Meeting term means lots of emotions!

37w3d with baby #3

When I hit 37 weeks last week, it was a BIG deal. I definitely did a little dance and high-fived and hugged my husband lots - we did it! TERM! To us, term means no preemie, and the "okay" to give birth at home with our homebirth midwives. When we hit 29, 30 weeks it was a weight off our shoulders. We had made it at least as far as with Kieran. Each appointment, each week I still felt wonderfully healthy, a little bit more anxiety was shed. For the longest time I kept wondering how I'd feel when I got to term. I wondered if I'd just be waiting for the other shoe to drop - for pre-eclampsia to rear its ugly head at me at 38 weeks or something. So when I got to term, and then to the day I had Maia...I just felt fantastic! 37 weeks was a very important goal, but the ultimate goal is a pre-eclampsia free pregnancy. And at 38w2d, I can say that it's still pre-e free, and now I am truly  believing that it's 100% possible I will not have a single pre-e symptom this time. What an AWESOME feeling that is! Things could always change, but at this point, I highly doubt it.

Hitting term and still being so healthy brings up other emotions, too. Like pure excitement about going into labor! I am so ecstatic that I will go into spontaneous labor this time! I had two medically-necessary inductions, and while I don't judge the women who choose them, because everyone has their own varied reasons, I do have to wonder...WHY!? The joy and excitement and anticipation! It's all a surprise and it's exciting to me! I cannot understand choosing to induce for most reasons, I just can't. This time, my baby gets to choose its own birthday, whenever it feels ready!

So, being term, being so close to my homebirth...it all pretty much rocks. I feel way too amazing to be 38 weeks right now. I feel lucky and blessed. I am just weeks (or less!) away from meeting my third baby  now!