Week 38 (+2 days)

Here’s hoping the blood tests end & a baby will arrive soon…

It feels like I’ve been pregnant for a full year… or maybe longer.

While I’m really excited to not be pregnant anymore, not have the pains, the extra weight to carry around, (hopefully) not have diabetes and the constant limitations; I’m as equally paranoid about labour.

I still can’t fully decide what I want to do. I think there are too many people with too many different ideas. Some people will tell me to go all natural, and imply that people who use pain medication are weak (cop-out). Others will be open to the idea of pain relief and absolutely terrify you out of considering even the thought of feeling one contraction naturally.

Then there are the anti-epidural groups. They’ll have you believe that even though most people get epidurals these days – if *you* get the epidural *you* will be the one in a million that becomes paralysed from it. And lets not forget that if anything happens to your baby, it was *your* fault for using pain relief.

I just wish people wouldn’t get so mad at each other, and accept that there are many ways to give birth, and they’re all completely valid. People have a hard enough time accepting and dealing with the loss of a child through labour, without the additional guilt-tripping from those who think they know better.

So far my rough plan is to go in and see how I feel. If I can’t cope, I’m open to an epidural. This will be a lot more likely if I am induced. If I can’t get an epidural, and I’m not on an IV drip, I’ll go for the bath. If that’s out too, I’ll go for anything I can get (but certainly not Pethidine/Demerol – I draw the line there).

I feel like I will go into labour before my 39 week midwife appointment. I can’t believe at this late stage they are cancelling my 38 week midwife appointment because it’s a public holiday. That’s really professional.

I’ve been told if I get to my 39 week appointment before going into labour, that I will get an appointment from a doctor – for induction before 40 weeks.

I really would prefer if I went into labour naturally, we will see. The way I’ve been feeling the last few days, I seriously would not at all be surprised if I went into labour this week.

I can’t remember the last night I didn't wake up from pains (not just from needing to pee a lot). I have a milder form of SPD (symphysis pubis dysfunction) which hurts more at night than in the day. I find it really painful to change sides at night, or sit up… and when I get up for a bathroom stop in the middle of the night I look like the Hunchback of Notre Dam, just a lot more complain-y and loud :p

On a positive note, though, my blood sugar levels have been a LOT easier to manage this last week. Apparently they keep getting higher through pregnancy, plateau at 37 weeks then taper off. Yay.

Tomorrow Brentyn has a day off, so I finally get to rest! I’m really sick of doing jobs around the house and garden… the last few days I’ve been beyond exhausted.

Hopefully we can go to the movies together as a last hurrah before baby arrives.

I find it very amusing that at this very moment little baby has the hiccups in Mums tummy, and Brentyn is sitting next to me with hiccups too. Lol. Cute.