I am about five blog posts behind in the stuff that has been happening in my families life outside my pregnancy, but since the last month of pregnancy is a little life consuming and distracting, this is what you're getting now. I figure I'll have some free time in the hospital where I can catch up (and Doug has a laptop now that I could use) so you'll all find out about my life the last two months, as well as some remaining summer stories, soonish.
The reason for this post is because I think that most women, myself included, forget just how hard the last month of pregnancy is. Not to say that we forget it's hard, nothing can erase this kind of discomfort and emotional upheaval, but sometimes the details get a little fuzzy. This is my fourth pregnancy and I'm still thinking to myself everyday, "Is this normal? Did this happen last time? Is this baby going to come today or in 2 weeks?" So, for my own sanity next time, I'm recording a few things so I can look back and say, oh yeah, this is "normal." And I figured it was also a legit way to vent.
So, dear future self, the current facts about your body and mental state with 23 days until your offical due date are as follows:
* You are 3 cm dilated and fully dropped. This is VERY uncomfortable, but normal for you. Michael was 3 cm dilated 4 weeks out, but not dropped. Being dropped to a -1 station does not mean the baby will be born tomorrow, or the next day, or the next week. All it means is that you have to give up teaching aerobics and maybe Zumba because anything more than a ambling walk sends you into cramps of pain, and not the baby delivering kind. And you have to pee all the time.
* You are grumpy. Very grumpy. And nothing makes it better. So don't try to console yourself in candy, ice cream, or other treats because it just makes you feel gross and hence more grumpy.
* Although exercise is a pain, and painful sometimes, it's still VITALLY important for your sleep. Not that you're getting a lot, and the quality isn't very good, but it's a whole lot worse when you don't do some kind of exercise with stretching everyday. You're muscles seize up in the night and then you don't sleep at all verses sleeping restlessly. Suck it up and get it done.
* Storms still effect your contractions, as do changes in weather patterns in general.
* You will gain around 40 lbs every pregnancy, no matter what. If you run every day, teach aerobics for 37 weeks, or eat hamburgers and chocolate for every meal, you will gain about 40 lbs.It's depressing, but it's genetics.
* You will grow out of your maternity shirts in the belly before you finish being pregnant. You carry to much out and down for your shirts to stretch over the whole belly. This doesn't mean your fat, just big bellied.
* You're water is not going to break, no matter how much if feels like it will when you...use the facilities or how hard the baby is kicking you in the cervix. Try not to get excited.
* Crying is acceptable, and it's preferable to everyone to just let it out in a short spurt and move on with life rather than hold it in and explode for an hour.
* Raw fruits and veggies are hard to consume because of your lack of gallbladder, but get them down somehow (green smoothies are working well) because they help, even if it's just for the mental pat on the back that you did something good for your body.
* And most importantly, your babies love you body and don't want to leave. Your body wants them to leave, desperately, because it has done/is doing tons of prep work for the delivery (see first bullet point) and it's just going to get worse as the time comes, but your babies like you too much to come out when you think there is nothing else that can be done. Be patient, or at least resigned to the fact that there will be no early babies for you. Ever.
Good idea to write these things down! I like the way you self-talk.
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