It's Not a Wives' Tale

This past Monday night, I started contracting pretty hard around 9:30 or so. I've had serious Braxton Hicks with both pregnancies, but if you've had BH, you know the difference between that and real labor contractions. These weren't BH! The discomfort was more painful and lower. At first they were around 15 or so minutes apart, but after about an hour, they were closer to 9 minutes apart and pretty intense. We called my OB, who said if they got down to 5 minutes apart for an hour, to give her a call and head into Labor and Delivery. So we stayed at home and continued to monitor. Over the next several hours, the contractions continued to be intense and started getting closer. We got down to 6 minutes apart, but not under 5.

I was so ready to go to the hospital!

Finally around 2 am, they got less intense and finally abated completely. They picked up again with some full intensity around 4 am and continued for another couple hours, but never less than 9 minutes apart. Again, around 6 am, they abated completely.

Big fat false alarm. Grrrr!

The next day, a coworker mentioned to me that it was a full moon and that her grandmother said more women go into false labor on full moon nights. I laughed it off, but the thought nagged at me the rest of the day. The moon controls the tides of the oceans. Could it have some kind of effect on the tides within my womb?

So I asked my OB on Tuesday about it. She laughed with me over it, but nodded the whole time.

"There are many crazy wives' tales and myths about women and labor, but the full moon is not one of them. Hospitals are known to staff up higher on full moon nights because there is something to them that we can't explain. There are more women that go into false labor and even labor on full moon nights. It's the real thing."

So there you have it. If I'd known it was a full moon that night, I might have been able to contain some of my excitement about M2's possible early arrival. As it stands, unless he really decides to make an earlier appearance, this coming Monday at high noon, M2 will be introduced to the world via C-section.

We're excited.

We're nervous.

We're overwhelmed.

We're ready.

And we're not.

But more than anything we praise our amazing Heavenly Father for the miracle He has created within me. This child is not of our doing, but His. Even though we find it crazy that we have yet another unexpected biological child on the way, it's not a surprise to Him. And somehow in that craziness, we find comfort in the fact that this huge change in our lives has already been sifted through His fingers.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16

This not only means the days ordained outside of the womb, but within. Monday night might have been a disappointment or surprise to us, but it wasn't to God. He knows the exact moment and time that little M2 will join this world.

So with that thought, we are enjoying our last weekend as a family of three. The nursery is not finished, nor do we know how things will go with Monkey and M2. But we have the essentials that will fulfill our son's needs once he's arrived. We don't plan on doing much other than enjoying each other and our only child Monkey for the next few days. In the meantime, we covet your prayers for a smooth delivery, the health of our child, and a smooth transition for our firstborn.

Our next post will most likely reflect details of the newest person in the W clan.

Blessings!
A & N