July 21
After reaching the 9 month mark, thirty-seven weeks is considered full term. If I start having contractions between now and week 40, they won’t stop me from going into labor. That’s a huge milestone!
Stats from this doctor appointment:
- 36 1/2″ inches
- Lost 2 pounds
- Heart rate of 135
During this week’s appointment, my doctor asked if I was having any contractions. It’s hard to explain the emotions behind that response. I felt like I was giving the wrong answer when I said no. I felt like I should have been experiencing them. I felt like saying no meant I was definitately going to go over my due date. For the first time I felt anxious because I didn’t have anything to report. Even though I was three weeks from my due date, I still felt like it was expected that I would be. I understand why they ask. If you say yes, then they’ll check you to see how soon this baby will arrive. If you say no, then life continues on. But, when the doctor asks you that question you feel like you need to tell her yes. Just like when she asks if you’re still taking your prenatal vitamins. You quickly respond with the right answer – YES!
I could only think of one thing to report to my OB. I told her that I had started getting a side ache the day before. As I was laying down, she was figuring out how LBL was positioned. (Still head down and in the same spot he’s been the whole pregnancy.) I asked if the side ache was really a body part that hadn’t been pushing on something before. As she was feeling around my uterus, she asked if I could tell it had tightened up. I hadn’t noticed but I could tell the side ache had increased a little and I could feel it on both sides. I felt mildly uncomfortable, but assumed it had something to do with laying down. (At 37 weeks pregnant, laying down on the table is extremely uncomfortable! Shooting pain across your back…) She told me I was having a mild contraction! That made me feel a little better after her previous question about contractions.
It made me a little anxious the rest of the afternoon and I analyzed every pain. Finally I convinced myself that the mild pains didn’t matter. When the time came for the “real” ones, I’d know without a doubt. There’s no point in being anxious about mild pains. Or what they call your body preparing for real contractions and labor. After all, why not let my body do some pre-work so the real thing can go faster and smoother.
Something new:
After months of trying to tackle the waves and curls of my hair, I’ve finally taken a new stance. Curly to straight product! At times I’ve given in to the curl and put in curl product. I’ve reached the point where regardless of how much I straightening my hair, it’s still wavy. So, I’ve inlisted the help of some curl to straight product. I’m anxious to see if this goes away after LBL’s arrival. Over the years my hair has moved away from it’s natural straight, but I’m not ready to spend this much time getting the style I want!
