by the book.

Today, I begin my 32nd week of pregnancy (a.k.a. 31 weeks, 0 days have passed by so far). We had a doctor's appointment (they're going to start occurring every 2 weeks now) and it went great! My doctor says my uterus must have "bought the book" on pregnancy -- I'm measuring exactly where I should be. This was the first time I hadn't gained a pound a week since the beginning of the second trimester (only 1.5 pounds since my last appointment), so I'm feeling good about not getting too large too fast while I still have 8-9 weeks to go. And we talked about some concerns I had with labor and delivery and found out some reassuring information (she's very in favor of natural birth and avoiding pain medication, and she also encourages women to eat and drink [very light amounts] during labor to keep their strength up -- so I won't just be chowing down ice chips). I'm starting to freak out about giving birth, but it was good to hear that she's on board for the kind of birth we're hoping to have. I've also been reading, reading, reading to get ready for birth and beyond. The books I can be most often found flipping through include Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, The Nursing Mother's Companion, and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I also just received Secrets of the Baby Whisperer from Stephanie at my shower. If you have any other suggestions for great mother-to-be reads, feel free to pass them along! I know I won't have much time to read once baby is here, but since my maternity leave starts in just over a month, I hope to squeeze in some more birth and parent education while I can.