At my last midwife appointment, which was Monday, I scheduled almost the rest of my midwife appointments. Except for December. Who knows if I’ll even make it to December.
In three weeks, I have my 34 week appointment. Then two weeks after that, I have my 36 week appointment. And then I start going every week.
Woah.
I was totally caught off-guard. I think part of it was that I thought my EDD was 12/10, and it’s actually 12/6. I missed that memo.
You’d think I’d be ready for these developments, wouldn’t you? I’ve done this before. Kinda.
And yet, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that the end of my pregnancy is looming on the horizon.
Physically, I am ready. My back hurts, my hips and pelvis are killing me; I cannot sleep through the night. Moving in general is hard, and bending over, impossible. I’ve been asking Flora to pick up dropped items around the house for a couple of weeks now.
“Why can’t you bend over?” she asked, finally exasperated by my fifth or six request last night to “get [object lying forlornly on floor] for me”.
I pointed to my belly and said, “You wouldn’t be able to bend over with this in the way, either.”
She giggled. I’m so happy I amuse her.
Emotionally, I’m in turmoil. I can feel my anxiety ratcheting back up. The current issue I am having is: I don’t know where I’m delivering this baby.
IF things continue to go well, I won’t have to induce.
And IF I don’t have to be induced, I can have Le Bud at the midwives’ birthing center.
Not in a hospital.
Of course, IF I don’t have to be induced, then I have to actually go into labor. Which I haven’t done (naturally) before. Which brings up (for me) a whole ‘nother host of questions and anxieties.
In terms of house preparedness, we aren’t ready, either, and Dan and I need to sit down and work out a schedule. When to clean out Le Bud’s room and get it set up for him, for example. When to put the crib back together. Another teeny issue: I don’t have boy stuff. Not a onesie, not an outfit — actually come to think of it, I don’t have ANY baby clothes any more. I need crib sheets, too, and probably some non-girlie blankets for swaddling.
And diapers. And wipes.
Uh, I have to go make a shopping list. What do babies need again? Leave your favorite essential(s) in the comments!
Red Pen Mama 
If you or anyone you know can sew at all, go to a fabric store, pick out some cute flannel print that you like and make BIG receiving type blankets for swaddling. The ones you buy are never big enough and all it take to make them is to cut a big square and seam the edges so it doesn’t fray.
I wish I could pass boy stuff on to you since I had a TON but I’ve been funneling clothes to someone else for a year now and all my newborn stuff is gone.
Do you need a bathtub or bath ring (for babies that can sit)? I still have those. I can also give you a changing table pad (contoured) with covers. I have three covers – baby blue, sage green, pale yellow.
Hm. I don’t sew, but my SIL (Dan’s sis) has a sewing machine. Maybe I’ll see if she can do me up something like that. You can never have too many swaddling blankets. They are also handy to have to cover myself for public nursing, diaper changing just about anywhere, and spit up catchers. And my babies are spitter uppers. I don’t know how Kate got so fat she spit up so much.
I am hoping my other SIL (Dr. Bro’s wife) has some infant boy stuff, although her youngest is now 18 months, so who knows?
Thanks!
I’ve got the quilt! It’s even Noah’s ark, and if you can try to wait for curtains and stuff until after Christmas (my poor quilter is spending the majority of her time driving onion truck) I’ll do that. And I have baby clothes; I bought in bulk because you are the third one this year to have a boy, after years and years of girls in the family. I wish I were closer, but at least I can do those things.
Aren’t you the sweetest? Any way you could email a picture, or post it to Facebook? I can coordinate some bedclothes with it that way.
Dan & I wish you were closer, too. Someday, he, I and the kids are going to have to make a big trip out West.
Thank you for being so generous.
You are on schedule with a woman I did yoga next to on Wednesday. I’ve just started really showing (as opposed to just looking sort of fat), so I’ve been feeling like I’m super far along. I looked over at her and it was a reminder that “Oh yeah, I’m only halfway there. Oy.”
I love Halo Sleepsacks. AJ didn’t like to have his arms swaddled, so they were a great option. I was sad when we outgrew them. I also remember burp clothes (actually cloth diapers) everywhere. You always need one.
Right. I remember feeling big back in week 20. I’m all belly, and people tell me I look great, but I feel like I’m hauling a bowling ball around on my belly. I look ridiculous!
And, yes, with the way my babies tend to spit up (and drool ‹ Kate was the princess of drool), I always need something around to wipe them up!
I may have a line on some boy clothes from my next door neighbor…let me check on that. Her boy is almost 6 mos old! In fact, I gave her many of Aidan’s clothes…
do you have a boppy/nursing pillow?
I can send you a BUNCH of receiving blankets. I have a ton that are actually in decent shape!!
Let me check on some other stuff for you…
Love you!!!! Hang in there sweetie!
I do have a boppy. I don’t know what exactly made me hold onto it. But it is vital, and I often buy one for new moms (with an extra cover). It’s my favorite gift to give ‹ doesn’t matter if they are breast feeding or bottle feeding. Even 7 pounds can be heavy after 15 minutes! You need support.
Thank you for the offer of blankets. All of mine right now are pink or purple, of course.