Zen and the Art of Maternity Maintenance

[operamommy]

This board needs a celebration thread, and here it is. Post away, but the only rule is - don't harsh the mellow. No fretting allowed - this is a place to celebrate the final weeks and days of our pregnancies!!

Here's my deal: I refuse to ruin the precious last weeks of this pregnancy by fretting. My son will come when he's darned good and ready, and that's just fine by me! Most likely this is the very last time I will feel a growing baby kicking inside of me, and I'm going to savour this time, not waste it by looking ahead constantly and trying to speed things up.

I have about 4 1/2 weeks till my EDD, and I'm going to fill that time with love and happiness. I'm going to spend time with my children and my husband. I'm going to do things that I enjoy. I'm going to take it easy. I'm going to remember that the miracle doesn't begin with a birth - it's already happening right now - and only a fool ignores a miracle.

Yep, I know it's hard to be zen. This is my 4th time doing it. Last time around, after my bout with PTL, I was told I'd be "lucky" to hit 35 weeks. Then I was told the same thing about 36 weeks, etc. It was a LONG 6 weeks till ds2 was born after his EDD. But I still managed to enjoy that time of waiting, and I'm going to enjoy this time of waiting too. I'm living in the present.

So please come celebrate with me. This is a wonderful, glorious time in our lives - one that we need to enjoy.

[Mama2-4]

I am with you 100%!! I too am trying to savor every single moment of having this litte one inside of me. (not fretting, just stating!) In fact I just posted over in the post partum depression area about feeling sad that this is (for sure if DH has his way) my last pregnancy. So, I am trying to just celebrate and feel the absolute wonder of having a new life waiting to be born. I am in no rush to be done with my pregnancy and birth will happen when it happens.

[Emmom]

I'm right there with you. I have a week and a half until my due date, so it may not be long now--or it may, who knows? But I'm savoring every moment that
1) my son is still an only child--center of our world
2) I can walk up and down stairs with no pain, and I'm just generally not in recovery from a person exiting my body
3) I haven't met this baby yet. I don't know his/her sex, what he/she looks like, acts like, his/her birthday. How exciting!
4) my everyday life is still everyday life as I know it.
I love my family and our routines and our life. It's about to go through a big, big change. So, yes, I'm definitely savoring these moments.

[sarahn4639]

Well I love anticipation (well, most of the time atleast) and I am getting so anxious to meet this little one! I also have a week and a half to my dd and I am savoring this time of wonder. Is our baby a boy/girl? Will it have dark hair like our DD? Will it look like DD or totally opposite? Will this baby be as big as I think it is? I'm enjoying the unknown for the last little time I have.

This is a little TMI but I'm also trying to savor the ah-hum...physical relationship I have with DH because I know it will take a little hiatus after the birth. So another joy of pregnancy is sex! Plus pregnancy sex is pretty exceptional

[LoveChild421]

great thread!

I agree, I'm in no hurry for this one to come. I'm going to savor every minute of him inside me in spite of the aches and pains that are really so trivial in the grand scheme of bringing forth this little life.

I'm going to enjoy every night it is still just me and ds1 cuddling up to go to sleep and stare at him sleeping like an angel when I get up to go pee in the middle of the night, thankful I have the opportunity to just watch him sleep.

I'm finally going to take time to just take it easy- my last day of work is friday!

I'm going to nest and fold baby clothes and feel him kick!

I'm going to enjoy these amazing pregnancy orgasms while I still can and before life gets so chaotic I barely get time to see dp.

I am going to make time to take some pictures down by the lake before I'm taking baby pictures!

[BinahYeteirah]

I have one more week until my EDD and I'm just enjoying, too. I *am* looking forward to the birth and I'll be thrilled whenever it happens, but if I have to wait three more weeks, that's okay, too. I'm enjoying homeschooling my girls while it's still easy and I don't have to juggle them with the new bay's needs. I'm enjoying doing my usual household stuff, cleaning and organizing. I'm enjoying taking the girls out every afternoon and having lunch outside at the park, then letting them play and ride their bikes. I'm enjoying making playdates for my older dd and accompanying them to "new" parks and places.

[flapjack]

Love you.

[Dea]

I agree. My friend and I who are a couple days apart with our EDDs were talking about how happy and grateful we were to be pregnant and how neither of us are going to wish this time away. We each have our reasons to be over the moon happy. (her in late stage pregnancy after a miscarriage and me after a long journey to get pregnant)
I love the feeling of having a small person in me, I love the anticipation. I'm really good at practicing delayed gratification and this is the best ever!

[Writerbird]

Our intent is for this little boy to be our only child. So, I'm really, really glad I've gotten the chance to build a human from my own spare parts, and I'll miss feeling him swim around very much.

Also, exactly three days ago, my belly hit that perfect, round, swallowed-a-basketball, mother goddess look. It is exactly in proportion to my ass, which was the main thing growing before. Call me vain, but I finally look adorable and I am going to ENJOY IT.

[Teenytoona]

Really I'm doing my best to enjoy this pregnancy too. I love having this big(ger) belly! It's really kind of fun and it's the one time I don't feel I "ought" to be self-conscious about my size. I know this sounds wacky too, but I"m really enjoying the evenness of my moods, I'm usually up and down, but during this pregnancy I've been alot more even keeled, I sure will take that. It feels great! And it's fun trying to guess what this little one inside is up to kicking and squirming and what not. It's nice to be able to talk to someone who's here but hidden, s/he's my company on my drive to and from work. I think s/he likes the Gypsy Kings too, because s/he seems to groove when I play them on the way home!

[anjanetteopal]

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[anjanetteopal]

I think I am going to be addicted to pregnancy after this. It has been marvelous every single day - even the ones that were a little uncomfortable.

I taught myself how to knit in the round last night and dreamed of baby clothes. I'm so happy to have a little one to put them on soon!

[jaxinsmom]

Great thread. A few weeks ago I wouldn't have been able to even read it, but now with two weeks to go, I feel wonderful. I'm excited to meet this little one, but I'm also loving all my time with ds and all the time I have to myself. I had a shower yesterday afternoon and then a nap for an hour ~ knowing that that would soon be a luxury!

I'm loving reading all these responses as well, gives me hope to keep going and not rush life.

:

[GreenRose]

Thank you for this thread! I was starting to back away from this board because I was missing all the joy. I'm still feeling really good - I'm thrilled to go to my weekly appts and here that everything is on track - and I'm finally starting to get REALLY curious about who this little person will be when she arrives. She has already changed me so much and we haven't even gazed into each other's eyes yet.
My previous miscarriage has made this pregnancy even more wonderful and appreciated.. and it has bought me and DH even closer together. I love seeing the man and father he is becoming.
It's also wonderful to be bringing my parents so much happiness and excitement! I can't wait to see them holding their first granddaughter.
Oh, and:

Originally Posted by Writerbird

Also, exactly three days ago, my belly hit that perfect, round, swallowed-a-basketball, mother goddess look. It is exactly in proportion to my ass, which was the main thing growing before. Call me vain, but I finally look adorable and I am going to ENJOY IT.

yeh that my "waist" finally disappeared a couple weeks ago and there's no one questioning whether i am just chubby anymore!
I had my DH take a bunch of nekkid pics, and i love them..
I'm going to miss this smooth, rounded body. Oh, and the gorgeous hair, glowing skin, and strong nails!

[LoveChild421]

Originally Posted by Teenytoona

I know this sounds wacky too, but I"m really enjoying the evenness of my moods, I'm usually up and down, but during this pregnancy I've been alot more even keeled, I sure will take that. It feels great!

I agree, once I'm past the 1st trimester I am amazingly even and calm. I usually take things to heart too much but during pregnancy everything just rolls of my back and I'm extremely pleasant to be around. Dp says he wishes I could be pregnant all the time because I'm so easy to deal with.

[sunkist33]

I actually feel pretty good...I can walk without the "waddle" (if I concentrate) and I'm sleeping well, enjoying one-on-one time with dd #1, who's 5 and a half, which is just an awesome age! She's going to be a great big sister!
We're organizing our apartment & really purging, which feels great!

Stacy

[PlayaMama]

what a great idea!!

i love positive threads

so, we're 99.9% sure this is the last baby and i'm really enjoying this last little bit of our family as it is. the three of us have such a neat relationship and my ds is so amazing!!

i've been looking at baby pictures of him and it's reminded me to really remember that he just keeps growing more and more into himself. we talk about how he wasn't able to talk or walk and it makes me anticipate the discovery with the new one!

it's such a neat process to watch them unfold.

i'm also enjoying the big pregnant body that i have. i enjoy the attention and i just love feeling the baby move. i also love eating really healthy and knowing that i'm nourishing a new little creature. it's so awe inspiring!!

i finally got some pregnant pictures of myself the other day, yay!!

i'm also so happy to be working with the midwife i'm working with. she is amazing and we just click! i am soooo happy she is going to be there when the baby comes since she's been with me through this whole process.

looking forward to more positive thoughts and celebrations about where we are!!

[flapjack]

I got to sit with and coo over a newborn tonight and I didn't feel jealous Just warm and glowy knowing that soon enough, that'll be mine, and in the meantime I have little miss "I'm funny", mr "I'm so emo" and kevin the teenager to, erm, brighten my days. In a manner of speaking.
I found the most amazing buttons today- tiny little blue strawberries- and it just reminded me of those days when we were visualising this tiny being the size of a strawberry and trying to trust in his existence, and in the rightness of it all. Well, unless I've turned into Mary 1, he exists, and all seems to be right. So maybe it is. Just unfolding.:

[the elyse]

i love this thread! i'll post more later... i've got an empty house and want to shower in peace!

[operamommy]

I love this thread, too. It made me so happy reading everyone's replies and hearing the joy in each of them.

flapjack, the strawberry thing really resonated with me when I read it. Just last night I noticed an ultrasound picture on the side of our fridge labeled, "Baby - 1 inch." How completely amazing! That 1-inch blob is now about a month away from being born and becoming a part of our family. It makes me think about what an unbelieveable experience it has been to know my other children, and how truly lucky I am to be allowed to go through this again. Like playamama...anticipating the discovery.

We are all so, so blessed.