40 weeks and 2 days (and counting)

Here is J whilst I cast her belly. I did it about two weeks ago, but
I had to get clearance from her to post this publically. She was nude when I did the cast, so I had to photoshop some panties onto her. Now if I could just photoshop the babby in her arms...

Ah well, the babby will come when it is ready. I have been doing a soapstone carving for J of the sheela-na-ig - to give her encouragement for the birthing, but I have been so busy that it is slow going. Maybe it is us who are not ready. Plus, J strained her back on Friday and had to go to the chiropractor. She is feeling much better today, but there is still some residual discomfort. I told her that once the endorphins of birth kick in, she won't be bothered, and the chiropractor confirmed this.

In our pre-natal reading we have discovered that 40 weeks gestation is not necessarily the case. In the beginning of the 20th century, gestation was commonly considered to be 42 weeks. The medicalization of birth has pushed that back to 40 weeks or less. It's become all about schedules - of the medicos, of the working mothers, etc. We want this birth to be as natural as possible.

Induction of labour is more and more common, but as soon as one starts intervening in the natural process, it can (and most often does) create a cascade of interventions - right up to caesarian section. There are non-medical ways to induce labour though. The most simple (and enjoyable!) is intercourse, and nipple stimulation. Human semen has a lot of prostaglandin, and that "ripens" the cervix. Nipple stimulation causes uterine contractions.

So, I'm off to induce labour!