Week 39 and 40: The Final Weeks (Late Posts Capturing Final Thoughts Before Delivery)

NOTE: Yes, this post is late, but I wanted to share my thoughts from weeks 39 and 40.

Week 39 (December 26, 2014 – January 2, 2015): Is it REALLY a GIRL!?

 

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays! I know we did! I have to say that after visiting family this week, I’m sort of second guessing the sex of my baby. While the ultrasounds clearly show a girl (or the non-existence of necessary male part), my body shows otherwise.

This week several people have pointed out that my body looks as if it’s carrying a boy. Instead of high, and all around, I’m carrying low and out. From the back I barely look pregnant. While I find it flattering, the constant comments are causing anxiety to set in. What if it IS a boy!? What if the ultrasound technicians “missed” something? What do I do with all this girly stuff (since no one sells gender neutral products nowadays)? Could multiple ultrasounds really be wrong!? Then I think about all the symptoms I’ve had throughout this pregnancy, specifically those that point to “girl”, and I know I must be having a girl.

For starters, right before I found I was pregnant, I suffered from serious back acne; a symptom I contribute to the change in hormones. I also became extremely emotional and I still am today. I cry so easily unlike before and my emotions can be all over the place at times. I highly doubt testosterone would make me this sappy. But the most obvious symptom that screams high estrogen production aka girl baby is the lack of hair on my legs and armpits. In the beginning, my belly grew so much dark, thick hair, I looked like I had a very manly beer gut. Now, the hair on my belly is barely visible and the hair on my legs and armpits grow thinly at a very, very slow rate. I have gone weeks without shaving because my legs still feel and look smooth. Only the increased hormones from a baby girl can do that, right!?

Either way, I’m still holding off on washing clothes and opening products until after baby is born. You would think my natural instincts would tell me boy or girl, but I was so sure I was having a boy until the ultrasounds showed a girl. That moment killed all my confidence. I could no longer trust my own instincts which is why I’m here now confused as crap. Ahhh!

Oh well. On another note, this week’s appointment was sort of disappointing. I went in hoping for good news that the baby was head down and engaged but instead we discovered a baby who was still floating freely…so freely that she seemed to have flipped back to breech! While I was a bit disappointed, my midwife and birthing team reminded me that having enough room for baby to move was a good thing. They also reminded me that I flipped her once I can flip her again, so home I went to study more on spinningbabies.com. Inversions and daily belly mapping will be on my daily to-do list until I either go into labor or until my next appointment. Here’s to hoping I can flip baby back to the head down position, get this little booger engaged and labor started before 41 weeks!

The rest of my appointment went well. We did draw my blood to test my iron levels. Fingers crossed that my levels have significantly improved. (THEY DID!! Thank you liver and Floradix!)

My Stats:

• Urine: Good!
• Blood Pressure: 110/68
• Weight: 155lbs
• Measuring: 37cm – this is most likely due to the change in her position
• Baby’s Position: Breeched Posterior?? Boo!
• Baby’s HR: Strong!

For the remainder of the week, I spent my time nesting and food prepping for labor day. Yes, I said food prepping! It’s important to nourish your body and stay hydrated during labor and after delivery. A couple of popular recipes to have on hand include labor aid, a yummy sweet drink that helps restore electrolytes and provide an important nutrient, calcium magnesium, that helps the muscles function – muscles that will be used during labor and delivery! Another awesome recipe to have on hand: groaning muffins. These delicious muffins are sweet, fragrant, and nutrient and calorie dense. They are perfect for pregnancy, labor, postpartum and while nursing. I’m slowly making multiple batches to freeze for during and after labor. So good!

Other foods to have pre-prepped and on hand include ice chips made with coconut water or red raspberry leaf tea, a hearty meal to heat up and enjoy right after delivery and most importantly, food for your birthing team! They gotta eat too ya know J

Groaning Muffins for the Win!

 

Now that everything’s prepped all I have left to do is wait; and well continue hypnobirthing, massaging my perineum and keeping the house cleaned!

Week 40….or is it 39? (January 2 – January 11, 2015): The FINAL Week!

Well, my due date has passed and still no baby yet. I was so sure she would be born on her due date considering my first daughter was born on hers. I guess she will come on her own time. She has shown to have a mind of her own. Lord help me. Ha!

This week’s appointment was very similar to my last. We checked my blood pressure, urine, weight and of course the baby’s position. To our surprise baby girl had engaged! However, WHAT was engaged was still to be decided. Every time my midwife and assistant tried to check her position, baby girl would wiggle and move all over. My midwife guessed it was her head that was engaged and not her buttocks considering most breeched babies do not engage until labor begins, but with this baby, nothing was impossible. Again, she has a mind of her own.

My midwife finally received my records and after noticing that I had an ultrasound at 7 weeks has decided to go with the OB’s due date of January 13^th. This gives me 10 extra days til I’m truly considered full term.  This also means we still have a due date that can be met. Maybe she’ll be born on the 13^th! Wouldn’t that be crazy! I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

My Stats:

• Urine: Good! Still producing antibodies which I have come to find out is associated with my consumption of gluten which can be found in my groaning muffins. Who knew!
• Blood Pressure: 105/66
• Weight: 156lbs
• Measuring: 39 cm
• Baby’s HR: 140’s
• Position: ROP and engaged

I left my appointment happy and excited. Being engaged only meant baby was coming soon! My nerves began to set in as I realized I could go into labor at any moment. Am I physically and mentally prepared for this? Yes and no. But at this point there’s NO turning back. It’s now or never. I didn’t come all this way to back out now. I have a good reason to be anxious and nervous considering I’ve never been in real labor, but that’s why this experience is going to be worth it. I finally get to experience the true strength, will power and endurance God has given me as a woman. Plus, I have a few people to prove wrong….haha!! ;)

Well, here’s to hoping baby girl arrives before the 13^th. While being pregnant has been such a fun, amazing and dare I say quite comfortable ride, I’m totally ready to see this baby!!! Bring on the labor!

As for my diet, exercise and symptoms:

Diet

I'm obsessed with cuties aka clementines. So juicy, sweet, slightly tart and refreshing. Plus they're super easy to grab when in a rush. I've also been craving smoothies again. My fave combo right now includes 2 frozen bananas, 1 cup frozen mango, almond milk, 3 Tbsp of hemp seeds and a handful of greens! Nom nommy! For lunch and dinner, it's always a warm meal. Mushrooms and peas with quinoa, cooked greens, pan seared tempeh are just a few of my faves.

 

Exercise

Still walking my pup! He's gotten so big!!

 

Symptoms

Besides Braxton Hicks contractions, my main issue has been back pain. My lower back is always sore and achy. My midwife and doula recommend a chiro for an adjustment. I think they're right. :)

*Beth*

Week 28 and 29: We have a Midwife!!! Home birth bound.

P.S. I know this is a month late…better late than never!

The past two weeks have been extremely exciting! For starters, my husband and I made a final decision to go with a home/water birth and chose a midwife who we both absolutely adore!

For the past several months - actually, ever since I started this pregnancy journey - the desire for a home/water birth sat on the sidelines as I attempted to manage the diagnosed, “high-risk” situation I was in. As I inched closer and closer to my delivery date, my anxiety increased as I debated on how exactly I would talk to my OB about my desires for a natural birth. Our discussion about alternate glucose testing didn’t go well, so I could only imagine what sort of response I would receive when I handed him my birth plan to look over. My requirements were extensive and completely “out-of-the-norm”. I just knew that very few would truly be met. However, no matter how anxious I got, I stuck with the OB because I felt that being in a “high-risk” situation, it was the right thing to do for the safety of my baby.

Then I met a wonderful friend who enlightened me more about home births and recommended a few midwives to contact and consider. After contacting our chosen midwife, I discovered that my condition, unless severe, is not really a high-risk situation at all. While we do not know the actual length of the septum that forms my bicornuate uterus, we’re positive it’s not long enough to cause any damage to me or my baby’s development. Yep, all this time, I could have had a less stressful, WAY less expensive pregnancy. I mean, I’m grateful that the doctors were being cautious and I no doubt, enjoyed seeing my baby girl every couple of weeks, but the amount of anxiety I had to endure and the amount of money that I had to put out was not worth it at all. Lesson learned. This alone validated my decision to switch to a midwife; even if I did have to put more money out. At least I knew I would finally be in the care of women who truly CARE about me, my body and my baby and follow the same traditional methods that I so strongly believe in.

After making this decision, finding our wonderful midwife and finally making the switch, I have to say that I am BEYOND relieved. The birth plan is basically out the window (for the most part); our midwife has been paid in full so I have no more financial worries (except for getting reimbursed from insurance – that’s a story for another day); and last, I can actually enjoy preparing for my birth! I couldn’t be happier!

Besides choosing a midwife, I not only had my first appt with my midwife but I also had my babyshower! I told you it was an exciting two weeks. J

 

Week 28

As I mentioned above, the first thing we did this week was choose our midwife, Kim Haines, midwife and owner of Barefoot Journey Midwifery and Co-Op. After meeting with Kim at our free consultation, my husband and I both agreed that she was the perfect candidate for the new ‘provider’ position. Her personality was catchy, she was easy to talk to as well as to understand, and we both loved her attention to details. Oh, and her price? Incomparable. Just looking at her website you get an idea of all the services you get for one set price. When you consider how much you fork up for prenatal care and for a hospital birth, THIS is nothing! AND if you can work it right, you may actually get partially reimbursed by your insurance company. So basically, at the end of the day, I’m paying very little for the best care that I actually WANT! How can you say “No” to that? You don’t. J

 

 

 

Week 29

The following weekend after meeting and choosing my midwife, I had my babyshower! When my mom first mentioned a babyshower a month or so back, I was a bit hesitant since this was my second child and I didn’t want to look greedy. After having it though, I’m so glad we went ahead with it! It was just a small get together with family and friends that turned out to be a huge success thanks to my mom’s efforts and fabulous party planning skills. That day I couldn’t have been more blessed…and more tired! HAHA.

 

 

Oh, and the overwhelming amount of gifts! It made me realize that I still  have a lot to do to prep for this baby. Aaaah!

The next day I had my first appointment with my wonderful midwife! We went over all the details of our contract and discussed sort of how things would go from now until the day I deliver. She taught me how to test my urine for certain things such as proteins and we tested my glucose via a finger prick which turned out to be perfect. She then had me lie down flat on my back in order to feel where the baby was positioned.  Come to find out the little booger is not only diagonally breeched, but she’s also in the OP, or Occiput Posterior, position. In other words, her bum is down towards my pelvis and she’s facing outward towards my belly button as opposed to inward towards my spine. What does this mean!? Well, not much now, but if she remains like this and doesn’t move into the right position, then momma is going to be doing some serious body work to get her to adjust. It also means I made the perfect decision to go with a midwife. At least I know she’ll deliver a breeched baby if necessary. The OB would send my butt straight to the ER for a C-Section. THAT was NOT gonna happen!  

While lying down we also listened to the baby’s heart beat using a fetoscope, which was unique and different. Instead of hearing the loud, rhythmic heartbeat that you get with a doppler, I heard a faint, muffled heartbeat straight from the womb. That made the fact that I’m carrying a tiny human being so much more real! It was amazing! Thankfully, I was able to hold back my happy tears as to not scare my midwife, but honestly to hear my baby girl’s heartbeat in that way pulled the deepest strings of my heart. I fell so much more in love with her that day and my excitement to soon see her, grew dramatically.  Can’t wait!

Other notes from my appointment include:

• Weight – 144 Lbs
• Blood Pressure – 116/70
• Due Date – January 2^nd (Yes, we’re currently going with my LMP)

By the end of my appointment I had a list of fun things to do:

• Visit Spinningbabies.com and practice moves to get the baby to move into the optimal position
• Schedule an all-day natural birthing class
• Massage my perineum to prevent tearing

I also added:

• Continue practicing hypnobirthing techniques
• Complete billing paperwork for insurance reimbursement
• Figure out which oils to purchase for labor and delivery
• Rest and relax!

That last one is still a toughy, but I’m learning.

 

 

 

 

As for the rest....

My Diet

Breakfast: Kombucha, yogurt parfaits, overnight oats and an occasional smoothie

Lunch: Salads galore!

Dinner: Cooked greens, potatoes, squash and veggies usually with rice

Snacks: Apples and nut butter, bananas, dried fruit, raw trail mix, popcorn

Cravings: Anything salty, fresh, baked bread, cheese and chocolate. Horrible!

My Exercise Routine

Nothing is better than a ½ mile walk with my pup. I’m also doing some stretching when I can.

 

 

 

Pregnancy Symptoms 

The baby moves frequently which I love to feel. The pressure of the weight, however, has caused a lot of hip and pelvic pain. Stretching seems to give some relief but honestly, I think it’s just all part of the fun.  Gotta love it!

Short and sweet. Nothing to complain about. Nothing to brag about either. Just cruising along on the pregnancy boat. Our final destination is not too far away!

Wohoo!

Beth