Team Baby!

Well, here's the team, 4 pairs of hands to welcome this little guy into the world. It's all about communication and teamwork if I want to avoid the drugs and with just 6 weeks to go we'd better get comfortable and get ready for the ride, GO TEAM BABY!

I'm progressing well and whenever my midwife feels and listens to the baby she always says 'this is a good baby' which is always great to hear. His heartrate is perfect, and so is mine, and he's very active and responds to her touch. This baby is just growing and growing and is already at about 4lbs. and yes still on track to being an 8-pounder! I just hope he doesn't get stuck on the way out. But despite the fact that baby is looking healthy and I've gained over 25lbs., due to my pre-pregnancy slender physique it is still a bit of a concern that I'll go back to being underweight after the birth and I need to start increasing my calorie intake to beef myself up for having adequate physical energy to be a healthy breastfeeding mama. So, protein shakes here I come! Feel free to embrace your inner grandma if you see me and offer me a snack, though it's more difficult to eat large filling meals due to a compressed stomach and frequent heartburn, I'm supposed to be 'grazing' which basically means eating small amounts of food many many times a day, like a cow.

Another thing that was brought up with this last visit is that I'm a good candidate for home birth, due to my healthy progression, balanced emotional state, and comfortable communication with my support team. It's something I hadn't given serious thought to previously because I just thought a hospital setting is the best for 'just in case.' Plus, they've got that tub. However, the hospital does come with a certain level of intervention, even when a midwife is present, and since I'm going to labor at home for as long as possible perhaps I'll change my mind and won't want to leave? Just to be clear, it wasn't brought up in a suggestive manner as if my midwife herself would prefer that method, it's just something that was put on the table as a possibility and I'll be free to decide when the time comes. When labor begins 'the team' will come over as I'm progressing and we'll see how things go, it will simply be an option we can opt to take if I'm handling contractions well and don't feel like getting into a car for twenty minutes. My midwife will have all necessary supplies on hand, we have a backup hospital that is very close, and she is fully capable of conducting the initial assessment of the baby and submitting any necessary paperwork. The thought of just me and Josh being able to bond with the baby as a new family in the comfort and privacy of our own home is quite appealing. Anyway, no decision has been made, we're going to wing it and I feel confident it will all work out beautifully either way.