37 Weeks

I'm officially full-term, as of Sunday! I'm so thankful to be here. And it's nice to feel like I have most things ready to go for whenever this baby comes (bags are packed, baby clothes washed, etc), even though that probably won't be for another few weeks. On the other hand, my life has become significantly less comfortable over the past week. I think part of it is that my belly has grown a lot (as you will see in the pictures), and I finally really feel big. Along with that has come all kinds of pelvic pain and pressure that I've never experienced before. I know it's my body getting ready for labor, but it hurts! Sitting at my desk all day has definitely become a grueling test of endurance. Only two more weeks of work...

Here's both my 35-week and 37-week pictures, so you can see the change. The face I'm making in the 37-week picture was not intentional--I think I was about to say something to Pete when he snapped it. But it pretty much captures how I'm feeling, so I decided to use it.

I went to acupuncture yesterday and plan to go once a week through delivery. My acupuncturist asked if I'd like to go into labor early...um, yeah! The last thing I have on my schedule that I would prefer not to miss is a week from tomorrow, when work is throwing me a goodbye party. After that, any time is fair game, as far as I'm concerned. And I wouldn't be overly upset about missing the party, either. Of course, I also know it's better for my baby to keep cooking a little longer. I hear that babies born closer to the 8-pound mark are often better eaters and sleepers at the beginning, too. So she said she'll work on getting things on their way a little bit next weekend, and then the following weekend can go ahead and make it happen if it hasn't already. Yippee!

On a more negative note, I tested positive as a Group B Strep carrier :(. I know it's not a big deal at all, but I'm a bit bummed about having to be on an IV during labor, and about having to take antibiotics in general. I'm hoping that they'll still let me labor at home for a while and won't make me come in to the hospital right away to get the antibiotics. I'm also hoping I'll still be able to move around once I do get the IV--I feel like if I am confined to the bed, I will have little hope of being able to put off getting an epidural. I will definitely be talking to my doctor about it at the 38-week appointment next week. I've also started to take a really high-quality probiotic to do as much as I can against possible side-effects of antibiotics--like yeast infections/thrush, which I hear can be a real challenge to get rid of while breastfeeding.

Nico has tagged me in a fun-looking meme, which will provide me with a good reason to post twice this week :). So look for that next!