I'm 38 weeks today and Lucas was just over a week early so I'm totally anticipating going into labor any day now. I have another OB appointment tomorrow so we'll see if I've made any, er, progress. I'm not worried about labor--it will be what it will be. I am, however, totally freaked out about my water breaking.
With Lucas it was barely perceptible that my water had broken. Let's say it was a very, very slow trickle. And, I'm fully aware that many times women go into labor and have to have their water broken at the hospital.
But, for some reason, I am totally convinced that this time around my water is going to break in an absolutely mortifying FLOOD of breaking water.
I told my sister last night that I'm considering keeping a towel and change of pants in my purse. She laughingly agreed that might be a good idea. BUT, unless I want to start carrying a diaper bag right now, that's not really possible. Maybe I should just keep them in the van? Maybe. But, really, what good will a pair of pants do me in the van? If my water does break and soak my pants, how in the world would I change my pants in the car in a somewhat modest way? I mean, I am big and unwieldy and struggle to get dressed in the expanse of my bedroom, let alone in a van with many, many windows!
Truth be told, I think this fear all stems from reading this post written by one of my favorite new-ish DC Metro Mom bloggers, Kate @ The Big Piece of Cake.
(Go read it, I'll wait.)
Seriously, isn't that hysterical and horrifying all at once? Okay, if you're not currently pregnant it probably leans more toward the hysterical side but LET ME TELL YOU, if you happen to be 38 weeks pregnant, it leans MUCH MORE HEAVILY toward the horrifying side.
So, forget that the car seat isn't installed yet or that I haven't even considered what I need to pack in my hospital bag, I think at least a towel will be taking up residency in the van TODAY.
Original post by Smiling Mama. Thanks for reading!
Oh my god - when I started reading this, I was thinking, "do I have a water breaking story for you!"
ReplyDeleteI worried about this a lot with my first (and then had my water broken in the hospital when I was induced). I used to say that I should keep a towel on my chair at work, just in case. My biggest fear was that my water would break in the middle of the day, and after I left for the hospital, Gee (our property management guy) would have to clean it up.
I do recommend keeping a towel in the car though. I really could have used one on my seat when I drove myself to the hospital the second time around...
Yeah, for all three of my pregnancies, the midwives told me to keep a towel and a change of pants in the car, and also to put a shower curtain liner under our bed sheets, because apparently it's next to impossible to get the funky smell out of a mattress!
ReplyDeleteI did this for my first two, but by the time the third came around, I was just exhausted, and I figured that it wouldn't be terrible if I had to buy a new mattress.
Lo and behold, I had my water broken for me WELL into labor each and every time. Go figure.
Good luck!!
Oh my gosh, PACK YOUR BAGS!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh dear. May yours be unobtrusive and at home.
ReplyDeleteAll three times, my water was broken at the hospital. Except for the first time, when it exploded literally all over my doula when she was hunkered down taking a look as I started pushing.
Good times.
I think it was Erma Bombeck who once wrote a column about how pregnant women should get a big jar of pickles first thing in the supermarket. Then if your water breaks while you're grocery shopping, you can just smash the jar of pickles on the floor and pretend the mess is all from the pickles.
ReplyDeleteSo now you need to pack pants, a towel AND a jar of pickles in your car. :) But seriously, I also recommend a few big plastic garbage bags. They can be handy in many ways.