Pregnant Pause

I had a meeting with my boss today and as his wife is expecting their third child in late January we started discussing babies. I off-handedly mentioned that because Ms. Pregnant is due March 6, I would not be travelling after Feb 14. That’s when he looked at me a bit funny and started telling me about his experiences.

His first child arrived early at 37 weeks. As his wife was having complications and gestational diabetes he needed to stay close to home for the 2 months prior to that. His second child arrived right at 39 weeks. He explained that as of 37 weeks the baby could be delivered at any moment and that he doesn’t want me travelling after the end of January.

He then went on to cause me even further distress by telling me that there’s nothing anyone can do to predict exactly when labor will occur and to be prepared for a baby any time from now until mid-March. Yikes!

Being a project manager I’m used to milestones and due dates, and being able to manage schedules that change. But with babies and labor those milestones are only placeholders and unfortunately there is no way to manage the schedule or predict early or late dates. Now my whole world has been shattered and I’m left with no way to cope with this particular project. Help!

Then to top it off a little later another coworker who’s expecting his second child around the time we’re due started telling me about his newborn experience. Changing the baby up to 12 times a day! How many diapers a day?? You’ve got to be kidding me. How could anyone go through 12 diapers a day? I was beginning to have another panic attack. Perhaps cloth diapers are not going to be such a good idea.

His closing comments were something along the lines of, “forget about all those times you said ‘I’m never going to do that.’ as reality will soon change your mind.” He was referring to not wanting his first kid watch TV at the age of 2 but caving once he realized that it was the perfect way to keep him occupied when things needed attention.

After he went back to his desk I sat there and hyperventilated for a while.