I haven’t written and posted for a while now, but I seem to have some extra time on my hands. I am 31 weeks pregnant with my third child and my water broke! Thankfully, sweet baby is doing well and I am still pregnant.

It was a huge shock and surprise to wake up Sunday morning with my water breaking. The whole moment felt much too familiar since my water broke around the same time of morning with my second child. The only difference, I am only 31 weeks pregnant and I was not ready to give birth yet.

I will give myself some credit because I had been organizing and prepping for weeks in anticipation for this baby’s arrival. Unfortunately, I did not get everything done before we had to make the trip to the hospital. I actually had multiple to do lists for the last few weeks, but looking back, maybe I should have been more precise and prioritize better. After reflecting, I created a condensed, specific to do list I should have gone off of instead of trying to get EVERYTHING done at once.

Nesting is REAL and you will feel the need to get a million things done before baby arrives, but this is such a special time before the baby arrives. I recommend spending energy on these instead of stretching yourself too thin.

Even with all the to do lists and check lists I made, what I am realizing in this process is that no one can truly prepare for these unexpected moments. Even though I had so much done and prepared, there is still so much that could have been done.

And the truth is, life goes on. So the baby room didn’t get repainted yet. Or I didn’t get to pack the cutest sets to wear in the hospital. It comes down to the baby being safe and mama staying healthy. Everything else will come together. And if it doesn’t, embrace the season of motherhood and this sacred process.

If you are in a similar situation, I encourage you to communicate with your nurses, doctors, and support systems on how you are feeling. The more they understand, the better care you may receive.

Remember mamas: you are strong and capable and such a blessing to this world and your baby. God Bless!

-Stephanie