DELIVERED Thoughts Predelivery

Please enjoy this message from our sponsor: THIRD TRI's a CHARM

Feeling tired, sore, gassy and bloated? Waddling around because of your unbalanced beach-ball sized belly? You may be experiencing your third trimester of pregnancy! No worries: THIRD TRI'S a CHARM has a solution for you: simply push out a baby by displaying your lady-parts expanded about ten centimeters or let a doctor cut you open to remove all your lower organs and take out the living life-form causes the symptoms.

Side effects may include: a week or so of bleeding, long-lasting soreness, a year or so of breastfeeding with chapped or sore nipples, permanent scarring, and a cute little muffin-top stomach.

THIRD TRI'S a CHARM produces eighteen years of self-sacrificing care for your child, and an inexplainable love large enough to go through the whole symptom and recovery process again!

As my lovely swollen belly looks ready to burst out another bundle of cuteness to snuggle (CUDDLES- my two year olds latest obsession that delights his momma), waiting for labor feels like playing

Russian Roulette:

BANG: my son’s head stuck down and lowered near my pelvic in ready-to-launch position at almost 37 weeks.

BANG: I am already dilated three centimeters (since checked Monday)with minor contractions that resemble period cramping.

BANG: My cervix already thinned 80%.

BANG: my mucus plug (gooey pink discharge, very sticky feeling and bizarre looking) fell out on Wednesday, which apparently means nothing other than I am opening up and labor may occur in 2-3 days or one to two weeks. Unoccupied by water breaking or massive contractions- no biggie!

With such shots firing “baby’s coming” in my brain (though apparently harmless blank shots), I seek to lighten my load. Late in pregnancy, baby drops down low (which sounds like a hip-hop lyric), generating less pressure on the lungs, yet more pressure on the pelvis, thus called, “lightening.” If possible the several weeks prior to popping out life from my powerful lady-parts, I seek to lighten my load. This year, I stopped online teaching for VIPKID, to allow for a glorious 8 hours of sleep a night, and walk my neighbor’s dog shorter distances in the heat. Frequent sit breaks and less expectations on myself physically, definitely lightened my load. Moreover, celebrating by purchasing pretty baby things (or unexpectedly given since second borns don’t get baby showers just hand-me-downs), enjoying time with my firstborn at the pool or park, and watching movies with my husband distracts me from simply just waiting around wondering when.

Third trimester, birth, postpartum- all such vulnerable states, which physical limitations and mental distress, so pampering my body and mind with minimal loads (toddler and eating must carry on) and maximum laughter, minimizes the scary Russian Roulette of the unknown loaded shot of labor!