39w1d

We are officially down to less than one week! Next Wednesday, April 25th is my official due date and we've begun the final countdown.

At first, my doctor had estimated that the baby would be early based on my "symptoms" including diarrhea (fun!), cramps (even more fun!), contractions, and backaches, but then she checked my cervix and although I'm about 40% effaced and my cervix is shortening, I guess it's still not close enough to indicate any impending labor. Oh, and let me tell you, getting your cervix checked sucks...It's really, really uncomfortable. Imagine pap smear but 10x worse.

One interesting thing and maybe even something of concern, but I'm not jumping the gun yet, is that my fundal height has shrunk quite a bit. My doctor suspects it's because the baby has dropped significantly and even I can tell that by where I can feel his hiccups...they are way lower. But, just to be safe and to make sure that the baby is growing and there are no issues with the amniotic fluid, we're having an ultrasound done today. I love having ultrasounds done! It's so great to see him and typically, Doc makes time to come to the ultrasounds with me (he hasn't been going to the prenatal visits due to conflicts with his clinic hours).

My doctor also estimates that the baby will be about 6.5-7 lbs. A bit on the smaller side, particularly in Oakland where the average baby is over 8 pounds and they regularly deliver 10 pound babies (there are a lot of women in Oakland with gestational diabetes). But, she also said there's a very likely chance he'll be bigger due to the fact that he's sort of stretched out. Being on the taller side, he's not has cramped, so it's a little harder to get a really good estimate. Maybe we'll get a better idea after our ultrasound?

So, then what have I been doing while waiting for the bambino to arrive? I started maternity leave last Wednesday, so I've been basically lounging around at home, doing errands, and meeting up with friends and family. It's been really nice to have this time off to do all the little things, but man, I'd really like this baby to arrive...