40 Weeks!

Here I am, on my due date . . . and still no baby. Did you know that only 5% of babies actually arrive on their due dates? And how about this - the average gestational period for a first time pregnancy is 41 weeks and one day. And, technically, I am not "post term" until after 42 weeks. The normal duration of a pregnancy is generally between 38 - 42 weeks. So, I am still in the window.

It is my goal to have this baby naturally. Well, really it is my goal to have both baby and I be very healthy and happy - so if our plans fly out the window, so be it. Having said that, I am still going to advocate for a natural birth. My OB prefers to induce at 41 weeks. When I met with her yesterday I asked if we could play it by ear, day by day, once I hit 41 weeks. Thankfully, she said that she is open to that as long as we are closely monitoring the health of the baby. So, far, the baby looks great. I had an ultrasound yesterday and he/she looks wonderful. We even got a few profile pics of the little one that are just too cute!

I felt a real morale boost after the ultrasound - and extra sense of motivation to hang in there and meet this little one. I mean, I don't really have too much of a choice in the matter, but I can choose to approach the coming days as an inconvenience or I can trust that this baby will come when he/she is good and ready, and really cherish the last bit of time I have with him/her inside of me. Not to mention that Mike and I try to enjoy our time together as just us, before "baby makes three".

As much as I am willing to wait this out, I also want to avoid a medical induction if at all possible. Did you know that once pitocin is given, there is a 50% chance of a c-section? That is what I am trying to avoid. So, I started using evening primrose oil last night to help ripen the cervix, and I am working to find an acupuncturist that specializes in labor induction. I also purchased a labor tincture, which I will wait to use once I have consulted with the acupuncturist or an herbalist.

I have all sorts of other thoughts and feelings going on right now, but I will spare you all the details of this adventure. So, here are a few belly shots from a few hours ago - at 40 weeks:

So, there you have it - one pregnant mama eagerly awaiting the arrival of one Tiny Dancer!

Announcing . . .

The baby pool is now closed for guesses!

Ha! I bet I got your attention with that title, didn't I?

Okay, I promise, the next time I start a post with that kind of title, I won't psyche you out - it will be the real news, for sure.

I am still pregnant and Mike and I are just doing some last minute prep to get ready for the birth. I am working on getting the final items into my hospital bag, Mike will clean out the hot tub so I can do some laboring in there, and I am preparing cue cards with scripts and other helpful info for our birth team.

I am pulling a lot of information from our Bradley childbirth handbook, and even more from Birthing from Within, by Pam England and Rob Horowitz. I absolutely love this book! It has been a life saver as I come nearer to the birth of the baby. It has really served as a useful tool to keep me focused and grounded during a potentially maddening time.

Okay, gotta get myself running . . . still more to do!

p.s. I posted this on Facebook, but if you aren't on there, here is a picture of the baby's room, ready to go:

Odds & Ends

First off, thanks to everyone who added their guess to Tiny Dancer's baby pool. If you haven't put your guess in yet and would still like to play (it isn't too late!), here is the entry that gives all the info and the link to the game. I am amused that the majority of people think that I am having a boy (which I agree with, by the way). We are so close to knowing all the stats about this kiddo, so hang tight!

Also, in case you were paying very close attention, the ticker at the top of this blog used to reflect a due date of July 23. That was my original due date. I had two ultrasounds during the pregnancy that reflected a due date of July 25, which is the date that I actually use. So, I've adjusted the ticker to reflect that date. This Saturday I will be officially 40 weeks pregnant. Here I am at 38 weeks and 5 days. I count this photo as the 39-week belly picture.

It has been so hot here lately, with temperatures this past weekend peaking in the high 90s. As I've gotten bigger, fewer and fewer pieces of clothes fit me comfortably. A lot of my clothes don't fully cover my belly. I don't mind that too much, especially since I have managed to get this far without stretch marks (knock wood!).

I don't know what made me think about it, but one day I was just miserable in the heat and I was daydreaming about the little muumuu I bought when we were in Hawaii for our honeymoon. It comes to my knees and has a little tube top with an empire waist and a very flowy skirt. I originally bought it as a cover-up, but one day last week it occurred to me that it would probably fit by big belly perfectly right now. Sure enough! When I tried it on, I swore to Mike that I would wear that dress every day for the remainder of the pregnancy. Granted, I have not stayed true to my word (thankfully), but I have worn it a couple of times and am just so happy when I am in it! I am wearing the dress in the above picture.

In case you are wondering how I am feeling, I am still doing pretty well, considering I am full-term and pretty big. I've had many people tell me that I am all belly and that I do not look 9 months pregnant - and I thank each and everyone, but really - I feel big. I notice most when bending over, twisting, and getting up. My hips are achey from carrying the extra weight and my back is tired before I am barely out of bed in the morning.

I am surprised at the amount of effort it takes to turn from side to side when I am in bed - a task which wakes me up every time. I am up 1-2 times during the night, but only for a few minutes to use the bathroom and reposition myself, so I do not feel too sleep-deprived. Yet. Talk to me a couple of weeks after TD's arrival and I am sure I will be singing a different song.

The newest discomfort of late pregnancy that I am facing is swelling. I've had a few episodes of swelling throughout the pregnancy, but the heat and being late-term really did me in over the weekend. We had a yard sale and by the end of the day I officially had cankles. These were my feet on Saturday evening:

Sunday was even worse, but I didn't take a picture of my feet. We were out in the heat for quite a bit in the afternoon. When we got back to the house, Mike (my hero!) filled up a bucket with ice water. I sat for over an hour soaking my feet. The swelling went down a little, and by this morning I could almost recognize my feet as my own. They poofed up again today, but not nearly as bad. I figure this is short-term anyways, so I can put up with it for a bit longer.

In other, non-pregnancy news, I am happy to share that our garden continues to progress nicely. Last night I picked our first ear of corn to see if it was ready. I think I may have picked it a bit early, but I was still excited to see that we succeeded at growing corn!

Mike & I shared the cob at dinner tonight. It wasn't very sweet, so I don't know if it still needed more time on the stalk or if the type of corn that we planted isn't very sweet in general. There are still plenty of cobs still in our little cornfield, so I am hoping that with a bit more time they will sweeten up a bit.

In addition to the corn, our tomato plants are producing beautiful and huge beefsteak heirlooms. I imagine that if the heat continues, we should have a few ripe tomatoes shortly after the arrival of TD. Here is the one tomato that has already started to ripen a bit. As you can see, Mike is super excited about it. :)

On a sad note, we had a neighborhood gopher eat our pumpkin. So, no giant pumpkin this year. I am still grieving the loss of that one.

I am sure there is more to post about, but for now I've covered the basic odds & ends that I had in mine when I sat down to write tonight. Stay tuned for more updates, maybe a 40-week belly shot, and a birth announcement in the coming days (weeks???).

Tiny Dancer Baby Pool

As we near the due date, let's have a bit of fun! Go to ExpectNet (click here) and enter the name game of kennedytinydancer (all one word) and enter your guess about this little one's stats!

You can also click on the banner below, or the one on the right-hand side of this page!

Have fun and good luck!

I can't believe how long it has been since my last post. I am almost 38 weeks pregnant, feeling pretty good and absolutely cannot believe that in the next 2-3 weeks we will have a baby in the house!!

Here are a few belly shots from the past few weeks for your viewing pleasure:

35 weeks

36 weeks

37 weeks

Do I even look like I am getting bigger? It is hard for me to tell, although I can feel more baby all over my belly now, when before I really felt the baby a lot on the right side. According to my 36 and 37 week prenatal visits, the baby is head down. I have my next visit this Friday.

Mike and I are both amazed at how fast time is flying. We are somewhat prepared around the house, and completed the Bradley Childbirth class two weeks ago - which was an amazing class. I feel so much more informed and prepared than before we started the class 11 weeks ago. We also had our hospital tour last week and are going for a Cloth Diapering 101 workshop this weekend. This next week I will interview pediatricians and hope to find one before the baby is born.

I feel okay overall - mainly big and kinda slow. No real complaints except for heartburn. For the first time tonight I am starting to feel like I have been pregnant for a VERY LONG TIME, so I must be entering the home stretch, right? Please, just say yes. :)