Pregnancy: 38 weeks!

We're almost there!  I mean- it could be any day now which is the thrilling part- right?!

I feel more crampy contractions lately.  I'm hoping they hold off for another week before they really turn into something serious though.  I'm holding out for an 11/11/11 (and head-down) baby!  We'll see.

It's kind of surreal even talking about when he might come because I still can't grasp that we're really going to have another baby. I'm actually going to go into labor and I'm really going to push out a baby and get to hold him and take him home.  I think it's even more surreal this time because I've not had the chance to really focus on that part of it like we did during Owen's pregnancy.  I'm too busy with Owen and housework and projects.... But indeed, there will be a baby at the end of this.  I won't just stay pregnant forever.

We have the crib set up in the boys' room and Owen's custom blanket came in the mail!  Once I add a few finishing touches to the room I'll post some photos.  The room is still very much in transition from gender neutral (how it was with just Owen) to ALL BOY.  I'm so excited!  We also finished up a few projects around the house and are feeling much more prepared now!

I am in a TON of pain this week.  I'm really quite miserable and can hardly do anything besides quietly shuffle around the house.  It's mostly pubic joint pain (YOWZA it's awful!) and also sore muscles from vomiting (gross) as well as doing all sorts of crazy inversions and crawling around on my hands and knees trying to get baby to turn.  I can hardly walk!  I'm truly a sad sight to see.  My midwives were not happy to see me in such a state... But hopefully once my muscles heal I'll be in far less pain.

My appointment this week was good.  Maternal-fetal medicine recommended that we start doing growth scans, BPPs and NSTs last week, but since my numbers have been good I opted to just schedule a BPP/NST (glorified ultrasound, in layman's terms) for my 40th week if I haven't popped him out yet.  My midwife thinks that's a great plan.  She palpated my tummy and he doesn't seem too big or too small, and he is very active so I'm not at all worried about him.  (The check-in where we diagnosed him as breech was two days later...)

Usually cervical checks start at 37 weeks but my midwife does not offer them until 40 and I have not requested one yet.  I think perhaps next week I will ask for a cervical check and, if dilated, a "stretch and sweep".  If you don't know what that is, don't ask.  It *could* get things going, it also might not.  We'll see if it's even a possibility first, so don't get too excited!  I won't do the S&S unless baby turns, of course.

I chose my preferred birthing suite and we're all set as far as labor is concerned.  The only thing my midwife cautioned me about was my SPD (pubic joint pain) during labor.  There are positions to avoid so as not to cause serious trauma or damage.  She also mentioned that a lot of mothers find the pain during labor to be even greater than the pain of contractions.  Um.  Yikes.  I have talked to a fair amount of mothers with SPD though and they have had good experiences with it during labor.  It seems if I know my limitations for positions, try to get in the tub for some water therapy (planned on it anyway), and push in a few optimal positions that I will be okay.  Here's hoping.  I think I'll just have to plan on staying in the water (I did anyway) as long as baby is doing okay.  It seems birthing "on land" is less comfortable for this particular issue.

Teaser: It will be pretty cool for him to be birthed in the water because his name's meaning is a reference to some sort of water... sorry that's vague.  Wouldn't want to give it away :-)

Anyway, so I guess you can say the shine has worn off.  I'm in terrible pain, but still not uncomfortable being pregnant, if that makes sense.  I don't feel huge or cumbersome.  I'm hurting, but I'm used to it.  All that to say, I'm still not in a huge hurry to get this over with.  Funny, because most people that talk to me assume I'm "so done" and I just sort of laugh and say, no, not really.  We're still patient and quite zen about the whole thing.  He'll come just as soon as he's ready and that's okay with us.


I wrote a lot of that post before we found out he was breech.  It's kind of sad to read it now because I'm not sure that I will get that gentle birth experience that I so badly want for me and my baby.  I know there is still a good chance, and that everything will turn out fine (positive attitude!) but we are also exploring other options right now, just in case, since we're so far along.  I've been speaking with a home-birth midwife and K and I have been discussing what it would look like to be in a hospital whether planned or for an emergency c-section.


I can't tell you how difficult it is to be *thisclose* to a c-section.  What I mean is that I've never had reason to believe that it was ever a threat, in either pregnancy.  Now it seems like a worst-case scenario that I should prepare myself for.  I will be writing a birth plan of sorts so that Kraig knows what to tell the doctors *if* a c-section becomes necessary.  It would include mother- and baby- friendly things such as allowing skin time with me or Kraig if possible, keeping baby with Kraig (again, if possible) while I am in recovery, initiating breastfeeding ASAP, absolutely NO sugar water, formula only if absolutely required, etc.  AGAIN- I do NOT think I will need a c-section and we are doing everything possible to avoid it, including staying positive!  But I would be remiss not to have a plan.


I had an acupuncture/moxibustion appointment yesterday and we have been continuing the moxa treatments here at home.  They encourage movement, they don't CAUSE him to move immediately though.  So we're being patient with that.  Stats show that external versions are more successful if moxa has been done for 4-5 days prior to the ECV so we'll see!  I've been reading lots of successful ECV stories and trying to remain hopeful.  


We're basically just in a holding pattern, though, and I feel like after Wednesday we'll have a lot more to discuss and possibly some hard decisions to make.  We always have the option of just going into labor and seeing if he can/will/did turn at that point.  If so, we can proceed as planned.  If not.... well..... we'll see.