40+ weeks & Happy New Year

Gosh I'm late this week. Well I'm not the only one! Baby boy is late too!! So I guess we're even.  We were expecting him to come early just based on our gut, and now here we are.. late. I was hoping he would be here by the end of the year, but with only 3 hours left this year, that's not going to happen.  And the reality is, all that's important is that we have a healthy baby boy when he's ready to join us.  The doctor originally set the induction for January 2, 2014 at exactly 41 weeks.  I asked if at the next appointment on 40+4, if I could postpone it depending on how it went.  She said yes but that after 41 weeks the risks go up and would require 2 non-stress tests (NSTs) per week where they hook me up on the monitor for 20 minutes and listen to baby's heartbeat. She claimed that chances of needing c-section go up and 41 weeks is some magic perfect timing.  I don't know if I quite believe that exactly, but she also said that plenty of women do go to 42 weeks as well.  I just worry about being induced with Pitocin and my body and Baby Boy not being ready for it, ultimately leading to a c-section. In addition, Pitocin contractions are supposed to be more intense that natural ones, which could make it more difficult to labor without medication.  At 39+4 I was 2cm dilated and the doctor stretched me to 3cm.  She said I was somewhere between 50%-70% effaced and -3 station.  At the 40+4 week appointment I was more or less the same.  I saw a midwife instead of my regular doctor but she said that she would have leaned to 2cm as well, but forced me to 3cm. And that I was still 70% and -3 station. I wish he would drop a little bit. I think that would help start some contractions which would move things along. Both the midwife and my doctor claim that my cervix is favorable for an induction because its already soft and opening. So this is good news I suppose if an induction becomes necessary.  Papi is far more nervous about me being 'late'. So I was glad that the midwife explained that the due dates are +/-10 days.  As a result I postponed the induction until January 6, 2014. Its a Monday and its 11 days past my due date so it lines up with +/-10 days from the due date. It gives him some extra time, but doesn't push it all the way to 42 weeks which would be the latest they would let me go.  Either day we will have missed all the holidays, the New Year, and all the family would have left already.  So why not give him so extra time to try and avoid and induction if we can. Going to work these weeks isn't so bad since the holidays break up the week, its quiet, some of the days are shorter.

I've tried nearly ever method of natural induction out there. Lots of walking, bouncing on an exercise ball, eating fresh cut pineapple, cinnamon & cumin tea, acupuncture (3 times), herbal tea from the acupuncturist (GROSS!!), sex, and having the doctors strip my membranes 3 separate times.  I think I've surrendered my now and will just wait it out. I still can't tell if I've been feeling contractions. I get crampy feelings once every other day or every day.  But its hard to tell if that's just a need to use the bathroom. Once in awhile I also feel tightening but still can't tell if its Baby Boy stretching out.  Nothing is consistent enough for me to consider it a contraction. I know when its the real deal I will be able to tell. We asked the midwife what she thought the weight was, her guess was 8lbs based on the feel. So if that's right, he may get as high as 8.5lbs by 1/6/14.  I've gained 20lbs now, I blame late baby and the family in town the past 2 weeks cooking up delicious food. Since I turn 41 weeks on Thursday and the induction is Monday, I only have time for 1 NST. So Friday 1/3/14 will be my last day at work and I will leave early for the NST.  On Monday morning I have to call 2 hours in advance and make sure they have room for me and then be there at 8am. 

Today is New Years Eve and this year has been truly great to us. I started a new job and Papi was promoted!! We got  pregnant with our first child, our precious son. And next year will prove itself very early this year. In 6 days or less we get to meet Baby Boy. We officially have ourselves a 2014 baby!!

39 weeks

Dec 14 @ 38+2  Went to the Doula for a birthing class.  It  was more casual, just touching base and catching up on some of the details. Went through a few positions and that might be helpful for labor.  I feel like breathing should come naturally... maybe I'm wrong.  She lent us an exercise ball for me to sit on since I don't have one at home.

Dec 15 @ 38+3 Trying to do what I can to encourage Baby boy that its time to meet us. :) Have been doing a lot of bouncing on the exercise ball to help thin out the cervix and bring him into position.  We were out and about today, running errands such as grocery shopping.  I picked up some fresh cut  (because I'm not going to go to the trouble of cutting up a whole one) pineapple which isn't really my favorite. But why not try it, can't hurt to get some extra fruit in my diet. It supposedly has an enzyme called bromelain that is supposed to work like a prostaglandin, ripening and softening the cervix.  Besides the errands, I was able to convince Papi to go on a walk with the pup. It was only 1 mile but anything that will help.  Either its coincidence or some of my efforts are helping because I lost my mucus plug today!!  I know it doesn't mean labor will start soon but its still shows progress so I'm pleased.  The doula said that you lose the mucus plug when you're 3cm dilated. We'll see if she's right since I'm going to the doctor tomorrow.  Oh, and I've been able to squeeze some very, very tiny amounts of fluid from my breasts. Another exciting milestone. I'm going to go back to bouncing, my have some more pineapple.

Dec 16 @ 38+4 Had another doctor appointment today. I'm still 1 cm and 50% effaced so no progress there even though I lost the mucus plug. I had him strip/sweep my membranes- hopefully it moves things along. With my cervix still being posterior, the cervical exams are quite uncomfortable, the sweep was worse. But worth it if it helps. I think if it's going to work, it will happen in 48 hours. I'll take it.

Dec 17 @ 38+5 This morning I had some type of brown (old blood) bloody discharge. Not sure if it's more mucus plug or bloody show or what. Either way, its expected after having your membranes stripped. Took the dog for a mile walk with the pup this morning. I'm trying! Come on full moon- do your thing!

Dec 18 @ 38+6 Had a regular day a work. I was standing around talking to coworkers around 4:30 when I felt a slight fluid leak. I felt very mildly nauseous as well. Although I STILL havent really been feeling contractions, when I finally got to the bathroom my underwear seemed too wet for it to be nothing. Not knowing if its my water that broken or not, decided to call Papi and have him pick me up from work to get checked out at the hospital. I work so close and it was conveniently the end of the day so I could leave work without making a big scene. I let the Doula know who had just let me know earlier that she has a stomach bug so her partner was on call. My response had been that I wasn't feeling anything so no worries. Well hours later here I was telling her that we were actually heading to the hospital. Turns out she was there too! Although I wasn't sure if this was the real deal or not anyway. When we got to triage it was empty and quiet which wasa  nice sign. They hooked me up to the monitors and ended up waiting for over an hour cause of a shift change. They kept asking me how much fluid I lost and I guessed it was half a cup but its SO hard to estimate. The did an exam and took some samples. This is the third doctor that's given me a cervical exam. She actually thought I was less dilated and effaced than the other 2! That was very disheartening. She also didn't reach as far up there as the other 2 so I don't know what makes of it besides it being less painful this time. Anyway, the tests came back that my water did not break. So we went home and that was the end of our day.

Dec 19 @ 39 weeks We're coming down to the final week. With 4 house guests coming for the holidays I was hoping Baby Boy would make his arrival before they did. It's not looking good but most important is that he's healthy. I would love to avoid a medical induction though so I'm just trying to help my body prepare so the topic doesn't even come up at my next appointment in 4 days. At home in always trying to sit on the exercise ball. And going for walks when I have time/am up for it. While this is a good time of year to be pregnant I hear compares with summer, it is quite chilly for walks. Although it's cold, it's not quite cold enough for snow which means all the precipitation had been rain, which I drin definitely don't want to walk in. I've been eating as much pineapple as I can handle- I brought a bunch to work today. This morning I made some cinnamon stick & cumin tea. I know it doesn't sound great but it's really not too bad when you add some honey. It actually reminded me a lot of the herbs the acupuncturist used to me... I think because they were probably main ingredients in that too. I boiled 2 cups of water, added 2 sticks of cinnamon and 2 spoons of cumin and let it boil for 5-10 minutes. I think I've heard the fact that it's got is supposed to help in some way as well. I wouldn't drink it otherwise, but it manageable to try and see if it helps. I'll try the red raspberry leaf tea too if I can find it. I've also been trying to rub acupressure points on my hands but I'm not sure I'm doing it right. I've been 1 cm for supposedly 3 weeks now. Which is common, but still.. trying to do my part.

When I got home Papi offered to go on a walk with me to help out because he otherwise would never want to do that, especially in this cooler weather. Not to mention it's dark by the time I get home at 5:30. So I was really appreciative of that. We brought the pup and walked probably about a mile and a half our so. I made some steak when we got home and after dinner had another 2 cups of the same tea while sitting on the exercise ball. Followed by the remanding pineapple. Not all the best combo, but again, trying to do my part.

I'm up another pound or so making me up to 15 pounds total. My belly button is partially sticking out- as in the edges are out enough that in a thin, tight shirt you can see it. It dips in, in the middle. I have little bits and pieces of mucus plug still coming or here and there, but nothing like 4 nights ago when I saw the bulk of it come out. My nose has been congested since my cold. I've come to assume it's not going away until I'm no longer pregnant. Hopefully it's not a lifetime thing.

I do love being pregnant! I just can't wait to meet our Baby Boy. I love you so much already.

38 weeks

This week's doctors appointment was on December 10th when I was 37 weeks 5 days.  The doctor did a cervical exam and said I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced! While I knew this didn't mean baby boy would be coming immediately, it is very exciting to hear my body is preparing for labor. Baby boy was in a -3 station meaning that he was in fact engaged, but not too low in the pelvis.  She also mentioned that my cervix was posterior and all of this was very normal for my gestation progress with my first child. I'm hoping my next exam will show some further progress since some women can walk around slightly dilated for weeks.  Now that we're so close I'm going to try to do some extra walking and convince Baby boy that he should come now!  With the full moon coming up on Wednesday the lunar pull may an effect too... or so they say.  I know this gross, but I'm thinking I may have been starting to lose my mucus plug little by little.  This is my first time so its hard for me to tell for sure, but it seems like it may be the case.  Its similar to my contractions confusion, I don't know if I've felt any Braxton Hicks contractions or not because I don't really know exactly what contractions really feel like.  I'm going with I probably have felt them, but nothing too intense and certainly nothing regular. I know that eventually these things will become very obvious, we'll see how far into labor I need to get for them to become obvious.

We have nearly everything we (think) we need. Everyday we all these boxes, its crazy. The big stuff is put together and set up, ready to go.  I got all the thank you cards out so now I can finally finish organizing the nursery! We went to a Newborn Care & Safety class as well.  I feel like there wasn't tons of new information at this point, which I guess is a good sign considering Baby boy could have already been here by now and will arrive at any moment so I better know my stuff!

My belly button is nearly flat but not quite.  I have stretch marks but I think they'll disappear with time. I'm still just easily tired and experiencing heartburn.  My waddle is causing my groin muscles to be a little sore too. So far I'm up 14 pounds which is on track with the doctor's wishes.  Hopefully after delivery I'll drop  a bunch of it considering the doctor thinks Baby boy is 7 lbs, plus the placenta, amniotic fluid, etc.  It doesn't really mater as long as baby boy is healthy.

37 weeks

Ok now we're REALLY getting close. Baby Boy could pretty much come at any minute now! I have no reason to think I am going into later soon though.  And that's ok.  All I can ask for is that when he chooses to come, he is healthy and ready to be here. Everyone seems to think he will arrive early instead of late, including us. I want him to come sometime between December 12-20 which is 38-39 weeks which is full term.  But this would give up a little bit of time to settle down before the house fills up for Christmas.  We're just so excited to meet him. And we are (more or less) ready for him. This is thanks in part the 2 baby showers we had this past week! One at home with friends during our Thanksgiving visit where my Mom was able to come as well. The other held by my (semi) new team of coworkers.  Both were so thoughtful and sweet! Besides the showers, we've also received gifts from loved ones otherwise. For example Baby Boy's only Tia sent the car seat!!! Something we desperately needed but I was holding off on.  Its interesting to note that after all these gifts, only 12 out 67 registry items have been purchased.  So its true that people will just get you whatever they want.  At the end of the day we are just thankful for the generosity of those around us.

As we've continued to prepare however I did start needing to buy items off the registry. I've been putting it off for awhile, but now that the showers have past I wanted to take advantage of any potential Cyber Monday savings and start really ticking stuff off the list since Baby Boy can make his appearance basically at any point. I took my find to compare and find the best deals, coupons and cash back.  I spent nearly $1,000, but its not bad when you consider we haven't spend almost any money on him until this point.  Babies are expensive, and $1,000 isn't that much when you think about it. I got some nice, high quality, premium items too.  One more thing we're missing is the second car seat. Its less urgent than having at least one, but I think we definitely need 2, one for each car.  With all this buying though, everyday has been like Christmas, receiving boxes filled with multiple items. I still need go through all the shower gift and write thank you cards.  I have every intention of doing that this weekend. Once I do that I will be able to finally organize the nursery (again) and get it looking complete!

At this point I'm feeling pretty large. On Monday the doctor felt my belly and estimated he was 7lbs.  Not sure how accurate that is, but hope he doesn't get to much above 7lbs by the time he arrives!!  My belly button is almost flush. Heartburn is worse than ever but I'm still too stubborn to take anything.  My legs and feet are starting to get swollen at the end of the day. Nothing crazy, but certainly noticeable and some days are worse than others. I'm definitely low on energy when it comes to getting around. If I have to do any walking around I'm moving slow and need to take a lot of breaks. I'm still in high spirits though and none of it seems so bad.  Its all manageable and not enough to make me complain.  However I must be visibly in some kind of distress because those around me, including strangers, ask if I'm ok and if I think I'll make it.  I'll make it :)