39 Weeks and My Random Blabbering On...

I am now officially at 39 weeks and 1 day, with 6 days left until my due date.  I doubt she will come on time, I am finally realizing that I may actually go to two weeks over my due date... which would feel detrimental to me because I would most likely need to be induced, which I really do NOT want.

Last night I was reading some threads of conversations on a board for women who are due this July, and one of the women posted that her son was born with several birth defects, as well as down syndrome.  My heart just went out to her so much, and I prayed for her son and his surgeries that he will have to have.  Then... I started to do some research.  Note to self: never do research on birth defects when you're a week away from having a baby.

I found so many disturbing photos, news articles, and stories about babies born without limbs, with extra limbs, without faces, with two faces, etc.  It was horrifying, and yet, I kept looking.  Deep down I keep wondering what it is that makes something like this happen.  I know a lot of it happens in other countries, where there isn't clean water and family members marry each other, etc.  But what would make this happen here in the US where we have excellent healthcare (mostly), clean water and food, prenatal vitamins, ultrasounds to detect these types of abnormalities, and more?  I am now so concerned for my little one, thinking that perhaps she could have the slightest imperfection. 

I need to stop!  I need to stop thinking about things like this!

I'm trying to enjoy my last few days/ weeks of being pregnant, but I am just in so much pain and discomfort, that I really can't.  Its hard to roll over in bed, and its hard to stand up and walk around.  The pain in my pelvis feels like an elephant kicked me in the crotch!  Haha.  I know this will all be worth it, I just cannot WAIT to feel that instantaneous relief that people say comes with giving birth.  The last time I was at the doctor, the midwife said that the baby hadn't dropped yet, but I feel now that she MUST have dropped some because of the pain in my pelvis.  I still feel her very high up in my ribs, but I think she is just long and running out of room in there!  I wonder how much she will weigh...

This week I have virtually no plans, aside from working at home and resting.  It actually makes time go faster when I do have plans, because I'm able to put my mind on something other than the baby coming.  Julia has been here for the past four days (since July 4), and we have done some fun stuff!  We went shopping a lot, she got a facial, we went to see fireworks on the fourth of July, we have made some really yummy food, watched lots of movies, worked on scrapbooking, went garage sailing, went swimming at the pool, went for walks, and more.  It's been a fast few days, and she is leaving this evening.  I hope I don't go back to just solely thinking about when the baby will come and wallowing in self pity that she isn't here yet.

My next doctor appointment is on Thursday (today is Sunday).  I will be two days from my due date then, and the midwife said that if she doesn't come 5 days after my due date, I will have to make another appointment to talk about being induced.  Sigh.  I really hope she just comes sometime very soon... like in the next couple of days...

This morning, I woke up to some pain in my lower back and some cramping in my abdomen.  It kind of came and went, so I thought it might be contractions, but as soon as I got up and walked around, made breakfast and ate food, it all went away.  I was really hoping that would be the start to labor, but it wasn't.  I was actually talking to a friend and she was telling me that when she initially went into labor, she had no idea that she was actually having contractions... they were so mild!  Well sometimes I wonder if I have been having them.  I know they weren't labor contractions because they never progressed into full blown labor, but did they do anything?  Did I dilate further?  Who knows.

Oh, this is random but I also read some natural birth stories online, and one woman was talking about how her baby was born "in the caul"... aka, born in the amniotic sac (the water never broke).  Crazy!  Never knew that was possible.  Apparently, it is extremely rare, and supposedly "lucky" to have a baby born in the caul.  Here is what that would look like:

What's crazy to me, is thinking about Selah being wrapped up in an amniotic sac like that, in my uterus which is now taking over my entire belly.  This is what is inside of me right now causing so much pain!  Gah!  I just hope she is healthy in there. 

Well I feel like I have sufficiently rambled on and on about different things for this post...  Next time I post, it could be about the birth story!   Or, it could be me, miserably mumbling on about how I am still pregnant...