Scrapbooking

I had such a great day off yesterday. I did everything I said I would: nap, exercise, clean, relax, scrapbook, and take care of a few things around the house.

I would LOVE to finish my weekly pregnancy pages before Sunday. I'm making progress, and am SO appreciative for this time before baby arrives. Here are two pages that I completed yesterday:

April 17th

The decision has been made. After meeting with our doctor and getting the latest info we have decided to go for an induction on April 17th (at 41 weeks). The plan is to start with Cervadil (which softens the cervix to allow it to dilate) for 12 hours overnight, and then possibly use pitocin / break my water in the morning.

We didn't make this decision lightly. We are not pro-induction. However, giving the information we had, we decided it was the best choice for a number of reasons.

That being said, we are still holding out hope that Little will arrive on her own terms before Sunday. I'm doing all I can to encourage her to do so. I know that it is possible that my body could go into labor and go from 0-60 very fast. Just because I don't have any progress so far, doesn't mean that couldn't change quickly. I'm hoping it does.

At the suggestion of some Mama-to-be friends on Twitter, I've been trying visualization all day today. I can picture the baby dropping in my body, and coming out with out any problems. I have a very clear image of the doctor holding her up for me to see just after she makes her entrance. I firmly believe it is possible, and I hope the possibility becomes a reality.

I'm not religious, but something a coworker said to me the other day really stuck with me. We were talking about when Little might arrive, and she said, "Man plans, God decides". I fully agree. Whether you believe in God, another higher power, or the power of the Universe, this phrase can have meaning. It certainly does for me. We may have an induction scheduled, we may have plans for how it will go, but ultimately it is not up to us. I trust that things will go well and turn out exactly as they are meant to be.

Decision day

We have our 40 week appointment today. I’m not sure what’s gonna happen, but I’m pretty sure some big decisions are going to be made. I will have a cervical check and then we will talk to the dr. about my “narrow pelvis” and tailbone issue and go from there. 40 weeks of pregnancy, and its all come down to this appointment. Should I go back to work tomorrow, or call it done until after my leave is up? Will I be induced? Should I be induced? How long do I want to wait this out?

Seriously, so much to consider and it’s making me a bit crazy at the moment. I am so thankful I have maintained my patience and sense of calm as much as I possibly can. I’m happy that I’ve been reading and learning, and that I have so much knowledge to help me make an informed decision. Most importantly, I am beyond grateful to have a Hubby who will be right there by my side helping make the decisions that are best for our entire family.

Week 39 wrap up

Week 39 - the last week before my due date. Great week, with the exception of a few off moments.

• Little weighs as much as a mini-watermelon
• Did a much better job of "labor prep" this week: RRL tea, walking, sitting on ball
• Baby movements are so intense, and I feel them much more often throughout the day
• Feeling like Little could arrive at any moment
• Getting ready for work is tough. I'd rather be vegging out at home, but appreciate the distraction that my job brings.
• First frustrating dr. appt and new info that may change my birth plans. Letting this play out, and then will make decisions.
• No stretch marks on belly, but I do have a few on hips and boobs. Considering myself lucky, but knowing I could still get them at any time.
• Physically and emotionally feeling pretty darn good
• Getting used to the physical limitations of pregnancy and not letting them get me down
• Starting to think about / try natural ways to induce labor. Nothing crazy though, and NO castor oil!
• Oddly enough, I really thought Little was going to come yesterday. So much for maternal instinct on that one! ;)
• Bought some non-maternity clothes for after Little arrives. Felt good to get some post baby stuff.

 

Zen Mama to Be

Throughout this pregnancy, I referred to my goal to be a “Zen Mama to Be”. I’m sure I’m the only one who truly understands what the heck I am talking about. (Hey, welcome to my world.)

From the beginning, I’ve wanted to handle this pregnancy with as much grace as I could muster up. This is very likely the only time I will ever be pregnant. I needed to enjoy the process as much a possible, despite that fact that it can be pretty darn challenging at times. I wanted to NOT complain, but to accept the ups and the downs. I know I am blessed to have this experience. Not every woman can. Some women try for years and years and just aren’t able. I know I really shouldn’t take a moment for granted.

I guess in a nutshell, that is what being a Zen Mama means to me. Calm. Rational. Appreciative. Accepting.

So did I get there? Was I a “Zen Mama to Be”? Heck no. I’ve had many bad moments. I’ve complained. I’ve cried. I’ve been taken over by hormonal-driven emotions on numerous occasions. Hey, it happens. But you know what? Despite all of that, I think I’ve handled this pregnancy well. I’ve faced the challenges and kept on trucking. My attitude has been positive more often than not. I haven’t forgotten for a single second that I am truly blessed to be pregnant. Even more so to have had a healthy pregnancy. I may not have been “Zen” every moment of the last 39 weeks, but I most certainly have had many Zen moments, days, and even weeks. And I’m very proud of myself for that.

Week 39 musings

I’ve been feeling decent this week. I worried each week would get tougher than the last, but that really hasn’t been the case for me. The past few weeks, I have felt about the same as I have since 36 weeks. (Basically achy and uncomfortable, but nothing unbearable or out of the ordinary.) Granted, there are still acrobatics required to get in and out of bed, or to tie my shoes, or to do many everyday things, but I think at this point I am just used to it.

So what’s on my mind this week? I wonder if the baby is big. Not getting ultrasounds, I don’t know if she’s small or gigantic. It’s something I think about often and will be really surprised when I finally get to know.

I’ve been more diligent about my labor prep this week. Going on walks, drinking my Red Raspberry Leaf Tea, and sitting / bouncing on the exercise ball. I’m hoping these will pay off with an easier labor.

I’m feeling pretty prepared for Little’s arrival. Granted, the house isn’t as clean as I’d like it to be, but I feel like everything that is super important is done or can be done quickly if need be. We have yet to pack our hospital bag, or install the car seat. These things don’t stress me out at all. We live 4 minutes from the hospital and Hubby can go back for anything we’ve forgotten. Little and I will be in the hospital for a few days, and the car seat can be installed then.

I think Hubby, my family, and close friends are getting impatient. Much more so than me. I get frequent check ins from them seeing if anything is happening yet. Nope, not yet. Could be soon. Could be in two weeks. Who knows.

I will say that although I’m still pretty patient that hasn’t stopped me from googling “natural ways to induce labor”. It’s not that I want baby out NOW. Not at all. But I don’t think there’s any harm in trying to get things to progress. Per Google, spicy foods, walking, pineapple, and “relations” can get labor started. Guess what we’re doing this weekend? All of the above.

Nesting

So here I am at 39 weeks and I think I’ve yet to experience the “nesting” thing. I’m pretty sure it’s just not in my blood. 

I remember first hearing about nesting about 10 years ago at work. A woman on my team was pregnant and was explaining it to me. I’d honestly never even heard the term before then.

I know that since the beginning of this pregnancy, I’ve wanted to get the house in order for Little’s arrival. But I have never had the compulsion to clean like a mad woman. I’ve never scrubbed anything with a toothbrush (even though there are probably things around my house that could use it). I’ve never had the urge to wash and fold and rewash Little’s things.

I’m perfectly happy that this “instinct” has passed me by (at least so far). It all sounds a little crazy to me.