My wife is due today...

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

That means the boy will be born today right?

Right?

OK, the truth is probably not. But it’s been a fairly frustrating week as the due date approaches, and it seems there is new indication that anything might be happening. Her last appointment she was only 1 cm and 0% effaced.

The thing is, with child #1 the doctor accidentaly broke her water. She was at the same stage she was now, basically. It was 2 days before her due date, she had just been told she was at “about 1 cm and 0% effaced.” The Doctor stripped her membranes (without asking Wife- btw- which she was UBER pissed about.) and somehow managed to pop the bag o’ waters. Oops.

Well, instead of waiting it out at home on bedrest, we decided just to get things started. So, child #1 ended up being induced, somewhat by accident.

The result is this: We don’t know when he would have been born, or how the wife actually presents her labor. So even though this is our second child, we don’t have any experience to base the labor on. Consequently, everytime over the past few weeks she starts having any series of contractions- we both start to get all excited only to be let down as they end up decreasing after several hours. (Once- they went for 8 hours or so, and continued after she had started to rest- we were sure it was the time… but they just petered off.)

Wifey is starting to get extraordinarily frustrated. We now are about 2 weeks before we’ll schedule an induction (I have been told it’s not healthy to go more than 2 weeks past due). Most of all she wants to experience the real deal- and not have to get Pitocin again. (The Pitocin drip couldn’t be regulated- if they upped the dosage one shot, she had these awful 15+ min contractions with no break between them. if they turned it down, everything just stopped.)

She has convinced herself, though, that it will never happen. If I try to keep her spirits up or anything, then “I don’t believe her”… but it seems cruel not try, or just agree. “Yep, you’re right, there’s no hope for you.”

Anyway… just thought I’d share.

Due date today.

Sometime soon, I’ll have cute baby pictures.

2

Good luck! Here’s a wish for a quick and healthy delivery.

3

You could try and stimulate labor your self. Plenty of orgasms, nipple stimulation, and sperm are all supposed to help. Even if it doesn’t it’s not going to hurt! :smiley:

4

I believe the statistics say that less than 10% of babies are actually born on their due date.

I agree with Edward The Head. It’s commonly suggested that the best way to get a baby outta there is the same way it got in there.

My 2nd was 9 days late. I was due before Christmas, she finally came on the 29th. Each day I didn’t go into labor was completely nerve wracking. Good luck!

5

haha…

Yeah… we’ve tried everything, short of asking if starbucks can add a shot of pitocin to her decaf grande mocha.

I’m pretty sure Baby #2 is blushing by now :wink:

6

Maybe try, “Oh, honey, I love you so much. I can’t even imagine how frustrating this must be for you.”

And if she says, “%#&%!!! Damn right you don’t know jack shit!!!” then she’s probably in labor. If she just starts crying, it’s time to administer some Ben & Jerry’s, STAT.

7

Chinese food. It’s infallible. Try it and report back.

8

You have my full sympathies! Yesterday was my due date, and I’m still thick and snug, haven’t even dropped yet. Starting to get surly. Went to see Juno last night just to pass the time: good movie, not the greatest choice giving the timing though.

I have my weekly doctor’s appointment today, at which I imagine we’ll discuss the options moving forward…

9

Both our kids were two weeks late. For the second the doctor kept moving the due date - he must have been an engineer in some past life. The second got induced, but I think it was because it was getting close to Labor Day and he wanted to go on vacation.

The day my wife was due for the first, we went from Princeton to New York to see a preview of Tomfoolery at the Top of the Village Gate. You watched from tables. Our tablemates asked when she was due, and she said “today” and they slowly backed away.

And, speaking of frustration, our downstairs neighbor was due at the same time as my wife - and was one day late.

We found an induced labor was much more civilized - starts at a reasonable hour, no running around, and we actually got to play cards with the deck Lamaze told us to bring.

Good luck, anyway.

10

I heard that balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing sometimes stimulates labor. Give it a shot. And this kind of tossed salad has nothing to do with this.

11

WhyNot, you’re going to be the greatest nurse EVAH.
I was born 23 days late per Mom’s counting… last time I looked, I had all the right bits… but I sure hope your wife doesn’t need to deal with an 11-pounder like my Mom did (and it was the doc’s fault, as she reminds everybody any time a family birthday comes up: he couldn’t count).

12

Mine were 12, 5, and 7 days late, respectively. With the first I got so tired of hearing about how it takes elephants two years I wanted to go poach one. And I know I heard every suggestion for stimulating labor, including driving over railroad tracks. It was easier with the second and third, since we’d been there before.

Not much you can do to make your wife feel better, but listen and offer hugs and maybe footrubs. And ice cream or whatever.

We went to my nephew’s wedding on my due date with the first. In the receiving line the minister said, “Well, it looks like somebody’s going to be blessed. When is it supposed to be?” You should have seen the look on his face when we said, “Today.” And then we went to a concert in Indiana and then we went home and kept waiting. Babies do get here eventually. And then it’s all worth it.

13

According to my mom’s doctor, my brother and I were each 12 days late. I kind of wonder if that’s responsible for us having been big babies: 8.6lbs and 10.3lbs. I was big for a girl, and my brother was big for any baby. On the other hand it might just be genetics…our great-grandmother apparently told people my grandfather was a preemie conceived her wedding night. Yeah, a 32 week 12lb baby :wink:

14

Wow… you’re like a Svengali or something…

While she was putting baby #1 to bed, I snuck out to the store and got some Ben & Jerry’s, and then presented it to her… and told her i loved her, and I was sorry if I hadn’t been sensitive enough to how frustrated she’s been, and I rubbed her feet.

Except then she got suspicious that I wanted something. haha… but for the first time she did actually seem to relax and seem like her normal self. So, i’m going to have to keep this up.

And for the record, I have now asked, and Starbucks does not have (Nor did they seem to know what it was, or why I’d want it) Pitocin flavor.

15

:smiley: Glad to help.

My pet peeve is people telling me how I must feel: “You must feel tired!” “You must feel sad!” “You must feel overwhelmed!” I know they mean well, but often they’re wrong, and then I feel misunderstood. Even when they’re right, it makes me feel like I’m…predictable. I don’t like feeling predictable, so that just pretty much pisses me off. To get anywhere with me, the first place to start is to admit you don’t know what I’m feeling and give *me *the space to tell *you *what I’m feeling, if I want to.

16

Maybe he/she’ll be a lucky Irish baby!
((Mrs Tof)))

17

Well?

18

I can report that Jormundgondir’s girl showed up last Monday after some work, at least. If the aftermath of that event can be extrapolated, then The Tof is far too busy to post. . .