WayfaringStrangers

Ah, it's been a while since I've had a birth story to write about.  So, here's another episode of "Megan's Precipitous Labors." My pregnancy with baby N was overall very good, but also hard. Maybe because I'm getting older and my body has done this a few times. I was more sick in my 1st trimester than before (but nothing severe, thankfully). Later, I had awful restless leg at night, sharp rib pain, and was generally exhausted. Add that to already having 3 crazy boys and homeschooling - oh, and purchasing a house and moving- and I was kind of a mess. Still, I had no complications. My 1 ultrasound showed a healthy baby, and we had decided not to find out the gender. Working with Karen and Jen- my homebirth midwives- was great. My prenatal appointments were all an unrushed hour in her cozy home office. They asked how I was doing. They offered advice for my struggles and genuinely cared for me. There was nothing invasive or uncomfortable about seeing them....

I'm in Phase 3. What are the phases, you ask? I'm talking about the phases of Apprehension of Childbirth for    Been There Done That (BTDT) Moms. I made these phases up myself. Phase 1: You find out that you are pregnant. There are lots of emotions and thoughts. You imagine life with 2+ kids. You're picturing your current child(ren) with a younger sibling. You're starting a list of baby names. You're gagging at the smell of freshly-brewed coffee. And somewhere, in the back of your mind is the thought, "This baby is going to have to come out of me" but that time is so far away that you can pretty much ignore it. Phase 2: Skip ahead to about 6 or 7 months pregnant. You're not too uncomfortable yet, but you can feel your child. You're starting to realize in a greater capacity that you're going to have to give birth again. You go on playdates and start bringing up birth stories with your friends. Because you're in the thick of it, you recal...