Just Call Me The Walking Water Balloon

I'm officially 38 weeks and in the "full-term, could-have-this-baby-at-anytime (but-probably-won't-for-awhile) phase"...

My biggest complaint at this late stage is definitely the water retention.  I thought my ankles were getting a little puffy a few weeks ago.  I remember sitting in the 30+ degree heat at the parade on Canada day and feeling like my feet were growing with each passing minute.  But it was nothing compared to the cankles that have developed since...

Let me tell you, until you've felt the tops of your feet jiggle when you walk, you haven't lived folks.

Last week (at 37 weeks) I had appointments with both my OB (to monitor my diabetes) and my midwife.  I've been a little concerned about the fact that I'm still packing on the pounds week to week and also the fact that I've been consistently measuring a week or 2 bigger than I really am.  It's frustrating when I know that I've been eating better than I ever have in pregnancy before and yet still growing "too fast".  I was starting to imagine the monstrous giant baby that I was going to have to push out...  Then, to make matters worse, both the OB and the midwife measured me at 41 weeks!  (That's a whole month bigger than I should've been at week 37 in case you need help doing the math...!)  In fact the OB was even hesitant to tell me the number because it was so shocking.  He didn't seem overly concerned about it since my blood sugar levels have been really good, so I was anxious to see what the midwife would say the next day.  After she measured me, she felt baby's position in my belly and told me that she didn't think baby was overly big.  But she said it felt like there was a lot of extra fluid in there, which would explain the uber-big belly.  The extra fluid is likely a by-product of the diabetes and it explains the crazy fluid retention in my feet and hands as well.  Yesterday I went back for my 38 week appointment and the measurement was 42.5.  It was enough growth in a week to warrant a late-pregnancy ultrasound, which I went for this morning.  Now I wait to hear the verdict from the midwife - depending on the size of the baby and the amount of fluid, there may be cause to induce early.

In the meantime she suggested a few natural remedies - raspberry leaf tea and evening primrose oil to help ripen the cervix and hopefully help me go into labour earlier than later, and dandelion root tea to help reduce water retention.  I have to drink multiple cups of both teas for them to be helpful, so I've created a concoction of tea and some sugar-free lemonade crystals.  When it's chilled it tastes pretty good - which is helpful since I'm trying to get through 2 pitchers per day.

As much as I would love to go into labour on my own, it's hard to keep to that resolve as you near the end and grow more and more uncomfortable.  And with measuring over 40 weeks I feel as though I'm already overdue and I can't imagine how much more my belly could grow if I go too far past my due date.  I think I'm officially ready for this pregnancy to be over.  And after seeing my big baby girl on the ultrasound this morning I am more excited than ever to meet her and hold her in my arms.  

Plus I'll be pretty pumped to get my ankles back.  

Just sayin.