Some pregnancy thoughts
And, yes, the baby and my pregnancy are about all I can think about these days.
The Sunday after New Years the baby turned, going from head up to head down. My ribs got significantly more crowded since legs and such are bigger and more active than a head, but overall I was thrilled, since this far along the baby is unlikely to turn back. Not having to worry about a breech baby is all good.
Since then the next step I've been hoping for is for the baby to drop. First time babies will often drop a few weeks in advance, and at this point I would gladly trade more frequent pit stops for more breathing room. I think the baby has teased me a couple of times, going into my pelvis and then coming back out. The books, and our birthing class, have talked about the pelvic stations, which go from -3 at the top of the pelvis to +4 when crowning. When the top of the baby's head reaches 0 (which matches up with some nob in the pelvis) it is "engaged" and unlikely to move (up or down) any more until labor. Right now the baby feels a little low, but I'm no longer convinced it will last. Still I'll enjoy being able to breath deeply while I can.
I'm over 37 weeks along so if the baby were born tonight, it would be full term. In some ways this is wonderful, glorious news. Pregnancy has been an interesting and overall rewarding experience, but I'm also beginning to feel like I've been pregnant forever and I really miss being able to easily tie my shoes. I also absolutely long for the days when I can sleep on my back again. So I'm glad that we're reaching the end of this pregnancy gig. On the other hand, not being pregnant anymore means that we'll have a real live baby. We, in fact, could have a real live baby at any time (though first babies are more likely to be late than early, so we've probably got a few weeks yet) The prospect of being able to meet and hold our baby fills me with equal parts excitement and terror. On a lot of levels I just don't feel ready. There are a hundred and one things I would like to do before the baby comes (I'd really rather not miss my own shower for example) and I've pretty much got this pregnancy thing figured out, wheres having a baby is a whole different kettle of fish. Actually becoming a mom is a scary prospect. At the same time I want to meet my baby. I want to count her fingers and toes, and find out if she is a she. I want to try out this whole nursing thing, and just touch my baby's skin. I want this miracle I've been participating in to come fully and undeniably to life. So I'm feeling very torn between impatiently awaiting labor, and hoping that the baby holds on for a while longer.
A book on motherhood that I read recently had an interesting quote--"Romantic love is about two becoming one, motherly love is about one becoming two." Perhaps that explains my ambivalence about this pregnancy coming to an end more than anything else.
Also in other baby-type news, we finally took pictures of my belly and put a couple in our online album. I'm constantly amazed at how huge my belly is, especially since my other proportions haven't changed much.
The Sunday after New Years the baby turned, going from head up to head down. My ribs got significantly more crowded since legs and such are bigger and more active than a head, but overall I was thrilled, since this far along the baby is unlikely to turn back. Not having to worry about a breech baby is all good.
Since then the next step I've been hoping for is for the baby to drop. First time babies will often drop a few weeks in advance, and at this point I would gladly trade more frequent pit stops for more breathing room. I think the baby has teased me a couple of times, going into my pelvis and then coming back out. The books, and our birthing class, have talked about the pelvic stations, which go from -3 at the top of the pelvis to +4 when crowning. When the top of the baby's head reaches 0 (which matches up with some nob in the pelvis) it is "engaged" and unlikely to move (up or down) any more until labor. Right now the baby feels a little low, but I'm no longer convinced it will last. Still I'll enjoy being able to breath deeply while I can.
I'm over 37 weeks along so if the baby were born tonight, it would be full term. In some ways this is wonderful, glorious news. Pregnancy has been an interesting and overall rewarding experience, but I'm also beginning to feel like I've been pregnant forever and I really miss being able to easily tie my shoes. I also absolutely long for the days when I can sleep on my back again. So I'm glad that we're reaching the end of this pregnancy gig. On the other hand, not being pregnant anymore means that we'll have a real live baby. We, in fact, could have a real live baby at any time (though first babies are more likely to be late than early, so we've probably got a few weeks yet) The prospect of being able to meet and hold our baby fills me with equal parts excitement and terror. On a lot of levels I just don't feel ready. There are a hundred and one things I would like to do before the baby comes (I'd really rather not miss my own shower for example) and I've pretty much got this pregnancy thing figured out, wheres having a baby is a whole different kettle of fish. Actually becoming a mom is a scary prospect. At the same time I want to meet my baby. I want to count her fingers and toes, and find out if she is a she. I want to try out this whole nursing thing, and just touch my baby's skin. I want this miracle I've been participating in to come fully and undeniably to life. So I'm feeling very torn between impatiently awaiting labor, and hoping that the baby holds on for a while longer.
A book on motherhood that I read recently had an interesting quote--"Romantic love is about two becoming one, motherly love is about one becoming two." Perhaps that explains my ambivalence about this pregnancy coming to an end more than anything else.
Also in other baby-type news, we finally took pictures of my belly and put a couple in our online album. I'm constantly amazed at how huge my belly is, especially since my other proportions haven't changed much.