The REAL countdown is on.  I hope.

3 Days to Go…

Labor Symptoms:

Yesterday (September 18th) was the beginning of the 3-day countdown to my due date.  Unfortunately, I wan’t able to post anything because I was in actual debilitating pain for the entire afternoon, evening, and night.  Also unfortunately, as evidenced by this post, that debilitating pain did NOT result in actual labor or a baby.  The good news is, I guess I was right — I wasn’t about to get away with feeling perfectly normal then suddenly go into moderately painful but predictable contractions then have a baby within a few hours.  So, as I sit here and write this I am not in labor.  What I am feeling is the following: constant severe back pressure that morphs into horrifying stabbing pains unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.  It is truly indescribable.  Baby is a lot lower now, so I’m sure that’s what’s causing this.  Now just playing the waiting game. Ow ow ow ow. (seriously).

Activities:

In the morning, I did Prenatal Barre Cardio Sculpt, which is less cardio and more lunges and squats for the entire video.  I felt pretty good then headed off to work where my physical condition quickly deteriorated. I left work a little early thinking I just needed to rest and I’d be back to normal.  I got home, took a hot shower and felt good for about 10 minutes. I tried to rest, but my back pain was too much to handle, so I took a warm bath — felt great for about 20 more minutes.  Then back pain attacked again, resulting in another bath, which also felt great until the moment I stepped out and wanted to scream in actual pain. (okay I did. and cried a little, too).

I will say that I understand the water birth concept — it has to be the best way to do this minus the whole baby-swimming-pool-in-your-living-room-soon-to-be-filled-with-bodily fluids thing. Somebody has to empty that, and if you remember anything about those baby pools, the water just gushes out the sides when you pull it even a couple of feet. Maybe they’re better quality now. I wouldn’t know.  I guess you could just have the baby in your bathtub.. but all the videos seem to feature the pools.

Preparation for Baby:

Mostly just begging him to be born to save me from myself.

Inquiries from others:

The usual.

Personal thoughts:

Actual panic that this back pain could go on for days and days, never progressing to actual labor.  I think I’ll just live in the bath for awhile.