Baby on the Inside

Waiting is more exhausting than I imagined. I'm getting uncomfortable with the weight of the baby again and I can't sleep for very long stretches of time because I get uncomfortable. I spend my lunch hour trying to catch a nap, and then I go to bed early when I get home. I'm just out of patience and out of energy. It's a matter of weeks until this baby is full-term. I keep telling myself that things happen at the right time for the right reasons. I just need to relax and accept it.

My parents are being even sweeter than usual. Mom cleaned the kitchen while she was visiting my house to clean the litter box. She even wiped the smudges off of the trash can.

Dad has almost finished painting the interior of my house. He's talking about what to pack to go to the hospital. He plans to join us for some of the labor and delivery. This is very different from when I first asked if he would like to be there and he said, "The waiting room will be just fine." Since he saw the birth plan that said he was welcome to join us, he's been noticeably upbeat. I think he felt left out that it was just me and Mom.

With all of the painting and organization on the home front, the crib might actually get assembled soon. Baby's clothes are in the closet. There is hope that all will be ready when baby arrives.

Birth Plans

Today, I finished the birth plan. The computer-generated plans on the internet are very helpful because they break down the major categories and touch on the bigger subjects.

Eating during labor? Yes, please!
Baby in room? Of course!
Episiotomy? Ow! Better be a really good reason.

Next came the endless tweaking of language. The doula wants me to be more "assertive" although her brand of assertive sounded pretty aggressive. I've got a good doctor, and his opinion and advice are important to me. I'd hate to see a birth plan stifle it. Mom (my labor coach) and I went through the items and changed all of the "I would likes" to "I prefer" or "I want." We'll review it with the doctor at my next appointment on Wednesday. Mom gets to meet the doctor for the first time too.

The Braxton-Hicks contractions made themselves known for the first time today. I'm nearly to 35 weeks, and I'm so eager to meet this baby. It makes it hard to focus on other details in life.

My next detail? Mom needs medical power of attorney and a living will. I hope we won't need them, but I want her to have what she will need if things don't go as planned.