Naysayers and Advisors

This part of my pregnancy is always mentally hard. My body has had the last two babies early. I sort of see it as a gift from God to help encourage me because the nausea and vomiting always kicks up at the end. I've been pushing up my Zofran doses to try to control the sickness, which looms around the clock. So here are the two questions I get: 1.) When's the baby due? 2.) How are you feeling? Here are my new answers. 1.) Soon. 2.) Fine. Any other answer than these usually brings on a conversation that makes me want to cry. I hear about the "you usually don't go until two weeks after your due date" rule, despite the fact that I know my body, this is my THIRD baby, and my ultrasound placed the due date almost one week earlier than the calendar date. If I mention that the n/v is worsening I get to hear about (DEAR GOD) crackers, taking it easy, menu choices, other women's cravings during their pregnancies and whatnot. It can actually be such a discouraging time that I don't want company, other than tried and true friends, the majority of whom are in Buffalo and scattered around the country. It's a time that if I want to talk about the pregnancy, I want to be heard, not responded to, unless it's kind words of encouragement and optimism. I've translated this into how I talk with pregnant women, and when a woman says she's 38 weeks, I chirp, "How fun! You go right ahead and have that baby then!" Their faces light right up and they usually laugh. It's a refreshing thing to have a conversation with someone who wants it to end for you too, and doesn't go down the pain/suffering/overdue scenario. I'm a registered nurse, I'm an intelligent lady. I paid a lot of money to learn about pregnancy and childbirth, so I do know the rules, and oh, and have I mentioned that I have two babies already?!? I know what can be, and what is is very challenging right now.

Yesterday I spent the whole day at Loyola University Medical Center orienting through my agency to work there. It was awesome. The day was long and physically tough. It's the most sprawling campus that I've ever seen, and we traversed the length of it... twice. My belly was SO tight, and the contractions (though false labor, I'll grant you that) were brutal. It was fun thinking about my career again. Matt was home having Daddy Day, the kids were having a blast! I felt like a grown-up again. I also plan on knocking off two more hospitals (Northwestern and Sherman) so that I can just start working after the baby's born and not have to waste a day or two orienting. If I only get out of the house two days a month to work, I want to work! There were about 13 of us in the class, other agency and traveling nurses. During a quiet moment when we were all standing somewhere waiting, someone asked, "So, when are you due?" (Everyone stops and looks.) "Soon." "Is this your first?" "No, my third..." And then the best, nicest, most encouraging thing I've heard in a long, long time... "Wow, you look fantastic!" (People smiling, heads nodding.) "Thanks."