could i have been parking a lot attendant?

have you ever blogged from a hospital?  this is my first time doing it although i have watched a few dads post on their blog while their wives where in labor.  my friend and doula client is resting and trying to get some sleep before 'the big push'.

our nurse had to walk out for a minute to prep a table for a mom who just came in ready to have her baby.  less than two minutes later, we hear one loud but short scream.  it distracted all of us, of course.  we talked about it for a few minutes.

isn't it interesting how some people come into the hospital verrrrrrry ready to have a baby while other people may come and go once or even twice before they are ready to give birth.  i wonder what keeps people at home or wherever they are before deciding it's time to come.  lots of my doula clients will ask, "at what point do we call you?"  and for those planning hospital births, "at what point do we go to the hospital?"  they want to know when will they know?  how common is it to arrive at the hospital as ready as the lady mentioned above?  

having given birth to both of my girls at home, i sometimes wonder at what point i would have gone somewhere else to have my babes.  i wonder if i would have gone sooner into labor or waited until the last minutes.  would i have been the mom who gives birth in the car on the way to the birth center?  

considering what i would have done, just reminds me of the words of dave, "could i have been anyone other than me?"  there is no way to know what i would have done had i not planned to stay home the entire time.  but it is a curious thing to consider this aspect of giving birth.