Instead of spending a ton (or any!) money on maternity pictures, I had my friend, Danielle, come over and take a few pictures for us...Enjoy!
Through subtle hints, I can tell my body is starting gear up for D-Day. I have felt like a hormonal, hot mess over the past week. Between hot flashes, a sudden acne breakout, and having the urge to cry over nothing at the most random moments I can tell the hormone gears are starting to shift. My over preparedness has left me with not much to do in these last few weeks. I have yet to decide if this is a good thing or not....I suppose if I was running around like a crazy person at this point the stress would just be one more thing. The last few days I have just been feeling a bit out of it, I don't know what's going on in my head. The pregnancy brain I had in my first trimester is back and I just feel flighty and disconnected.
It's Tuesday, which means another appointment with the midwives. While it was a pretty routine appointment, today assured me without a doubt that my decision to take this journey with midwives was 100% the right thing to do. At every appointment, I only see one of my midwives (vs. if I were seeing an OB and would primary interact with a nurse) and they take the time to talk to me and answer any questions I have. I have never felt rushed or like "just another patient". Today, Jen spoke with me about newborn procedures and give me honest answers...not just the "socially acceptable" answers.
When I told her our feelings on certain newborn procedures she was incredibly helpful and suggested a pediatrician who might be a better option for us than having the in house pediatrician check out of Baby V after birth. (The pediatrician we have selected does not have privileges at Swedish so he is unable to give Baby V the all clear before he is sent home, so we were just going to have the in house hospital pediatrician check him.) Jen was totally honest and told me that the in house pediatrician is very conservative and we would probably have a bit of a battle on our hands getting our requests followed. So she took the time to call the pediatrician and ask if he would be willing to come check our baby....find me an OB that would do that for a patient!
It just made me feel great to have her take the time to listen to our plans, make a suggestion that would be best for our situation, and then actually take the time to make the call herself. Being pregnant and having a baby is NOT medical condition that I need to be treated for, therefore I don't want to be treated as a 'patient'. Having midwives to help me through this journey has been exactly the personalized experience I was hoping for.
Baby V is still cooking away. I measured at 36 cm and I am up 2 lbs from last week...eek! The midwifes aren't big on doing internal exams but I did request one today...just out of morbid curiosity! I won't be requesting another ;). There was no dilation but I am 50% effaced (effacement is the thinning of the cervix). I told myself before that I would not get excited or let down by the results because it doesn't mean anything at this point. I know that when he is ready, he will be here.
My anxiety over his arrival is starting to get to me. I am working on a new attitude...really try to enjoy these last few weeks of solitude. Enjoying coming and going easily. Having an uninterrupted, adult conversation. A house without baby toys. Only having to do laundry once a week. Only having to worry about myself. The list goes on and on because I know that very, VERY soon life as I know it will be irrevocably changed.
Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.
Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.
Lindsey
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