36 weeks

The midwife and assistant came to the house today for a home visit. They did the normal checkup - urine dip all normal, blood pressure 108/60, heart tones good (150s) and the baby is head down, still. They also checked out the supply kit I had ordered and got the layout of the house for when the big day comes. (Homebirth "supplies" includes things like an umbilical clamp, newborn hats and various things that absorb stuff...you can get ANYTHING on the internet.) My fundal height (i.e. baby containing portion of belly) is measuring 37.5 cm which translates to 37.5 weeks, which could mean he is a little big or it could mean nothing...he is likely not small though. I asked if they thought I might go early, considering size and the fact that I have lots of contractions now. The old wives' tale she used to see how long I would go said that it would be 3 more weeks, which would be early but within full term. (The test is how many of the mother's fingers fit between the xyphoid process and the top of the uterus. I fit 3.) We'll see! Overall, it was pretty exciting to finally have the home visit. From now on I have weekly visits at the office.



Also, as of today, here is the assortment of evening pills. In addition to taking a daily prenatal, nutribiotics (basically grapefruit seed extract) and DHA supplement, it's time to add alfalfa and evening primrose oil to the line up. Alfalfa contains vitamin K, which is important for coagulation, thus limiting bleeding after birth. Evening primrose oil prepares the cervix to let the kid through nice and easy. It is used more aggressively to induce labor if one gets to 41 weeks or so. In addition, I'm drinking as much red raspberry leaf tea as humanly possible, which is supposed to support all over uterine health. When not drinking tea, I'm to drink as much water as humanly possible. Dehydration is the most preventable problem that can occur during labor and birth, so I'm on that one.

From babycenter.com:

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. 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.