Friday, April 15, 2011

Early Signs of Labour and Confused Conversations

Sometimes people don't understand me.  I would choose to believe it's my Canadian accent confusing the Australian psyche,  but that would negate the many confused conversations I've had in Canada.  And we wouldn't want to do that!

They happen at the grocery store when I ask where to find poppy seeds and the lady thinks I've asked for Barbie.  And they happen when I'm trying to be a good mommy and learn how to best eat for my child.

Yesterday at parenting group, I asked if I should eat nuts or other things that are on the high alert allergy list as babies aren't supposed to have them for the first year and we are breastfeeding.  The woman responded confidently saying, "You can feed your child solid foods from six months on and from five months if they can sit up unassisted and support their own neck."

Thankyouverymuch.

But I did say I would talk about labour and the pain that goes with it, so today we're going to talk about early stages of labour.  I had a short labour, so here is what I interpret to be the early signs.  You can print it off as a kind of check list if you desire to.

1) Extreme clumsiness.  I'm fairly clumsy, but last Monday I was walking into doors, opening things into my hand, and generally being a harm to myself.
2) Extreme cravings.  My cravings during pregnancy were very light and infrequent so it came as a shock to us when I needed a cheese and onion tart for dinner.  And of course my water broke when they were in the oven.
3) Odd pains in the tummy region.  I assumed anything weird in feeling was just standard for the last bit of pregnancy as it's generally considered to be uncomfortable.
4) Not asking my husband if I was in labour.  Periodically through pregnancy I would be kicked or whatnot and I would turn to Adrian and ask if I was in labour. Didn't even cross my mind.
5) The waters "breaking".  Possibly the most embarrassing feeling in the world.  And I was at home.

As you read this list, did you think "yes, that's me"?  If so, ask yourself "am I pregnant?"  If you answer "no", you probably aren't in labour.  But you might have an inner ear infection/problem (1); a shortage of a vitamin or mineral (2); gas or have swallowed a large crustacean which is now dancing on your intestines (3); a normal afternoon (4); or peed yourself (5).

So we went to the hospital.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the Friday morning giggle.
    I'm not sure how often those specific early labour signs make it into the medical texts, but I'm not an expert.
    LOVE! Enjoy having grandma there to share labour stories and learning more and more about being a mommy! HUGS!

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  2. hey do you think there could be a phone up at the altar on speaker phone with us on the other end?
    (ev)

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  3. ahhh the second part of number 3 made me laugh...a lot!

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  4. Haha! And All I really want to know is - did you get to eat the tart?!! And had you ever had one before? because I want to know if you can crave things you didn't know existed?? Curious thought for the day.


    More pictures of the crustacean please?!!

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