For Future Reference
40 weeks today. Such a milestone, yet so anti-climactic. No baby to speak of yet.I'm not sure how I'm feeling about the situation. I mean, really I don't have a lot of choice either way, but I still have mixed feelings about Baby coming now or later.
The Thursday before last my ultrasound scan indicated that Baby is a bit of a piglet at 10lbs and growing. Not too keen on labouring that, but I'm getting constant reassurance that it's all about positioning, rather than size. Right. I'm sure in this case, size really doesn't matter. Uh-huh. Whatever, Baby is coming regardless. I am still thinking the sooner the better. So far I can conclusively say that baths, scrubbing the floor on all fours, bouncing on a yoga ball, walking and keeping active, climbing up 4 - 6 flights of stairs and curry have not done the trick. I'm currently waiting on the midwife to show up to do a 'sweep', the first, non-chemical stage of induction. We'll see. Have to schedule in some sex as well. Ha. In the end, as everyone and their dog reiterates, Baby will come when it's ready.
So why the mixed feelings? Well, looking back, I've really enjoyed being pregnant. Of course there's the added attention, which this girl obviously revels in! But there have also been a range of other benefits: better skin, better hair, cute maternity clothes, flutters and wallops in the belly, shopping, decorating, ultrasound scans (of which I've had 8!)... For my own future reference, it wasn't as bad as they make out. Even now, I'm increasingly uncomfortable and still having trouble sleeping, but I do love my expansive baby bump.
On the downside, and again, for my own future reference, there have been hard parts. Morning sickness wasn't that bad, but not being able to brush my teeth without gagging for four months was trying. Also the bleeding gums, not painful, but gross. The worst thing during the mid-section of the pregnancy was the pelvic girdle pain: excrutiating. It is still there, but either I've grown used to it or my other discomforts have masked it, because I'm not noticing it as much. Later in the pregnancy, as I've whined about, sleeping became an issue. Now my turning over at night is an on-going point of contention in our bed: the process usually takes at least five minutes and requires a break mid-way to summon up the energy to continue. I've had slight issues with itchy palms and feet, but thankfully not with swelling or rashes. I've had the usual boughts of 'women's issues' in the nether regions, but nothing out of the ordinary. Overall, I think I've been very lucky.
What's more, Riccardo said something very cute the other day. He said, 'If this whole pregnancy thing wasn't so uncomfortable for you, I would have you pregnant all the time, because I think you're even more beautiful than usual!' Aw - gotta love him!
So it's bittersweet, this imminent end and imminent beginning. I want to deliver a healthy baby, naturally and without lasting damage to either of us, and I honestly cannot wait to meet the little nipper and cuddle it, and bathe it, and dress it, and feed it and play with it, and, and, and... But I know that I'll also miss this very special stage in my life, this condition that I will get to experience for such a short time overall. Riccardo and I agree that making a child of our own is a blooming miracle, but also, pregnancy in itself is an amazing and precious time.
That said, KNOCK, KNOCK! Time to come out now, Baby!
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