Pre-Delivery Thoughts

I wrote this a month ago and wasn’t planning on posting it until week 39 but now that my situation has changed I better share it now.

Now that delivering this baby is looming in the air I have been thinking a lot about how my delivery could actually go. I have been telling myself for months that he will come when he is ready and I will have the labor that was meant for me. All along my wish has been to have the most natural and safest delivery that I can for him.

I have read a ton of birth stories online. In some the labor was very short and one lasted 55 hours. For the one that was 55 hours she had every intention of having a drug-free delivery but after the 40 hour mark she was exhausted, making slow progress and had to take the epidural to rest. I can’t say I blame her.

I have learned that labor is different for every woman and we cannot compare each other’s experiences. My doctors are aware of my delivery wishes and they have told me to not feel defeated if my plans change. They say the average first time labor is 12-15 hours and to that I say “I am fully prepared for 12 hours of labor, I am praying it doesn’t go on for 24 hours.” Since my dilation has already started it does make me wonder if things will go faster but there really is no way to tell.

Although I gave Matt the choice on becoming a Bradley Coach or hiring a Doula, I am really glad he chose Bradley. All of the preparation we have had to do has really been a bonding experience. No one could fill his role at this point! We are in crunch time of preparing as much as we can and I am pop quizzing him on every situation that may come up and how to handle it.

We are ready when baby is!