Let's face it: Giving birth at light speed — say, in a car on your way to the hospital — is the kind of thing you see on the movies all the time, but not so in real life. Truth is, labor can go on for hours and hours … or days. So what's a mom to do with all that time on her hands?
Welp, we asked moms to spill the beans about what they got up to after labor began but before giving birth … and heard stories that prove beyond a doubt that moms will always try to squeeze something in last minute, from shopping sprees to, er, goat cheese (really).
Image via Dmitry Melnikov/shutterstock
Buy a Hamster
"After my water broke I went to a pet store to buy a hamster and took it home. Once we got it home, the rodent bit me on the finger! So I had to take it back before we went to the hospital — and not a moment too soon. My daughter was born 35 minutes after we arrived."
Carefully Coif Their Hair
"When my water broke, I wanted to make sure I looked my best for the post-birth baby photos. So I took a shower and made sure I straightened my naturally wavy hair. Turns out none of that mattered 20 hours of labor and a C-section later! You couldn't even tell."
Make Guacamole
"While I was laboring at home, I made guacamole. My husband laughed the whole time while trying to convince me not to, but I was convinced the avocados would go bad while I was in the hospital, and my husband hates that. Then I made him eat it before we left for the hospital."
Go on a Goat Cheese Run
"Once labor started, I got in my car and drove 30 miles to buy raw goat cheese from this guy who was only there once a week. I remember the cashier asked me when I was due and I said, 'Um, now. I'm in labor.' On the way back, my contractions intensified, and I ended up crouching down on the floor in the back of the car while my husband drove! People thought I was crazy, but I just really, really liked that cheese."
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Get a Bikini Wax
"I figured my delivery team might appreciate a clear and unhindered view down below. So I swung by the spa on my way to the hospital and got a Brazilian bikini wax. That way, they could really see what was going on!"
Drive
"I drove myself to the hospital. People thought I was so crazy! But I was like, 'It's my third, I know what I'm doing.'"
Meet a Deadline
"My labor began while I was on a 10 p.m. deadline writing a story for a newspaper. I knew I would not be coming in the next day, so I just typed faster and got it turned in before taking off for the hospital. Deadlines are important!"
Feed the Trolls
"I got into an argument with an Internet troll while I was in labor. I was sitting there Googling articles and posting them in response between my contractions. It was ridiculous but I was super mad!"
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Buy a House
"My husband and I purchased a home on the same day we had twins. It was pretty intense to be in labor as we were signing the home purchasing documents in the hospital."
Go to the Mall
"I went to the mall to return a shirt that I knew would never get returned once the baby was born. Then my husband tried on some shirts — that's when my contractions got strong and we barely made it out in time!"
Sew Like a Crazywoman
"During the 'nesting stage' while pregnant with my third child, I decided to make Roman shades for my living room windows. I got fairly far along, but on the morning labor started, I still had to hand-sew 300 plastic eye rings onto the backs of the shades. So throughout the day, my contractions increased, the mucus plug came out, but I continued to sew. As soon as that last ring was sewn, we rushed to the hospital!"
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Stop to Smell the Flowers
"We went to a tulip festival and let the kids play in the kinderplaats. I kept track of my contractions times on a napkin until it was time to go!"
Eat at McDonald's
"For my four labors I've always stopped to eat because I was worried they wouldn't feed me — from full sit-down meals to a quick stop. The fourth was a stop at McDonald's 15 minutes before she was born!"
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