Anticipation

As of this week I am 35 weeks pregnant and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little boy, Matthew Thomas. This pregnancy from the beginning has been a little more difficult than my previous two.

I started out with placenta previa which was a scary time. I started bleeding around week 11 and of course was worried that I was gonna loose my baby. My doctor put me on bed rest for 1 month and the problem cleared within that time. Still, morning sickness was more severe with this little one than in the past. My second trimester passed by rather uneventful and I finally entered number three. I don't recall with my last two pregnancies being this uncomfortable or having such a difficult time sleeping. I often feel that Matthew is trying to stand up inside me and it is very uncomfortable. My appointments have gone pretty uneventful. Last month my doctor was worried because my cervix was already softening up quite a bit. My blood sugar level was high as well. He told me to lay off the sweets, and to take it easy. Well, I do work full time and have two girlies at home to care for so, taking it easy is difficult. He told me at the least to stop exercising until after delivery. I had been attending an awesome spin class twice a week for an hour. Anyway, I retook the glucose test and it came back fine this time.

So, now I await delivery! Even though this is my third delivery, I am still scared. I live in Germany now and though I have visited the hospital and memorized what I need to do once I go into labor, it still scares me that there is a language barrier. My doctor speaks excellent English but, doctors don't attend the delivery unless problems arise. I will be attended by a midwife, which does not speak English. I paid a visit to the maternity ward at the local hospital and I will admit that I was impressed. The rooms were all private and really big. They contained a bed, birthing chair, tub, and a series of ropes hanging from the ceiling. I'm unsure about the ropes but, the chair seemed like a perfect option. The rooms I noticed were very warm, like too warm. I asked the lady giving the hospital tour about the temperature and she told us that the rooms were kept exceptionally warm because they didn't want the baby to be shocked, temperature wise, when they were born. I guess my biggest concern is being in a severe amount of pain and not being able to relay to the nurse or midwife that I need help. So, for the three nice people that follow my blog, say a prayer for me here and there that God will grant me a safe delivery.

There are several things they do in Germany that they don't in the US and it worries me. First of all, they have no modesty at all. I was told that if I wanted to be covered during delivery, that I had to bring my own gown. The hospitals in Germany don't provide any form of gown. Secondly, they are anti-medication. A friend of mine underwent a hysterecomy here and they gave her no painkillers afterward. That bothers me as well. Last of all, I was told that they don't wash the baby the first day. They wipe them off to get the big stuff off but, once again, they don't want to put the baby through too much. These may sound like silly things to worry about, but I still do. I am very excited about meeting my baby. Nothing is as wonderful as hearing that first cry. Well, I guess I have rambled too much now, I had a bit on my mind. Thanks to those that read.