Week 36.....

The last part of this pregnancy going on and on and on. I had a 35.5 week appointment last week and the babies head is engaged not a typical thing for pregnancy 3. Usually a baby of a "multi" mother (ie the second and subsequent pregnancies) will not engage until the week prior to birth or even when the cervix is dilated. My midwife mentioned that if I has a pushing sensation in my bottom that it was a better idea to ring the ambulance and have the baby on the bathroom floor rather than in the car. I relayed this message to Michael who became white and exclaimed "oh please don't do that!". It is not in my birth plan but I am not too worried about delivering at home.
So with a head neatly tucked into my pelvis I find myself waddling like a duck but on the up side my tummy has dropped a little putting less pressure on my diaphragm. Felix and Matilda are super cute kissing the baby as well as myself and they seem to be really excited about the idea of his/her arrival. I plan to pack my suitcase this week and be ready to go but in the back of my mind I assume that I will be blogging about being pregnant for another 4, 5 or even 6 weeks!

The blob

My body is pumped full of hormones ones that have for the first trimester caused me to become a blob. I vowed that I would keep really fit during my pregnancies and yet mother nature has other ideas. To suppress the nausea I resorted to stuffing my mouth with food [some cravings include; fetta cheese, vinegar (it seems to taste great on everything)] and hence my waist line has grown. I have popped and interestingly only half is baby the other half is fat. Fortunately I have experienced this phenomenon before (pregnancy 1 & 2) and it seems that my blob is designated for making breastmilk for baby 3 and Matilda if she doesn't wean as I thought she had (we had a feed this morning!) With a dawn of feeling better YAHOO for trimester 2 I will remain a blob now for the rest of the year and a little of next :)

Mamatoto- post read reflection

I was concern when pregnant the first time about having a natural birth. Fortunately I trusted my body, my partner and my midwife to have a natural first birth. Second time around I was so busy with a young toddler and trying to complete my studies that I had little time to think about it. I knew my body was going to birth my baby I would just have to trust it. And so my second was birth was natural too.

So what would a two time mother get from reading a birth and pregnancy book now?

Mamatoto was profound. I have found myself reconnecting with my birth experiences and gaining a better sense of self. While the mechanics of birth seem to be in order I do desire a better connection with my body to engage with the pregnancy, birth and postpartum periods. I hope that when I complete my birthing story (ie have the last baby) I am complete in mind and sprite and do not live in a state of what if I have another baby. Unfortunately a women's biological does not stop and we only have a small window of opportunity to have children and can not necessarily practice birth to perfection. This text has opened my eyes to the strength of women worldwide. I feel for women who do not experience birth as nature designed or can not have the number of children they desire. However I am equally strengthened knowing individuals with a deep sense of self and emotional intellect who have been able to resolve the negative emotions with being denied another baby due to infertility and I treasure them a friends.