So, I hit the 37 week mark......and now I'm ready to be done being pregnant--see explanation below.
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I thought I was going into labor on Sunday, waking up at 3:30 am with pretty steady, mild intensity, contractions that lasted throughout the day. They didn't get any stronger or regularly time-able--the interval between contractions was variable anywhere from a minute or so to an hour. When I checked my handout from my doctor, it called them "warm up contractions" that can be an early sign of labor. I guess I missed the words "can be" and thought they were different (because of their steadiness and the length of time they spanned) than the Braxton Hicks contractions I had previously experienced.
I am a {little} disappointed, because I got excited and then the big event didn't happen. Boo. They were pretty tiring too, after each contraction it seemed that Declan would get mad at being squeezed and would "thrash about" for a while, sometimes until the next one, or he would push with his feet/butt against the top of my uterus, creating uncomfortable pressure. I just tried to relax and "roll with it." What I guess I really hope my body accomplished is that I'll be more effaced or dilated at my next check up on Friday. Also, I suppose I should be careful what I pray for, as I asked God for more BH contractions to accomplish more "progress" before going into labor...
It also seems that my baby belly is "sliding or slipping" off of my body--dramatic change in the position of my belly to the point where my mom and aunt noticed a change overnight! I would assume this means Declan has dropped further, though it doesn't feel like his head is that much further into my pelvis. I do notice that it is even more difficult to walk and to stand for more than a few minutes. It is more difficult to get comfortable at night and to motivate myself to get up and move around during the day. I pretty much just want to sit like a bump on a pickle.
It is a little more difficult now that I'm so close and don't have Christmas to focus on anymore--Declan's arrival is the next BIG event (aside from Ryan's birthday, which I've already finished my shopping for--thank you Amazon.com's Prime account!). So, that is what I suppose I'm focusing on more. I have noticed I am more emotional {insert random crying breakdown here} and fighting irritation and restlessness--I don't want to just sit around but it's too tiring to do anything, especially anything that requires a lot of brain power or is outside our home. I'm tired of expecting this big, scary life change and am ready to tackle it head-on--the anxiety increases in the "waiting". Waiting has never been my strong suit...
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Just about everything that can be ready for Declan is ready...his room is as ready as it is going to be--if the violin and a sign don't get on the wall RIGHT NOW, he won't notice it and I'm sure it won't make a difference to me for a loooooooong time. I think I have everything I need for him (again, thank you Amazon.com!). I have my hospital bag pretty much ready--I organized it yesterday and so feel better about it than when I was just randomly stuffing items into it when I would remember that I wanted to take that item with me. I finished copying some Bible verses that I want to take with me to the hospital for encouragement, Ryan made a playlist of soothing music to play for me...
I made/modified four nursing tanks on Christmas, which was SUPER easy, by the way. Now I probably should try them on with my nursing bras to make sure they really do function properly. Total cost for four of them was about $15...I have another two to convert as well that were $4 each...making the total cost about $25 (including materials that I already had--needle & thread) for 6 nursing tanks. I was having trouble finding them in my size for a reasonable amount of money and when I searched the internet for "DIY nursing tank" several websites came up with reasonable instructions. It made me feel uber accomplished!
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Back to Declan: he is considered to be full term now (even though a full pregnancy is 40 weeks as discussed in a previous post), which means if he came now his lungs would likely be ready to adjust to breathe air. He weighs at least 6 1/3 pounds (I suspect more) and is about 19 inches long.
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| 37 Weeks...take 1! |
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| 37 Weeks... take 2! I couldn't figure out which pic was better...so I posted both! |
I think I look like I'm holding a BIG balloon under my shirt! Hahaha! Or Declan is reclining in an upside-down "L"! Not too much of a problem with swelling either, just a bit at the end of the day that is pretty easily taken care of by keeping my feet elevated. My brain works in random ways nowadays.
Well, that's about all I can think of to update you on for this past week...thanks for stopping by to check in on us! Have a Happy New Year!
~N~
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