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| Accessories are vital to balance the belly! ;) |
Well, I've done it again. Our estimated due date has come and gone and I'm still gestating away over here. Last pregnancy I went a full two weeks past our estimated due date (which apparently was wrong, based on Miriam's newborn assessment, she looked closer to 39 weeks than 42), and although I'm hoping not to do the same or further this time I'm getting pretty close. Sunday will mark 42 weeks!
A few people have asked "How long will 'they' let you go?" or "When will you need to induce?" Happily, in our case those kinds of decisions can be based solely on how baby and I are doing, not our due date or official policies. In some states midwives' licensing requirements do not allow them to attend births past 42 weeks. If that were the case I would be more concerned about going to 42 weeks, but thankfully we don't need to worry about that, only about how well mama and baby are doing.
Going by what last time looked like, I'm guessing that at 42 weeks we'll set up an appointment for an ultrasound, have some tests done, and evaluate any concerns that come up. Last time we went into labor the day before setting up the appointment, so I am not entirely sure what all would be entailed if we did make it to that point.
So, barring any complications, I'll just continue daily life, and keep bouncing on the exercise ball, nursing the toddler, and drinking red raspberry leaf tea. (I may also eat pineapple in ridiculous quantities, take evening primrose capsules daily, start making spicy meals, scrub my floors on hands and knees, take daily long walks, and resign myself to being pregnant
forever.)
I was reading this tonight, though, and feeling encouraged about the value of waiting for labor to start on it's own...
"In the last weeks of pregnancy, maternal antibodies are passed to the baby—antibodies that will help fight infections in the first days and weeks of life. The baby gains weight and strength, stores iron, and develops more coordinated sucking and swallowing abilities. His lungs mature, and he stores brown fat that will help him maintain body temperature in the first days and weeks following birth. The maturing baby and the aging placenta trigger a prostaglandin increase that softens the cervix in readiness for effacement and dilatation. A rise in estrogen and a decrease in progesterone increase the uterine sensitivity to oxytocin. The baby moves down into the pelvis. Contractions in the last weeks may start the effacement and dilation of the cervix. A burst of energy helps pregnant women make final preparations, and insomnia prepares them for the start of round-the-clock parenting.
The watchful waiting and the intense wanting of the big day to arrive are all part of nature's plan. When the baby, uterus, placenta, and hormones are ready, labor will start. Additionally, all that preparation sets the stage for an easier labor and a fully mature baby who is physiologically stable and able to breastfeed well right from the start." - from
'Saying “No” to Induction', by Judith A. Lothian
On the plus side, I've been finishing up some loose ends in the last few weeks... like this half completed maternity skirt that has been sitting in a box of projects, forgotten, for months. Oops. It was very simple to make once I sat down and did it... I took the waistband from a worn out pair of favorite maternity pants, then cut out a simple skirt and stitched them together and hemmed. Very easy! And pretty nice to have something "new" to wear at this point. ;)
Also, I'm enjoying some lovely maternity photos that my awesome sister in law took. That is a first this pregnancy and I'm so glad that it worked out to have them done!
I think this one is my favorite. :)
Now, I'd better get to bed. Just in case I (hopefully!) go into labor in the middle of the night.
' by Tsh Oxenreider!
