This week the baby is measuring approximately 19.25 inches, 6.3 pounds, and the size of Swiss chard...? The internet says Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking. Here is a photo:
The baby is now officially considered "full term", which means that he or she can arrive literally at any time. The baby's organs are all nearly fully developed and prepared for the outside world. Since the doctor does not want me to go past 40 weeks, it is very likely that we are down to a dozen or so DAYS.
Here is a rundown of the latest and greatest going on in the Raposa household...
On Saturday night in to Sunday morning, Ben's coworker Jonathan threw him a diaper kegger/Dad-chelor party. The premise is that Ben's friends will bring diapers in exchange for beer, food, laughs, etc... Apparently these parties are very popular in the mid-west, but we both just recently became aware of such a thing.
Let me just say that the thought of Ben spending the night away (even if it was just in the next county) while I was 37 weeks pregnant was not particularly inciting to me. However, he's been under a lot of stress at work recently not to mention the impending life change we are about to undergo, so I came around to the idea. (Let the record show that I did ask if I could attend (denied) - everyone knows that Jonathan makes the best smoked sausage in town!)
So, while I'm not privy to the details of the party, it appears that everyone got along really well and these men sure did deliver! Also, I was super impressed his Dad-chelor party was attended by men ranging in age from their 20s to their 50s(!) - the photos looked like a true pack of misfits Check out the diapers:
The final count was just over 2,000 diapers and 1,000 wipes. Ben and I were discussing it on Sunday, and we really do have such an amazing support system. It is very difficult to express (in words that make sense) how appreciative we are to have such incredible family and friends that are willing to help us navigate this new/scary/crazy adventure.
Speaking of family, on Saturday, I attended Kristi's shower in Dade City. Here is a photo of myself, Kristi and Charity (We all have February due dates - 13th, 26th, and 15th respectively).:
The shower was beautiful and I got to see a lot of family members, presumably for the last time before we welcome the baby. It was a really relaxing afternoon hanging out with the ladies of the family talking about babies, eating delicious food, and cake. Speaking of cake, check out the adorable/delicious cake Auntie Tallie (and Shyla!) made for the occasion:
On Sunday, I started to try all sorts of things to get Baby Raposa moving in the right direction. Here is a link to the article our doula recommended. We have tried the forward leaning inversion, side-lying release, breech tilt (with ice pack at the top of my stomach and heating pad at the bottom). I'm anxious to see if any of these efforts are working, but we won't know until some time next week. Other options include an ECV, visiting a Chiropractor for the Webster Technique, and finally a c-section if all other options do not work.
In addition to trying all these tips, I have been trying other natural things in order to prepare my body for baby. I have been drinking red leaf raspberry tea (daily) - here is some information on the benefits. Taking evening primrose oil supplements (1 x day) - here is the thought on how it works in pregnancy. I've also been walking as much as possible to open up my hips and prepare. Finally, I've been trying to chill the heck out. My personality truly is to be a high-strung individual. I can't really help it. But, if I find myself getting too worked up over something (especially something silly), I try to just take a couple deep breaths and move on.
Also! I'm no longer taking the Lovenox shots. The doctor officially switched me Heparin until the baby is born. Heparin is a lower dosage blood thinner, so it will exit my body sooner than the Lovenox shots. The difference is that you (i.e. Ben) has to draw the liquid in to the syringe for the Heparin; whereas the Lovenox shots were pre-loaded. Additionally, because it is a lower dosage, it has to be administered twice a day. Here's a photo of the new set up:
The needles are smaller so it actually does not hurt as badly as the Lovenox, but it clearly is a lot more work on Ben's part to load the syringes. I've been told that these shots will likely cause more bruising as well. The great news is that there clearly is some light at the end of the tunnel. The shots will only have to be administered for a few more days and then we are going to stop 48 hours before the induction. A few days after, we will resume the Lovenox shots for 6 weeks postpartum.
That is all for now y'all - until next week!
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