Lookie at what I found in my draft box!!!
Please allow me to share this post from February!
One month! It's taken me one whole month to write another pregnancy update.... And guess what? This post will be mostly pictures, which are fun anyway.
We have not gotten internet at our home yet, so I have two options when it comes to blogging: type everything on my phone or go somewhere with free internet (coffee shop or library). Neither is convenient, and lately I've been such a homebody-- but that's for the pregnancy update!
This picture is from the middle of January.
She's Growing!
Our darling daughter Abigail has certainly grown in the past month. My belly has gone from 'Aw, you have such a cute little belly' to 'Woah, mama! When are you due?' in a matter of weeks. When I bend at my hips, I can definitely feel her weight pressing against my abdomen skin and legs.
The picture on the left is from February 1. The picture on the right is Christmas Day.
With Abigail's growth, I have gained stretch marks on my belly; they showed up at 35 weeks. Although they are slowly beginning to take over my belly, they are not an angry red- more of a whitish stretched look. Some are pink.
My thoughts on stretch marks? Ready for my response??
Okay.... I have stretch marks.
My point? In my opinion, stretch marks are neither special nor a shame. Society cannot make me feel inferior for a natural and likely genetic characteristic of stretching skin and pregnancy. I refuse to believe that flawless, blemish-free, or stretch mark free skin defines beauty or attractiveness. I also do not regard stretch marks as a badge of honor. Some women never have stretch marks; have they not earned their motherhood 'stripes?' I did not do anything to deserve getting stretch marks, and stretch marks are not exclusive to pregnancy. They're just normal- not special and not shameful.
Midwife Appointments
At 36 weeks, my midwife visited our house along with her birthing assistants and our doula. They brought blessings and goodies; I made dinner, and we simply sat around the living room and chatted.
My midwife gave us an adorable onesie for Abigail to wear!
In addition to a cute tie-dye onesie for Abigail, our midwife brought a stash of cloth diapers a friend of hers donated to us, our birthing kit, and the birth pool! (We are so blessed; God is good!!)
I must say, the excitement and anticipation of Abigail's birth has built significantly since our home visit appointment. Our sweet daughter truly could come at ANY time now as a full term, healthy, home birth baby. Wow.
As the day draws nearer....
I am simply trying to stay active, productive, and healthy for Abigail's arrival. I am also preparing my mind to mentally and emotionally give birth. Usually, I take time daily to envision my labor and delivery. How do I want my labor to go? What do I want to hear, see, feel, smell, taste, do? I believe planning is powerful.
Please feel free to read my birth plan and tweak it for your own use, if you like.
My sisters have also been helping me to write down scriptures of strength and praise to use during labor. Mediating on these scriptures beforehand is building my faith that I can trust in God- no matter how the labor goes.
I have also been going for walks daily. My usual walk is about a mile and a quarter, plus I climb a flight of stairs until I get too tired. Usually, I climb the stairs about ten times before my legs tell me to start walking home again. Walking has relieved any and all lower back discomfort.
Here I am at a local dock area, about two miles from my home. My sisters and I walked there when I'm 39 weeks in my pregnancy!
Iron
As many of you who have followed my pregnancy know, my iron levels have been low since my second trimester. At my last appointment (39 weeks), my iron levels were 11.6! Our goal is to be above 12, so let's just pray that they are before Abigail comes.
Nesting
Within the last week- I am 39 weeks now- I have been feeling such a sense of urgency to get things ready and prepared! I've been organizing the refrigerator and labeling everything. I've been testing the birthing environment and setting materials out. We even just bought a beautiful new cosleeper for our baby girl. I'm less than a week to my due date at this point, and although I know she can come two weeks after her due date, I've a feeling she'll be here soon.
Perspective
Although I feel this sense of urgency, I'm not rushing Miss Abigail. I'm not feeling miserable; in fact, I feel fantastic- healthy, content, and joyful! I know that the more work my body does NOW, the less work it will have to do during labor. She will come when SHE is ready and when my BODY is ready. I will trust God for her safe delivery in the perfect timing.
Hopefully, the next time I write, I have a new babe to show you!
God bless you and keep you,
~Raquel
Aww - glad to get the update... post the event! You looked so great throughout your pregnancy, just a beautiful model of a young expectant mother! The picture by the docks of you is just lovely... hard to believe Miss Abigail was all curled up inside you, as she was a big girl! Enjoyed the post, and so glad to see you blogging again! Much love :)
ReplyDeleteThank you. :-) I felt really great in my pregnancy, and I'm just NOW starting to feel really good in the postpartum. Whoo..takes a long time to get energy back. Maybe I'll have to make a post about the postpartum, but I think next time around I'll "plan" the postpartum differently.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for me to imagine such a big girl inside my body! It's still surreal to me that I've given birth, although I've experienced it in its entirety.
~Raquel
I hope all is well. That was really sweet.of your medwife to make that for your baby
ReplyDelete