37 Weeks

Stupid blogger!  For some reason it won't show me my the blogs I'm, following.  Grr...it's always something.

Anyhoo...I had my 37 week appointment today.  37 weeks!  Holy Moly!  I know I say this every time but when the heck did that happen?  I cannot believe I have reached full term.  Wow oh Wow!  I am still completely in shock that I'm even pregnant let alone that any day now I will have a baby in my arms.  I am not worthy.

I got to meet with the midwife at my practice today.  I haven't seen her since before I got pregnant.  I love her.  She is absolutely wonderful.  I just wish she delivered babies.  She used to but not at this practice.  I'm not sure why and I didn't ask.

She asked me if any of the other doctors talked to me about what to do when I was in labor as far as calling.  I told her no and just sort of prepared myself for her to give me a bunch of info I probably wouldn't use anyway because I plan on staying home as long as possible.  In hindsight I feel bad for being this hardened.  It just hasn't been a good experience with my doctors as far as having a natural childbirth goes so I've sort of built up walls.

She started to explain how labor usually starts (not with your water breaking like most people thing etc.) and how the contractions progress etc.  I was just smiling listening but knowing that I have already learned all of this and I won't be showing up to the hospital as early as the doctors suggest.  Then she stopped and asked if I had taken any birthing classes (my office offers a 4 session one and the hospital has a 1 day thing).  I said "Yes!  We took Brad.ley!"  At first I thought she had an annoyed look on her face but then she said "Oh great!  Brad.ley is awesome!  You know everything you need to know!"  Wahoo!  Finally someone at this office who doesn't think I'm nuts!  We talked for a long time about how staying home as long as possible is key to having a natural birth in a hospital.  She said it would be ideal if I could walk in the hospital 8-9 centimeters so that it would be hard for the nurses or doctors to want to push interventions.  That was my plan anyway.  She also brought up me eating and drinking as much as I want before I get to the hospital because I will be seriously limited once I get there.  She said some of the doctors are huge sticklers about nothing by mouth once you are admitted and that some of them will allow some clear fluids.  Hopefully I'll get one of the more liberal doctors but I'm not holding my breath.  I plan on sneaking clear fluids when the nurses are not in the room.  I'll probably bring some trail mix and honey sticks to sneak in order to keep my energy up.

It was so refreshing to finally talk to someone who is supportive of natural childbirth.  It has given me a little bit of hope as far as things going well.

After we talked she measured my belly and I'm right on track.  She felt for MG's head and she was still head down and very low.  Her back is on my left side.  She really got in there and felt her back and hips.  None of the other doctors have ever felt MG that much.  She said it's not an exact science but if she had to guess she said she would say that MG is around 6.5-7lbs.  She said she feels really sturdy and is definitely long.  The long part didn't surprise me at all.  I was a really long baby.  Too bad that didn't translate into being tall as an adult. :) She said that MG may be 7-8lbs at birth.  Again, not an exact science.  I've had other doctors there guess her weight and barely touch me.  She actually felt around and showed me how she came to her conclusion.  It was interesting.

She asked if I wanted to be checked.  She said it was totally up to me and I figured "why not?"   The nurse had already had me take my clothes off before the midwife came in.  The first words out of her mouth was "You have an amazing pelvis!"  I started to laugh.  She said that I have plenty of room in my pelvis and not to let anyone try to tell me that MG is too big for me.  She said that I could easily fit a 10+ lb baby in there with no problems.  Thank you dear Lord for hips!  I've always hated being hippy but now those babies are coming in handy.  She joked with me that my body may have needed some assistance getting pregnant but she thinks it was made to birth babies.  Haha!

She also told me that I was about 30% effaced...which of course doesn't mean squat.  She said that she could feel MG's head but that when she touched it it would float up so she isn't engaged yet.  She also said my cervix was nice and short and that I was definitely starting to dilate.  She however didn't want to put a number on it.  She said that my cervix is so soft that she could stick her finger in it and that may even help to dilate me more but she didn't want to because it's always better to let these things happen naturally.  I agreed.


I asked her about the stabbing sharp pain I feel in my cervix from time to time that stops me in my tracks.  She said that that is just MG's head bouncing on my cervix and possibly a little bit of dilation.  She said that my sweet baby girl is just hitting some nerves.


I have contractions everyday but nothing to get excited about.  They are super super irregular.  I'm nervous but starting to feel ready.  I'm actually feeling pretty good lately.  I know I have complained a lot the last few months.  I feel guilty for that.  I think it was actually more mental than truly physical.  I'm still having a pretty hard time with losing my Nana and it has sort of taken over every part of me.  It's made me a complainer.  Sure, my back hurts, I'm tired, and my feet and hands are starting to swell, but over all, it's not all that bad.  It's doable.  I just try not to over do it and get a nap in if I can.  This week I realized that although I can't wait to meet MG, I'm really going to miss being pregnant. 


Well, I think that's it.  Hopefully soon I'll be posting about the fact that I'm in labor.  That will be fun!  Until then I'm just looking forward to my day trip with K this Saturday.  Maybe I'll have him take some bump pic on the beach. :)