I was talking to a dear friend who is expecting a baby in the next couple of weeks. I'm excited to be attending the birth as her doula, so we talk frequently about how she's feeling and I get to share in all the gory details of the signs of early or pre-labor, like mucus plugs, bloody show, nesting, and Braxton-Hicks contractions. Yesterday when she called, the first words out of her mouth were, "I'm done with issues!" This was not what I was expecting her to say at all. I'm done being pregnant. I'm ready for the baby. This is what what I was expecting her to say.
She went on to explain that she had just experienced another "issue" in her house with a major appliance breaking, after a string of other such mishaps. We joked that these were signs of labor, just according to Murphy's Law. I get to say this because with my last few babies, here were my "signs of labor:"
- A/C went out during a heat wave. (The repair man showed up while I was pushing (home birth).)
- My water heater broke down.
- My dishwasher died.
- The heat went out.
- The dryer quit working.
Each of these happened in the 24 hours before I was to go into labor. So we had a good laugh about how her issues were just another sign of labor. While it doesn't really work that way, we had a great laugh... Though personally, it's only funny now. I shed many tears at the time of each break down.
What funny prelabor stories do you have? Is your due date timed to the mechanical warranties in your home?
Related:
- False Labor Quiz
- How to time contractions.
- Dealing with a Long Labor
- Coping with Early Labor
- 101 Things to Do When You're Overdue (or Close)
- Packing Your Bag for Labor
- Labor Basics
- Burst of Energy Before Labor
- Labor & Birth Facts
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