Any Day Now

It could happen tomorrow, this weekend, or three weeks from now. We have a cradle, a changing table, and a glider chair (like a rocking chair, but awesomer) ready to go. So I'm sure that when the baby does come along, we'll be completely prepared and won't be surprised by anything.

It's standard practice to pack a bag ahead of time, with everything we'll need at the hospital. There's even a classic I Love Lucy episode about it. It's probably not so common to include several lists in big, huge print so that, when it comes time to call family, friends, and a car service, I'll actually be able to read the numbers.

It's also not so standard to warn your doula that she might have to read small print for us. A doula, for the uninitiaed, is a kind of birthing coach who gives you some useful tips, shows up at your house when labor is underway, and helps the pregnant woman (and her hapless partner) get through labor and delivery. Like midwives, they are a severely under-appreciated and valuable resource, especially if you're trying to get through this process without medication and intervention. We happened to find one we really like.

Doulas don't have any one set of responsibilities -- it depends on the woman, the couple, the hospital/birthing center/home, and the doula herself -- but it's rare that they have to do a lot of on-the-spot reading. However, in our case, one of us will be going through contractions every few minutes, and the other will be legally blind. So it seems fair to warn her that she'll have that added responsibility. I don't think she'll mind.

It's an exciting time, no question. I'm curious about how much of the actual birth I'll be able to see, and what the whole thing will look like. I promise not to put up any birth pictures -- believe me, unless you're someone who enjoys seeking them out, you don't want to see them -- but I'll try to keep a few mental images handy.