This past week has been whirlwind of activity from getting the nursery done, keeping the house clean, making sure the dog is up to date on all his shots, the latest OB appointment to lots of really informative and fun classes.
The nursery pictures are up in case you haven’t seen them. We’re so proud of how it turned out. True, we didn’t do all the crazy design stuff we’d originally planned but we do rent the place and what ended up happening is fantastic in itself. I think we’ve created a really fun, bright, cozy environment for our little one.
House cleaning is an ongoing process but I’m keeping up with it reasonably well. I pretty much do the cursory cleaning – sweeping, vacuum, dishes, laundry. I’m not really worried about the place falling into funk when the baby comes what with my mom being here, Stephen’s family stepping up to help out and Stephen being around for at least two weeks. Stephen is putting in extra hours at work to make sure his temporary replacement is trained and up to speed before he’s out for two weeks. His boss rocks for giving him two weeks PAID paternity leave. Plus, he can always work from home if something happens and I need him home for longer or if an emergency happens at work that only he can brilliantly solve.
Because my husband is brilliant.
Duh.
My full term OB appointment went really well. My Group B Strep Test came back negative which means no antibiotics during delivery. Yay! And my midwife jokingly said that my iron levels were better than hers so woohoo on that one, too. Liv’s heartbeat is still strong and steady and she’s still head down. She’s dropped a LOT – so much so I can’t see my belly button anymore. I really hope that means soon.
I’m having lots of Braxton-Hicks which are definitely increasing in intensity and duration. No other labor signs yet though… LOTS of trouble getting comfortable no matter what I do. Back pain, hip pain, edema in my right leg and foot, and, I think, a shin splint which is so. much. fun.
All the classes this past week were really great. I wrote about the Sign Language course already. We also took a Massage for Pregnancy and Labor class and I took a Breastfeeding Class.
The massage class was nothing short of awesome. Not only did I get massaged as Stephen practiced all these new things, but the teacher, who is a licensed massage therapist specializing in prenatal and infant massage, showed me how to position myself while sleeping so I wasn’t in as much pain in the morning. What was really nice about the class is we learned a handful of what she called “Contraction Distractions” which are places Stephen can apply pressure to help relieve some of the discomfort during contractions during labor. I just hope we can remember them all when the time comes.
She also showed us acupressure points for inducing labor.
I was so tempted…
Now, I realize I didn’t need to take a breastfeeding class. I wanted to. I don’t know how to do it – I’ve never done it before. I figure I might as well get as much information as I possibly can. Things have changed since our parents breastfed – new information is out, new techniques, new studies, new this and new that. The class was taught by a certified lactation consultant who is a mother of four and a grandmother of several so when I say she was highly qualified to teach this course, I mean it. And what was nice is that she was able to talk about things that changed between when she breastfed to now. She went over various positions, pumping, problems and how to address them, feeding schedules and even things that Dad can do to help out and be supportive. It was fantastic and I’m really happy I took the class. I feel I can go into that first feeding session after delivery with a bit more confidence now.
For those of you in Atlanta, all these classes are offered through Northside Hospital but are considered community classes. You do not need to be delivering at Northside to take them!
http://www.northside.com/medical_services/Maternity_Parenting_Classes.aspx
I highly recommend any of them from the really important ones like Infant CPR and Car Seat Safety to the more fun ones like Massage, Daddy Boot Camp and Sign Language.
And you get a discount for signing up for three or more if you call them to register. We’re talking a really nice discount, too.
So, we come to just shy of 38 weeks and, other than OB appointments and our one year anniversary on May 2 (woohoo!), the calendar is officially cleared. Stephen has put a ban on me driving anywhere on my own. My brother called me to see how I was doing and to send his well-wishes, which was really sweet. Mom has told all her clients that she’s “on-call” as far as I’m concerned so any horseback riding lessons she schedules are all tentative so she can leave at a moment’s notice if need be. Stephen’s mom has instructed that the baby not come next weekend as she’ll be out of town at a conference but she did say she’s told all her coworkers that if I do go into labor then, she’s dropping everything and leaving immediately.
Everyone is gearing up!
It’s all up to Olivia now…
