Hubby asked us to set up the birth pool out on the deck so it could begin to warm in the sun.  Presumably, we’ll empty and refill with nice hot water when the time comes but in the meantime it’s out there for a test run.

This is a pool specifically designed and manufactured for birth.  It’s oval-shaped, about 4 or 5 feet in diameter, and 30 inches deep.  It has soft sides, inflated with air but with better support than a typical swimming/wading pool.  There are handles on the inside.

The girls and I had a few laughs over some of the instructions and warnings printed on the pool:

• Strictly no DIVING (then how is a laboring woman supposed to get in over those 30″ sides?)
• We strongly advise you to inflate the pool before due date
• Empty after each use (the alternative?  ew.  ew.  ew.)
• We recommend for age 7 and older (so children under 7 shouldn’t give birth in pools? or mothers shouldn’t give birth to children under 7?)

In the meantime, I am having just a few scattered contractions now and then – nothing that feels very productive, although I still don’t doubt that I’m in the very early stages of labor.  I’m thinking it will pick up during the quiet times of the day: naptime and bedtime.  Anyway, I’m not in a huge hurry, because I still think it would be fun to deliver on The Boy’s birthday, Saturday.

And speaking of naptime, The Boy has requested that momma lie down with him.  I still can’t resist those big brown eyes, especially when he asks so sweetly and goes for a nap so willingly.

Well, maybe that’s a little optimistic.  I should say this weekend’s the weekend!

Without volunteering TMI (too much information), let me just say that we have definite signs of early/impending labor.  It’s not going anywhere fast right now, and I have a strong history of long, slow, start-and-stop labors so I’m not holding my breath.  Don’t hold yours either.

But it seems very likely we’ll have a baby sometime this weekend.

If you’ve read my birth stories, you know how often I go into labor on Thursdays. I believe my stats run ~89%. Of course, it’s usually the Thursday following my due date rather than the one before, but a girl can hope, can’t she?

Would anyone care to share some recommended reading for labor, just in case?  Light humor, inspirational posts, birth stories…nothing that requires deep thought or a great attention span.  Just drop me a link in the comments if you want to suggest something.  Of course there’s no guarantee that I’ll be in the mood to browse, but it seems likely.

And if I get too far from the computer, I have a new book from PaperbackSwap that fits the bill: Monkeys on the Interstate, by Jack Hanna.  He’s not a great literary master (and he uses the word cr** too much; I guess it goes with the job when you’re a zookeeper), but he sure has some great stories to tell.