Great Expectations: Cara @ 37 Weeks

By Cara Joyner

We really are in the final stretch! If one of my doula clients had reached 37 weeks, I'd be keeping my phone close by just in case the baby decided to make an early entrance in about a week. However, given my first two boys - who came along 12 and 10 days past 40 weeks - I'm not expecting this baby for at least a month.

Many of the things I thought would be done by now are still waiting to be addressed. The nursery is full of moving boxes and the baby clothes are tucked away in the attic. Sometime this week though, I'll put down the paintbrush and wash the newborn onesies. There's something about washing those clothes, folding them and putting them away that stirs up old memories and pulls out new dreams. My oldest turned four this week. How can I be four years into motherhood? What a wild ride and total blur. Sorting through tiny baby clothes is one of the most reflective ways I prepare for birth.

Today's update is brief, but I want to leave you with a picture from my last prenatal appointment. There are a number of things I love about midwifery practices. Their holistic approach doesn't stop at the way the way they care for me, but extends into the relationships they form with my family and the way they wrap my husband and boys into this process. Here you can see my oldest son sitting on the table, held up by my midwife. She handed him the Doppler, let him turn it on and helped him find his baby brother's heartbeat. Precious moments like these are priceless. I will treasure them for a lifetime.