July 12, 2012

Week 38

Next time you see this, the baby will be on the outside!!! And hopefully my belly will quickly no longer look so...full!

This is likely my last post before its baby time! I can't believe the time has finally come and in a few short days the hubs and I will be parents. We'll be forever changed and will never again be "just the two of us." We're so ready for our little man and we are, of course, naturally nervous. It has been such a long road (albeit not as long as some have traveled) and we're ready to hold and cuddle our little reward.

Its been a rough couple of days. I'm not feeling well at all anymore and am ready for birth. Sleep is now broken with fits of night sweats, constant mind-racing and of course trips to the bathroom. Also, our little guy has been giving me quite a hard time with his movements lately- kicking, head-butting, elbows, punching and making me all and all pretty uncomfortable. I swear he's trying to escape! So, I'm ready. I've been feeling pretty dang good up until about 5 days ago but now...I am ready to send the eviction notice :)

My cousin and his wife just had their baby last night. A girl, Sophia Lyn and she is adorable! The second I saw her little face I started to tear-up...both because of being so happy for them and also because I knew soon I'd have a little face like that to hold that is all our own. It is all so surreal and so magical and scary all at the same time.

So, for our final stats of the pregnancy...here goes nothing!

Pregnancy symptoms:  As I described, little man is beating me up! Bladder is always a problem, lower back is too and I'm no longer sleeping well. Today I am actually nauseated and feel pretty sick...ready to not be pregnant anymore!
How far along: 38 weeks 3 days
How big is baby? 4lb. 15oz at last ultrasound...ideally he'll have gained a few ounces this week so maybe 5lbs 5oz?
Weight gain/loss? +20lbs at my last appointment...expecting to be around +22-23lbs upon delivery...and yes, not too shabby if I do say so myself...I seriously expected to gain like 40lbs!
Sleep: Not really happening anymore
Gender: Boy!
Maternity clothes: Of course, although I do surprisingly have some non-maternity clothes that still fit...
Food cravings/aversions: Been craving chocolate this week...way back to normal for me!
What are you looking forward to this week: I'm looking forward to having our little man!

I am being induced in either 48 or 96 hours...either way the time is fast approaching. I don't expect a super fast delivery. I am actually surprised (after reading comments on my cousin's page) how many people expected her to have her baby in less than 10 hours with an induction. After some reading yesterday it seems inductions can take anywhere (on average) from 6-48 hours. So, my thoughts are if you have your baby in 24 hours or less you're doing well. I'm not typically a patient person but in this regard I am really surprised at how many people expect babies to come flying out so quickly! lol! The average natural first delivery is about 12 hours...and inductions usually (although not always) take longer.


Hell, my aunt was induced and had her baby 56 hours later! And this was her third! Although that is an exceptionally long time it is certainly not unheard of. So, I'm shooting for 24 hours or less here...maybe if I go in with that mind-set I'll be better off. Labor and delivery is a marathon and I need to summon all the patience I can manage...after all I figure it is a good test for parenthood.

I've expressed my wishes to my birth coaches (hubs and my mom) about visitors during labor and delivery. I want to keep the list short. Not because I don't want to be surrounded by love but because the idea of a bunch of people sitting around and waiting for me to have a baby (while supportive) kinda freaks me out. I don't like knowing others are waiting on me...and while I know many will be waiting to hear anyway...at least if they are in the comfort of their own homes I won't feel so...impatient. I can admittedly be a little high-strung and I really just want as calm and patient an atmosphere as possible. It will be nice to have a few visitors, but outside of my coaches, mother-in-law, aunt and maybe grandma...that's about all I can handle.


Plus, in all honestly, the last thing I want when I am uncomfortable is a bunch of people fussing around me or talking to me. I'll need to concentrate and stay calm and if there is too much going on...I will just get irritated and overwhelmed.


Well, the next time you hear from me on these pages it will be with Lincoln's birth story. I have a feeling it is going to be an interesting one :)