about
categories
• mayra dilan
(22)
• daily life
(31)
• japan
(30)
• pregnancy
(11)
• south america
(14)
• colombia
(10)
• peru
(4)
• cuba
(0)
• trip
(9)
• trip preparation
(5)
• volunteering
(7)
archives
photos
links
subscribe
Sunday, January 11, 2009
39-week babybump
All is calm on the belly front.
Despite sometimes having a tired lower back and waking up a couple of times a night to either go pee or flip to my other side, I totally continue to enjoy my big round belly. At the same time Manuel and I are so looking forward to meeting our little one! Until the grand moment is there, I am relaxing as much as I can and taking a 1~2 hr walk every day.
I feel great, the baby has dropped and according to So-san (my midwife) chances are big I’ll give birth in a couple of days, around my due date (14th). Also because it’s a full moon and apparently lots of babies are born then. Has to do with gravity etc. Interesting. We’ll see…
I haven’t put an entry yet about where I will give birth. At some point I intend to do so though, as it took quite a lot of research and offers an interesting peek in Japanese culture. To make that long story short for now: I choose Matsugaoka Birth Center, and must say that I am very pleased that I did. It’s basically going to be like a home birth, just not at my own home. And if the situation allows, a water birth! They give me lots of personal care, and I am receiving nice extra treatments these days as well, like aromatherapy massage, reflexology (amazing what they can read about your body just by looking at, and feeling your feet. Apparently the lady was able to see the sex of the baby (kept it to herself at my request), that the baby has dropped, and estimated that she/he might indeed be born in a couple of days), and ‘bone therapy’ (kind of like a shiatsu focussed on aligning the pelvis, which will help during labour). If I’m still pregnant on the due date I am even booked for acupuncture! All done by specialists who know what the body of a pregnant women needs and can take.
I feel lucky that we’re in this country for the birth—that in itself will already make it an extra special event. Birth support back home in the Netherlands is pretty good, but I’d say that care giving like what I’m getting falls in the (the positive side of!) category ‘only in Japan’.
belly at 39 weeks—still carries to the front!
belly at 39 weeks
Categories: daily life • japan • pregnancy
Next entry: 40-week babybump
Previous entry: Ode to My Wonderful Man