I’m 37 weeks today and it feels exciting to now be in the baby’s birth month and birth year at last! I recognize this feeling of ”
37 weeks!
any time now” from other pregnancies—when you hit the official “full-term” mark, it makes you feel like the baby is seconds away, even though I truly expect her to be born right around (if not actually on) her due date three weeks from now. But, the sense of being full-term heightens a sense of awareness and expectation around, “could it be today? Or, today? How about today…” As I said, I do not expect to have her early, my past experiences don’t indicate such—my due dates are usually very spot-on. I am having a LOT of contractions lately. During the last three days or so they’ve picked up in both frequency and intensity. I also have a LOT of cervical twinges (the “baby-biting-my-cervix” feeling). This has been going on since about 31 weeks or so, which is much earlier than I remember from other pregnancies (seems like a 37 week+ feeling). This feeling is very strong at night and almost hurts—like she is twisting her head around/burrowing down. I weigh 168 pounds now—most ever! I’d kind of like to not pass 170…
No swelling anywhere. Pretty good energy level. BP decent (slightly high at midwife’s, normal if I take it at Wal-Mart of my dad takes it). No more leukocytes in urine. Went to chiropractor last week because I have a persistent intuitive feeling of needing to get my pelvis aligned. So, that was good to check off my list. Midwife says baby is lined up in ideal position in utero/pelvis and estimates her to weigh about 5 pounds (which I think is wrong. I always surprise my care providers with the actual size of my babies. I think she’s pushing 7lbs right now, probably–6.5 or so).
Feeling nest
y and have been assembling box of birth supplies, sorting through baby clothes, and collecting expendable towels and receiving blankets. Feel like cleaning up and decluttering big time—in with new, out with old time of year! Finished crocheting an afghan for her and want to make a matching hat. Haven’t done belly cast yet—want to soon—and feeling the pressure to get it done! I also need to review the neonatal resuscitation stuff I learned at the training last month with my mom and with Mark, so that the only person at the birth who knows how to resuscitate a baby is not also the only person who is birthing the baby….!
I also have collected materials to make a “birth altar” for this birth. It is a shadow box/shelf that I’m going to collage all over inside and out and then be able to set things inside on the little shelves 🙂 Going to have some additional pro pregnancy pictures taken on Tuesday! Haven’t really had any birth dreams. I am expecting her to be born at night (well, wee hours of morning) on a weekend within two days on either side of her due date. I’m also expecting her to be born very quickly. If I’m in labor for longer than four hours I don’t know that I’ll know what to think about that! I keep imagining a sort of “sudden” birth—like one of those 45 minute ones! I started reading Simply Give Birth again to get me in the birthy frame of mind. My mom is reading The Power of Women for the same reason. I am into week 4 with my Hypnobabies home study. Still having “issues” with the persistent and frequent use of the word “anesthesia,” but finding that the finger drop technique works amazingly well. I want to do a fear release exercise with myself soon—I’d like to write up my various birth/baby/postpartum fears and work them through on paper, maybe doing a drawing or art exploration, and then do a Hypnobabies fear clearing session.
Looking forward to my blessingway next weekend! If she does for some reason end up being early, that could put a crimp in my party plans! I actually have a lot of plans for next week. I have this urge to “wrap things up,” which is making me run kind of high/frantic, rather than rest and relax and rejuvenate in anticipation of a nice, peaceful babymoon. My next online class starts on Jan. 10th and I’ve got some remaining prep work to do for it too!
Didn’t update with a 36 week picture, so here it is too:
36 weeks
Talk Birth 
Hard to believe it’s so close now! You’re looking great as usual.
Wow, Molly – I’ve been thinking of you 🙂 37 weeks!!!!!!! You look fantastic 🙂 I hope you have a beautiful Blessingway – I am considering having one this time…actually more for my 7yo daughter, as she attended one with me a while ago and absolutely LOVED the whole thing. I didn’t want one when I was pg with her, as I felt the need to take myself ‘off the stage’ and make that experience very private…as my first birth had been so ‘public’. But I don’t feel that so much with this one, so maybe it’s time for my own Blessingway 🙂 I am 32 wks tomorrow, and ENORMOUS…in the best way possible 🙂
That’s so wonderful that you are in that’ any time now’ zone – YAY!!!! Sending a big hug (that would actually be difficult in real life, as there would be two bellies in the middle!!
Melissa
Thanks, Melissa! We could “side hug” around the bumps ;-D
My mom has had a blessingway for me for each baby and they have all been really special. I hope you decide to do it. With this pregnancy, I feel the urge for a “big” blessingway–I want everyone who has positive energy to spare for me, to pass it on over! 🙂
I feel very good to be in this zone now–a little disbelieving too!
Hi! I’m a Hypnobabies mom and homebirther as well. Just happened upon your page and wanted to say hi.
I like your idea about doing the fear clearing. I did something similar in which I wrote down all my fears about the birth. Then went back to the top and changed them to only positives. So if I was worried about cord issues I would go back and change it to a positive about the cord being exactly where it was supposed to be.
Happy birthing!
First: Yay!!
Second: I really like your idea of working through your fears in some way. I have this idea in my head of doing a burning of my fears…I’ve even thought about doing it like soon, hoping doing something physical like that will help me work through them sooner than almost birth time.
Hi Molly,
You look so beautiful and I’m very excited for you!
I wanted to comment on “the persistent and frequent use of the word “anesthesia,” in Hypnobabies”. That word is used because of the way the human mind associates words with their meanings in a literal way and in a connotative way. Almost everyone has experienced anesthesia of one kind or another; dental, medical, partial or complete. The upshot is that the effects of “anesthesia” are well-known and experienced, and are associated with the elimination of pain, so hearing the word many times (compounding, in hypnosis terms) is the most effective way for the subconscious and conscious mind to accept what is being produced with Hypnobabies’ techniques for comfort in childbirth. Other words, even when used frequently, do not have the same very positive effect, and it is one of the aspects of our program that makes Hypnobabies moms so satisfied with their babies’ births.
I hope that helps, and I invite you to call and talk to me about this if it still bugs you: 714-952-2229 or 877-554-9766.
Big Hugs to you and your family as you prepare for your new little bundle!
Kerry
Founder/Director of Hypnobabies
Thank you, Kerry! I’m very excited too!
I still find it inconsistent with the manner in which Hypnobabies reframes/rewords everything else–people are very familiar with the terms “contractions” and “pain” also and yet those terms are replaced with other, positive words. To be anesthetized means to shut your senses off and to deaden yourself to what is happening. That isn’t how I perceive, or want to perceive, birth! Additionally, I HATE the feeling of being medicated or anesthetized (loopy while having my wisdom teeth removed, for example). It is not a desirable or positive state for me.
While I’m enjoying the program and feel I am benefitting from it overall, this is a linguistic incongruity that I can’t fully get past regardless of the explanation–my powerful mental association with the word (in a negative way) is apparently different than that of others.
I have written in later posts about some great things I’ve experienced with the Hypnobabies materials–I’ve enjoying having the home study course overall!