I never intended on writing out a birth plan. I know some women go all-out and prepare pages-long documents full of their wishes, desires, and “what-if” scenarios regarding the birth of their children (one doctor friend even told me about a birth plan that filled an entire binder, complete with a table of contents), but I know that ANYTHING can happen during birth. And by my meticulously writing out a birth plan — keeping my type-A personality in mind — I will most likely become upset if everything doesn’t go as I intended. As such, I have been reading and researching and have a very loose, general idea of what I would PREFER, but I do not have anything set in stone.

I think that the best advice I have been given about giving birth and becoming a new mother was, “Be prepared for anything…but also be ready to throw everything that you’ve been told out the window.”

My desires for this birth are simple:

• I would like to avoid a c-section as much as possible
• I would like to avoid being induced (as being induced greatly increases your likelihood of needing a c-section)
• I would like to wait as long as I can before receiving an epidural, and have the dosage be lowered when it comes time to push
• I only want J in the room (aside from medical professionals) when it comes time to push

That’s it.

Luckily, my OB practice is very conservative when it comes to inducing, interventions, and such. They will not induce me until I am at least 41 weeks along. They will not push procedures on me unless they felt that it is medically necessary. And I know that they will not recommend a c-section unless the baby’s (or my) life is in danger.

Heck, I still have yet to receive a cervical check and I am 38 weeks along! So as of this point I still have no idea if I am dilated or effaced. When I asked about this at my last appointment, the doctor told me that there is no medical need to have cervical checks (which many women find uncomfortable) when there exists no complications — a woman can stay 4cm dilated for weeks and still have nothing happen, or she may not be dilated at all and go into full-blown labor within a matter of hours.

There are now less than two weeks left until my due date. I’m starting to become extremely uncomfortable and can certainly understand how some women beg to be induced early. However, I want the baby to come when she’s ready, not when it is convenient for me or my doctors.

That being said, this Thursday is the full moon…will it happen soon?

I think this is the first time in MONTHS that I’ve actually posted a weekly pregnancy update on time. Aren’t you proud of me?

I may have cursed myself when I wrote about my belly remaining small. Because as soon as I compared this week’s picture to last week’s, and noticed how much larger I look, I whipped our the measuring tape and found my stomach a full 1″ wider. Maybe it’s because I had an extra-large brunch today? I’m not sure — all I know is that my belly has seemed to have gained a full inch in just a week.

(Yes, I know I am wearing a Baltimore Ravens jersey in this picture and I am well aware that they played horribly today, especially considering Flacco’s four interceptions. Please don’t rub salt in an open wound.)

I continue to remain extremely uncomfortable and I wish there was a (non-medical, healthy) way for me to fall asleep and not wake up until it’s time for the baby to come. Lately the little booger has taken to hurting me…I mean REALLY hurt, and I have taken to yelp at my belly, “If you want more room to move around, come out already!” Sometimes I can swear that she is pinching my lower organs — is this even possible from within the embryonic sac?

My contractions still come and go at irregular intervals. I am most definitely in early labor, but this doesn’t mean much because this stage can last anywhere from hours to weeks. I’m not sure what I would do if I end up going over my due date — after all, some babies seem content to stay inside the womb and placental deterioration won’t start until 42 weeks. I really don’t want to be induced, but I may be singing a different tune if the baby ends up being late.

According to experts, the baby now weighs about 6¾ lbs and is 20″ long. And if she looks anything like the BabyCenter picture below, she is starting to become pleasantly plump and adorably chubby.

J always jokes that he wants an “Eriksen baby” (à la How I Met Your Mother) and while I protest, “I do not have Eriksen-bearing hips, nor do I want a 15 lb baby coming out of there,” I have to admit that I want a cute chubby baby too.

I can’t believe there are only TWO WEEKS left until my due date! It’s really coming down to the wire!

Four days ago, I hit 37 weeks and reached a new milestone: I am now considered full-term!

Aside from the episode of false labor yesterday, the baby seems content on staying inside my belly for the time being. I am still experiencing contractions, but they remain irregular and completely manageable.

I feel as huge as ever, but whenever I tell people how far along I am they’re almost always shocked. “You look like you’re only 6 or 7 months along!” they exclaim. I think that the fact that I am a first-time mom has to do a lot with my belly (seemingly) looking relatively small. I’ve read that women are more likely to “pop” a lot sooner and their bellies more likely to grow a lot bigger with subsequent pregnancies.

When I mentioned the “you look so small” comments to J, he agreed that my belly growth seems to have slowed down considerably within the past month. And comparing the pictures above (34 weeks vs 37 weeks), there really doesn’t seem to be that much of a difference. What I can say is that my belly definitely seems a lot harder and tighter than before, so I can only conclude that the baby continues to grow while my belly growth has plateaued.

Curious to see just how much my tummy has grown since I last measured it at 28 weeks, I took a measurement this morning. Can you guess how much wider my stomach has gotten by looking at the pictures below?

The answer: one inch. That’s it. Seriously. At 28 weeks, I was dismayed to find that my waist was already measuring 40″. Well, at 37 weeks and 5 days, almost a full ten weeks later, my waist has only widened by one inch and now measures 41″. I couldn’t believe it myself, especially when you compare the photos above. Maybe I lost some back fat?

That being said, my weight gain is at…drumroll please…50 lbs now.  Luckily, when I informed my friends of this number at my baby shower, they all agreed that I certainly do not look like I gained 50 lbs. I think that perhaps I don’t look as if I gained that much weight because the weight gain is so evenly distributed through my body. In addition, all the extra water — amniotic fluid (my doctor tells me I have extra), blood (the blood volume of pregnant women increase by 45-50%), and water retention (I’m very susceptible to water retention) has to count for some of the weight, right?

According to experts, the baby now weighs about 6½ lbs and measures about 20″ long. Now that she is full-term, there is a very good chance that her lungs are mature enough to adjust to life outside the womb if she were to be born right now.

My OB visits are now weekly, but I have yet to receive a cervical check so I have no idea if I am dilated or effaced. I did, however, receive my last series of tests on Monday — bloodwork in addition to swabs to check for any diseases/infections that may be passed down to the baby such as Group B strep.

So with those tests out of the way and already having pre-registered at the hospital, we are well on our way to have this baby! Please keep us in your prayers as we approach the final stages of pregnancy!