If you’ve ever carried a pregnancy to “term” you likely know what I mean when I say, there are days that feel like it will never. ever. end.
You feel like your body can’t possibly stretch or grow any more. Then it DOES!
You feel like your baby OBVIOUSLY doesn’t want to meet anyone in the outside world. But they DO!
Desperation starts to set in because you’re worried that if you “go overdue” you’ll be faced with induction.
Or that maybe, just maybe, you’ll be that ONE scientific anomaly that will in fact somehow manage to be pregnant forever.
In these moments, I want to encourage you mama, that your body and your baby have SUCH an intricate communication that the time WILL come. I promise.
But in the meantime, here are a few things to think about when you’re desperate for labor to come.
1. While 37 weeks is often considered “Full Term” babies do LOTS of growing in the last few weeks of pregnancy.
– Even 8.5 years ago when my oldest was cooking away in my belly, I was told that I could safely deliver a healthy baby at 36 weeks. We were even offered elective induction as early as 38 weeks! Since then research has shown that a baby’s brain actually almost doubles in size within the last 3 weeks of pregnancy and now there are medical laws and guidelines in place that prevent a provider from initiating an induction prior to the 39th week of pregnancy. This initiative has decreased NICU stays and lead to lower rates of “failed inductions” that tended to result in emergency surgical deliveries. Due to these changes, we’ve seen the rate of babies born prior to 39 weeks plummet from 17% in 2010 to 4.6% in 2013 (that’s WILD!!) There are always situations that would indicate a need for early delivery to ensure mama and baby’s safety, and those are GREAT conversations to have with your provider. But the general consensus is, let them come when they’re ready!
2. Not everyone’s body functions on the same cycle calendar.
– What does this even mean?! I know it sounds weird but before you were pregnant, you likely had a *somewhat* regular menstrual cycle. But not everyone’s cycle is the same. Some are 28 days on the money. Some are 35 days… That means that going into pregnancy and gestating, your body may not line up with that magic “40 Weeks” of pregnancy that we all so desperately cling to. Some mama’s cook babies quicker than others. And some mama’s need to let those babies brew a little longer. It’s all normal and it’s ALL okay!
3. “It took 10 months to get here. It’s going to take more than 10 minutes to finish.”
– Yes, you read that right, pregnancy is ACTUALLY 10 months, not 9. Whoever the stinker was that decided 9 was it, they fooled us all. One of the providers I work with regularly likes to say this to patients when they get to asking questions like “How much longer is this going to take?!” He usually assures them that they’re doing just fine and finishes up with this great line. I appreciate it so much. It tells people that everyone’s a little different and that our bodies are more than able to endure the hard work set before before us. AND that he is patient with the process. That’s my favorite. Finding a provider that will just let things happen and not rush too hard to the finish line is like striking gold!
4. Chemical Communication is a real thing!
– There are all kinds of hormones and chemicals involved in pregnancy, labor, and birth. They’re like magic waves that know just what to do at just the right time to get your baby and body ready for the big day. There’s actually a protein called “Surfactant” that is released by a baby’s lungs prior to labor and studies are showing that it may be the “trigger” that leads to labor activity in the uterus. Crazy right?! So truly truly… your baby and body communicate on a molecular level to decide when the time is right.
5. This is the last little bit of time you have before everything changes.
– No, this isn’t a “Your Life’s About to End!” thought. It’s a gentle reminder that once this baby arrives, life as you know it now will never look the same. It’s the wildest, hardest, most incredible journey but it definitely changes the way you approach everything. Whether this is your 1st babe or 7th, the dynamic in your home is about to shift in a big way. A new human brings new personality and new routines. Take this time that you have in these last few weeks/days to just soak in how things are and maybe even daydream about how things are about to be. Enjoy it. Go on a date, take a looooong quiet bath, enjoy a book to yourself, journal this season as it’s gearing up for change. But whatever you do, don’t wish it away too quickly.
6. As much as I’m sure you hate to hear this… You’re Going To Miss It.
– Pregnancy is such a strange season for some of us. The swelling, the sickness, the achy joints. But it’s simultaneously the most mind-blowingly beautiful experience a body can go through. The sensation of feeling another human wiggling and growing INSIDE of you. The realization that your body has created a habitat for new life. The knowledge that this baby, this pregnancy, this experience, will never be experienced again… It’s just incredible. So many times I’ve sat with a mama desperate for labor and birth as she cries that she JUST wants to hold her baby and wants her body back, then suddenly, less than a month after giving birth I’m in the same room, with the same mama as she tells me she wishes it hadn’t ended so quickly. That she misses her belly, misses feeling so connected to her baby… It’s a remarkable journey. Embrace every detail of it. Allow your body and your mind to experience all the emotions and feelings and sensations that will come, because before you know it, it will be replaced by a whole new set of emotions, feelings and sensations and you just might find yourself longing for that old ones.
Hold onto these last few bits of your pregnancy and find all the reasons that you’re joyful. When you’re feeling like you were done yesterday, find something about today that brings you sweet thoughts. Before you know it, you’ll be on the other side of this and marveling at just how amazing your body truly is.
Enjoy-
