Things You Do When You’re Waiting for Labor

Oh, late pregnancy. We love it, right? We all love all the discomforts that come with the end of growing a person – the waddling, the swelling, the running to the bathroom all the time. So much fun, right? (Note: total sarcasm there.)

Anyway, now that I’m less than two weeks to my due date (with the potential to go overdue, just like I did with my oldest), I started thinking about all the things we mamas do while waiting for labor to start… because at this point, all you can do is wait, and maybe some of the below.

• Pack and repack your hospital bag. Maybe you should bring an extra tube of toothpaste, just in case.
• Rearrange the clothes in baby’s room multiple times. Wonder if you have enough onesies even though her drawer is overflowing with them.
• Wonder if you should go buy diapers or just Amazon prime them from the hospital once you deliver.
• Snuggle your older child(ren) every chance you get. Get crazy emotional when they just want to play outside instead of snuggling with you.
• When people ask if you’ve had the baby yet, send them to this site.
• Stare longingly at all the non-maternity clothes you’re ready to wear, while re-wearing the same pair of maternity leggings for the fourth time (or is it fifth?).
• Wash all the clothes, towels, and sheets that exist in your house. Have your husband bring the clean things upstairs for you, and don’t fold any of them.
• Watch your belly move around on its own. Wonder if you’re actually growing an alien.
• Smile and laugh when people at work say “Oh, you’re still here?” Know they mean well, but seriously question their reasoning abilities. Seriously, you’re right in front of them. Obviously you’re still there.
• Drink gallons of water, then spend way too much time in the bathroom.
• Get annoyed by all the little household projects you want to do but can’t physically do right now. (Seriously, the grout in our shower totally needs to be fixed and it really annoys me.)
• Wonder if you have enough pacifiers, bottles, etc. Remember that Amazon prime is life.
• Buy more baby clothes even when you have more than enough (see the overflowing onesies above).
• Leave things on the floor when you drop them. No way are you bending over for that – that’s what your husband and 3 year-olds are for, right?
• Wear flip flops when it’s 40 degrees outside because your feet are too swollen for real shoes.
• Talk to your belly. Scold the baby for waiting so long to come out.

• Wonder if any of the old wives’ tales for starting labor actually work, but don’t do any of them because you’re just too tired. Also, you hate pineapple and spicy foods… and you’re just too tired for any of that physical stuff.
• Randomly say “ow” when baby moves and surprises you.
• Note the time of every random pain, even if it feels nothing like a contraction. You know, just in case.
• Download 6 different contraction timer apps, but hate all of them. Delete all but the one you can tolerate and wonder if you’ll get to use it anytime soon.
• Constantly need a sweater, then a fan. At the same time.
• Go out to dinner and smell everyone else’s wine and beer. So close, so close.
• Wash out your belly button really well while you can actually see the inside of it. Marvel at just how weird looking it really is.
• Sit in the most unladylike positions ever because there’s nowhere for your belly to go.
• Wonder how on earth you’re going to continue to get bigger.
• Buy yourself accessories and makeup, because earrings and eyeshadow always fit.
• Wish baby would get here already so you can start using her name.
• Get a pedicure for the simple reason that you actually cannot reach your toes – and you maybe read somewhere that the right foot massage can induce labor.
• Get really jealous of anyone who was pregnant at the same time as you that’s already had their baby – even if they were due months before you.
• Sleep, even though you have to get up every hour to pee and it’s hard to get comfortable again.
• Look at your maternity pictures over and over again and marvel about how comfortable you look and how your photographers make you look amazing even when you’re super pregnant.

So if you could send some “go into labor” vibes my way, I’d appreciate it – and follow along with my account on Instagram to watch for baby’s arrival!