38 Week Update

38 weeks caused us to feel a sense of urgency about EVERYTHING. I went into high-nesting mode and froze a bunch of crockpot dinners, made energy bites for the hospital and provided directions on what needed to be cleaned (I helped where I could but obviously avoided any chemicals).

After meeting with our doula for the last time before pregnancy, we had ‘homework’ to fill out lists of who will be around to help us post-baby. This made us feel a little stressed since we moved away from a support system we’d worked on building for 8-10 years (plus my family that is in Charlotte) and to a place where we have my super, awesome in-laws but only a few friends. We feel better about it after spending this week having a fancy date night with just the two of us, a double-date with friends on Thursday and plans for dinner with our neighbors on Monday.

Our appointment was relatively uneventful. A lot of people have asked what the doctor is saying and if I’m dilated. My doctor’s office is very low-intervention. They won’t check for dilation unless there’s a reason (like I tell them I’ve been having contractions)…. as dilation at this stage is not a clear indicator of whether you’ll have the baby tomorrow or in 3 weeks. It’s tough to wait it out but I appreciate them not doing any unnecessary checks. They did encourage me to start doing things to possibly naturally induce labor at home including evening primrose oil, walking, eating pineapple, getting a massage or acupuncture… the list is long and I’m game for trying ALL OF IT.

Baby size: Size of a spaghetti squash. Close to 7-7.5 lbs and full birth height.

Stretch marks/heart burn/acid reflux:  No stretch marks and despite me eating all the spicy foods, my heart burn and acid reflux have been minimal.