilized soothers and breast pump is ready and waiting, yet here I sit at 37 weeks, two days (not that I'm counting or anything) pregnant, willing, wishing, praying that this baby makes its entrance very, very soon. We have been ready to go for weeks, as I expected Baby Two to arrive in a timely manner like their sister, but that date has come and gone. A girlfriend brought to my attention that I have never been this pregnant before and I would be lying if I didn't say that the unknown of the next little while leaves me a little uneasy. More than anything I am worried that nearing my due date challenges my ability to have the all-natural, hospital VBAC I so desperately desire.

Since Thursday night I have had three bouts of start and stop contractions. On Friday they were so consistent - though six and seven minutes apart - that I was confident that labour had began and called the midwives for their recommendation of what to do next. Their advice was to sleep on it for as long as I could. If I was actually in labour it was only very early on, so they suggested I take a bath, have some gravol and get some sleep until stronger contractions woke me up again. The bath and gravol were an amazing combination and I woke up at around 3am with slightly stronger, more consistent contractions. Through my excitement I was able to fall back asleep and woke up in the morning to... NOTHING.

All weekend long I have been drinking Raspberry Leaf Tea like a pro, taking long walks and tonight I ate a spicy curry for dinner. They say all of these things (among others) are labour-inducing so I am hopeful. In the meantime my belly just keeps getting harder and larger, it becomes more uncomfortable to walk as the head moves downwards and, as was very evident to passing strangers on the seawall today, I have that classic pregnant lady waddle down pat.