Laugh If You Must

But even after giving birth two times I still don’t know what “going into labor” feels like.

See with Lij we opted for a planned induction the day before he was due. We got a call from the hospital at some horribly early hour (like 5am) and were told to head to the hospital. We parked in the parking garage and walked in from there. I think I might have been smiling when I checked in at labor & delivery.

With Dylan, things were a bit different. He was due on a Thursday. By the time Saturday rolled around, I had kind of given up on the idea of him being born on his own and figured I’d have to submit to a doctor-ordered induction come Monday morning. But at 10:40 Saturday night, my water broke in a huge gush while I was sitting on the couch. (Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to slide off the couch and onto an area rug – so no damage done.) We made it to the hospital around midnight but I still wasn’t having noticeable contractions – the hallmark of what I would consider “going into labor.” Again, we were able to park the car and walk in together. No emergency drop-off, no wheelchairs, no hysterics. Just Alexander and I calmly making our way to the fifth floor. I even waited a good 10–15 minutes in the hallway while Alexander tracked down a nurse to check us in. Still, there was no rush. (Little did I know that Dylan would actually be born less than three hours later, but that’s a different story.)

So this time around I’m wondering “Will I actually get to experience contractions before being admitted to the hospital?” This line of thinking raises in me the obvious concern of being able to recognize said contractions when they occur. I mean, Alexander’s never had to time a single contraction. I’ve never had to rely on my body to tell me “It’s time!” So even though we may appear to be experts on this subject, there are still scenarios we haven’t encountered. I guess that’s what makes it a little bit of an adventure each and every time.

If my doctor had gotten his way, I’d be in the hospital in the middle of (or possibly finished with) an induction right now. And while knowing exactly what I could have expected does have its charm, like Olivia on the Cosby Show: “I know my body!” Or at least I trust it enough to let it take care of the when and how of delivering the baby it’s spent the past nine months growing. And who knows! Maybe part of that process this time will involve timing contractions and being rushed to L&D in a wheelchair. I’ll just have to wait and see. And so will you – but I’ll keep you posted.