Tomorrow, we are officially full term!

Welcome to the land of the full-term
In just a few hours we will hit a significant landmark.  I will be 37 weeks along, which means from this point forward even if Daniel comes early he will be considered full-term.  He'll probably grow a little more in the next few weeks but he should be all ready for life on the outside now.  All those organs and bodily systems should be online and ready to report for duty.

I certainly wouldn't say the pregnancy has flown by, but July seemed so far off back in November and now it's just around the corner.  I've bought milk with an expiration date after Daniel's due date (organic milk in a carton, it lasts for weeks!) and as I look around the house doing everyday things I wonder "will we finish this [can of coffee grounds, box of oatmeal, tube of toothpaste, etc] before Daniel is born?"  For the record, my guess is that by D-day, we'll barely start on the next can of coffee, go through at least one more box of oatmeal, and still be on the same tube of toothpaste.  It's funny to look at things like that and think how radically life will change by the time we next buy toothpaste!

"Lighten" the load
I've heard that it's common for babies around this stage to drop or "lighten" further down into the pelvis in anticipation of impending labor.  Apparently Daniel has not gotten the memo about that next step on the to-do list. 

I'm reminded of something I read about the Aggie Band when I started at A&M.  They have march routines so complicated that a computer says they can't be done because there would have to be 2 people in the same space at the same time (I'm assuming in the past 13 years the computing world has caught up in that department). 

Photo courtesy of aggieband.com

What does that have to do with anything?  Well first it's a shameless plug for my good old alma mater and the impressive halftime show that is the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band.  But I digress. 

I bring up the band maneuver analogy because it seems to describe the situation in my lower torso these days.  Basic anatomy says that baby, lungs, stomach, and other internal organs all have to coexist in that area but it seems to involve trying to force 2 or more things to occupy the same space at the same time in violation of the laws of physics.

I have no firsthand basis for comparison but my theory is that late-stage pregnancy is particularly uncomfortable for a short-waisted woman like myself because there is so little space for everything to squeeze into.  I've often wished I could have a few more inches of height in my torso but in the past it was about wanting to have flatter abs and look better in a bikini, now that wish is purely for comfort.  Or more specifically, for less pain.  Between baby, lungs, and everything else it's a fight for space in there, one that my body is losing to baby.

The Gaza strip of this battleground, where fighting is most intense, is the lower front of my right ribcage.  For a few months now Daniel has been fond of nestling up under my ribs.  I can feel the pressure not only on the ribs in front but also on my back.  It has always been uncomfortable but in the last week it has graduated from dull ache to acute pain.  My ribs feel simultaneously numb and tingly and tender and bruised all at the same time.  And that's when he's not moving and just curled up there sleeping.  When he is moving it's like he's trying to snap my rib in two or use it for a punching bag.

So, I'm hoping that he might be inclined to follow the script and drop down a bit soon to give my ribs a break.  And maybe if that happens, I won't get winded going up the stairs or get acid reflux on a daily basis.  I'm sure it'll be more painful in other respects and probably make me have to use the bathroom even more but that's a tradeoff I'm willing to make.  Alas, I've resigned myself that I may just have to ride it out like this for the duration if he doesn't have any room to drop.  At least it's nothing that won't get better within a few weeks.

Who needs sleep?
On a related note, I think I'm getting some good practice for those first weeks of motherhood.  I hear that babies like to eat every few hours in those early weeks so you can't sleep more than about 2 hours at a time without having to get up. 

It seems that Mother Nature in her wisdom has determined that the last month of pregnancy should be spent practicing the frequent wake-up drill.  I go to bed about 10:30 or so and it seems like I get up every night around 12, 1:30, 2:30, and 4 before getting up for good around 5:30.  I guess I'm at least a few weeks away from an uninterrupted night's sleep, if not months. 

I'm usually waking up because I have to go to the bathroom but sometimes it's because of neck, shoulder or leg pain.  I got the Boppy maternity pillow (below, from their website) this week which seems to help, but a truly comfortable night's sleep just doesn't seem to be in the cards for me these days.

So all in all, I am learning firsthand why you never seem to hear women talk about how much they enjoyed the last month of pregnancy.  I do consider myself lucky though that I made it most of the way through the pregnancy without being too uncomfortable, and even now, I've still got it better than many women.  I haven't had to go on bedrest and there are quite a few unpleasant pregnancy symptoms that I have been fortunate to skip altogether. 

And even at this point, I can still not only see my toes but reach them well enough to trim the toenails.  I can still get up from a sitting or kneeling position using just my legs without having to prop myself up first on my arms.  And I can still perform the "power squat" maneuver of hovering over the potty to go, which as every lady knows beats sitting on a dirty public restroom seat.  I can still fit comfortably behind the steering wheel of the car and I don't have any trouble getting into or out of the car.  So while these weeks probably won't be remembered as being among my favorites in the pregnancy, it could surely be worse.  And of course at the end of this race, just around the corner, is a wonderful prize that will be worth all the discomfort and sleeplessness along the way.

So now that you're officially full-term little fella, feel free to come on out anytime you're ready.  I promise to let you kick me in the ribs all you want once you're out if you'll leave them alone for the duration of your time inside.