38 Weeks

Wow...talk about being in the home stretch! Some of my "pregnant" friends have had their babies and it's hard to grasp the reality that it will be my turn very soon. I thought for sure something was about to happen on Sunday. I just felt very off all day and by mid afternoon I started to have a lot of pain in my upper abdomen and lower back but by Monday morning I was back to normal.

I think over the past week Baby V has "dropped". Breathing is not as difficult and my heartburn has greatly subsided (YAY!). I have been having daily cramping, lower back pain, and pressure in my hips and tailbone. The midwife said it's just my body warming up. At this weeks appointment I was at 37 cm and up 1.5 lbs. Everything still looking good and we agreed to let this baby come on his own and induction will only be brought up if I hit 42 weeks...fingers crossed we don't even come close to 42 weeks!

Oh and I need to make a special note regarding my "pregnancy brain". My mind is so foggy these day that it seems I can only focus on what is sitting in front of me and nothing else. I find myself watching a show on TV and by the time a commercial is over with I cannot remember what was going on only minutes before....actually kind of scary to be so absentminded!

I'm not going to lie, I have reached the point where I am starting to have a lot of self doubt. Some people just shouldn't have kids and sometimes I can't help but wonder if I am one of those people...a little late for that now I realize. But holy crap, I am going to be in charge of this new life, how do I make sure I do as little damage as possible?! Or should we just open a saving account now for his future therapy bills....? I'm really trying to not over think and freak myself out but when my black hole of a mind actually focuses on my impending motherhood I can't help but be a little terrified. I am ready for pregnancy to be over with but I'm not sure I'm ready for what comes next....



Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Lindsey

37 Weeks

Wooohooo!!!! Baby V is now considered full term!!! At the point, he is ready for life on the outside but when exactly will he decide to make his big appearance is unknown...J says March 3. I'm totally OK with ANY day before March 8!

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

36 Weeks

I think I have officially hit the "I'm uncomfortable and over it" phase of pregnancy. I thought I was bad a few weeks ago, but I was wrong. I'm just going to warn everyone now that this post will have a lot of bitching and moaning so feel free to stop reading NOW.

I feel like Baby V has had a growth spurt over the past week and a half (in fact, according to my scale as of this morning I have put on almost 1.5 lbs in the past 24 hours....how the hell does that happen?!) While I haven't had any direct kicks to my ribs, baby boy's butt certainly has managed to wedge itself up there. This makes sitting for long periods of time and laying in the wrong position very uncomfortable for my rib cage.



As he gets bigger the space for everything else (like my internal organs...example lungs) gets smaller. So the shortness of breath and tightness in my chest are back with vengeance. And the newest "fun" is the sciatic nerve pain that is running from my butt to my ankle which makes sitting squarely on my bum uncomfortable and a bit painful.



OH and I almost forgot to mention how much I miss being able to bend over! You don't realize how much you bend over for things in a day until you cant' anymore. Putting on shoes that need to be tied has become an adventure. And as the hormones increase so does the temperature. On our way to our appointment I had to have the window down because "it was so hot!"....it was 4 degrees out that morning. Poor Justin was bundled up in the car while I felt like I was sitting in a sauna.

We had an appointment with the midwives yesterday. It was quick and uneventful and from this point on I will be going to see them every Tuesday until Baby V makes his big debut. I was tested for Group B Strep which is a bacteria that can be passed to the baby at birth if not treated before. If the test comes back positive (which is not a big deal because apparently it is pretty common) then I will have to be given antibiotics at least 4 hours before delivery. But I have my fingers crossed for a negative result because I would really like to try and avoid having an IV during L/D. On a good note, it looks like Baby V is NOT going to be a monster (fat) baby. I was at 34 cm, his heart was at 140 bpm, and he is still head down.



Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position.



Lindsey

35 Weeks

35 weeks down, 35 days until "D-Day"! I am starting to get very anxious and my mind will not stop. We have had several crappy nights of sleep in the Voigts' home. Between getting up to use the bathroom to not being able to shut my mind off, mother nature is certainly warming me up for many sleepless nights ahead. And I'm not the only one...J has had a nasty cough for several days and unfortunately being the boss during the busiest time of the year really restricts any options for sick days. Oh well, our relatively stress free life is about to be turned upside down...might as well ease ourselves into it!

I am slowly trying to wrap up any outstanding projects. I feel like I don't want to get ahead of myself but at the same time we have pretty much reached the point where this baby could come at anytime. The house needs a good thorough cleaning and minor up keep until D-Day...ah if only I could find the motivation and energy. I wonder when that nesting burst of energy is supposed to kick in???

I have also slowly started to pack my bag for the hospital. I have Baby V's bag ready to go but mine is proving to be a bit more daunting. When I look at some of the "suggested packing lists" online it seems like they recommend everything but the kitchen sink...personally I would like to keep it minimal and essentials only but hey it's my first time so what do I know! My goal is to be ready to go by 37 weeks.

We also need to do a tour of the hospital and attempt to install the car seat in the coming weeks. Ahhhh, it's starting to get real. I haven't let my mind get wrapped around the fact that soon, very soon, Baby V will be making his way into the world. I don't know if it's possible to mentally prepare myself for the major change that is about to happen our lives.

One thing that is done (well we could still us a rug or two and the chalk board still needs to be finished) is Baby V's room! It's simple and I'm happy with how it turned out :)




Finally found a table! I was super excited to find this at Pier One and I got an AWESOME deal on it :)









AND...........I found some cute new bathroom decor!




(Toothbrush holder and Soap Dispenser)

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.



Lindsey