With the few last minute preparations completed over the past couple days, my burst of energy disappears just as quickly as it arrived. I'm not surprised when I wake alone in bed and waddle to the bathroom.
My back seems to be aching more than usual and my panties feel a bit damp like I might have had a bit of leakage this morning. As I ease them down to use the toilet I find a gross, snotty looking surprise. Okay, I tell myself, I read about this and Gretchen had warned me about it, but it's still pretty disgusting looking. My face is scrunched as I pull off the pantiliner while I pee, then put on a pair of fresh panties and a new liner.
I slip on a maternity dress and brush my hair back into a messy bun. Grabbing my overnight bag from the closet floor, bringing it with me into the elevator to go downstairs. When the door opens on the main floor, Prince is reclined on the couch reading his Bible, he looks up. When he takes notice of the bag, the book gets closed and he sits up in a hurry. I start to walk past him and he's at my side, taking the bag from me, "Is it time?"
"I don't think so, but could you set that by the garage door?"
He nods and beelines into the kitchen, he has no sooner set the bag down as I'm picking up the handset of the phone to call Gretchen. He's back by my side, one hand caressing my low back as he watches me full of interest.
"Hi, Gretchen, it's Dana. Good, how are you?" Prince's unblinking stare is intense as he waits for information. "Well, I just woke up to what I think was the mucus plug in my panties." Prince's stare turns into a wrinkled nosed grimace, I pat his chest softly.
"No, nothing, just my back is achy. Yeah, low. Uh, huh. Okay, thanks, Gretchen." Prince is back to watching me as he listens to my end of the conversation.
When I hang up he's ready to pounce, "Are you in labor? Do we need to leave now? Should we call the hospital?"
"Come here," I pull him in for a hug, "we relax." I release him from the hug, "Gretchen is on her way over and we'll go from there. She asked if I was having contractions, and I'm not. She said it could be anywhere from tonight till the due date, the mucus plug doesn't always mean imminent labor."
He looks relieved and disappointed at the same time as he soaks in the information. His interest peaks again when I start to pour some granola cereal into a bowl. "You're going to eat, now?"
"I'm hungry," I reach for the almond milk in the fridge, "and it's going to take her at least fifteen minutes to get here."
He decides to join me at the counter with his own bowl while we wait for the midwife to arrive. "So, no contractions?" he asks.
I shake my head disappointedly as I chew, then rub my belly, "Trust me, I'm ready."
Gretchen arrives in more like twenty minutes, and she asks me more questions about the plug this morning, color, texture, and was there any traces of blood. Prince is visibly uncomfortable, but he listens patiently to everything Gretchen explains before asking, "Isn't too early?"
"For the plug? No," Gretchen answers.
"For the baby?" he specifies.
Gretchen shakes her head, "Due dates are guesstimates, really. You can give or take a week or more. Dana is far enough along at this point, I don't see any reason for concern." Her calmness calms me, but Prince is still anxious. "But," she looks at me, "I would like to check and see if you've dilated any further."
I nod, and we all go upstairs for her to check me. Her hands get washed and she dons a pair of sterile gloves, while Prince sits beside me and looks concerned. I find myself trying to soothe him, as Gretchen positions herself to check me. She looks at the ceiling while her fingers probe, then up at me with a slight frown, "Are you sure you're not having contractions?"
I shake my head, "My back aches, twinges, but not contractions, I don't think."
She removes her hand and then the gloves with a small smile, "I think you're having mild contractions, you're at 3cm, my dear."
Prince and I exchange glances, "So what does that mean?" I ask.
"It means I'm going to make some calls and hang around for a while just to make sure, but your baby boy is going to be on his way soon."
Again we exchange looks, but Prince is grinning as he leans in to kiss me, "Ramiel is on his way."