{"id":21773,"date":"2014-05-09T07:06:29","date_gmt":"2014-05-09T11:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/?p=21773"},"modified":"2014-05-09T07:25:15","modified_gmt":"2014-05-09T11:25:15","slug":"due-date-thoughts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/due-date-thoughts\/","title":{"rendered":"Due Date Thoughts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well, I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d be here again, having to discuss induction with the doctor and wondering what it would be like to go into labor. However, considering I thought both my kiddos were boys and that I\u2019d go early with both, I should realize I lack a certain maternal instinct by this point, right?<\/p>\n

\"40<\/a><\/p>\n

Three weeks ago I was having so many signs that labor was around the corner. I didn\u2019t feel well, had cramps and was certain she\u2019d arrive soon. Now? I feel pretty good in all honesty! My biggest complaints are missing wine and that I feel pretty big. Not just the belly, I actually love the belly for the most part, but my arms, thighs and rear-end feel expanded, soft and unused. My underwear is tight. That is not a fun feeling, my friends. Though I\u2019ve never been a diehard workout fanatic, I\u2019m really itching to get some energy and fitness back in my life again (thus my crazy half marathon day dreams).<\/p>\n

Though I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d make it to 40 weeks, I\u2019m OK with it. I feel comforted knowing that she should be fully developed and ready for life out here in the world. I’m hoping it means good things for sleeping and breastfeeding. Being that I don\u2019t think my body grows particularly big babies (Hailey was 7 pounds 1.6 ounces at 10 days past due), I\u2019m also happy that she\u2019s had time to put on more poundage. My ultrasound on Monday estimated her to be around 6 and a quarter pounds. Those are notoriously inaccurate, so I\u2019m interested to find out the real number once she arrives.<\/p>\n

I also think the extra time (I supposed it\u2019s not extra time considering I JUST<\/em> hit my due date) has been good for me mentally. I realize I\u2019ve struggled with the idea that baby girl\u2019s arrival would mean the end of mine and Hailey\u2019s time together. Because of that we\u2019ve read extra books, gone to library story times, extra play dates with friends, special shopping trips (I need to have this baby before we drain our bank account at Target) and just snuggled more. Now I\u2019m embracing that it\u2019s not the end, it\u2019s a new beginning (as cheesy as it sounds). Hailey isn\u2019t going anywhere.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m ready to watch Hailey become a big sister and now I\u2019ll have TWO wonderful daughters to spend time with. I think Hailey is as ready as she can be, too. She keeps asking when baby sister will come so she can hold her \u2018like dis\u2019<\/em> (cue arms folded across the front of her chest). I also think she looks forward to mommy having a lap again. Poor thing wants to sit in my lap all the time and the belly just keeps shoving her off!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s really helped that I\u2019ve had so many friends have second babies recently (all but one have had girls, by the way!). Being able to watch them keep special bonds with their toddlers while holding their new bundles in their arms has me convinced I\u2019m being slightly dramatic about this transition. Life won\u2019t only go on, it will be enhanced in ways that I can\u2019t even conceptualize yet.<\/p>\n

\"DSC05349\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also realized that I\u2019m not one of those moms that can easily bond with the baby in utero. Don\u2019t get me wrong, her wiggles and kicks always make me smile and I\u2019m doing my best to commit the feeling to memory. I rub my belly and tell her a special hello and mommy loves you so much<\/em> a couple times each day. I have quite a few videos of her bouncing around in my belly, too. Still, I am eager with anticipation to finally meet<\/strong> her. I\u2019ve let my mind wander finally and dream of what she might look like, what her personality will be and what unique challenges and joys she will bring. The idea that I will have another daughter still feels surreal at this point and I can\u2019t wait for that moment of looking her in the eyes, holding her and knowing she is real\u2026 if that makes any sense?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve talked to my doctor about how long over my due date I should wait. He said that by 5 days past due, he thinks it would be a good idea to throw in the towel and I feel OK with that. This time around I am much less focused on having the perfect, natural delivery. Would I like to have that? Heck yes! But perhaps the scare early on in this pregnancy has reset my mind into truly just wanting us all to be here and healthy. I\u2019ve been going to the chiropractor, using evening primrose oil, doing cat\/cow stretches, drinking red raspberry leaf tea, bouncing on the yoga ball, walking, taking lots of stairs and feel like I\u2019m trying to do whatever I can (save castor oil- no thank you!) to make my body go into labor. Maybe I\u2019m one of those women that naturally has a longer gestational period, maybe it\u2019s because she is posterior, maybe there is no reason at all. It is what it is. I\u2019ll wait as long as my doctor and I feel comfortable, then, it looks like another induction. Either way, I will be having a baby within the next week (!). Again, surreal.<\/p>\n

So, there are my thoughts at 40 weeks. Today is my due date and a small part of me is secretly hoping she\u2019s part of the 5% of babies that are prompt and that magically mid-day she\u2019ll decide it\u2019s time<\/em>. A mom can hope, right? In the meantime, I\u2019ll go snap a few more belly pictures, visit the doctor and maybe enjoy another glorious, uninterrupted nap while I can!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well, I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d be here again, having to discuss induction with the doctor and wondering what it would be like…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":21768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1482],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21773"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21773\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}