This morning, at 4am, I was awoken with a spectacular cramp in my calf that sent me sitting straight up in bed, while yelling "Ow ow ow ow" along with some other choice words. After the drama had passed, I lay in bed thinking "wow, that really hurt" and then thought "yeah, but not as much as labour will, right?". And then I thought, "I don't really care how much it hurts (insert subconscious thought: that's what drugs are for) - let's get this party started".
I am now officially 4 days past my due date, and while I recognize that 'due dates' are pretty much a guesstimate, it is interesting how many things have changed in the last couple of weeks. I've been keeping busy since leaving work - taking walks, baking, visiting friends, cleaning, getting my life in order, etc., so it hasn't been that bad.
And make no mistake - I've has a great pregnancy. And I do mean great - no complications, felt great, ate too much maybe - but that's about it. However, in the last couple of weeks, I've finally begun to feel uncomfortable. Yesterday at a pedicure I looked down at my feet and ankles, swollen like a balloon, and wondered who they belonged to. Sleeping is getting a little more difficult - my hips hurt from lying on my side, and my hands randomly fall asleep during all hours of the night. The man will wake up to me with my hand up in the air, wiggling my fingers and ask me if I have a question, or whether I'm doing an intricate move from a Thai dance.
Somehow I've managed to avoid the pregnancy waddle - but I have a feeling it's coming on. I get these weekly emails from www.whattoexpect.com (the famous "What to Expect When You're Expecting" people) that give you the update on what's going on with your pregnancy (your baby is the size of a strawberry! a papaya! she can blink!) and this week it's all about how baby is developing the fetal stress hormones that will help her rapidly adjust to the outside world. What they fail to mention is that as I approach a full week overdue, she's also probably gaining a pound, which means I am going to give birth to an Amazon-child, who will have a 50% chance of having a huge head like her mother. I'll let you all figure out what that means.
You know what I expect? I expect this baby to COME OUT. And I'm drinking raspberry leaf tea like a madwoman, have been going for walks, having spicy food, driving like a maniac over bumpy roads and having hot baths. And for the people who wink and say "don't forget lots of sex!"...well, I'm on it people.
A number of people (interestingly, all strangers, and mostly in restaurants or grocery stores) have asked me if I'm nervous - which I'm not. This kid has to come out either way. And then there are the people that say..."oh, just enjoy the time you have now, because you won't be able to:
watch tv-go to a movie-out for dinner-sleep-shower-eat-read-blowyournose-brushyourhair-functionlikeanormalhumanbeing for MONTHS" (yes, thanks for the optimistic outlook) but as I sit here with my laptop, with 2 fingers falling asleep because I've bent my elbow leaning on the couch, with the baby kicking the crap out of my ribs, I think I'd be ok if she decided to make a move today.
