40 weeks.

We made it to 40 weeks pregnant. And we’re still pregnant! It’s been SUCH a low-key week at home, which has been wonderful, especially after the hectic work pace I had been keeping since AUGUST. Michael was with me almost every day since he was pretty sick and there were snow days. I got things done in the apartment and lazed around a lot.

We didn’t go for very many walks {two, to be precise} but it was so snowy then slushy/icy then frigid. Excuses, excuses, but it might have been a good idea to try and get things going in the “let’s have this baby” department. As of yesterday, according to the midwife, there’s no progress. She cannot {nor can anyone, for that matter} predict when the baby will come but she tactfully told us that many first time mothers will go a bit over a week late. I’m completely OK with our daughter taking her time, though I’m actually feeling impatient – so maybe I’m not completely OK with it then? It’s just that we have some very special grandparents coming to visit very soon who would like to meet their first grandchild and we would like for that too…so let’s get this show on the road baby girl!

I am grateful for the week off, though. It was so nice to finally have mental space and energy to think about having a baby and being a parent – a luxury I had a hard time making time for when teaching and commuting was taking up so much of me. Thank goodness we’ll be living somewhere closer to work when the new school year begins AND that I won’t be adjusting to a new textbook/curriculum {read: basically starting from scratch}. So if we get another week still pregnant, I’ll be just as grateful, albeit a bit more impatient.

On to the details.

Shadowville still.

How far along: 40 weeks – I’m now officially post-term

Symptoms:

·      Pregnancy.

·      The carpal tunnel in my right hand hasn’t gotten worse but it hasn’t gotten much better; I’m hoping this is a miraculous “will disappear as soon as I’m no longer pregnant” sort of story.

·      I’ve had maybe a few “light” contractions, so the midwife told me, according to the crampiness I described, but she seemed to think more that it’s an irritable uterus instead; I think this is hilarious because I can envision an angry body organ shaking its fist. This irritability is just considering how huge a uterus gets at the end of pregnancy as well as all of the weight it’s schlepping around {at least seven pounds of baby plus several more pounds of other stuff}…this isn’t a painful condition, rather, I just notice it.

·      I’m still ravenous throughout the day and night. I even had several dreams in which I remarked that I was “starving” and could feel being hungry. Needless to say, I had a snack as soon as I got up the next morning.

Wait gain: 167; still losing a bit.

Size of baby: a pumpkin or a jack fruit.

Exercise: two neighborhood walks and then I walked an entire mall today {both levels}, at a decent clip today.

Milestones: we reached the “end” of a full-term pregnancy; it was great to hit weeks 36/37 and think that my baby was more likely than not completely OK and could go home right away after birth, but obviously 40 was the goal all along. It’s been a wonderful pregnancy; I’ve truly loved almost every aspect of it. I’m assuming labor/birth might not be so enjoyable but, naively perhaps, I’m so grateful for this whole experience. I realize that any subsequent pregnancies could be extremely different from this one so I’m especially thankful for it.

We also got our strollers assembled, all the cloth diapers laundered and stuffed, and bags mostly packed. Tomorrow morning the much-delayed car seat will be installed and inspected {thanks Metropolitan PD!}…we are as ready as we can be.

What I miss: not much right now! With the light at the end of the tunnel I’m feeling energized and excited.

Sex: still a girl.

Movement: it’s good and roly-poly. I’m feeling some movement way in the bottom towards my hipbones almost, which is an odd sensation.

Thoughts/questions/concerns: I have until 41 weeks and six days to be able to give birth at the birthing center vs. the hospital and to not be medically induced. I’m not worried about this timeline rather, like I mentioned, I’m feeling a tad impatient. I’d like to have our daughter here before her grandparents arrive. So, we’ve tried a few things: spicy food, walking, red raspberry leaf tea, and evening of primrose oil. Only time can tell if any of them will work so look out for an update! One thing I am able to say, though, is that I won’t try taking Castor Oil like some women do; it sounds gross gross gross.

Sleep: I’m still up every two to three hours, but I’m so used to it. Plus, I figure that my sleep will be just as broken up {if not more} soon enough, at least now it’s only needing to use the bathroom and I can go right back to sleep.

Goals: have a baby!

Random: will this be our last weekend together as two? Three, actually; I’d be remiss if I didn’t count Guinness. Again, I really am so glad I had this week. There might be a few random things I’d like to tie up around here, cleaning-wise, but baby preparation is at a good place right now as are we mentally. I’m so excited to see what this next phase of life has to bring us but I am definitely very much so continuing to enjoy my still-pregnant state.