For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for March 04, 2020

yikes

You’re going to be an older mother Ellie. Be gentle with yourself. Things don’t happen the same way when you’re older as when you were younger.

Hang in there for 3 more weeks. I know it seems like forever at this point, that 3 weeks is not soon enough. Hey my older was 16 days late. My younger was sweet to make up for that by being born 33 days early.

PFFT! Elly, remember medieval times, when farm women just dropped the newborn out in the field, and kept working without missing a beat! I believe I saw that in a Monty Python movie.

Mine were high-risk pregnancies. For the first one, I worked for a company that pretty much pampered me right up to the end (they insisted that I not do filing because, whenever I squatted to file something in a bottom file drawer, everyone would get nervous). Sadly, it was a temp gig. For the second one, they didn’t care so much. Even though it wasn’t really in my job description, I had to vacuum hallways for the apartments the company managed. (Explanation needed: I worked for YWCA, which also managed apartments for disabled people. I was originally hired to be Y’s receptionist, but they changed me to being the secretary for the apartment manager. The apartments were soon after taken over by another company, so I was let go as I was going to take my maternity leave.)

One woman I knew was bowling the night before she gave birth!!

Lynn’s Comments:

This final panel really shows what it feels like to be pregnant, and because of it many people thought I actually was!

I’m sending this one to my grandson’s wife who’s due any minute now.

In 1996, a woman who was in her 8th or 9th month ran Twin Cities Marathon.

Just because someone else did that doesn’t mean we need to.

I worked right up to my delivery date with both pregnancies. I was one of the lucky ones, strong and healthy and had no need to stop work early.

I think she left her size 10 pants in her closet. She could check to see if her courage, strength and stamina are there.

Not quite like that in our area, but it was not unusual, years ago, when corn was shucked by hand, with horses and wagon, to wrap up the baby, and put it in the wagon and do their best to throw the ears into the other end of the wagon. When my daughter was born (1971) we were at a party the night before, and no sooner got home than the water broke. And the delivery was in time for the morning news! Surprised several at the event!

My regards to the women folk for taking this noble cause of carrying and delivering babies so carefully and without making it fussy.

Take care of yourself Elly and rest until the baby comes, then you won’t have any time to rest.

One of my co-workers drove her MTA bus route ;all the way up to her ninth month of pregnancy! Normally the company wanted you off the bus three months in; but they offered no maternity leave for women bus operators.