Getting Ready! Got Our List, Checking it Twice (or maybe Thrice)!

We had our official home birth prep visit yesterday- our MW came for an appointment here 2 weeks ago so not our first but this time we got our supply list and birthing tub! We talked about how to set the tub up, what the plans were for the kids and just in general what to expect.

(STOP! Warning: the next paragraph includes a bit of TMI so if you don't want to hear it, skip it! But remember this is all real experience if you do.)

This all came on building excitement and my body getting ready, so making it feel closer and more real. Over the past 2 weeks I've felt (physically) my cervix ripening and maybe opening a bit (not sure on that one- internals are avoided!) but I remember feeling this last time with C and I was dilated to 3cm for weeks before his birth. When I talk about feeling my cervix changing I talk about some pressure but also tingly pain/pinching. After the birth of my 3rd I had a biopsy done on a growth on my cervix (which removed all of the growth- it was really nothing just a growth) and after the procedure there was different pain/pinching feeling. And with each child after I could feel the scar tissue more. (That didn't come out very clearly.) When I dilate or a few days before my monthly I can (not always do) get a pinching feeling at the site- scar tissue or hormones or both- I don't know. But anyways I feel the pain. And I've had a few incidents of this in the last few weeks. Also I lost some of my mucus plug yesterday (not bloody) but enough ick to make it ICK! lol Again this is nothing to be alarmed about (at least in me), and in no way means labor is soon to start (I had all this happen with the others and only one came before his due date, due to my water breaking w/o any other symptoms and I've made it twice to 42 weeks and was induced with very similar symptoms). But my body is getting ready even though I've been successful in pushing off the feelings of being done and needing to be done! lol

OK it's safe now!

So we have our list, tub and my body is getting closer to ready. Anticipation is growing! I'm nesting and so is the husband (he experiences pregnancy symptoms that mirror my own- he's such a sympathetic guy! Shh don't tell him I told you!) Now we get to play gatherers.

I'm not going to type out everything we need, since so much is stuff you find around the house (like garbage bags, towel, and washcloths) but I am going to include the list for the KIT my MW wants. (Yes we supply these as they are one birth use only.)

Our Kit List:

-30 basic under pads (disposable chux pads)

-2 latex gloves, pairs, med.

-2 peri bottles

-2 standard cold packs

-1 economy bulb syringe, 3 oz.

-25 avant gauze toppers

-2 straws

-2 newborn hats, economy

-2 lubricating jelly, 2.7 g

-2 packs Emergency-C (choose flavor)

-1 herbal cord care

-1 hydrogen peroxide, 16 oz.

-1 comfrey leaf, loose, 4 oz.

-1 Shepard's purse

Opt (for water births):

-water birth net (like a fish net)

-tub liner

This is all nice and neatly offered online, under her name, at a home birth supply store. One stop shopping!

(Ok for whatever reason in the preview of this post this looks like one huge paragraph and I can't figure out how to change it so sorry it's not meant to be read this way?!)

I'm only 35 weeks today so we've still got 2 weeks before I will be ready really to go! (Yeah some times nature has other ideas but mentally I keep thinking not yet and am keeping a very closed mind- mind over matter, right?) I'm pushing off the incredible urge to nest till next week when the kids go back to school and then I'll let it all go! It's getting closer and we can feel it.

All he needs to do is get a little bigger, lungs mature and hopefully turn around- right now he's facing out (but head down!). Oh and an update on the GD- I've maintained excellent numbers the entire pregnancy with diet alone (normal numbers!) so we're not even worrying about it! :D

As few as 2 weeks as many as 7 (fingers crossed not that long!) and we'll get to meet our new little man! Happy Dance time!