Mama A struggles for sleep in the zero hour

Mama A had a rough night last night. The Baby B Ticker reads "0 Days to Go" but no baby yet. Early labor has progressed at a glacial pace, and the sinus congestion, baby-on-bladder syndrome and no sleep has caused tectonic plates to shift under our house; it's now like living a span of geological time.

Mom and baby are fine, so at this point there are no medical issues. And only about 5% - 10% of babies are born on their due date. According to Lamaze.org:

Unfortunately, a specified due date has made women (and their family and friends) place too much emphasis on a precise day - to the point that they plan their life around it. Your baby doesn't have a calendar, however, so it is no surprise that less than 10 percent of babies actually arrive on the date they are due.

Sigh. No consolation for mothers ready for the babies to beamed out of them like an old Star Trek episode. I may as well have thrown a dart to pick a date.

We were all sure that Baby B would come early, but not so. Amy's had such a mellow pregnancy – except now the sleep deprivation is wearing her down. I wish there was more I could do for her.

According to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), 78 percent of women reported more disturbed sleep during pregnancy than at other times. And approximately 30 percent of pregnant women snore because of increased swelling in their nasal passages.

Most sleep problems come in the third trimester, and for us, at the end of the uterine road. All signs indicate birth is imminent. So we wait.

Maybe today, Baby B? Mama's levitating over our bed.