Hello everyone,
Thank you to each person who has taken time to read these posts as well as the many of you who have sent me messages of encouragement – your words and prayers for us are so appreciated!
Two weeks ago, at 36 weeks pregnant, I had my final appointment with Dr. Zayat. If things are going normally in the pregnancy then it is typical here to be seen about a month before your due date and then not again until you have the baby! Very different from the weekly visits I’m used to in the final month when I was in the States. We are very grateful for this difference though since going to an appointment here can be quite the extended event.
For example, this last appointment was set for 10 am. Adam, my doula Becca, Desmond and I all went this time (Mia was home sick with a fever). We left around 9:15 and arrived right on time to find the waiting room already filled with people. About two hours later we were seen for our appointment. Then, to avoid having to come back again, everyone else went home, but I hung back and waited another hour and a half or so to have a consultation with the anesthesiologist. This is a standard requirement in the event that you end up needing an epidural or C-section. Throw in the taxi ride home and it ended up being a 6 hour outing.
All of that to say, I’m very glad it won’t be a weekly thing until baby comes!
I’m also very glad to report that this appointment went much more smoothly than the last one. I was very thankful to have both Adam and Becca with me, especially as I was a little nervous to present my birth plan/desires. In the end though Dr. Zayat was very supportive of the things I was hoping for (ie. pushing in a position other than my back, delayed cord cutting, immediate skin to skin if baby is doing well, baby staying with us as much as possible, etc.)
At this appointment I also had a thorough ultrasound and a cervical check. Across the board, all is good! My cervix is at about a 1 and baby is healthy, head down and, as expected, still big! She is already estimated to be nearly 6lbs! We are praising God for such a positive interaction and that everything is looking as it should. At this point we are about two weeks out from our due date and growing more and more excited by the day to meet baby!
Last post I mentioned that I had a very tangible way to show God’s provision through this pregnancy so I wanted to be sure to share that here as well.
Several weeks ago I was having coffee with a friend who off-handedly mentioned that she had heard of a lady who had acted as a doula for another friend here in Dakar. I didn’t think much of it at first since I’ve never had a doula in the past, but as I prepared for this upcoming labor the idea of a doula kept coming back to me. After talking with Adam (who was very much on board) we reached out to the woman my friend had mentioned. Becca was quick to respond and eager to meet.
At our first meeting we got to know each other and talked through the details of her being my doula. It was an instant connection and such an encouraging visit. While Becca has acted as a doula for a couple of women with their deliveries here, her background is actually in labor and delivery nursing. This means that she is very well educated and trained in the process of labor and delivery as well as the postpartum phase for mom and baby! What an incredible gift! Pair that with the facts that she’s lived in Africa for a long time, speaks French well and that some of her past deliveries have actually been at Clinique de la Madeleine (where we will deliver) and it was quickly clear what a great match this was! After going over my birth plan with Becca and having her at this last appointment I feel even more confirmed that she is an incredible gift to us and will be such a blessing when it’s time for baby’s arrival. How cool is God’s provision??
Helpful Resources
The final thing I wanted to share in this post is a couple of resources God has brought my way which have been amazing for mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually preparing for birth. I have always been a planner and enjoy educating myself as much as possible before doing something, but especially so in this situation of delivering in a new country. A couple of months ago I came across a Prenatal Push Prep class online through a workout program I was doing (getmomstrong.com – which I also can’t recommend highly enough!).
My mom gifted me access to the class for Christmas and I have been SO thankful for the many resources it’s provided in preparing for labor and delivery. Here is the link (thebellemethod.com) for anyone interested. In addition to a wealth of knowledge and labor tips (which come from evidence-based research) the class also includes pregnancy pilates classes. I truly wish I would have gone through this course prior to my previous two births.
The final resource is a book called « Risen Motherhood » by Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler. The whole Risen Motherhood ministry (https://www.risenmotherhood.com) has been a huge gift to me as a mom, but this book is a beautiful compilation of how to apply the gospel to motherhood. One chapter is even specifically on birth and was such a timely read for me this last week. I’ll end with a couple of quotes from that chapter as well as some verses I’ve been meditating on as I seek to trust the Lord wholly for this labor and delivery.
“Childbirth is a personal and intimate picture of the gospel for a mother…God uses childbearing for sanctification as it acutely and painfully points out how weak we truly are…The tale of our child’s birth is unpredictable, but our God is not. From before the beginning of time, our God planned a perfect story of redemption for His people. He has faithfully unfolded it day by day for millennia, and it has impeccably gone to His plan. We live in the story, still with sin, need, weakness and imperfection, but we can trust our faultless God…we don’t find our hope in a perfect birth story – we find it in our perfect Savior, Jesus Christ.“
” As you plan…for your child’s birth, remember that God is the giver of life…In our birth experiences God deserves all praise. Amid the decisions, choices, failure and achievements, we can have a steady, unwavering foundation built on our faithful God and His bigger, perfect story for our lives. He never forsakes us or leaves us to ourselves – He always comes to our aid. It is a mercy that weakness in labor and delivery tears down the barriers we build up and gives us more of what we really need – God Himself.”
“The story of the crucified Christ is the best birth story ever told, with elements that parallel the gospel picture in each labor.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT) ” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you.”
See you next post to share all about how labor and delivery go! Thankful for you all!
Much love,
Selina