38 weeks! Little leek!!

I am 38 weeks today! OFFICIALLY FULL TERM! I am so excited and so ready to have this baby. I think God designed pregnancy so that by the end of it you aren't afraid of labor because staying in THIS condition is worse than temporary labor pain that has an END!

Here is what is happening with our little one this week:

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after he's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

38 week doctor's appt... 1 cm!

Even though I won't "officially" be 38 weeks till tomorrow, I had my 38 week appointment today. The baby is healthy, has a heart rate of 156bpm. My blood pressure was up at the beginning of the appointment., 138/80 which is high for me. It went back down by the end of the appointment to 110/70, so she said we would just monitor it closely, especially since I have so much edema (swelling).

I am 1 cm dilated and 0% effaced. My doctor said I probably won't go into labor this weekend, but when she asked if I had an appointment scheduled for next week, she said, "Hopefully you won't make it!" :-) Hope! I have hope! She said it's still pretty early and before my due date so it could be a few more weeks... which I know, but my body is miserable and ready for a break!

I just keep telling myself that 1 cm is better than nothing...

If I want peace, I'll come to the King...

Every morning when I wake up, the Lord puts a song in my head... I love it. I awake each new day with praise in my head and my heart, and it is always a message from my Savior that I need to hear.

The song this morning was "Anchor of my soul" by Telecast. We sang it in church this past Sunday (our church started having evening services again... yay!), and I had never heard it before. Here is the part that I awoke singing this morning:

And if I want love I'll come to the cross
And if I want life I'll count this life lost
Anchor of my soul, don't let me drift away
And if I want peace I'll come to the King
And if I want release then You'll have to be
The anchor of my soul, don't let me drift away

Jesus, I will stay with you
I will stay with you.


What a lovely reminder of where peace and love comes from as I do laundry, mop the floors, and waddle around 9 months pregnant and often uncomfortable. Thanks Lord.

And, if anyone is paying attention, the pineapple did not induce labor. But I'm ok with that, it will happen in God's time and not mine. At least the pineapple was delicious and so very flavorful! I can't complain. :-) Nothing was lost in that experiment, and I at least got some good vitamins out of it.

Pineapple, anyone?

Tonight I am eating some fresh pineapple I got from the store... there is a rumor out there that eating it can naturally induce labor (only if your body is ready for it though, so no worries, I'm not doing anything drastic!). Here is some info on how it works:

Bromelain is an enzyme that naturally occurs in pineapple. It is believed to work like a prostaglandin, which aids in the ripening and softening of the cervix. This enzyme is only present in fresh pineapple, and not in canned or jarred pineapple. After the pineapple has been cut and time passes, the enzyme diminishes; if you are trying to induce labor, only eat fresh pineapple.


I had to look up a video online on how to cut fresh pineapple. They said to turn it upside down in the fridge for 30 minutes before cutting to let the sugars seep down to the top. After hearing this, I immediately called to Eliot in the other room and asked if he could go to the fridge and turn my pineapple over. He's such a sweet guy he actually did it for me. :-) You see, to do it myself would require 20 or so excruciating steps to and from the fridge, after which I'd just have to sit down and wait to cut it for 30 min. So it was much easier for Eliot to come from the office and turn my pineapple over than for me to waddle on over there in pain to do it.

Like my pregnancy logic? Yeah, me too. :-)

Off to eat some pineapple! Worse case scenario, I get some extra vitamins and fruit in my diet. Not too shabby.

37 weeks! Little swiss chard!!

I am 37 weeks today and officially (by most standards) full term! Woohoo! Let's get this kiddo out into the world! I am SO uncomfortable... I can barely walk because of the pain in my pelvis, and last night my hip and back pain was so unbearable I couldn't sleep on either side comfortably. Alright, baby, any time you're ready...

Here is what is happening with our kiddo this week:

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Doctor's appointment

I had a doctor's appointment today, and everything is normal. She said there's nothing we can really do right now but wait. She also mentioned that she didn't think he'd be coming in the next week, but the pelvic pressure is a good sign. I was also told to get lots of rest and not let myself get exhausted. NOT a problem... I hate moving off the couch even a little bit these days!

So... the wait continues. I will be 37 weeks tomorrow, I'll post more then.

Dropping the baby

Or rather, I think the baby might have dropped (I didn't drop the kid, I promise!). :-)

Ever since late last night and all day today I've been having a lot more pressure in my pelvis, and it feel like someone kicked my cervix with a football cleat (ouch!). It is the worst when I walk around, but I seem to do ok sitting (I'm not comfortable, but then again I'm never comfortable these days). I am also breathing easier today, which I heard is also a sign of the baby dropping.

You can't really tell much from looking at me, but I heard that is common with women who carry low to begin with or have longer torsos. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow after a WIC breastfeeding class, so we'll see what the doctor says.

Here is more info on what the baby dropping means:

You may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to "drop" down into your pelvis. This process — called lightening — often happens a few weeks before labor if this is your first baby. (If you've given birth before, it probably won't happen before labor starts.) If your baby drops, you may also feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen, which may make walking increasingly uncomfortable, and you'll probably find that you have to pee even more frequently. If your baby is very low, you may feel lots of vaginal pressure and discomfort as well. Some women say it feels as though they're carrying a bowling ball between their legs!