Finding Faith in the Battle

On Wednesday, Dec 10 th I had an appointment with my midwife. I was exactly 38 weeks, and growing more anxious to deliver by the day (reference the last entry!). She informed me I had a "favorable cervix" (do you say 'Thank you' to that?) and asked me about my birth plan. Whoops. I had filled it out, noting all my preferences: yes to the whirlpool bath, birthing ball, walking around as much as possible, and no to pain meds . But I had forgotten it at home. No problem, she said. Bring it next week, or if you go into labor, bring it to the hospital. Fast-forward to the next day, Dec 11 th . I woke up at 5am, and Chad asked about the contractions. What contractions? Oh, I just have a feeling today's the day, he says. Whatever. I finally fell back asleep. At 8:55am I had a very strange sensation...cramping and pain, and it went on and on for over 2 1/2 minutes. Not so much fun, but then nothing else. I got ready for the day, ate breakfast, and kept having very irregu...

This is my third pregnancy. You'd think I would have my facts straight by now. But I developed this theory when I was pregnant with Ethan, called the fallacy of pregnancy, and it's creeping back into my mind. Someday I may be a famous expert on the topic and you'll see me doing interviews on the talk-show circuit, so remember that you read it here first! The fallacy of pregnancy is simply this: at some point near the end of a pregnancy, the woman becomes convinced that life will be easier once the baby's born. It's what gets us through labor, really. I find myself thinking I'll finally sleep better. I won't be so uncomfortable. I'll be back to "normal". And yet, what's easier about feeding a hungry baby every 2-3 hours? And my right leg may not go numb when sleeping, but is that better than being woken up every few hours? I hear they do that to prisoners-of-war to break their spirits, and I believe it! My back may not be as stressed, but it...