early babies

For the past couple of weeks, I have been thinking that this baby is going to come early. Partly this has to do with my body, but I think it's also a result of how far along I am and how the anticipation is building so much, and I am getting uncomfortable and impatient. But these are really things that are about ME - not about the baby or her health. I know that she still needs a few weeks to grow and develop, but it's been hard to focus on that when I am grumbling about not being able to reach my toes or sleep through the night!

This all changed very quickly this morning when I checked my email. One of the women I work with at DU was due mid-February, and she gave birth to a baby boy on Saturday. He is 11 weeks early, and weighs just over 3 pounds. After arriving at work today, I found out that she simply went into labor early - they aren't sure why, and they couldn't stop it. The baby is doing well for how little he is: he isn't needing constant oxygen, and seems to have very few major health problems. My coworker is also doing ok. But she's understandably in shock. They just started their baby classes at the hospital, and they still haven't decided on a name yet.

Hearing this news this morning really gave me a new perspective on this. I knew pregnancy would present many challenges, and there was really no way to prepare for how tough it would be (or how amazing). But today I really realized that first and foremost it's not about me, or what I want - my body is serving a very different purpose at the moment, and my own needs are not as important as those of this little person inside me. My swollen hands are a small price to pay for making sure this baby comes out healthy, and when she is supposed to. In the long run, I am so grateful that things have gone so well - hearing about my coworker really made me realize that pregnancy could be much more challenging in so many ways, and I am very lucky. So, she can stay in there as long as she likes, and I will do my best to handle these last few weeks with grace.