39 week update

Hello Bleeps!  We're into our final countdown now!  I can't promise that there will be more posts after this, but I do know the laptop is going to the hospital, so we'll try.  Even if I am just logging someone else in to write.

4 days.  This baby is coming in 4 days.  OR possibly less.  I love the reaction I get now when someone asks when my due date is and I say, "Thursday!"  Their eyes get all big like I'm going to burst right there in front of them.  Occasionally, I'll get the person who says, "well, this is your first, she'll probably be late." And at that point I can tell them about the C-section and her position, so then their response goes back to "okay, Thursday!"  It's quite funny actually.  Happened twice at Easter Mass this morning.

So here's the 39 week update.  As usual, my notes are in red.

Week 39 of Pregnancy
Your baby's brain development is still in high gear, even as you may start to experience some definite signs of labor.

Your Baby in Week 39 of Pregnancy
Coming down to the wire, your baby weighs around seven to eight pounds and measures 19 to 21 inches. Those measurements won't change much from now on, but her brain is still growing at an astonishing rate, a pace that will continue for the first three years of life. Her pink skin has now turned whitish (even babies who'll eventually have darker skin appear whitish now — they haven't yet developed pigment). Her head may have dropped into your pelvis by now, which makes your breathing easier but walking harder. "May" being the operative word, and no it hasn't.  She still has her head near my heart and continues to push up (or at least that is what it feels like), and I continue to tell her she can't come out that way!

Your Body in Week 39 of Pregnancy
The end (and a whole new beginning!) is in sight, so watch for the signs that your body is ready to get the show on the road. These include Braxton Hicks contractions; the rupture of the membranes (water breaking) that contain your amniotic fluid; the loss of the mucous plug (the “cork” of mucus that seals the opening of the uterus); and the bloody show (your capillaries rupture from the dilation and effacement of your cervix, causing any discharge to appear pink or red-tinged). Labor could be close (but no cigar — yet!). None of these yet.

Week 39 Pregnancy Tip: Preparing for a Cesarean
Many hospitals and birthing centers are increasingly sensitive to an expectant mother's desire to be awake, comfortable, and with the people she loves both during and after delivery — even if that delivery is via a C-section. These days, most will try to accommodate your requests in a non-emergency situation, so ask for what you want. (Sorry, but pizza is probably a no-go.) Here are some requests to consider: to use a mirror or have the screen dropped so you can see the baby emerge; to listen to music during delivery; to have your hands free to touch your baby immediately after birth; to have your partner cut the cord; and to breastfeed in the recovery room. This is one time when it pays to be demanding. Making surgical delivery as pleasant as possible helps reduce the possibility of postpartum depression and allows you to bond more quickly with your baby.We've talked about some of these things between J and I, and with the doc.  J has no desire to cut the cord he says, and I have no desire to see what the inside of my body looks like.  I would like to have skin-to-skin contact and breastfeed as soon as possible though.


 I think I may have entered a little bit of "nesting" - which is described as an unstoppable urge to clean and prepare for the baby.  Obviously, a lot of that happens because it just needs to.  But things like cleaning carpets on your hands and knees (story from a BFF in San Fran's Mom) and thing of that sort can be nesting as well.  The nursery is pretty much prepped and there's more baby clothes in the laundry as we speak.  Plus I came home from Easter dinner with my folks and just had to clean out the freezers!  So now they are practically empty and ready to be filled by whomever wants to cook for us...hint, hint!

That's about all for today folks.  Have a wonderful Easter evening and I will try to keep you posted on this week's progress.  Have a doc appointment tomorrow morning.