37 Weeks Pregnant: Update on the Li'l One!

I had my 37 week check up today and it took forevvvvvvvvvvver... not the check up (that took a total of about 8 mins) just the waiting "without bottoms" for 30 mins for the doc to enter, uncomfortable as all get-out (and no, sorry, I can't define all-get out but it sounded better than "hell") bc I'm sitting on a medical examining station with nothing to support my back and all of the weight of my belly getting scrunched between my boobs and my hips. Ugggg. Not fun.


What do you say when the doctor finally arrives and asks you how you are doing? When asked today, I just said I was feeling uncomfortable. The doc then gave me the knowing smile that says, "Yes all 9-month pregnant women are uncomfortable". No dude, what I meant was I was uncomfortable at your office for the past 30 minutes! Oh well, rather than respond in that fashion, I asked him how HE was doing and he said that after seeing 20 patients this morning, I was only the second to ask him how he was doing. Oh my, I love the guy but I'm always skeptical that he he's telling the truth. Part of me thinks he just knows how to make a patient feel special.


So the news you all want to know is about baby. Basically I'm 1 centimeter dilated with about 10% effacing. The baby is in good position, so that's encouraging. It was worth the wait to hear this news. :)

Later when I informed Dom of my progress, he sounded a bit panicked and asked, "So what does that mean? You could have the baby this week?" I reminded him that this is the natural progression and it isn't abnormal for this to take weeks and that the doctor didn't show any signs of being concerned I was going to deliver soon. Dom sounded relieved. Personally I felt some relief too, because as much as we love our little guy or gal and as much as we can't want to meet him or her... we really need more time... Oops, what I should say to sound like a better mother is that our baby needs to bake as long as possible so he or she will be as healthy as can be! I probably shouldn't even mention that I'd like to get out of June to avoid all of the family birthdays and anniversaries we already have this month...

The heartbeat led the doc who has guessed boy every time I've gone for the past 3 or 4 checks to guess girl. I reminded him that we don't know and that he's guessed boy every time so far. His response was, "Well now I've covered all of my bases." Whether or not he just guessed girl today out of guilt for guessing boy so many times OR if he sees so many patients that he doesn't even remember guessing boy in the past, I don't care. His guess today reassured me that there is still a possibility the Li'l Krupp is a girl. (See what I mean by I'm always skeptical of whether or not he's telling the truth?)

My next appointment was scheduled for next Thursday as well, only 15 mins later than this one was. I'm hoping that it won't take nearly as much time! By the time I got out of the office, it was already noon and there went 1/2 of my day!

Top 5: The Five Most Uncomfortable Aspects of Being 36 Weeks Pregnant in June

Here are my "Top 5 Pregnancy Discomforts" for the moment:

5. Over the past two days my right side/pelvic bone area has been throbbing after I sleep.  Maybe I am putting too much weight on that side.  Regardless of where the pain originates, I wish my girl Jackie would come up and massage it again like she did in Dayton a couple of weeks ago.  I know, right?  She's such a good friend to me!

4. Being SUPER hungry, but then not being able to eat much at all because the baby is taking up so much room that food doesn't fit... so then I'm super hungry again in 20 mins. 

3. Having to pee 100 times a day... especially in the middle of the night when getting up from a horizontal position has become a chore of its own.  Sometimes it hurts my entire body just to sit up.  Typing that makes me sound COMPLETELY out of shape, but I swear that's not the only reason.  This baby belly is out of control.

2. Shooting pains in the lower pelvic bone.  I actually asked the doctor about this at Thursday's check and he said that these pains were new for me during this pregnancy because my bones are already loosened from the first baby.  (I guess this is better than my thought that being pregnant in my 30s is 10x more challenging than being pregnant in my 20s.  I feel a little reassured that age isn't a factor here, since I am still planning on having another kid and I'm not getting any younger!)

1. The swelling in my feet.  I know that this is the stupidest thing to whine about, but I feel as though when my feet are in pain my whole body is in pain.  I can't even remember what it feels like to wear regular shoes, because my feet haven't fit into anything other than Crocs sandals for about 8 weeks.  I think that my feet are so swollen that anyone with a needle could pop them in an instant.  In addition to the swelling on the tops of my feet, I think the enlarging of the feet PLUS the sandals have callused my feet so bad that now I have tiny razor-blade like cuts all over the sides of my  heels.  These small cuts are like paper-cuts, tiny in nature but extremely powerful and annoying in pain.  I think that wearing socks could be beneficial, but it's too hot for that.  Therefore, my only real option is to shut up and bear it for the next 3-4 weeks.  I have to keep reminding myself that the light is peaking through at the end of this tunnel.  It won't be long now!

I know you were all waiting for me to complain about the heat, but that really hasn't been TOO big of an issue except on SUPER hot days, and the worst part of the super hot days is that my feet are EXTRA swollen.

* Despite all of this, I know that I am super honored and blessed to be able to have this miracle growing in me and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. <3