Friday, June 15, 2012

Approaching Delivery Day


With the craziness that is our lives in the spring and summer, given yard work and dear hubby’s ever-changing work schedule, I realize I haven’t written anything of length in a long time, only quick little updates on Facebook. So, here’s something a bit more substantial.
Everything is going well with the pregnancy. I’m a furnace and am miserable on most days it gets above 80 with no breeze if I’m outside, so I try to stay inside as much as possible. My blood pressure has been behaving, though my OB says he doesn’t think it will stay that way; he’s wagering that it will shoot up around Week 34. I’m hoping for NOT. I’ve had no headaches or visual disturbances to worry about. Occasional dry eye and blurriness from the pollen, and occasional headaches from muscle tension or congestion (again, thanks to the pollen)—but nothing that a single Tylenol capsule doesn’t get rid of.

The next few weeks are going to be full of doctor appointments (OB, chiropractor, ophthalmologist) and classes (infant CPR and first aid, childbirth, childcare, hospital tour), along with many projects that my clients want done before my weeks of maternity leave and much overtime for dear M. We had two baby showers last week here in Indiana, and between the gifts we received and the money and gift cards, we now have the basics for caring for a newborn. Now we just need to get things unpacked in the baby's room, and we'll be as ready as it is possible to be to welcome a new person into our home and lives.

I’m at Week 32 when Father’s Day hits, so 8 weeks or less (I hope) until we meet Baby Stringham! I’m not incredibly uncomfortable, but Baby Stringham is now growing fast and large enough that it’s sometimes a struggle even to get dressed. I’m ready to be done, even though I’m enjoying the pregnancy. It’s close enough that my brain will now allow me to consider birth as a real possibility—something I wouldn’t give too much thought to before, after two miscarriages and all the difficulties I’ve faced in the past 2 1/2 years. Along with considering birth comes considering the possibilities of what can go wrong leading up to and during labor, including preeclampsia and postnatal hemorrhaging (that one based on my experiences with the miscarriages). These have been discussed with my OB, however, and we have plans in place. [I think it's good that the next few weeks are going to be so busy, so I can't devote too much thought to those things that might cause me anxiety.]

Still, I have begun a daily affirmation, which I’m going to share with you. Please feel free to say it each day with me, or to pray for us, or to do nothing but wait excitedly for Baby Stringham’s arrival—whatever floats your boat.

Affirmation:
I am staying healthy for the remainder of the pregnancy, through labor and delivery, and after. My blood pressure is NOT going to rise. My vision is NOT going to worsen—it might even improve. My intracranial pressures are going to stay normal. I am not going to stress out and cause myself or the baby undue hardship. Whatever happens will happens, and we have plans. We know what CAN happen, and we know how to handle any of those things, which empowers us. Labor and delivery will go smoothly. I hope Baby Stringham will come into this world as quickly and easily as I did, but if not, so long as things move quickly enough that I can maintain my strength, all will be successful. I will not need pain relief or intervention of any kind, because my body will behave and will act appropriately. This pregnancy has gone smoothly so far, so there’s no reason to expect it will not continue that way through delivery and afterward. All is well. All will be well. Our little family is strong and can face anything together, and knowing that makes us even stronger.