37 Week Appointment

I'm full term!!!!! This is an amazing feeling. I guess I have spent the entire pregnancy thinking that surely something would go wrong, but here I am, just about to have him. He could come out this second and be perfectly healthy.

I had an appointment with the midwife today which went great. I saw a different midwife than our regular (Tina), but I like this one a lot too. There's actually only 1 midwife I'm not crazy about, and she isn't terrible, she's just a little too mellow for my tastes. It will be my luck she'll end up being the one to deliver Evan. ;-) Anyway, I told this midwife, G, about the bloody show and the cramps and everything. On Monday I had posted on a message board about the bloody mucus and cramps wondering if anyone else had experienced it and how long after that their labor started. Well a bunch of ladies wrote back saying I should call the doctor! I guess it isn't as common as I thought. I called and talked to the midwife on call who said everything should be fine, just wait until my appt today to talk to the midwife in person about it. But G said it's perfectly normal. It turns out that the cramps are contractions!! lol I didn't know that although I have noticed that they come and go throughout the day. The midwife I talked to on Monday mentioned that they were probably were, but I wasn't really sure if that was a 100% fact. G said the contractions are making changes to my cervix, which is causing the blood.

I decided not to have an exam. There's no reason to go through the discomfort. Even if I'm dilated, it doesn't really mean anything. I know some women walk around for weeks halfway dilated. That happened to my SIL actually, she was told by her doctor that she'd probably go into labor 2 weeks before her due date. She ended up having to be induced over a week after her EDD. All based on how dilated she was. I don't think I want to know how much progress I've made because that would make me even more impatient!!

I am definitely ready to get things going though. I hate being in limbo. I want Evan to come so that I can KNOW everything. Like, I'm tired of wondering if I have enough burp clothes or if his clothes will fit or if breastfeeding will go smoothly or if my dad will be in town when he's born, etc, etc, etc. I just want him out so that I can figure it all out! lol I'm also very impatient to meet him. I'm not like some women though, I'm not eager to end pregnancy because I'm tired of it or uncomfortable or anything. I'm actually going to miss it a lot. I love being pregnant and a big part of me wants him to stay in until his due date. I'm actually not even completely ready for him (will I ever be?). The nursery is a mess right now and isn't set up just the way I want (which is why I still haven't posted pictures). I'm hoping it will be completely decorated by this weekend though.

Oh yeah, today the midwife, G, said she doesn't believe there is any way Evan is as big as the ultrasound tech said he was a few weeks ago. I could tell she doesn't think it's necessary to have an u/s next week, but she scheduled one anyways. She felt him from the outside (she really dug in there and felt his head and all over his body!) and said she estimates that he is 7.5 lbs right now. It will be interesting to see who is closest. To me, 7.5 lbs at 37 weeks is still big, but it's better than 9 pounds, so I'm not complaining.

My brother, sister, and I were all in the 6 pound range at birth. We were also all born early. My sister and I a week early and my brother 2 weeks early. My grandma also had my uncle a week early and then she was induced a couple of weeks early with my mom since she had had a c-section with my uncle (he was breech). I forgot to ask Grandma how big Mom and Uncle Ray were...I should have! So I'm kind of hoping that these traits run in the family..... ;-)