Hi all,
We are all doing well! My family threw us a beautiful shower last last Saturday! We posted some of the pictures in our Picase Web Albums. Thank you so much to everyone who came near and far and gave and sent gifts. We are just playing the waiting game at this point. I think I lost my mucus plug last night! I have a prenatal app. on Wed. and they'll check to see how dilated I am. Last time they checked I was 2 1/2 cen. and 80% effaced. Hopefully that has improved.

Also, I originally tested positive for the Group B streptococcus (GBS). It is a type of bacterial infection that can be found in a pregnant woman’s vagina or rectum. A mother can pass GBS to her baby during delivery. Not every baby who is born to a mother who tests positive for GBS will become ill. Although GBS is rare in pregnant women, the outcome can be severe, and therefore physicians include testing as a routine part of prenatal care.

I originally tested POSITIVE for the GBS and was told I would need to be on antibiotics during the delivery. To some that is not a big deal, but to me this was "bad" news and I decided to do something about it. I worked with my alternative health care practitioner, who I have been using threw out my pregnancy, on a safe & natural detox program to rid the bacteria from my system. I finished the detox and had the midwife retest me. To my delight I tested NEGATIVE!! They couldn't believe it! Apparently they had never seen that done before!

How your baby's growing:

"Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)"

A busy busy bee, that's me!! I am big and tired, but trying to get a lot done before the big day! Also we are trying to make room for stuff, because our shower is this Saturday! Thank you to all of you who have already gotten us gifts. We really appreciate it and we will be sending out thank you cards as soon as we can.

I had a prenatal app. yesterday and they said the baby's head is already dropping down into the pelvis! She must be getting ready for an early arrival! Unfortunately she is in a posterior position, so I have to do some corrective positioning to try to get her to turn her back to the front of my belly.

One of the positions is to put my knees up on a chair or the couch and put my head on the floor, so I am almost upside down, then I have to hold it for 15min!! I have already tried a couple of times and it is not easy, in fact I haven't been able to do the full 15min yet. I'll keep trying though. I am determined to get her to turn, because I do not want to have back labor and try to push out a posterior baby. Wish us luck!

How your baby's growing:

"Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, her lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz."

Hi all,
Things are going well, but I am very busy getting ready for the baby and delivery. The baby shower is this weekend and I need to make room for everything. My Mom came down this weekend and is going to stay with me until sometime after the baby is born! I am so happy she is here! It's comforting to know I won't be alone when I start to go in to labor and since she has had 8 kids she is definitely qualified to coach me.

I am not seeing clients anymore, but I am still doing a few massages, because I need to continue exchanging with some colleagues. There work has really helped so far and I need it more then ever now! I am getting bigger and more uncomfortable, but overall doing well. I go for prenatal apps. once a week now and they are very pleased with my progression.

My due date is May 21st, but I had a dream that I am going to have the baby early, in the dream it was May 12th. It feels like the baby is starting to drop down into my pelvis more, so we'll see what happens. Also, there is a full moon a few days before, so maybe that will play a part in it. A nurse told me that more women go into labor during a full moon then any other time!

How your baby's growing:

"Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly."

How your life's changing:

"Now that your baby is taking up so much room, you may have trouble eating a normal-size meal. Smaller, more frequent meals are often easier to handle at this point. On the other hand, you may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to "drop" down into your pelvis. This process — called lightening — often happens a few weeks before labor if this is your first baby. (If you've given birth before, it probably won't happen before labor starts.) If your baby drops, you may also feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen, which may make walking increasingly uncomfortable, and you'll probably find that you have to pee even more frequently. If your baby is very low, you may feel lots of vaginal pressure and discomfort as well. Some women say it feels as though they're carrying a bowling ball between their legs!"

Hi all,
I will post some new pictures soon, but until then check out the ones in the post below, if you haven't see them yet! I am getting so big!!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

How your life's changing:

Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your other internal organs, too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and may be dealing with heartburn and other gastrointestinal distress. If you're not grappling with these annoyances, you're one of the lucky few.

Hi,
We hope you all had a wonderful Easter! We spent the day with my sister, brother in-law and niece and nephew. I am doing pretty good, but have been having some back and hip pain. Also, I have been getting those Braxton Hicks contractions, in fact I had starting getting too many and had to take some time off from work. They are much better now and I only get them occasionally.

I have breastfeeding class this Wednesday, which I am looking forward to. I am also excited about my baby shower which is coming up! It's May 2nd and my Mom is coming down in two weeks to stay with me! Oh, and if anyone is interested we have finished registering at the following stores.

Babie's R Us, Target, Baby Depot

How your baby's growing:

"Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies."

How your life's changing:

"By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy."