Final Weekly Update

How far along? 39 Weeks

How big is baby? I am guessing she is just under 8 lbs and 21 inches.  Place your bets now folks!

Total weight gain/loss: Somewhere under 10 lbs total weight gain, though not entirely sure the actual number.  Looking forward to seeing what that scale says after she's out!

Maternity clothes? yes, though even those are a tad uncomfy at this point

Sleep: Still pretty well.  Up to pee, but easily napping during the day too.

Best moment this week: Just accepting that my birth "plan" is changing a little.

Movement: Every day and quite regularly.  Her active times are in the afternoon (after lunch) and late evening (between 9 and midnight usually).  I get some activity in the morning too, but nothing like the afternoon and evening.  It will be interesting to see if this is any indication of what her active cycles will be as an outside baby!

Food cravings: none

Food Aversions: none

Gender: All girl!

Labor Signs: no progress despite all these contractions.  Here's hoping that my induction is still smooth tomorrow with minimal medical intervention.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: not feeling like the doctor's plaything.  I realize the precautions are all appropriate, but sometimes it's hard to accept when I know that there is in truth nothing to worry about.

What I am looking forward to: seeing my baby girl in the outside world.  I wonder if she'll have dark hair and olive skin like her daddy, or be more fair like me.  Will she come out with blue eyes, or brown?  So many exciting things to find out.

Weekly Wisdom: I say this in the most non-religious way possible, but- Let go, and let god.  We usually have little control over the way things go, and ultimately it will be perfect in its imperfection.  I trust that everything will be exactly as it should be, and that ultimately I always have the right to ask questions, and say no if something doesn't feel right.

Milestones: Scheduling induction!  Let's see when baby girl decides to actually join us!

Bump Picture: The final one!

The end is near

Much to my surprise at my last doctors appointment, we set the induction date.  I always knew that they wouldn't let me go past my due date, but since things have actually been going quite well, I thought they would let me get close.  I had sort of been thinking that Friday the 23rd would be the earliest (since I am due on a Tuesday and I don't think they like to schedule inductions on the weekend).

Well this is where the surprise came in.  The doctor doesn't want me to go much past 39 weeks now because of the concern with my blood pressure (the reason I've been sent to Labor and Delivery twice).  I am officially 39 weeks this Tuesday!  So induction is set for the next day, Wednesday July 21st.  This is Nick's brother Gerlando's birthday.  The one day I was trying to avoid!  Go figure.

The other unfortunate news is that despite all of these contractions I've been having, I haven't made any "progress" other than perhaps a little cervical softening.  Still "closed and long".  So what this means is that my induction will be a multi-step process.  We will call in on Wednesday, and they will tell us what time they want us to come in (depending on how full and busy they are, etc).  When we arrive and settle into our room, they will give me a cervical ripening agent as the first step.  This in and of itself can sometimes be enough to get labor going, which is what I am really hoping for since I've been having contractions already.  But if not, it is designed to get things opening up so that the next day when we start the Pitocin it isn't just giving me painful, useless contractions.

Yes, I did say the next day.  I anticipate going in sometime later on Wednesday for step one of the process, and then beginning the Pitocin early on Thursday.  This would mean that hopefully Isabella will join us as an outside baby sometime on Thursday, July 22nd.

Worst case scenarios can include a couple of things.  The first is that the process doesn't work the first time to get active labor and we have to go through more than one round of it.  You can imagine this now becomes a multi day process.  Or, something doesn't react well with me or the baby, and we end up in c-section.

In the meantime, I am doing everything I can to either get my body to go into labor before Wednesday, or at least be more favorable for this induction.  I'm walking and eating spicy foods and sitting on the birthing (i.e. yoga) ball, and even doing acupuncture.  I've gone twice for my induction points already in hopes that things will get moving.  Even if they don't my acupuncturist worked on my blood pressure points (to keep things under control), and even more important my various stress points.  Relaxation is key for a good labor.

Other than being a little upset that the end of my pregnancy is being rushed, I feel good.  I'm not wretchedly uncomfortable, and am ready to meet my little girl.  I'm even coming around to be emotionally prepared for "worst case" so that if that happens, I'm not devastated.  I'm working on enjoying my last few days of "freedom" and really make sure to do enough of the things I want to that might be hard to do soon.  I'm keeping my head up and staying hopeful that I will still get a birth experience in line with what I want.

The craziest thing is, by this time next week, no matter what else happens, Nick and I will be parents.  Exciting and terrifying all at the same time! =)

You never know!

I debated whether or not I wanted to write this, but I figure that I want the record of events eventually when this journey is done.

I've been having semi-regular contractions since yesterday afternoon.  It started Monday morning during my NST.  I had a couple of good contractions on the monitor with some irritability in between.  Not uncommon, but a little more than I've had in the past.  Then I went out and felt a couple more here and there.  Nothing that even inspired me to to think twice about them though.  I went to Old Navy and Costco with Sarah and Mia, and had a few more, encouraged by the walking.  Once I returned home my belly continued to work, but I thought nothing of it.  Sometimes it takes awhile after I've been walking for the contractions to settle down.  Most importantly, they aren't painful or regular, so I just assume that they are braxton hicks, or practice contractions.

Well as the evening went on, and they didn't stop, I thought perhaps I just over did it.  I took a little nap, thinking that laying down on my side and some rest would surely right me.  When I woke up and realized that the contractions had in fact not stopped, but had continued while I was sleeping (it was a fairly light sleep), I had a moment of sheer panic hit me.

I sat up and drank some water.  No change, so I watched the clock.  Within 20 minutes I had about 4 or 5 contractions, some longer, some shorter, but consistently 4-5 minutes apart.  I had a moment of cognizance that this could be "it" and my house was a mess.  I got up and started cleaning.  We had clothes to put away and fold, and dishes to wash.  I started moving through the house like a crazy person because if the contractions increased, or my water broke, I did not want to come back to my messy house with a new baby.

Poor Nick had come home not feeling well due to a nasty allergy attack, so had been sleeping as well.  He woke up to find me in the middle of my fit.  I explained what was happening and that although I didn't think I was in "labor" that I needed to get things organized just in case.  Nick, being the amazing person he is, started helping.  I suppose I got his adrenaline going too. =)

We finally went to bed, having accomplished the main things I wanted done and tried to sleep.  It took me awhile to settle down, but eventually I did fall asleep.  I fully expected to wake up feeling silly and back to "normal".  Well, that is not exactly what happened.  Here I am, more than 24 hours later, still having mild contractions.  This morning I described how I felt to my mom as having done a full abdominal workout yesterday.  My muscles in my stomach and back are just fatigued.  Clearly the contractions continued throughout the night.

So here I sit, apparently in early labor, with mild contractions coming and going.  They aren't painful, or even easily timeable.  I also have no idea if they are "doing" anything, or just torturing me a little. =)  They do excite baby girl though, so she's been quite active these last 24 hours.  It's a good sign though, since early labor can go on for days or even weeks, at least I know that she isn't distressed by the contractions.

Now I sit and wait.  I keep hoping my body will just go one way or the other.  I'm not anxious for this baby to be an outside baby yet- especially since we have two more weeks till our due date, but if she does decide she wants her birthday early, I am ready.  I do however want my body to make up its mind.  I am just uncomfortable enough that I either want progression (an end in sight) or for things to settle down.  I guess if nothing else changes, I'll have a little more information on Thursday!

So don't get too excited.  A few contractions don't make labor immediate!  It is at least good to know that my body clearly has some idea of what it is supposed to be doing.  Perhaps the next post I write will be "false alarm" or "she's here!".  You just never know!

Weekly Update

How far along? 38 Weeks

How big is baby? Big, and getting bigger. =)  The books say she is the size of a watermelon... Hmmmm...

Total weight gain/loss: Fluid retention still makes this a big question mark, but I'm guessing somewhere between 5 and 10 lbs up total.

Maternity clothes? mostly dresses to stay comfortable in the warmer weather, but even my maternity clothes are getting tight around my expanding belly!

Sleep: Up a couple of times each night, but sleeping pretty well other than that.

Best moment this week: Getting through a full week with no trips to Labor and Delivery! =)

Movement: It is like a dance party in my belly sometimes.  She is a big girl and I am feeling it!

Food cravings: none

Food Aversions: none

Gender: All girl!

Labor Signs: regular contractions on an irregular basis.  My next prenatal is on Thursday so we'll see if I've made any progress.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Not feeling guilty when I miss or skip one of my 8 daily pregnancy monitors.  I'm done with the effort this is all taking.

What I am looking forward to: Singing with my baby girl.

Weekly Wisdom: You just never know what to expect, so try to keep a smile on your face and trust that everything will be exactly as it should be.

Milestones: I am officially full term!  Human gestation is actually 38-42 weeks (hence the average of 40 weeks) so baby girl can come any time now with no worries about her health!

Bump Picture: not this week.

Productivity

It's been a week of productivity.  Two trips to labor and delivery and increasingly frequent contractions finally lit a fire under me.  I made a list of things to accomplish with the determination to accomplish at least one thing every day.  Of course on the first night Nick's nesting instinct kicked in (or maybe his desire to not have a crazy pregnant wife!) and he accomplished everything with his name by it.  He then proceeded to accomplish everything else that he could do (items that were not assigned) the next night! =)  He's such a good husband/ daddy to be!

Anyhow I stuck to my "at least one item per day" program and here it is on Friday and I've accomplished all of the important things.  Our hospital bag is packed (I know- you'd think two trips to the hospital would have forced me to do that much sooner!), the car seat is installed, I've purchased all of the items I think we'll need for the baby in the first couple of weeks, and the house is essentially ready for our pending arrival.

Now I'm finally down to those "non-essentials" like getting a pedicure, seeing a couple of movies, and continuing to get as much rest as humanly possible! =)  I did accomplish one of those "non-essentials" today- I finally went for my final pre-natal massage.  Sadly I think I waited too long and did not get to enjoy it quite the way I'd imagined.  They have this amazing pillow where you can lay on your stomach.  I've been dreaming about it since my first massage back in my second trimester.  Today however almost as soon as I was laying down I started hot flashing and just couldn't stop.  My therapist got me a cool towel- not enough.  So he got me a glass of ice water.  I drank the whole thing.  He got me another glass of water and put another cool towel on my back.  It helped for a minute, but not enough.  Finally I flipped to my back, which lasted a good 10 minutes before my back couldn't take it anymore.  I finally tried my side and realized that is where I should have been the entire time.  It was disappointing because by then my massage was nearly done, and I hadn't been able to relax much at all.

Lesson learned.  Pregnant women are meant to be on their sides for a reason.  Don't fight it and you'll feel better.  =)  I just wish I had figured that out earlier in my massage so that I could have really enjoyed it!  But it was still good and helpful for my muscles.  I guess it also will be a good reminder when I'm in the hospital that if I am getting over heated, I should lay on my side to help cool down and relax.  I'll have to make sure Nick remembers that!

Overall it has been a good week.  Lessons in balance to make sure I am resting enough, getting my "fun" in, and accomplishing those last minute household and baby related tasks.  I'm getting the hang of it though and am sure I will have it nailed just in time for Isabella to join us as an outside baby.  I'm almost ready. =)

Weekly Update

How far along? 37 Weeks

How big is baby? With three weeks left, I'm still guessing between 6.5 and 7 lbs, anticipating half a pound of growth each week now...

Total weight gain/loss: Still under 10 lbs total- I think around 6 or 7 lbs but it's hard to tell with the hot weather.

Maternity clothes? exclusively- non maternity shirts look like half-tees on me now!

Sleep: still sleeping decently.  Up a couple of times at night- not bad.  Plus I'm napping like I'm drugged every day too.  Good think I'm off of work now!

Best moment this week: I went to see Wicked (the musical) and after Defying Gravity (the big number that ends the first act), baby girl was startled awake by the applause.  It was pretty funny since she'd been active for the first half of the act, but had just settled down when the crowd went wild and woke her up again.

Movement: All alien, all the time.  She is big and strong and makes sure I know she's there.

Food cravings: none

Food Aversions: nothing in particular- just not super into food.

Gender: All girl!

Labor Signs: contractions are becoming more regular (as in daily occurrence), but still no "progress"... In my doctors words- I'm still "locked up tight".

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Not going to the doctor 2+ times each week.

What I am looking forward to: Not seeing the lovely medical professionals of Kaiser Bay Area for awhile.

Weekly Wisdom: Laughing and letting go will not only make your own life easier, but make the people around you grateful that you aren't freaking out.  Happy "service" people (i.e. nurses and doctors) are much happier to work with you!

Milestones: My second trip to labor and delivery!  Hmm... maybe not a pattern I want to start!

Bump Picture: Finally!

Seriously???

I keep joking that I like to keep things interesting, but I've officially hit my limit on excitement and am ready for some peace and quiet.  Just a couple of weeks is all I'm asking! =)

Anyhow today was my regular prenatal appointment.  I slept in, enjoying my first day off of work.  Got ready and was running a little late (as per usual these days!).  I arrived at my appointment feeling fine and ready to find out if I was starting to make any progress since I'd had some contractions at my appointment yesterday.  Got into the room and surprise surprise my blood pressure was a little high.  I sort of laughed when the nurse said that and told her that it was because I was running late and that it would be down in 10 minutes.

Then my OB came in and informed me that she was being made to move me to an MD.  I had hoped to get myself out of that, but apparently it is protocol.  So I agreed and we started talking.  Then she informed me that there was protein in my urine.  Normally they want to see negative or trace readings.  A "1+" is acceptable.  I read a "3+" today.  This is an indication of pre-eclampsia.  I asked if something else could possibly cause that because I had just checked myself last night and had a trace reading.

Anyhow they (my OB and my new doctor OB) sent me to labor and delivery again.  I confirmed that they would just be monitoring me, much like last time, and the chance of induction was very very low.  Essentially even if there had continued to be protein in my urine, they wouldn't likely induce me right away.  The only way that would have happened would have been if my blood work came back showing that my kidney or liver function was compromised.

So I picked Nick up and off we went to the hospital again.  At least this time they put us in an actual labor room instead of in triage.  The bed was MUCH more comfortable and we had a tv to watch while they checked my blood pressure and strapped me up to the baby and contraction monitors.  Right away the nurse told me that my urine was back down to trace protein.  So I could relax a little which brought my blood pressure down.

As usual, the baby looked good, and I'm still having some random contractions.  Nothing painful, and I really only feel about half of them.  They must technically be "false labor" still though because I'm not making any "progress" (i.e. I'm not dilating or effaced at all).  Then after a couple of hours of monitoring my blood results came back and that all looked good too.

So yet again, nothing has actually changed.  But we're getting to know the folks at the hospital and even saw the same doctor again (only because she remembered me, so that was nice!)... Now I'm hoping to not go back for at least two more weeks, and then only for the real event.  It's getting a little ridiculous getting sent in like this.  My plan to avoid this is to drink mass quantities of water (I think maybe I was a little dehydrated this morning) and keep myself as low stress as possible.  It should be do-able now that I am off of work.

So there you have it.  Another exciting day in the life of pregnancy.  I realize that I missed my weekly update this week, so I will try to rectify that tomorrow sometime.  For now, it is off to bed.  I capped my day off with tickets to Wicked, so at least I got a treat at the end of my crazy day.  But now I am exhausted! =)