My best friend is due to give birth any day now. Some day {very} soon she’ll be a mama. Each time I talk to her on the phone, or even think about her being a mama, I get teary. The moment that baby will be handed to her is magical, and unforgettable. In that one moment, she’ll become a mama forever more…
In a complete coincidence I was due with Lacey the day before Hubby’s best friend’s wife was due with their second child. There was no planning or scheming, it was just a beautiful coincidence. We both passed our due dates and were booked in to be induced on the same day, Monday. We talked about hanging out together in the hospital willing our babies to be born.
At 1am on the Friday before the Monday, I started to get contractions. I couldn’t sleep. I was filled with excitement, and surprisingly no fear. I got up and showered {thinking it was the right thing to do}. By 6am the contractions were still lingering, but had eased. I called work and told them that I wouldn’t be coming in.
Disappointed that labour had eased off, we decided to do whatever it took to get things moving so we took a walk {or waddle} down by the beach. Mid-walk we got a text message announcing that Hubby’s best friend’s baby had been born in the early hours of the morning. I think I cried. I wanted to meet my baby too.
At 10am I waddled to an acupuncture appointment, with hopes of getting my contractions happening again. The acupuncturist, unbeknown to me, was a doula as well. She was amazing. Showed me how to breathe through labour and talked me through techniques that I don’t think I could have survived successfully through labour without. I lay through my hour long acupuncture session meditating and willing my baby to get things moving.
By the time lunch had passed the contractions had kicked back in. We lay around the house watching TV, stopping whilst contractions passed and then returning to the relaxing. A steak dinner and a TV football game later and my waters broke, and we headed into hospital. Nine hours later Lacey was handed to me. I was a mama. Hubby was a dadda.
That moment was magical. We had no words. We just looked at each other and cried. It was the most overwhelming experience in my life. Forever changed.
I love hearing how people spent the day before they became a mama. For the mamas among us, did you spend the hours before you went into labour willing your baby to arrive? Or did labour take you by surprise? How did you spend your last day before becoming a mama?
I'll let you know very soon! 😉
She is already a mama. Taking care if her precious baby while inside.
My bub was born on new years day – just, at 11.54pm. My waters started leaking just after 12 and in denial I spent the afternoon driving my parents across Melbourne to have lunch with my cousins family in Brighton where my waters really started leaking, no gush, no pain just leaking, still i kept my mouth shut, only opening it for my yummy chicken and bacon sandwich! Drove home praying that baby wouldn't make an appearance on Beach Road then we got home I disappeared into the bathroom then announced that my waters were breaking or I had lost all bladder control. No contractions so we started planning dinner and phoned hospital who said just come in within a couple of hours, cue the first contraction, in the car within 10mins, at hospital by 7 where they said don't bring your bags in its just the start, after that it was a mad rush and B was out 5 hours later..the labour bag never made it into the hospital!