Week 29 to 38

To week 25 to 28

Week 29 to week 32. So far everything is still going very well with me and most concerns I had faded away after my checkup wit hthe ob/gyn. I feel good and that helps a lot. I do have quite a few braxton hix contractions, but it all feels more normal. I am going over the books with names, and that is about at the time we agreed on starting this part of the preperations.

At this point I also tend to feel I want to have a VBAC. I feel that this might have a big psychological and positive influence on me when it turns out well. This working out would mean that I can look back onto an utterly positive experience as opposed to last times less comfortable one. Also a c-section is a major surgery. And even though it was the only option we had last time, it is less favourable in normal circumstances. AT the moment I still tend to like the thought of 'planning', but that is also because it seems a very practical solution. So nothing is really decided upon yet ;)

Week 33 to 38 The last few weeks I did an awful job keeping records of things. This is because I have been running around so much. I have been cleaning, unpacking boxes that were still waiting for that to happen, going out and do stuff with and without friends, feeling good and less good etc,etc. Today I feel like writing things down, so here I am behind the pc again.

One day things are better than the other.......over all things are going more than well, and I feel extremely good too. One summers flu or a few signs of that did put me off a bit (being nauseaus and diarrhoea), but that was something well understood by my gynaecologist fortunately. He did a few extra tests and was thourough with that and this way we all could be assured that this was all false alarm. This was very fortunate of course and really reassuring. When those complaints wore off, I felt really good again and I still could do just about everything I like. After week 35 there has been a bit of a turning point, without realising this myself I feel that I have been anxious quite a bit up to that point and I do not really know why, but that is completely gone now. I think that that's because I still feel so very well and healthy at the point that last year things went so terribly wrong. This is still being confirmed by my visits to the doctor's office. So far I have gained a decent amount of weight, for being me ;-). So many people still are surprised that I am actually this far pregnant, which is an observation that does not surprise me any more.

During my 36-weeks checkup we have decided to go for VBAC, or 'vaginal birth after c-section'. In other words: we'll see if this will work out. Because inducing the birth is a very unfavourable option in this matter, we'll just wait and see when the baby decides he/she is ready to roll. What we do know is that the baby is head down now and also quite low in the pelvis. This causes more vague complaints like more back pain and when I walk I feel like I'm wobbling more than walking ;-). Also my hips inform me at night that they are strained more. Fortunatelly, I still am able to go for my weekly swim, sometimes I even get to go 2 times a week, which relaxes me completely. Afterwards complaints are gone and I feel good about having done something for myself. Hooray! So far nobody started putting wet towels on me, trying to push me back in after exiting the pull, so I guess it still doesn't look that strange ;-)

Up untill the due date the gynaecologist won't examine me internally, since he gets the information he needs from feeling my belly anyway. He also thinks (and I think he is right) that it doesn't contribute much to do this examination earlier. The only thing it raises is the mothers tension and nobody is benefited by this. I do remember from last year that when I heard at 35 weeks that the baby was very low already and that I had started dialating too, I got exited indeed and had a hard time waiting, even though I did know that this is a situation that can last for several weeks. The fact that the baby is head down and that it is low too, is nice to know, but indeed is no indication on how much time we'll have to wait from now. I really think this is a refreshing approach and eh: the examination itself isn't that fun either anyway.

When the baby hasn't been born before the due date, at that time we'll again have a look at the situation. It should be determined if it is wise to wait a while longer, to induce my labour or plan a c-section again. This is all dependent on how my cervix will look at that time and how the baby is doing of course. Inducing rises the risks quite a bit with VBAC and after 40 weeks complications also are more frequently happening and a c-section remains to be a major surgery. Conclusion: just wait and see what happens and don't stress.

Writing this we have almost 38 weeks down (Saturday September 21) and I am doing great still. Every once in a while I have uncomfortable contractions and because fysically things are getting less comfortable I am looking forward to the baby being born. I do not really fear the delivery, it's something that has to happen anyway and will not be very nice, but it will lead us to finally being able to hold this new life that is growing inside me.

Last week we finally decided on the name, that I find very nice too. Finally we have the chance to get used to hearing that, the combination with the "van de Pol"-part and the rest of the names in our family. I think it is special too that in my conversations with this baby that I do have in my mind, I now can use the name. Other that that there is nothing much left to do than finalising projects (enough of these lay waiting for this) and taking things easy. Yes, even I do have to do so, even though I don't like it one bit. I am just not as quick, fit, etc and I do take this as a sign of my body to prepare me for the actual birth. Since my doctor's appointment is a weekly one, I now again go on Monday, still expecting to hear good news only.

Naar week 39 tot en met 40