Here we are, 36 weeks and 4 days, that means only 3 weeks and 3 days left!! I started my weekly appointments on Tuesday and I have been waiting for these forever! Not that the appointments are necessarily fun but they aren't bad, it just means that Ashlyn's birthday is getting closer! I know that they say that your dilation and effacement aren't very good indicators of when you will go into labor but it's still fun to know how my body is progressing. My first internal check was on Tuesday and the doc said I wasn't dilated but he could feel the baby's head and my cervix is 50% effaced. The doctor also said that if I went into labor this week they would try to stop it but if I were to go into labor next week that we would be good to go. My next appt is next Tuesday, the 8th, and I'm excited to see if anything has changed. My blood pressure was good, I think it was 106/68, that's pretty normal for me. I have discovered that when Andrew doesn't come to my appointments with me my blood pressure is always a little bit higher, the 120/70 range. lol! The baby's heartbeat was 138, the same as it was at our last appointment two weeks prior.
I can definitely tell that she is getting bigger. *rollie eyes* She likes to stick her heel into my right side and just push. I am very glad that she's not in my ribs but it still hurts! If you put your hand on my side you can feel the little circle of her heel moving around.... well I'm assuming it's her heel based on where her head is and what position she is most likely in. She also likes to push on my left side just barely above my hip bone. It's really weird when she does that because it feels like she is going to put her hand or whatever it is between my skin and my hip bone.
I still feel good. No swelling or contractions (that I feel). I have the normal back aches and a tired body but I think I am probably getting off easy. I started waddling (or wobbling as I like to say) about a week ago. Some days are worse than others, depends on how heavy she is that day, but I did notice that my thighs don't rub together as much when I walk so I think that means my hips are spreading.... not that they aren't wide enough already! Lol! My wedding ring still fits and I even wore high heels the other day with no issues!! :) My boobs are leaking, they've been leaking for almost two months now I think. It's really strange to me still but I guess it goes with the territory. We are not going to breastfeed so I'm worried about when my milk comes in, it's supposed to be super painful and since I'm already leaking so much I'm worried I'll have a lot of milk come in. :( My eyesight is still getting worse. I won't drive at night unless I absolutely have to and it's really hard for me to read the TV guide from the couch. Even though I don't have a ton of pain and discomfort I am very excited to have my body back to myself. Mom bought me a pre-natal massage and I am SO excited for it! I still need to schedule it but I can't wait. :) I feel like I've been more ornery and grumpy the past few days. I don't know if it's because I'm getting more uncomfortable and tired or if it's just nerves and me being anxious for her to be here. I really would love to just lay in bed until she gets here.
Here is a pic of my belly from today:
Andrew and I bought a new car last night! It's a black 2006 MazdaSpeed6 and her name is Delilah. She is super fun and I'm glad that we got her before Ashlyn got here. I loved my Grand Cherokee to death but it was a 1999 and we were worried that she was going to start having problems and be more expensive to maintain. So we got a new car that will be more reliable and will last us for the next few years. Now we just need to put the car seat base in the backseat. :) I also need to finish packing Ashlyn's diaper bag and my hospital bag. I think I have pretty much everything I need for my bag but I need to make sure it's all in there and ready to go.
I think that's all for now but I will do my best to make a new post on Tuesday with another update. Cross your fingers!!
Your Baby in Week 37 of Pregnancy
Congratulations! You've got what is officially considered a full-term baby, even with three weeks to go. That doesn't mean he's finished growing — in fact, he's still packing on about a half pound a week (at this age, the average fetus weighs about 6.5 pounds). That makes it a little crowded in your uterus, so he’s probably not kicking as much, though he’s probably stretching, rolling a bit, and wiggling (all of which you’ll be able to feel!). Right now, your little superstar is busy rehearsing for his big debut, inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid (to get the lungs ready for that first breath), sucking his thumb (to prepare for that first suckle of milk), blinking, and turning from side to side.
Your Body in Week 37 of Pregnancy
Your body is going through its own preparations for childbirth as your practitioner starts looking for signs of labor. On the checklist: the baby's position in relation to your pelvis (engagement) and whether effacement (thinning of the cervix) and dilation (opening of the cervix) have begun. Your practitioner may also determine whether your cervix has begun to soften and move to the front of the vagina, another indication that labor is getting closer. Keep in mind that these processes can occur gradually (over a period of weeks or even a month or more in some women) or overnight. So while they're clues that you're indeed progressing, they're far from sure bets when it comes to pinpointing the actual start of labor
