No, this wasn't doctors orders. There was nothing medically wrong with me. This was my attempt to not have the baby early. I went completely downhill physically at about 36 weeks but was determined to make it to my due date because that was when my mom would be arriving to be present for the birth. And there was no way in this world I was going early without her here. I figured bed rest was the solution to this problem, obviously, and would ensure baby would stay put.
Luckily, I was working at home at the time so I worked from bed and, well, basically stayed there for as much as possible throughout the day. I also had my super helpful sister visiting so she was able to prepare meals, help with my then 2 year old son, and help keep the household running. We were all on board with Operation Baby Can't Come Early.
It was a pretty uncomfortable time, to say the least. I was experiencing significant nerve pain throughout my back and legs which only made me more convinced this baby was coming early.
This little experiment to keep my baby inside just a little bit longer lasted about 2 weeks. Finally, my mom arrived. We were ready to go now. Then, my due date came and went. NO BABY.
So, this amazing little plan totally backfired. As it turned out, by my due date I was barely even one centimeter dilated. I then spent the next several days trying every old wives tale I could find for jumpstarting labor and contractions. Nothing worked. No, not even that, although husband didn't object to trying. And yet, I was still very opposed to medical intervention to get things started when there was no specific reason to. In the end we tried stripping the membranes and the cervical gels. It was still a no-go.
Then, nine (yes, that's right. Nine!) excruciatingly long days later, where every minute felt like an eternity, I finally gave birth to a healthy baby girl. She luckily only tipped the scales at 8 pounds 6 ounces. God did me good though and my labor and birth lasted just under 4 hours. Husband and Mom, consider this your formal apology for the 9 days of h-e-l-l.
Turns out probably nothing I did, or didn't do, would have changed the outcome of this with an early, or even on-time, delivery. Now that we know her better, Sister has shown us that she is a Momma's girl. When she did finally come out, she latched and nursed actively for 40 minutes. When anyone else held her for the first several months, she screamed. It took her nearly 12 months on the outside to be happy NOT being with mommy. She clearly wasn't leaving her comfy, warm home without a fight.
Luckily, while she is still a little Momma's girl in some ways, she also is embracing the world around her and relishing in how fun it can be. And that is the fun part for this Mommy.
Lesson learned: As only Elsa can sing it - Let it go. Don't play God. Everything will work out the way it is supposed to.
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