AJC > NorthSide > Blog > Archives > 2007 > October > 29 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USUPDATE: What to do with a very pregnant wife?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The good news: The eggplant Parmesan from Scalini’s is excellent! Long walks with my wife are fun. And giving massages is quite romantic.
The bad news: the very pregnant Mrs. Garner is still very pregnant.
For those of you just joining the conversation, on Friday I wrote about my wife, Nakisha, being miserable with heartburn, nausea, back aches, swelling. Normally, she has given birth two weeks early. But not this time.
I received so many responses about how to make child number 3 arrive a bit quicker that I thought I’d provide an update.
On Friday evening, we took our obstetrician’s advice and visited the Italian restaurant in Smyrna to chow down on the fried purple veggie.
We heard the pledge that the dish would send mothers-to-be into labor within 48 hours, and hoped for the best.
Sunday evening … no dice.
This is by no means any type of indictment of the restaurant. Nakisha isn’t due until Nov. 8, but because our first two children came two weeks early, we’re hoping for similar grace.
And the good folks at Scalini’s offered the disclaimer that there was no guarantee for expecting mothers dining before their due date.
So we put that idea to rest.
We did, however, increased the amount of walking we typically do, taking a fun family stroll Saturday along the Chattahoochee River walking path in Roswell.
And although we didn’t have any labor activity, it was pretty clear that baby Madison had “dropped,” moving further down to the birth canal.
Other ideas that flew across our bow were hit or miss.
A prenatal massage therapist friend suggested using pressure points on my wife’s hands and feet to stimulate contractions.
I evidently didn’t do that right, because mostly what I got from Nakisha was, “Ow, that hurts!”
And the friend lives out of state, so having her make a visit to put wifey into labor won’t work.
Sex is out of the question. My wife absolutely doesn’t want to be touched right now.
And castor oil? Uh, eeww.
Let’s just say that since we’re in a drought, the local water system couldn’t take all the extra flushes.
For now, I’ve become content that my young daughter has learned early to exercise her woman’s prerogative to arrive late.
Hopefully, my wife will be equally accepting.
What do you think?
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Comments
By Moose
October 29, 2007 3:20 PM | Link to this
Eat Durian. Forcefully throw the empty shells at her. Listen to loud music late at night. Tell her she is really, really fat.
By parentof4
October 29, 2007 3:56 PM | Link to this
The third child is always late. Everyone I knew took 2 weeks after the date before the little bundle of joy came. Tell her, just to sit back and enjoy. Enjoy the last parts of being pregnant, enjoy the last time of feeling the child kick in you, enjoy being the only one that the child can smell and really know. After this, more poopy diapers and no sleep. Try eating different things for the indigestion or some baking soda (worked in the old days) also eat a peppermint after dinner. It helps with the nausea without having any bad effects on the child.
All in all, this too shall pass. By the way, the walking did not help. It only gave me pain for walking so much and no child.
By CJP
October 29, 2007 3:59 PM | Link to this
My son was 3 days past due & I just couldn’t take it anymore (it was the end of July and it was HOT). For a week I had tried everything- to no avail. Late that night I started craving coffee. I am an avid coffee drinker but had given it up my entire pregnancy. So that evening after dinner I had a little 5oz cup. I woke up in labor the next morning and had him the next day. When my second child was already 5 days past due (in July AGAIN) my doc set a date for inducement. The night before I was induced I decided a little coffee wouldn’t hurt. Again, I woke up n labor the next day! I would never recommend caffeine on a daily basis but one little cup isn’t going to hurt anyone. Good luck and may your daughter & wife have a safe & healthy delivery!!
By 36 weeks pregnant
October 29, 2007 4:05 PM | Link to this
Try swimming! I know its starting to get cold out, but if you are members of a gym that has a pool, heck even go to a hotel with an indoor pool if you must; but give that a shot. My doctor told me to do that with my last pregnancy and that night I was in labor. I was two weeks to the day early. Now, I’m 36 weeks and I’m having a scheduled c-section. I don’t like labor :)
By Becky
October 29, 2007 4:40 PM | Link to this
If you don’t like labor, then why get pregnant??
By LP
October 29, 2007 5:05 PM | Link to this
I know that you wrote that your wife does not want to be touched but, I was late with my daughter and my husband and I had some of the, let me put it this way, I will ALWAYS remember that night; but, we had sex at about 12am and I was began labor at 5am and my daughter was born at 3pm. I didn’t want to be touched either but I wanted to give birth more…
By Cranberry
October 29, 2007 5:17 PM | Link to this
Becky, nobody likes labor, but that short amount of time is totally worth the gift of life.
Marcus, sorry buddy, but if she’s not even due yet, I’m afraid you’ll have to live with it! You could always beg the doctor for induction!
Good luck :)
By val
October 29, 2007 5:38 PM | Link to this
Castor Oil did work for me and I would NEVER do it again I had labor pains that was unreal, I almost could not take it so I would not advise you to do that but I had some strong contractions about 2 hrs later on a friday night and had my son on Monday morning, Thank God. My son is 26 years old and I have not had anymore kids after that (smile).
By Kellie
October 29, 2007 5:39 PM | Link to this
You want I should send you guys some Prince’s Chicken? Every true Nashvillian knows that works.
By CMG
October 29, 2007 6:25 PM | Link to this
Give her some Green Cake! It’s her favorite and will soon be of the new addition.
By John in Tampa, Fla
October 29, 2007 6:53 PM | Link to this
Do you roll her in flour and look for the wet spot?
By catlady
October 29, 2007 7:33 PM | Link to this
Geez, leave her alone! Let the baby come when it is time! (I went 2 and 3 weeks over with mine, so I have some perspective on this)
Good grief!
By Liz
October 29, 2007 7:39 PM | Link to this
I guess I was lucky, or should I say my husband was lucky. When I was pregnant, after I stopped puking at 4 months, I couldn’t get enough “you know!” I have one child and actually had her a day “early”. A friend of mine has FIVE kids and with all but one good ol’ S-E-X got her labor started. I told her it was quite appropriate… it’s what got her into that condition in the first place, it might as well help get her out of it!
By Scott Peterson
October 29, 2007 10:47 PM | Link to this
Might I offer a suggestion?
It works like a charm….as long as you don’t get caught.
By Marty
October 29, 2007 11:18 PM | Link to this
“Sex is out of the question. My wife absolutely doesn’t want to be touched right now.”
Oh, really? And you simply accepted that?
Well perhaps she needs to be reminded that she’s your wife, and that you’re husband.
Otherwise perhaps a gentle reminder that a gentleman in today’s world can get “what he needs” quite easily, especially in Atlanta.
You only get a few chances to enjoy pregnant lovin’ so you better go for it.
By MC
November 2, 2007 3:03 AM | Link to this
For the sake of your entire marriage, Marty, I hope you were being facetious.