Pregnancy in Brazil-Part 6

Well, we're one day away from the due date and Dawson seems to be content to just stay where he's at. I don't know what's up with my boys, but Camden didn't want to come out either. He was induced a week over-due. My Dr. checked to see if I was dilated on my Thursday appointment and said if she could, she would "strip my membranes" (which I had done with Camden....it hurt SOOOO bad and didn't work anyway) if I was dilated enough. Well, when she checked I still wasn't dilated at all. So we continue to wait! I have another appointment with her on Tuesday morning, and she said if that by a week after my due date, he hasn't come yet, she'd put me in the hospital to induce me. Of course I'm ready for him to come out, but I really don't want to be induced again. I've been praying for a natural birth that starts on its own without any interventions. So please join me in praying that within the next week I dilate, contractions start, and that my water will break all on its own. Thanks!

On some side notes, I wanted to let you know a few things I've learned about "after" the baby arrives here in Brazil. While preparing all of the food for Camden's b-day, my mother-in-law told Renato in a passing comment, that "It'll be good if we have left-overs, then you don't have to prepare anything for the guests who come to see Dawson." What???? SO, we've learned that here in Brazil, people don't bring you food after you give birth (like when I had Camden, our friends all organized a bunch of dinners for us over the next few weeks after Camden's birth, which was a HUGE blessing), you're supposed to feed them when they come to visit you and the baby. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE showing hospitality and opening up my home and serving and feeding people, LOVE IT! BUT, not so much after I've just given birth. I guess that most people will start showing up and visiting us about a week after we come home, and that we're expected to have some sort of snack or cake or cookies with coffee to serve to them. All I can say is that I'm glad we do have some cookies left from the party to serve....and that we live only a few steps from a bakery, cuz there's no way I can think about preparing/cooking/baking anything for other people the week after I give birth. All I'm really concerned about is feeding my family.....so we'll see how all that goes. It will be nice to have visitors, I guess I'm just not too sure how it all works.

Then the other day, my Mother-in-law asked Renato, "So what kind of gift are you going to prepare to give people who visit?". WHAT????? Excuse me, but I'm not only supposed to have something for them to eat, but a gift too? Uh-oh. She told us that we should have some sort of small gift, like a little photo, candy with Dawson's picture on, or little keepsake made for everyone who comes to visit us. Ummmm, yeah. Bless his heart, all Renato did was shake his head and tell his mom that we didn't have anything planned and that we won't be preparing anything as a keepsake. I feel bad for Renato, because if I could take care of it, maybe we could do something very simple, but Renato would have to do all of the footwork and pretty much do it all, and I don't want to add more on his "plate of duties". I know some people do this in the states too, like have those cute "Her-shies" bars printed up and give to people, but the thought never even crossed my mind when I had Camden, let alone doing something like that here.

So I'm learning that having a baby here is a bit more work then I anticipated, but we'll make it. I'll serve and feed our visitors, but I'm sorry to say, they won't be taking home anything as a keepsake from Dawson. :) It's definitely been interesing to learn all of this here. I'm just ready for Dawson to arrive so I can hold him and kiss him and hug him! I'm not concentrating too much on all the other "things", but having a baby in a different culture is certainly a learning experience!

P.S. Please be praying Dawson comes on his own this week! Thanks!