40 weeks, 6 days....

We spent some time at the doctor's office today with Susan hooked up to the fetal monitor for the Non-Stress Test, to make sure that the baby and placenta are doing well in their extended stay.   During this test, they check to make sure the baby's heart rate goes up when baby moves around.  They also monitor contractions, and while Susan was connected, she had another Braxton-Hicks contraction, or pre-labor contraction.  Unfortunately, it's nothing to get excited about, she's had them for the past few months. 

The fetal monitor is the same type of monitor that many women who deliver in a hospital are hooked up to throughout labor.  It has two sensors attached to long velcro-belts that wrap around her body.  They tend to make it rather difficult to change positions and to move around, which we hear helps a lot with labor pain.  Luckily, during the labor, our doctor will do intermittent monitoring rather than constant electronic fetal monitoring, so Susan won't have to be hooked up to the machine during labor.

Some have asked what we've been doing with our waiting time.  Susan has spent some time looking at homebirth videos online.  Here are a list of her favorites:

• Emma


• Jenna


• Aleksander


• Snakes on a Homebirth -- Hilarious parody of "Snakes on a Plane" movie.  Rated 'R' for language.  Who thinks of this?

Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes!