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[rivka]

The Li'l Critter has definitely dropped.

For the non-pregnancy-fluent, that means that instead of floating around aimlessly, her head has moved down into my pelvis in preparation for birth. How this feels: ow. Pressure, sometimes painful, very low in my belly and in my pelvis. Fortunately, it's intermittent. (No, not rhythmically intermittent in an "I'm having contractions" sort of way. I still haven't ever had a Braxton-Hicks contraction, that I know of.)

We're not panicking, because a first baby can easily drop 4-6 weeks before birth, but it does tend to focus the mind on things like packing the hospital bag and making sure that we have enough supplies on hand.

Okay, maybe we're panicking a little.

Also: my shape has changed. I'm sticking out in front more, and the biggest part of the bump is lower. This apparently brings us into the "everybody's got something to say" portion of pregnancy, in which perfect strangers on the bus and in the supermarket feel the need to comment on my size or ask about the baby. Yesterday a patient who has been hospitalized for three months, and at times has been near death, made a big fuss about me needing to sit down and rest and take care of myself.

Comments

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I have determined that if a stranger tries to touch my belly, I will scream. Plenty of people have touched without asking, though - nurses at the clinic where I work, for example, and random people at church.

I have a couple of friends who love patting my belly but are very respectful about asking every single time. They are wonderful. The only people who have carte blanche to touch without asking are my partners. Okay, and my midwives - although they usually ask, or at least warn.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

*warm fuzzy belly-touching memories* :-)

-J