37 Weeks

I can't believe I'm going to be 37 weeks tomorrow. This pregnancy really has gone by quickly. I can't believe I had Jared at 37 weeks. I am SO not ready for this baby! In part, I just have a lot to do. We have been given so many girl clothes I don't think I'll ever get them all clean. Then there's my classroom that needs to be packed. And we still have to test out the birth pool and make sure the hot water is turned up. And then there are the more serious fears- how will our family dynamic change? What will it REALLY be like to have a daughter? How will Grayson adjust? How will Jared adjust? How will Isaac adjust? 

In a lot of ways this pregnancy has been far easier than my others. My ankles didn't swell so bad as early, though now that they are swelling, they are worse than the others were. She's definitely smaller. At this point with Grayson I was measuring 3 weeks ahead. I'll be 37 weeks tomorrow and at today's appointment I measured... 37 weeks! It's very exciting to think I may have a "normal" sized baby and not a toddler. ;) Although I have a theory about all that anyway- I don't really think the size of the baby affects the pain. The actual coming out part did not hurt. It was the contractions leading up to that that hurt so much. So I guess I'll be able to put my theory to the test soon :)

I have to share this as well. At my 36 week appointment on Wednesday, Katie was breech. Of course Larry was all "She's gonna flip. It's gonna be fine" and I was all "Feel right there! Do you think that's a head or a butt? Help me get in this position! Is my butt up high enough? This doesn't feel right, I have to be at an incline!" It was a crazy weekend for my poor husband. BUT, she's flipped :) Which means, yes, he was right BUT I also think I have to take some credit- I mean, she flipped because I did all that crazy stuff! For my own future reference and for anyone else, here's what I did to help her flip:

Chiropractor who does the Webster technique. I was planning on going 3 times a week for the rest of the pregnancy to help her flip, but since she moved after only one appointment, I'm only going to the chiropractor once a week. 

Peppermint oil- This is something I've never heard of before. The chiropractor mentioned it, so I mentioned it my midwife, who brought me some peppermint oil that was mixed with other oils. I put it at the top of my belly and it's supposed to help babies flip because they move away from the peppermint. Here's my testimony: I did it twice a day and every time I put it on, she would start moving. I would get into downward dog and knee/chest position to help her move in the right direction. I started that on Saturday night and by Monday afternoon she was head down.

Jared. I had Jared talk to her. He told her "Turn around, Katie, turn around." It was super cute.

The spinning babies website. That website is awesome! I tried some of the poses (with Larry's help) throughout the weekend. 

It was a stressful weekend for me. All of the "what ifs" were playing in my head along with "Don't get ahead of yourself! She's small and has plenty of time to move!"I made myself crazy. 

I'm very excited now and very overwhelmed and very... thankful for Katie. I'm very very thankful. 

I feel so incredibly blessed to have wonderful home birth AND hospital midwives looking out for me. They are all women who believe that women (even ME!) can give birth. That our bodies were made for this. That it's going to be great. They are knowledgeable and truly put my HEALTH CARE above their time and money. They go out of their way to help me. To answer questions. To make sure I have what I need. And there's something that happens when the women caring for you behave that way- you begin to trust them. I know that if I have to transfer to the hospital, or if something happens between now and the birth and I become high risk and I need to be at a hospital, I know I won't be scared. I know that I can trust whatever these women say to me because they are invested in me. They are invested in Katie. They actually care about us and my whole family. It's incredible. 

Anyway, here's me, lifting up my cup of cran-grape juice: Let's do this :) (In 4 weeks... please Katie? Can you wait 4 weeks AND not make me miserable in the meantime? We'll try it out ;)