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Pack your bags

It's hard to pack a bag for the hospital that has everything you need in it, because half the stuff I need I'm still using on a daily basis. Not to mention the two pairs of jeans that fit, the one sweater that zips closed, and a handful of t-shirts that don't leave the lower hemisphere of my belly exposed. (Lately it's been a heavy rotation of laundry to keep me clothed.)

On Friday night, I looked at a pile of things I've been meaning to pack into a bag and thought - "Baaah. Later."

We hit the sack late that night, so we didn't get to bed until about 11:30pm or so. As with most nights, Jellybean was moving around lots and I was feeling a few Braxton-Hicks contractions - the harmless, painless kind where your body is just practising for the big event. On the way into the bedroom, I stopped in my tracks and felt a big one. By the time I got into bed, I felt another big one and told a very tired Luc not to worry, that I'd wake him up if things got exciting.

Caleb's labour had started at around midnight on a Friday night as well, and we had been so excited that we hadn't attempted to rest and it was a full 37 hours before he was born, so I was determined to attempt to get as much rest as I could while I could still sleep through the contractions.

Two hours later, I was still having contractions, but they were erratic and spaced out in weird intervals. Some of them were mildly uncomfortable and some of them were borderline painful. I still wasn't convinced that I was in labour, so this dragged on for a while.

With false labour, they said moving around and drinking water will cause the contractions to subside, so I got up and tried that.

The contractions subsided, so I went back to bed, but then they started up again, so I decided to get up. Besides, I was starting to freak out over things I had yet to prepare, and the mental list I was building in my mind was driving me nuts.

I fired up the laptop and finished working on "cheatsheet" document I've been writing for our parents with all kinds of important info about Caleb's routine, what he eats, where to find toilet paper, etc. and e-mailed it to them. I charged the digital camera and the cell phone. I started gathering piles of snacks I could pack for the hospital.

The contractions had more or less stopped again at this point, and I spent another hour or so half-asleep on the couch having a few contractions here and there before I went back to bed. I was still moaning a little bit when Luc woke up and asked me if I was OK, and it was only then at around 4am that I told him I had been having contractions.

After delivering a groggy speech about trying not to be the hero, Luc gave me a back massage and stroked my head until I fell asleep. (Admittedly, I should have woken up my most excellent labour coach and masseuse earlier. He's the best.) Caleb woke up for the day about two hours later, and I got up a little later and spent most of the day Saturday in a sleepy haze. When I wasn't sleeping, I was joining Luc in a panicked effort to get ready in case labour started up again.

I spoke to a nurse at the hospital's labour and delivery triage unit and she said this could be happening for the next few weeks and is just my body's way of getting ready for labour.

This was exactly the kick in the pants we needed to finish up a few remaining things we had to do around the house. I finally have a bag for the hospital mostly packed, a bag for the baby, and will be living out of a toiletry bag for the next few weeks.

By the end of the day, we'd tied up a lot of loose ends (it's funny how the list never ends...) and were relaxed and feeling ready for anything!

So, yeah. I think now we're ready.