38 Weeks, 6 Days (Aug 26 2010)
The countdown to Dana's due date is now in the single digits - eight days remain. Since I have not been having any serious contractions or even regular Braxton Hicks (false labor contractions), I asked how long the doctor would let me go past due if the baby decides to stay where she is. They will only allow me to go a week over before inducing, so at the latest, Dana will come into the world on September 10, just two weeks from tomorrow. Ready or not, here she comes.
For the most part, we are ready.
- The changing table, after much delay and confusion, will be delivered this evening, which means I'll be able to put away all Dana's little socks and diapers and miscellaneous baby gear (all currently taking up space in her crib).
- The cradle has been outfitted with a fancy new Naturepedic mattress and sheets, paid for using the gift card from my baby shower at work.
- Speaking of work, I finished training my replacements on Monday, and yesterday was my last day of commuting to the office downtown. I'll be working from home through next Thursday, and official maternity leave begins on Friday September 3 (Dana's due date). I plan to take off nine weeks (six with pay, three without), and return to work around November 8.
- Lastly, we had tried several times to get a consultation visit with a pediatrician, and after several rounds of phone tag, still had not managed to get an appointment booked. However, we were invited to the birthday party for the daughter of one of Will's professors, where we had the chance to speak to other parents from the neighborhood, many of them affiliated with the University. One couple from the UK, who had their twins at the same hospital we're using, told us that it's OK not to have a pediatrician lined up ahead of time - the hospital will set you up with one, and if you end up not liking him or her, you can always change. It was a great relief to hear this, since I felt like -- what kind of terrible parent am I, unable to arrange a simple appointment with my baby's doctor? So I'm glad that's settled.
We had our 38-week appointment on Monday. I'm up to 40 lb weight gain. Yes, that's right, 10 lbs in two weeks. I'm hoping the majority of that is water retention due to heat and stress. We have been lucky with the weather: temperatures have stayed in the 80s, with only occasional spikes into the 90s. Stress-wise, the past two or so weeks have been a push to get things wrapped up. Will was busy with his last week of teaching, while I had to put in longer hours at work to make sure the transition to maternity leave would go smoothly. I can definitely tell when I've worked a 10-hour day versus an 8 hour day, because my feet would be twice as swollen and everything kinda hurt when I got home.
Now we're in the home stretch, both working from home, waiting for Dana. Hopefully we can get some good rest in the next few days/weeks. It appears that the weather will be nice, though not particularly conducive to labor: no major storms or drops in barometric pressure to get this baby moving.
Anyway, it will allow us to take some nice walks. Last weekend, we walked about 2.5 miles one day, and a little over 3 another day. Our average walk (out to the Promontory Point at back) is just over 1.2 miles, a really lovely stroll on cool evenings.