Labor Stalled

Ugh.  Frustrating is all I can say.  But it is what it is.  This past Friday, I thought I was in labor.  I had a queezy feeling all day, at one point I thought my membranes ruptured (but turns out it was only a few episodes of baby kicking bladder and bladder releasing WITHOUT ANY notice), and for two hours I had regular contractions with rest that came every 2 minutes and lasted 30-45 seconds.  They were certainly manageable but very distinctly different from the Braxton-Hicks contractions I had been having on a regular basis since about week 18 of this pregnancy.  We went to the birth center expecting to bring home a baby that day.  We were surprised to experience an absolute stall in contractions 3 hours after they started.  Nada since then.  Just pressure, more Braxton-Hicks, and a few sleepless nights.  

Interestingly, our midwife told us that just last week the birth center in Statesville, NC had 10 births and 7 of them started, stopped, started, stopped and then finally followed through, so to speak.  There have to be more of you out there!  And I feel for ya!  We were ready to meet our little miracle and have some family time.  And yes, I'll admit, I'm uncomfortable and tired of peeing on myself.  Truthfully, babies come on their own time and their Co-Creator's time.  It is an intense lesson in patience.  In addition, for those that work, it becomes an issue of convenience vs. inconvenience.  I work from home but my husband does not.  And he had to bail on work that day to help me.  The stress that emanated from him was palpable.  He did his best to hide it but unfortunately, a lot of people and patients depend on him. 

Perhaps, we all had a wake-up call this weekend.  Life takes patience and can be inconvenient.  Our fast-paced world creates a bubble of "get-it-done-now" that in the end can cause everything to stall or progress slower than we expected.  We aren't always in control.  But we can do our best at all times.  And at some point learn to accept that.  Accepting doesn't mean mediocrity.  Accepting means you can move past something and become better.  Widen the camera lens.  And find other solutions or silver linings.

I hope that you take a stab at enjoying those last few weeks of pregnancy, work, and freedom.  It all does change in a beautiful miraculous moment.

Be well and try patience,
MLC