Counting Down

I have been counting down for this whole pregnancy. But now the real count down begins. On Thursday I will be 37 weeks, which is considered full term {according to doctors, not necessarily babies}.

I AM praying Baby O will be early. Not too early, of course want him to be completely ready! I am not too hopeful that he will be early, although I am doing all I can to encourage my body and mind to be ready. (I.E. walking, squatting several times a day, using Evening Primrose, drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea [actually waiting for this one to come in mail, couldn't find any where!] and having all our stuff ready for his arrival.) BUT, with God all things are possible!!!

Last night our Pastor preached on God's divine appointments. He preached that although we as humans may think WE are in control of our time, days, weeks, events, God is ultimately in charge. He orchestrates things we can't see. {Acts 8:29-36} For instance, have you ever thanked God for running late? Maybe, he just protected us from an accident. We never know. Anyways, that got me thinking, then isn't it, or shouldn't it definitely be up to Him when our baby is born?

I do believe God has plans for some women to be induced. If there are medical reasons for the induction, then that is God's will. It's very tempting to be induced, especially as I get so uncomfortable at the end and CAN NOT sleep. But more important I want a natural and healthy birth and baby. I can do all things through Christ.

I spent Friday all day shopping with ladies from our church, and we spent the night near the outlets we shopped at. It was a beautiful town about 3 hours away from us. All the ladies were convinced that I was going to go into labor there from all the walking! By noon on day 2 of shopping I was getting pretty worn out.

I am starting to swell now, and the baby feels very heavy!! I really really REALLY feel like I have been pregnant FOREVER. Is it just me or has this pregnancy really dragged on, and on, and ON!?

Tomorrow is my baby shower the church is throwing for me!!! I am SO excited. I'll have an update post on that and my prenatal appointment on Wednesday. :)

Matthew 7:7 Ask and it shall be given you: seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you..
Love, The Curvy Housewife

Wednesday's Weigh In & 29 days

We are in the 20's now people....29 days until Baby's Due Date!!! Although we know DD's are just a guess anyways...

Weighed in on Monday and it read I was up another 2 pounds...that would be 4 in ONE week! But today I was back down 2 pounds so it's the regular +2 in a week I've been gaining. Still not happy with it, and I know I very well could have actually gained 4 pounds. The last 2 months of my pregnancies I gain a lot of weight. Even though I got a head start with not gaining hardly anything until 6 months...my body knows to gain...and gain...and gain. I am OVER stressing about it. It's gonna happen...it's keeping my baby healthy...and Lord willing will come off quickly.

36 Weeks pregnant tomorrow = 26 pound total weight gain.

Pregnancy Update:
* Low blood pressure. I've been getting faint and weak here and there. Last prenatal appointment my blood pressure was 100/70. Border line low.
* Had an ultrasound last week (yay!). I really wanted one and asked for one. I told my Midwife I may be leaking fluid, so she checked vaginally but couldn't see any leaking, (also said I didn't look dilated at all..boo) but ordered a ultrasound just to be sure. Fluid level was OK, but it can't go any lower. I've been staying very hydrated trying to avoid this. We don't need any reasons to induce!
*Braxton Hicks. I walked 2.5 miles on Monday {pic above of me on my walk} , and since then I've been getting BH much more often. I also walked 1.33 miles yesterday with Davey :)
* UNCOMFORTABLE. Yup that sums it up. Sleep...not much, walking=waddling. Back hurts a lot.
*More pressure down there, and I think he's dropped a little bit.

Looking ahead:
I was sad my pregnancy is almost over....not because I want to stay pregnant, but because this huge event I've been waiting and looking forward to for eventually 10 months will be suddenly over. And of course I am super excited to have my baby in my arms, kiss and smell him, I am also scared and overwhelmed as to how I will be with 3 boys 3 and under!

I had bad baby blues with both Shane and Cody. It's normal. But it's not fun. I hope having a natural birth will help some with that, also going to California soon after he's born (Lord willing!), but how about when I get home from CA? Suddenly my husband is back at work right away, I have not had much time adjusting to life as a Mom of 3, my Mom will be home, and I will be ALONE....with 2 toddlers and a newborn.

Certain things really helps the baby blues:
1. Getting enough sleep.
2. Having help
3. Setting goals, something to look forward too.

Which brings me to the point that I am already preparing for what I will be looking forward to: losing weight again, training for Country Music Half Marathon, getting Baby on good schedule, having a solid routine, ect.

Of course I will be no doubt enjoying my new baby boy, and enjoying his big brothers and daddy being all googly over him. But I know it truly helps to have a goal set. I am excited for these goals and to see the scale go down again.

Did you have the baby blues?

Love, The Curvy Housewife

My Hospital Checklist & Due Dates

First here's my weekly review for last week:

Monday: Walked 1.6 miles outside @ YMCA

Wednesday: Walked 1.8 miles outside @YMCA

Love my walks, really wish I could get over there more. My membership expires soon and I am not renewing it until January since pretty much all of December I won't be working out and they won't put it on hold.

I've been accumulating a list on my iPod for my Hospital Checklist, may seem a little high maintenance, but I know what I needed last two times, what I wish I had and I am getting several things to help aid me in a natural delivery. So here it is...

Hospital Checklist:

My Bag-
Birth Plan (several copies)
Computer with Relaxing CD in it
Camera's w Charger
iPod
Headphones
Pillow
Blanket
Socks
Lots of undies
Nursing tank
After birth pj's
Birthing outfit (couldn't find anything affordable so I am just going to wear an old (too big) black tank top dress that is perfect for nursing...it's almost like a nightgown. I will wear a sports bra under for when I get into the tub, & in the tub cover some w/ towels)
Brush & hair ties
Lavender Lotion (Walmart $4!)
Birthing Ball
Natures Cure Herbal Heating Pad (for lower back, just got one off ebay for $20 when I first saw these Saturday at the mall for $45).
Pure Lavender Oil (sprinkle on my pillow & bed for a relaxing aroma. Got off ebay for $3.50!)
Baby Oil for massage
Shampoo & Conditioner
Lavender bubble bath/bath oil (got off Amazon for $6!)
Toothbrush & toothpaste (& Davey's)
Snacks (Juice Boxes in cooler, Fruit, Granola Bars, Shot Blocks, PB&J's, crackers)
Water
Cooler (w fruit, waters, juices, and frozen BIG maxi pads that were soaked in Whitch Hazel {read this is amazing & helps heal faster, never tried it!})
Lanolin (a must for every nursing mother!)
Nipple Shield (just in case!)
Breast Pump
Boppy Pillow
Hooter Hider (nursing cover. Yes people will just show up to visit un-announced & I want to be able to be covered...blankets are too hot!)

Baby's Bag:
3 onsies
3 sleepers
Socks
Pacifiers
Diapers
Wipes
Desetine
Receiving blankets
Hats
Cotton mittens (so they don't scratch face)
Nail clippers
Car Seat
Blankets for when we leave
Car Seat cover (awesome for winter baby's! Got one when Shane was born)

Due Dates:
The more I read about Natural Childbirth the more I find that people are so very consumed with the EDD (Estimated Due Date). Like me. Yup I have been counting down!! But I KNOW that the EDD is really just a guess. Most babies don't come on the EDD.
You all know how anxious I am to have our little booger. Especially with the weight of we are flying to CA 12 days after his EDD!!
I started googling EDD and found some very interesting information.

1. Is that most women don't know for sure when they ovulated, so they go off their last period, which makes the EDD a BIG guess for anytime with in that week or two on either side.
2. If you know the day you ovulated, you can count 267 days from that day and that is a pretty accurate DD. Well I do know the day I ovulated. I counted 267 days and that puts me at Dec 9 as a due date. But again, it's up to baby!!
3. FULL MOONS!?? What does a full moon have to do with birth? My friends Mom told me more women have babies on a full moon. So I looked it up and found that hospitals actually have more staff on and around a full moon! (Well maybe not so much anymore with so many women being induced these days).
I got curious and looked up if my boys were born on a full moon, and Shane was not, he came 2 weeks before a full moon. But Cody, was born THE day the moon was full. Interesting? So I asked my mommy friends on FB if anyone had ever heard of this and almost all of them had given birth on a full moon or were born on a full moon.
I did a little more looking up, thanks to astronomer people that have kept track of the moon for hundreds of years you can google any month and year and see the day it was full.
I looked up my sisters kids, and her last one was born day before full moon.
My Mom was born 3 days before the full moon and my dad was born 5 days after the full moon. I was born 2 days before the full moon.
What does this all mean? Probably nothing. ;-) But I am due December 8 and full moon is suppose to be December 10, so I am HOPING this will help me deliver on time! We shall see!

I really do know that the baby will come when the baby is ready, and when my body is ready to deliver, and God has a specific birthday already set for my baby.

Do you have any theory's on Due Dates?

P.S. Happy Halloween!

Love, The Curvy Housewife