The Home Visit

When you read this I will be one day shy of 37 weeks pregnant. We just had our home visit with the whole birth team and now I will be meeting with my primary midwife each week until Chap/Chickie is born.

At the home visit we had our midwife team, my mom, Papa, our kids, and me at the homestead. I had my usual prenatal and then we went over our stash of birth supplies and what to expect from each other during the birth. This is our third home birth (4^th home visit since I didn’t transfer my care with Buddy until 38 weeks) so the meeting wasn’t anything new, but there were a few new topics that came up since this will be our first birth in a camper; like space, heat, water, and the driveway.

I know better than to plan how my birth will go, but we did discuss how I want to be more active during this birth, possibly even catching the baby. I wanted to with my other kids, but at the end I always ditch my ideal and just want to get it over with. This time my midwives (new ones for me) are going to do everything they can to help me take charge so I can have the memory I am hoping for.

We have just about all the things we need, only a couple minor things left on the list, and we buy one or two things a week to spread out the expense. At this point we would be ready any time though, which is good because, even though I also know better than to say this, I have a feeling I’m not going to make it to my due date (first day of Spring!) watch me go right past it.

I have a history of prodromal labor; regular contractions getting more and more intense in the days and weeks leading up to the start of active labor, when I’ve already dilated to 4-5cm and then the baby is born a few hours later. I started noticing a change in my Braxton Hicks at 35 weeks this time, and increasingly so at 36 weeks, which means either I’ll be exhausted by 40 weeks or this baby is coming sooner. Whatever the case, I have no intention of “speeding things along”. Been there, done that, never doing it again. ‘Nuff said.

Chap/Chickie is doing well. Kicking and stretching all the time, and in a good position. My midwife says he/she is middle of the line average for size, but of course, the time of the birth will influence the size of the baby. Unlikely I’ll have another 9½ pounder though. Not that I mind!

As time goes on it is getting easier and easier to imagine what this little person looks like. The skinny little feet, the perfectly formed hands, that bum that doesn’t quite fit diapers very well, the hidden neck, and beautiful little eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Pretty soon I’ll be snuggling with that sweet smelling bundle and treasuring those special moments while they last.