Braxton-Hicks and Baby Kicks

At my last midwife appointment, I found out the exciting news that my Group B Strep test came back negative which means no IV needed during the birth! Woo hoo!

I've been able to get a few more things checked off my to-do list before Baby's arrival. I finally organized Baby's room by reworking the closet. We also nailed everything down with two wonderful Doulas who are going to tag-team the birth. I even started throwing a few things in my hospital bag.

Yesterday, my mom, sister, and nephew came up to visit and we went to a big indoor swim park in Arvada. They were making me laugh so hard I thought I might go into labor right there (luckily I didn't). Baby has been really active the last week and his/her kicks are getting really strong as evidenced by this video I uploaded.

I've also noticed an increase in the frequency and duration of Braxton-Hicks contractions, too. As my time for birth gets closer and closer, I've been experiencing a combination of both excitement and calm--excitement that we get to finally meet this little person that has been growing steadily inside me over the past 9 months and calm over the fact that we have surrounded ourselves with the support we need for this birth.

One thing I've done to prepare is to write down Bible verses on little cards so I can have something personal to meditate on while I go through labor.

Here are some of the verses I chose:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. -Colossians 3:15

Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. -Psalm 55:22

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. -Isaiah 41:10

 My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. -Psalm 73:26

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. -Psalm 127:3

But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded. -2 Chronicles 15:7

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD! -Psalm 27:13-14

 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. -Psalm 32:7

By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of You. -Psalm 71:6

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior... -Isaiah 43:2-3

There are so many unknowns that go into pregnancy, labor, and delivery. I feel that birth is meant to be untamed in a beautiful, messy sort of way. No matter how much I prepare, I am ultimately not in control and that's a good thing. When I try to take control, I am trying to be God.

How wonderful is it that God designed the first step into parenthood to be something we can't control? As a parent, I am charged with a lot of responsibilities (loving, guiding, feeding, protecting, serving, teaching, disciplining, etc.) but this little person's soul is not in my control. I cannot make them choose the right path in life. I cannot make them fall in love with God. And so, like childbirth, I prepare but, more than that, I trust.

Childbirth can be scary. Parenthood can be scary. Life can be scary! I trust my God because He has proved Himself trustworthy over and over in my life. It's not a trust that bad things can't or won't happen, but rather that no matter what happens He will use it for my good and His glory.

He loves this baby more than I or anyone else on this planet ever could.

Getting Ready for Baby

Tomorrow I'll be 36 weeks pregnant. I've already been having Braxton-Hicks contractions for months. Baby's head is down and engaged with my pelvis. We finished our Birth Boot Camp classes last month (which we loved, by the way). My birth plan is typed.

I still have a few things I would like to check off my mental to-do list, but honestly most of it isn't a big deal. For example, Baby's room currently looks like this:

Yes, that is all the stuff from my baby shower piled on a futon. But do I care? Not really. Baby is going to be spending the first part of life in our bedroom anyways so if I get to this pile soon, cool. If not, who cares? Really I just don't know where to put anything and this spot is the most out of the way at the moment.

We also are still figuring out our Doula situation.

Doula: "also known as a birth companion and post-birth supporter, is a nonmedical person who assists a woman before, during, and/or after childbirth, as well as her spouse and/or family, by providing physical assistance and emotional support." (thanks Wikipedia)

The first two Doulas we wanted to hire are both going to be out of town around the time I am due. They introduced us to another Doula, who is wonderful, but she's in school to become a Nurse-Midwife and is thinking we'll need a back-up Doula in case of a schedule conflict. Like I said, we're still figuring it out.

I also don't have much packed in my hospital bag yet. It's currently a duffel sitting on the floor of our bedroom with my hairdryer and straightener sitting in it. Yup, very prepared. I've browsed through many lists on Pinterest of what to pack, but most of them drive me insane with how over-prepared they are. A lot of them say to pack more than what I would pack to go on a week long vacation.

I guess now that I'm thinking about it, here are the things I plan to throw in:

• A couple nursing bras and pads
• My water bottle from Birth Boot Camp with the bendy straw for drinking in any position
• A couple snacky things to munch on while I labor
• Snacks for Robbie
• My birth ball (although that won't be in the bag because it's already inflated)
• A couple tank tops
• A sweatshirt
• A pair of flip flops
• Maybe a bikini top for laboring in the tub (or maybe I'll just go naked. I do what I want)
• A pair of PJ pants
• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• One or two outfits for Baby to come home in

We're planning on laboring at home as long as possible before heading to the hospital and we only live 15 minutes away so if I desperately want something from the house, I'll probably just send someone to grab it.

I did really enjoy writing up our birth plan the other day. It helped to solidify in my mind the type of birth experience we are wanting. We love the location we have chosen to give birth because they are very supportive of natural birth and have many mother-friendly practices (ie. allowing mom to eat/drink, skin to skin, water birth, low C-section rates, etc.). I think it's important for me to feel secure in the place I give birth without fear of being pressured into medically unnecessary interventions. At the same time, I trust them to give sound advice that is backed by research should a medical issue arise.

Here's a copy of our birth wishes (with some of our personal information removed of course!).

 Alright, maybe I'll go pack my hospital bag now. Or not.