Let the Birth Show Begin

At midnight last night I dragged Andrew to the gym again to ride the treadmill for a good 20-30 minutes. We came home and both of us thought we were getting sick. When I woke at 430 I was in a big sweat.

I got up to pee and was having a fairly intense contraction/surge in my lower abdomen. In the bathroom, I discovered my Birth Show. (google that term, along with Hypnobirthing) So exciting!!!

So the labor officially begins.

We are going for a long, luxurious, all-day sleep/eat/drink fluids/labor-a-thon. So far I've managed to wake up every two hours, have a really intense surge or 2, or 3 or 4, (like about every 10 minutes or so) check the progress of my Birth Show, and somehow go back to sleep.

The sensations are QUITE intense, and they are getting more so as we go. I've spent a lot of time with a hot shower pointed at my low back -- sweet relief! -- and in bed, breathing deep deep deep into every surge.

It has never felt better to exhale. WOW, what a fantastic feeling THAT is!

Meanwhile, we've called our family members in Houston in case anyone

---hello! that was a good one! ay yi yi! --

wants to rent a hotel room for the next night or two

I am calling my acupuncturist in an hour or so to come over with her TENS unit and needles and expertise in managing the labor points, and we'll call our doula to come when the surges reach 5 minutes apart, last 1 minute long each, and are like that for an hour.

I haven't begun walking around to "get things moving" -- I'm lying down and really merging my breath with the surges. It may take longer to "get things moving," but I feel that each surge produces lot of endorphins, and I want as much of that in my system as possible.

This is what we want: to labor at home for as long and quietly as possible, then when we hit that 5 1 1 mark have our doula come over, see if we need to get ourselves to the hospital, and spend a little while in the hospital with everyone in the waiting room until Hercules makes his debut!

I'm really pleased that he chose to come now so that we didn't have to do a "medical induction." I think it's going to be a better birth experience for him, and I know it will be for me. Of course we're still open to whatever happens.

The sensations not what I thought they'd be like, exactly; they are more like super hardcore intense menstrual cramps than anything else. I thought they'd be more like the Braxton Hicks, tightening and gripping, toning that uterine muscle. But instead they are more like expanding than contracting, much more. I can feel the top of my uterus drawing up and putting the squeeze on the cervix, which responds by opening even more.

My water hasn't released yet, which is great.

You guys know me; I want to take my time here.

We'll see what Hercules has planned.

For those of you who requested a call, you'll get one once we've decided to leave the house.

I can already feel myself having shifted into another world, into Laborland.

If I'm able I will post another blog entry. If not, the next time you check here you will hopefully get to see a picture of Hercules in his full, newborn glory!