Hi FitnessRx For Women Readers!! Guess what? I’m still here!
A week has gone by since my last appointment with my midwife and I’m still here, and still pregnant! With eight days to go till my due date, I’m getting pretty anxious.
Baby Staggs is estimated at 7 pounds right now, which sounds good to me. Time to get the ball rolling, Baby Staggs! 😉
Getting Closer
At today’s appointment, I was “checked” again. This means your midwife or doctor takes a look at your cervix to see how things are coming along. Baby is sitting at “Zero Station,” which means he is fully engaged and has pretty much passed the test to fit through my pelvis. (So says a former L&D nurse). I am about 85 percent effaced, which means my cervix is thinning out nicely, but I’m not dilated yet. These are all terms I had heard thrown around over the years— but hadn’t bothered to understand the details of till I found out I was pregnant. HA! These terms seem so everyday life now…http://www.babiesonline.com/articles/pregnancy/effacement.asp
What does this mean as far as delivery times? Nothing! Every pregnancy is different, I could go from zero dilation to a few centimeters or more in a matter of days. Then again, you have women who are dilated several centimeters for weeks at a time with no movement. You just never know. In general, though, my midwife is not expecting the baby to come anytime “this week.” Sounds like Baby Staggs is pretty cozy in his environment and has decided not to check out of Hotel Mommy very early. The good news is that he is lying in the optimal position for a natural delivery.
Mother’s Milk Tea
So now what am I up to? Well, besides a lot of waiting around, I’ve added a new tea to my stash that I’m going to start drinking as soon as baby arrives— Mother’s Milk Tea. The purpose of this is to help increase and establish my milk supply early. It’s a tea that contains Fenugreek, which is a natural herb that has been used for centuries with good results for lots breast-feeding moms. This site had a good summary of it: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/fenugreek/
Still Staying Active
I’m still going to the gym a few days a week. I’m not doing a whole lot, just trying to stay active. We’ve had a few nice days where weather got into the upper 50s, so I’ve been able to go for walks around the neighborhood and get some fresh air. Walking is one of the things that is supposed to help with dilation and get the ball moving. I’m still working (desk job) and am planning on doing that up until I deliver. It’s funny, co-workers pop into my office regularly to see if I’m “still here” and many are surprised I’m not off work already, being so close to the due date. I’ve been lucky, and everyone’s pregnancy is different. I’ve also taken care of myself during and BEFORE pregnancy, which my midwife believes contributes to a good pregnancy and an easier delivery. So! That said, ladies, don’t wait till you get pregnant to make the nutritional and healthy changes to your life. 😉
Hope you are all having a wonderful week and thanks for stopping back to check on me!
XO
Bec