A pregnancy is considered full term between 37 and 42 weeks, and that’s me now, baby Sunshine would be absolutely fine if she was born right this second. It’s like the brownies in the oven have started smelling like delicious chocolate, and we have to expect the ‘ding!’ from the oven timer any time now.
Only, and I hate to admit this, we are not even remotely ready! I’m pretty sure at this point I should be sitting on the sofa with my feet up doing nothing but watching Netflix, eating ice-cream, and moaning about how I can’t stand another minute of being pregnant. I feel a little cheated out of it actually because I was quite looking forward to doing just that *laughs*
But we have a ‘to do’ list that’s about as long as my arm, and both Jo and I are stressed about getting through it before there is a little one making life a million times more challenging. I thought we would be fine at this point, we started preparing so early! But there is so much more involved in baby baking than I realised.
Part of Saturday we were frantically stuffing birth sugar packages (a Belgian tradition), and I have been up until 1AM several nights trying to put together our online birth registry list. Tomorrow it’s off to Antwerp to go collect the birthing pool and then a midwives appointment in the evening, also the cats need a vet check-up and we need another trip to Ikea. I would love to give the flat a deep clean and organise the cupboards, or cook a lot of meals for the freezer, but we have to get covers for the floor for the homebirth and the wall-hanging keeps on falling down and I haven’t even washed any baby clothes!
Luckily my body isn’t ready either. My uterus and related bits haven’t done any of the effacing and dilating that means baby is close to coming, and at this point that feels like she is doing me a solid. I must be the only pregnant woman ever to say (with a slightly manic gleam in my eyes) “Going to 41 weeks would be lovely. Being overdue sounds relaxing. Let’s keep on being pregnant for another month or so, shall we? Whoever made up that nine months rule was probably guessing anyway. More sounds good. Let’s do some more!”
I have been doing my due diligence with preparing physically – I eat 6 dates every day with breakfast because there is research that suggests it helps the cervix. I drink my raspberry leaf tea even though it gives me mild cramps. I do the perineum massage, practise my breathing, and do the daily hip exercises from the osteopath. I have also rediscovered my love for yoga. My course ended last week but I asked the teacher if I could join more classes just because it’s so helpful, maybe because I am quite stressed it feels amazing to go and do all the stretches. So now I am the only hugely pregnant one there, but I am also still capable of putting on my shoes while standing and doing all sorts of bending despite being so pregnant so I’m calling this a win and I plan on continuing until I give birth.
It’ll all be alright in the end, I know. Really, underneath all of this superficial stressing I am quite confident. I trust my body to tell me when it’s time, and for baby to come when she’s ready.
…just not yet please! ;)
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