I am 41 weeks pregnant today. Unbelievable. I know...I'm certainly not the first woman to be 41 weeks pregnant, nor will I be the last. Nor is it some horrible punishment. I'm going to attempt to describe how I'm feeling. Who knows if it will make sense.
First I am feeling exhausted and uncomfortable. I loved being pregnant but it's taking its toll on me now. My vaginal area ACHES. I have to pee every time I stand up. If I'm walking I have the urge to pee about every 20 minutes. My heartburn was horrible (but shh, I started taking my Prilosec again). And the backache and crampiness and nausea I've been experiencing lately frankly stink!
Second I feel as if I should have some control over this, as if there is something I'm supposed to be DOING to get baby out, and that I'm responsible for everyone's disappointment. I'm getting Facebook messages and wall posts, texts, emails, and phone calls from everyone under the sun asking if I've had the baby yet. On Thursday (one day after my due date) my disability insurance claims adjuster called me to see if I'd had the baby yet. On Friday my HR rep called me. I just want to scream, "Really, people?" The disability adjuster only told me about 5 times before I went out on leave that all he needed to know was the date the baby was born so to let him know once the baby was born. Well, if you didn't hear from me, maybe it was because the baby was not born yet! And then of course he had to add in there that I should call him after the baby is born. Duh! And then today my family doctor called me. It's a due date, not a deadline!!
I am so emotional right now that I spend a lot of time crying. I'm not sleeping all that well. I stay up late and then I wake up when my husband goes to work and can't fall back to sleep. I wind up napping during the day (most days).
Yesterday I went to my acupuncturist for acupressure. She gave me instructions to bring home so my husband could repeat it on me. He not really good sport about it but he did it complaining the whole time. I need to ask him to repeat it on me but I know he'll whine again.
Today was kind of a whirlwind day. I was supposed to have my midwife appointment tomorrow but I texted her to confirm and she said that was correct but she did have an opening today at noon if I'd rather so I took it. Via email yesterday she had offered to check my cervix so I was rather eager for that. She not took my blood pressure when I got there and it was 140/95. All she said was, "It's up," and I started crying. She gave me a tissue and I cried for a bit and apologized and got all gooey and gross. She said, "I think it's time to get this baby out." She offered again to check my cervix and I took her up on it. She said I was about 1 cm dilated and about 60% effaced. It was somewhat uncomfortable for me but I wouldn't say it really hurt. I have no idea if 60% effaced is really good or not, or how long it takes to get to 100%! This is why I was fine with not being checked because it doesn't tell you a whole lot but I just had to know today! My midwife offered me some homeopathy. She stuck it under my tongue and told me to let it dissolve there. She said if nothing happened from that to take a tincture which she also gave me four hours later. I did take that (black cohosh and blue cohosh) and then fell asleep. I read online that you should keep moving after taking it. Great. I did not know that. So that doesn't seem to be doing much either. I'm feeling contractions but nothing intense or steady. I also took a walk before I took the cohosh tincture (hours before) and nothing really came of that.
A friend dropped by with a meal for our freezer. She is going to be leaving on an international trip for three weeks on Friday and was sweet enough to drop off a meal before she goes. She went overdue with all three of her babies (10, 6, and 11 days respectively) so she totally gets where I'm coming from. She helped me feel a bit better after we chatted a bit. She kept reminding me I have no control over this, it's not my responsibility to get baby out by a certain time, etc.
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