This morning I had my weekly midwife appt and it went really well!!! I actually progressed since last week, thank goodness! I was really pessimistic that I hadn't progressed at all, so I was so happily surprised to hear that I have. I am now 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced and she said my cervix is really soft and ready to go :) She also said it's anterior, which means it's moved from the back to the front in preparation for delivery. And Brooke is still at -1 station, so she is engaged and ready to go too.
At first she thought Brooke was looking to the side, which is typical at this point, but then she felt her head a little more and thinks she might be turned a little facing up, which is not a good position because that would mean the back of her skull, which is the bigger and harder part of her head of course, is faced to the back. When that happens, it's harder for them to get out because their skull is pushing against the spine, and that would also cause me a lot of back pain, which I heard is horrible. So she told me to crawl around on the floor today to help force Brooke's head to start facing down instead of up, so that the back of her skull is up. She said that crawling around will help the back of her head, which is the heavier part, to want to fall down towards the ground because of gravity. Very interesting, so I need to crawl around some more :)
Because of my progress, I don't have to go into the hospital on Wednesday night to get my cervix ripened! YAY!! She was also able to sweep my membranes to see if that will help me go into labor on my own, so say a little prayer for us that she decides to come out on her own before Thursday. My blood pressure was a little high today at my appointment, but I think that was mainly because I was a little anxious about it. So far, my bp has been pretty stable when I take it at home, so that's good. Since my bp has remained stable, I wonder if I really need to be induced early, but my bp could spike quickly at any time, so I'd rather be safe and get induced than go further and risk having it spike. Plus, I'm so ready for her to be out, so I'm fine with having her come a little early :)
I'm really hoping that if she doesn't decide to come on her own before Thursday, my body will respond really quickly to a low dose of pitocin so that I don't have to get a whole bunch of it. I'm hoping that since I've experienced so many episodes of "false labor" contractions, my body will understand what to do very quickly after getting the initial dose of pitocin. But we'll see!
I had my last non-stress test after my appt, and that went well too. Brooke was very active, so they were able to track her heart rate fluctuations very easily and she did very well. They also measured my amniotic fluid with an ultrasound machine. It was lower than last week, so I might be leaking fluid some, but it wasn't so low that it was at the point of concern, so that's good. Since I'm being induced in 2 days, there shouldn't be a problem if I lose a little more. I haven't noticed any fluid, so it must be a really slow leak.
I'm in much better spirits today after getting a good night sleep (well, as good as I can get right now :)) and having such a great appointment. I'm feeling much less anxious about everything today, which is really nice. I'm much more positive and confident today than I was yesterday. I have a feeling yesterday's emotions were a result of physical exhaustion. I'm going to try to crawl and walk around a good amount today to try to get labor going, but otherwise I'll take it easy. And tomorrow I'll do the same.
2 more days to go!!! I can't wait!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
3 days to go
Wow, 3 more days until we get to meet Brooke. It's very exciting but also very scary at the same time. I feel prepared but totally unprepared at the same time. It's such a weird mix of emotions. I know we will be able to handle the labor and birth and becoming parents because I know how strong we are together and I feel like we can handle anything. But at the same time, the anticipation of all of it brings on a lot of anxiety. I'm also really exhausted and sore today, so I have a feeling that's causing some of these emotions to take over. I'm trying my best to just chill out and remain calm, but sometimes they get the best of me.
This weekend was really great. On Saturday I was really uncomfortable and tired the first half of the day, but after taking a nap, Paul and I played some games and watched some tv, and then he went out and picked up food and we watched a couple of movies. I knew I was just too uncomfortable to try to go out to eat and go to a movie, so this was perfect. We had a great day together just the 2 of us. On Sunday we did some chores around the house and some errands and then we had friends over to hang out in the pool. The weekend was a perfect mix of alone time and socializing time, so it was a perfect last weekend of freedom for us :)
The next few days are going to be tough. Today is just a waiting game, and with how tired I am, it's going to be an emotional day as well, so that will make it difficult to get through. Hopefully I can take a nap and take it a little easy. I'm still working, so that sometimes helps to take my mind off of things, but it also makes it difficult to muster up the energy to be productive. I'm really interested to see how my progression has been at tomorrow morning's appointment. They will check me to see if I've effaced and dilated any more. If not, I'll have to go into the hospital on Wednesday night for ripening before the induction Thursday morning. If I have made some progress, hopefully I won't need any ripening and hopefully they'll be able to sweep my membranes to try to get labor going naturally. So I feel like tomorrow's appointment is a big one because it will really help me have a better understanding for how the labor process will go. I'll keep you all posted.
This weekend was really great. On Saturday I was really uncomfortable and tired the first half of the day, but after taking a nap, Paul and I played some games and watched some tv, and then he went out and picked up food and we watched a couple of movies. I knew I was just too uncomfortable to try to go out to eat and go to a movie, so this was perfect. We had a great day together just the 2 of us. On Sunday we did some chores around the house and some errands and then we had friends over to hang out in the pool. The weekend was a perfect mix of alone time and socializing time, so it was a perfect last weekend of freedom for us :)
The next few days are going to be tough. Today is just a waiting game, and with how tired I am, it's going to be an emotional day as well, so that will make it difficult to get through. Hopefully I can take a nap and take it a little easy. I'm still working, so that sometimes helps to take my mind off of things, but it also makes it difficult to muster up the energy to be productive. I'm really interested to see how my progression has been at tomorrow morning's appointment. They will check me to see if I've effaced and dilated any more. If not, I'll have to go into the hospital on Wednesday night for ripening before the induction Thursday morning. If I have made some progress, hopefully I won't need any ripening and hopefully they'll be able to sweep my membranes to try to get labor going naturally. So I feel like tomorrow's appointment is a big one because it will really help me have a better understanding for how the labor process will go. I'll keep you all posted.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
38 weeks
Today I am 38 weeks! Wow! I can't believe I'm finally at this point. This is the week at which I wanted to get before Brooke came out, so now she is really welcome to come :) I know I'm scheduled for an induction next Thursday but I really want her to come out on her own. Of course, it's not up to me, so we will just have to wait and see.
Last night I had even more trouble sleeping. I woke up every 1-1.5 hours like I have the past couple of days, but I also had trouble getting back to sleep a couple of times. I was also feeling more congested today, so I decided to go to the doctor and get antibiotics since this cold doesn't seem to be going away and might be getting worse. So I started the z-pak today and I'm hoping I start to feel a lot better in a couple of days. I really want to be in top shape when Brooke is born because I know it will be hard enough without being sick on top of it.
The past couple of days Brooke has been SUPER active! She is moving around her arms and legs like crazy and with a lot of force. Sometimes it's really uncomfortable. She also moves her head around in my pelvis sometimes, which is a really strange feeling and is usually quite painful! A lot of times she hits some nerves pretty hard and a sharp pain shoots into my hip flexor and upper leg. That is super painful and hard to get away from.
I've been thinking more and more about what a big life changing event this is going to be. It's just been Paul and me for so long that it's going to be such a change to our lives. But at the same time, we are so ready for such a big change, and I know that we will just slip right into it and totally fall in love with her as soon as she enters this world. We already love her, but I know that will increase exponentially once she is out. I really cannot wait for the birth experience. After watching A Baby Story several times, I can see how amazing this process is going to be. I'm a little nervous about the pain and how long labor will all take and the possibility of things not going well and having to get a c-section, but that stuff doesn't really cross my mind too much. I feel pretty confident that I will be able to handle the pain and Paul will be able to provide me with the support I need, and I know the midwives and doctors will be able to handle any situation that occurs.
At this point it's just a waiting game for the next week. And I'm hoping it goes by quickly!!
Most recent bump picture:
Last night I had even more trouble sleeping. I woke up every 1-1.5 hours like I have the past couple of days, but I also had trouble getting back to sleep a couple of times. I was also feeling more congested today, so I decided to go to the doctor and get antibiotics since this cold doesn't seem to be going away and might be getting worse. So I started the z-pak today and I'm hoping I start to feel a lot better in a couple of days. I really want to be in top shape when Brooke is born because I know it will be hard enough without being sick on top of it.
The past couple of days Brooke has been SUPER active! She is moving around her arms and legs like crazy and with a lot of force. Sometimes it's really uncomfortable. She also moves her head around in my pelvis sometimes, which is a really strange feeling and is usually quite painful! A lot of times she hits some nerves pretty hard and a sharp pain shoots into my hip flexor and upper leg. That is super painful and hard to get away from.
I've been thinking more and more about what a big life changing event this is going to be. It's just been Paul and me for so long that it's going to be such a change to our lives. But at the same time, we are so ready for such a big change, and I know that we will just slip right into it and totally fall in love with her as soon as she enters this world. We already love her, but I know that will increase exponentially once she is out. I really cannot wait for the birth experience. After watching A Baby Story several times, I can see how amazing this process is going to be. I'm a little nervous about the pain and how long labor will all take and the possibility of things not going well and having to get a c-section, but that stuff doesn't really cross my mind too much. I feel pretty confident that I will be able to handle the pain and Paul will be able to provide me with the support I need, and I know the midwives and doctors will be able to handle any situation that occurs.
At this point it's just a waiting game for the next week. And I'm hoping it goes by quickly!!
Most recent bump picture:
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Holy crap, it's getting surreal!
Ok, so now that we have about a week left until I give birth, it's been starting to sink in that we are about to have a baby! This is going to be the biggest change we have ever gone through! It's kind of crazy to know the date instead of wondering when I will go into labor. I'm still a little focused on how uncomfortable I am, especially when trying to sleep at night, which has gotten much more difficult the past few days since I am waking up more often and am more uncomfortable. But now I'm also thinking about bringing Brooke home and actually having a baby! It's just such a crazy concept to me. Of course I am still so super excited, but when I really think about giving birth and bringing her home, it just hits me how big this is going to be. Wow! Life sure is amazing. Ok, that's all I have for now. :) 1 more week!!!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Midwife Appointment
Today I had my weekly midwife appointment. I asked her to check my progress since I had contractions on and off from Thursday - Sunday last week, so she relented and checked me and NO PROGRESS!!! I just knew it. So all of that annoying discomfort and pain for nothing. And she even said that the 90% effaced number that the previous midwife told me was generous and she thought I was really just 75%. Oh well, at least I now know not to get my hopes up that Brooke will decide to come early. I'm just going to stick with the expectation that she won't be here until I'm induced. That will help me manage my emotional and mental state better because those contractions were really messing with my head! This process is not only physically taxing, it's also mentally and emotionally exhausting!
I had another non-stress test after my midwife appointment. Brooke's heart rate and amniotic fluid are both good, so that's great news. And my blood pressure has been doing pretty well. Sometimes it's a little high, but once I rest lying down, it goes down. It's now pretty regularly in the 130s/80s. Hopefully it continues to stay low so I won't need additional medication during labor.
On Friday I will have another non-stress test. Next Tuesday I will have my last midwife appointment and non-stress test. At the midwife appointment they will check my progress again. If I'm still only 1 cm dilated, I will have to go into the hospital Wednesday night to get something to help my cervix ripen before they give me Pitocin on Thursday, which is what they use for induction. I'm not sure if I will have to spend the night Wednesday night. I hope not, but I have a feeling I might have to so that they can keep an eye on my progress. I will ask the midwife at Tuesday's appointment to find out for sure.
So, unless you hear from me, just assume that things are going well and Brooke isn't coming until next Thursday :) Wish me luck that this next week will go by quickly!
I had another non-stress test after my midwife appointment. Brooke's heart rate and amniotic fluid are both good, so that's great news. And my blood pressure has been doing pretty well. Sometimes it's a little high, but once I rest lying down, it goes down. It's now pretty regularly in the 130s/80s. Hopefully it continues to stay low so I won't need additional medication during labor.
On Friday I will have another non-stress test. Next Tuesday I will have my last midwife appointment and non-stress test. At the midwife appointment they will check my progress again. If I'm still only 1 cm dilated, I will have to go into the hospital Wednesday night to get something to help my cervix ripen before they give me Pitocin on Thursday, which is what they use for induction. I'm not sure if I will have to spend the night Wednesday night. I hope not, but I have a feeling I might have to so that they can keep an eye on my progress. I will ask the midwife at Tuesday's appointment to find out for sure.
So, unless you hear from me, just assume that things are going well and Brooke isn't coming until next Thursday :) Wish me luck that this next week will go by quickly!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Contractions galore! And I'm officially sick :(
On Thursday afternoon, I started feeling contractions that were stronger than the typical Braxton Hicks contractions. They started in my back and migrated to my front, which indicates real labor pains. However, they were coming very sporadically, so I knew they weren't real labor. They were just like the contractions I've had twice already. They were a little uncomfortable, but not too bad. On Thursday night they began coming more frequently and a little more painfully, but they still weren't regular. At one point, I was sitting in bed and Brooke did something with her head to send super strong shooting pains into my pelvis. It was so startling and painful that I jumped and had to clench my fists on the pillow and breathe through it! I've had sharp pains down there earlier in the pregnancy, but this was REALLY painful! It's so weird to feel her moving around all the way down there. It's just such a strange feeling. Sometimes I feel like she is trying to ram her head up against my cervix to get out :) She ended up doing that 3-4 times, but thankfully she stopped. And thankfully the contractions calmed down enough that I was able to sleep.
Yesterday, the contractions started up again in the morning and got harder and more frequent as the day went on. At some points, it was pretty uncomfortable and a little painful. Even when I was floating in the pool they were uncomfortable and painful. It was exciting to get the contractions because the past 2 times I had contractions like this, my cervix made progress, but it was also getting to be a little much and I was hoping for a reprieve. Luckily, the contractions calmed down again last night and I was able to sleep. At this point, I think I'm getting up 3-5 times per night to pee :) So "sleeping all night" means I'm able to get back to sleep pretty easily after getting up to pee.
Last night I also started to feel more sinus pressure and my throat started hurting. I was also more congested throughout the night and woke up with an even more sore throat and congestion. So it looks like I'm officially sick :( It's definitely a blessing that we got sick before Brooke was born, but I'm not happy about it being so close to when I give birth. So I'm praying that we both get over it very quickly so that we aren't sick when I go into labor. I'm interested to see how much the contractions progressed me. I'm going to ask the midwife to check me at my appointment on Tuesday and I'm really hoping that these 2 days of contractions made some kind of significant progress, because if they didn't, that will worry me that once labor starts, it will be a long process. We shall see...
I really hope I don't get contractions today, at least not the ones I had yesterday that were so uncomfortable and painful, because I really would like to get some rest. Wish me luck!
Yesterday, the contractions started up again in the morning and got harder and more frequent as the day went on. At some points, it was pretty uncomfortable and a little painful. Even when I was floating in the pool they were uncomfortable and painful. It was exciting to get the contractions because the past 2 times I had contractions like this, my cervix made progress, but it was also getting to be a little much and I was hoping for a reprieve. Luckily, the contractions calmed down again last night and I was able to sleep. At this point, I think I'm getting up 3-5 times per night to pee :) So "sleeping all night" means I'm able to get back to sleep pretty easily after getting up to pee.
Last night I also started to feel more sinus pressure and my throat started hurting. I was also more congested throughout the night and woke up with an even more sore throat and congestion. So it looks like I'm officially sick :( It's definitely a blessing that we got sick before Brooke was born, but I'm not happy about it being so close to when I give birth. So I'm praying that we both get over it very quickly so that we aren't sick when I go into labor. I'm interested to see how much the contractions progressed me. I'm going to ask the midwife to check me at my appointment on Tuesday and I'm really hoping that these 2 days of contractions made some kind of significant progress, because if they didn't, that will worry me that once labor starts, it will be a long process. We shall see...
I really hope I don't get contractions today, at least not the ones I had yesterday that were so uncomfortable and painful, because I really would like to get some rest. Wish me luck!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
37 weeks! Full term!
Today I am full term! YAY! I'm very excited we have reached this very important milestone. Brooke is now welcome to come out to join the outside world at any time :)
This morning my BP was even a little higher than yesterday (~143/86), so I'm a tad bit concerned, but not overly so. I will keep an eye on it though and possibly talk to the midwife at next Tuesday's appointment about trying to stimulate labor maybe a little earlier. We'll see how things go over the next few days. I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions really often lately. It seems like I get them constantly sometimes. I really hope they are making me progress!
Yesterday I had a couple of emotional breakdowns early in the day, but the day ended really well, so that was wonderful! I'm really trying to enjoy and focus on each day, but sometimes my emotions get the best of me. I guess it's not surprising since my hormones are probably raging and I'm not getting as much sleep lately. This morning I woke up at 5am and couldn't get back to sleep. Not nearly as bad as Tuesday night, but it's still going to take a bit of a toll on me. Unfortunately, Paul seems to be getting a sinus infection, so he really needs to rest and try to fight it off. That would suck if he were sick when I go into labor! Not to mention if he ends up getting me sick. So let's hope he starts feeling better over the next few days.
So, we have at most 2 weeks left to go. Not too bad, but I will be happier when it's only 1 week away :) These days sure do go by slowly. Unless Brooke comes earlier than my induction date, it will be a long wait. Believe me, it's not going to fly by.
Latest bump picture:
This morning my BP was even a little higher than yesterday (~143/86), so I'm a tad bit concerned, but not overly so. I will keep an eye on it though and possibly talk to the midwife at next Tuesday's appointment about trying to stimulate labor maybe a little earlier. We'll see how things go over the next few days. I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions really often lately. It seems like I get them constantly sometimes. I really hope they are making me progress!
Yesterday I had a couple of emotional breakdowns early in the day, but the day ended really well, so that was wonderful! I'm really trying to enjoy and focus on each day, but sometimes my emotions get the best of me. I guess it's not surprising since my hormones are probably raging and I'm not getting as much sleep lately. This morning I woke up at 5am and couldn't get back to sleep. Not nearly as bad as Tuesday night, but it's still going to take a bit of a toll on me. Unfortunately, Paul seems to be getting a sinus infection, so he really needs to rest and try to fight it off. That would suck if he were sick when I go into labor! Not to mention if he ends up getting me sick. So let's hope he starts feeling better over the next few days.
So, we have at most 2 weeks left to go. Not too bad, but I will be happier when it's only 1 week away :) These days sure do go by slowly. Unless Brooke comes earlier than my induction date, it will be a long wait. Believe me, it's not going to fly by.
Latest bump picture:
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Doctor Appointment and Update on BP
Yesterday I had my weekly midwife appointment, plus I had a non-stress test to make sure Brooke is doing well. They hooked me up to a heart rate monitor to check her heart rate for 20 minutes. They were checking to make sure her heart rate doesn't dip down and also that it spikes a few times within the 20 minutes. Brooke's heart rate was looking really good, which I wasn't surprised about. Then they did an ultrasound to measure the amount of amniotic fluid around her. The ultrasound machine they used wasn't the super good one, so it was hard to make out different body parts. For some reason, I wasn't as excited to see her on the ultrasound this time, and I think it's because I see her so much from the outside that I feel like I get to see her every day, so the ultrasound didn't really provide me with a new experience. The amniotic fluid measurement also came back normal. So Brooke is all good!! I wasn't worried though. For some reason, I really don't think she's going to have any issues. I think she's going to be just fine.
My blood pressure at my appointment was a little high (143/83), so they took it again after my appointment after I rested for a couple of minutes, and then it was a little better (126/90), but the systolic and diastolic pressures kind of swapped. This has happened at home before, but I have no idea why. My body is weird. But they didn't seem too concerned as long as the non-stress test came back fine. I think as long as my BP stays below 150/100, they won't get too concerned, so let's pray that it doesn't.
I have another non-stress test on Friday morning where they will just do the heart rate monitoring. I then have 2 more next Tuesday and Friday to repeat the tests, as well as my usual weekly appointment on Tuesday. I will have one last appointment on the Tuesday before I am induced and at that point they will see if there is something they can do to try to get labor started before my induction, since I would prefer not to get pitocin (or any kinds of drugs for that matter), which is what they use for inductions. The midwife said that if I'm dilated enough, they will be able to sweep the membranes to try to get labor started. I don't know all the details of what that entails, but it's supposed to get the cervix more ready for labor and hopefully get my body to start labor on its own. Let's hope it works if we get that far!
I'm really hoping to go into labor by myself sometime next week, but I have no control over that, so we'll see :) Of course, I really only want to go into labor if Brooke is big enough and doing well, so I'm okay with waiting if she's not ready. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell! 15 days left at most. It's not much time but it still seems like a while to me. It's like counting down to a long-awaited vacation. It never seems close enough even when it's just a day away. So I'll just try my best to focus on one day at a time instead of the end date. Hopefully that works!
I have noticed lately that my rings have been a little harder to get on and off, and I just had to take off my watch because it was digging into my wrist. And this morning when I was putting lotion on my legs, I thought that the top of my right foot might look a tiny bit swollen, but it was hard to tell. I know that swelling is a normal sign of late pregnancy, so I don't think that has a correlation with the blood pressure, but I will keep an eye on it just in case. If it gets bad, it could indicate a problem. My BP has been in the 130s/80s at home for the past 2 days, which is high for being at home, so it's possible that it could continue to go up. We'll see. I really hope it doesn't.
My blood pressure at my appointment was a little high (143/83), so they took it again after my appointment after I rested for a couple of minutes, and then it was a little better (126/90), but the systolic and diastolic pressures kind of swapped. This has happened at home before, but I have no idea why. My body is weird. But they didn't seem too concerned as long as the non-stress test came back fine. I think as long as my BP stays below 150/100, they won't get too concerned, so let's pray that it doesn't.
I have another non-stress test on Friday morning where they will just do the heart rate monitoring. I then have 2 more next Tuesday and Friday to repeat the tests, as well as my usual weekly appointment on Tuesday. I will have one last appointment on the Tuesday before I am induced and at that point they will see if there is something they can do to try to get labor started before my induction, since I would prefer not to get pitocin (or any kinds of drugs for that matter), which is what they use for inductions. The midwife said that if I'm dilated enough, they will be able to sweep the membranes to try to get labor started. I don't know all the details of what that entails, but it's supposed to get the cervix more ready for labor and hopefully get my body to start labor on its own. Let's hope it works if we get that far!
I'm really hoping to go into labor by myself sometime next week, but I have no control over that, so we'll see :) Of course, I really only want to go into labor if Brooke is big enough and doing well, so I'm okay with waiting if she's not ready. Unfortunately, there's no way to tell! 15 days left at most. It's not much time but it still seems like a while to me. It's like counting down to a long-awaited vacation. It never seems close enough even when it's just a day away. So I'll just try my best to focus on one day at a time instead of the end date. Hopefully that works!
I have noticed lately that my rings have been a little harder to get on and off, and I just had to take off my watch because it was digging into my wrist. And this morning when I was putting lotion on my legs, I thought that the top of my right foot might look a tiny bit swollen, but it was hard to tell. I know that swelling is a normal sign of late pregnancy, so I don't think that has a correlation with the blood pressure, but I will keep an eye on it just in case. If it gets bad, it could indicate a problem. My BP has been in the 130s/80s at home for the past 2 days, which is high for being at home, so it's possible that it could continue to go up. We'll see. I really hope it doesn't.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Bump pic and blood pressure
Here is my most recent bump picture (yes, I dyed my hair :)). I think it looks like she is lower this week, but not by much.
Today my blood pressure was really high when I took it at home throughout the day. It started off in the 130s this morning and then ended up at 153/93 by 2:00, so the midwife on call had me come in to get checked out. I met with a nurse first to get my bp taken and a urine analysis done. My bp was in the 140s, so not horrible, and my urine analysis was negative for protein, so that was good. But the midwife wanted me to go up to labor and delivery to get monitored for a few hours just in case since it's Friday.
In labor and delivery, they monitored my bp, Brooke's heartbeat, and did some blood work. My bp eventually stabilized in the 130s, which is a little high but not too bad. Brooke's heart rate was good, and my blood work ended up coming back negative, so they let me go home. However, the midwife did say that they want to keep a closer eye on me and Brooke now, so I have to go in twice a week to get ante-natal testing done, which involves monitoring Brooke's heart rate and measuring the fluid around her and possibly measuring her size to make sure the high bp isn't negatively affecting her. The midwife told me to bring my hospital bag every time I come in just in case Brooke isn't doing well and they have to induce. So I will be starting that next week.
She also said that they don't want me to go too far in my pregnancy just in case preeclampsia occurs, so they scheduled me for an induction on 9/1! So now I have only 3 weeks at the most until Brooke is born! It's really exciting to have a definite end date and it's great that it's a week ahead of my due date! Our hope is that she decides to come sooner than my induction date on her own so that I don't have to be induced. The midwife also checked my cervix since I was having contractions on Tuesday and she said I am still 1 cm dilated but I am 90% effaced! That means my cervix has almost completely thinned out, which needs to happen before it can really dilate. She also said that Brooke's head is right up against the cervix at -1 station (0 - +2 station is when you start pushing), so she is right there and ready! That means that once real labor starts, it should be relatively easy.
She told me that I can now wait to contact them until I have real labor contractions, so I don't have to worry about these semi-strong sporadic contractions anymore, which is really nice. Now that I know when I'm supposed to come into the hospital, I am excited to have more of those semi-strong contractions because I know that they are helping me get closer to going into labor. As long as I make it to 37 weeks, which is next Thursday, I am super happy. So hopefully I'll continue progressing slowly and then Brooke will come on her own before 39 weeks. That would be the ideal situation. And hopefully my bp doesn't continue to increase.
We are now starting to get excited and nervous about Brooke's arrival. It's now beginning to feel more real, so it's really starting to hit home that we are about to have a baby! Crazy, but exciting! I can't wait!
Today my blood pressure was really high when I took it at home throughout the day. It started off in the 130s this morning and then ended up at 153/93 by 2:00, so the midwife on call had me come in to get checked out. I met with a nurse first to get my bp taken and a urine analysis done. My bp was in the 140s, so not horrible, and my urine analysis was negative for protein, so that was good. But the midwife wanted me to go up to labor and delivery to get monitored for a few hours just in case since it's Friday.
In labor and delivery, they monitored my bp, Brooke's heartbeat, and did some blood work. My bp eventually stabilized in the 130s, which is a little high but not too bad. Brooke's heart rate was good, and my blood work ended up coming back negative, so they let me go home. However, the midwife did say that they want to keep a closer eye on me and Brooke now, so I have to go in twice a week to get ante-natal testing done, which involves monitoring Brooke's heart rate and measuring the fluid around her and possibly measuring her size to make sure the high bp isn't negatively affecting her. The midwife told me to bring my hospital bag every time I come in just in case Brooke isn't doing well and they have to induce. So I will be starting that next week.
She also said that they don't want me to go too far in my pregnancy just in case preeclampsia occurs, so they scheduled me for an induction on 9/1! So now I have only 3 weeks at the most until Brooke is born! It's really exciting to have a definite end date and it's great that it's a week ahead of my due date! Our hope is that she decides to come sooner than my induction date on her own so that I don't have to be induced. The midwife also checked my cervix since I was having contractions on Tuesday and she said I am still 1 cm dilated but I am 90% effaced! That means my cervix has almost completely thinned out, which needs to happen before it can really dilate. She also said that Brooke's head is right up against the cervix at -1 station (0 - +2 station is when you start pushing), so she is right there and ready! That means that once real labor starts, it should be relatively easy.
She told me that I can now wait to contact them until I have real labor contractions, so I don't have to worry about these semi-strong sporadic contractions anymore, which is really nice. Now that I know when I'm supposed to come into the hospital, I am excited to have more of those semi-strong contractions because I know that they are helping me get closer to going into labor. As long as I make it to 37 weeks, which is next Thursday, I am super happy. So hopefully I'll continue progressing slowly and then Brooke will come on her own before 39 weeks. That would be the ideal situation. And hopefully my bp doesn't continue to increase.
We are now starting to get excited and nervous about Brooke's arrival. It's now beginning to feel more real, so it's really starting to hit home that we are about to have a baby! Crazy, but exciting! I can't wait!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
36 weeks!
Today has been a MUCH better day. Last night I went to Babies R Us and got the remaining critical items we need, so the only thing left to do is install the car seat properly. I have an appointment with the police department to get them to help me tomorrow. And today I felt much better about everything. I swam in the morning, which was really nice, and I was fairly productive with work, which made me feel good.
The past couple of days I have been experiencing a little more lower back pain. Even when I was swimming this morning it hurt a little bit if I twisted at all during a stroke. So I need to be really careful. I was going to try doing yoga last night, but I ended up focusing on getting other stuff done, so I'm going to do my prenatal yoga video tonight to see if that might help my back. I'm going to be really careful though.
I haven't had anymore strong contractions since Tuesday night thankfully, but the Braxton Hicks contractions seem to be occurring more often now. I feel like my uterus gets tight really often. Thankfully, Brooke is still very active, so that keeps me confident that she is still doing well. I'm very excited to reach 36 weeks. I really feel like we are in the home stretch now. If Brooke is born now, she is still considered pre-term, but she shouldn't have any issues. I will feel even more excited next Thursday when I am 37 weeks because then I will be full term and at that point she really could come at any time! So we are getting close!
I'll post my baby bump picture once Paul takes it for me. I really feel like it looks like Brooke has dropped some, but we'll see once I compare pics.
The past couple of days I have been experiencing a little more lower back pain. Even when I was swimming this morning it hurt a little bit if I twisted at all during a stroke. So I need to be really careful. I was going to try doing yoga last night, but I ended up focusing on getting other stuff done, so I'm going to do my prenatal yoga video tonight to see if that might help my back. I'm going to be really careful though.
I haven't had anymore strong contractions since Tuesday night thankfully, but the Braxton Hicks contractions seem to be occurring more often now. I feel like my uterus gets tight really often. Thankfully, Brooke is still very active, so that keeps me confident that she is still doing well. I'm very excited to reach 36 weeks. I really feel like we are in the home stretch now. If Brooke is born now, she is still considered pre-term, but she shouldn't have any issues. I will feel even more excited next Thursday when I am 37 weeks because then I will be full term and at that point she really could come at any time! So we are getting close!
I'll post my baby bump picture once Paul takes it for me. I really feel like it looks like Brooke has dropped some, but we'll see once I compare pics.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Frustrated
Yesterday my contractions continued throughout the day and evening, but they were sporadic and didn't establish a pattern, which is good but annoying. Last night I talked to the midwife on call because the contractions seemed to be picking up a little and I was having some cramping too, so I was getting a little edgy. She reassured me that everything is fine and I might just contract like this for a while. She said I should come in this week to get my cervix checked, so I called the nurse line this morning and they said I don't need to come in to get checked because my contractions stopped. This is so frustrating. I feel like I keep getting conflicting directions. I wanted to go in to see if the contractions made any progress but I guess that won't be happening. I have a regular appointment next Tuesday, but I have a feeling I won't get checked then either unless I start contracting again.
I just wish there was a clear sign regarding what's happening. I don't know why but both times this has happened, it really messes with me emotionally. So I'm praying that this doesn't happen again, at least not for a couple of weeks. Once I'm full term, I think I'll be able to handle this false labor better because then I will know that I really just need to wait until I'm in labor to worry. One midwife said that pre-term labor doesn't always act like real labor, so it can be misleading, which is probably why she wanted me to get checked. Yet the nurses tell me what to look for regarding real labor, which I know what to look for! Since I'm still pre-term, this false labor makes me a little worried because I don't know what it's doing. Ugh, it really sucks not understanding what my body is doing. I can't wait until next Thursday when I am 37 weeks and considered full term. Until then, I'm praying this doesn't happen again. I just can't handle it :(
I just wish there was a clear sign regarding what's happening. I don't know why but both times this has happened, it really messes with me emotionally. So I'm praying that this doesn't happen again, at least not for a couple of weeks. Once I'm full term, I think I'll be able to handle this false labor better because then I will know that I really just need to wait until I'm in labor to worry. One midwife said that pre-term labor doesn't always act like real labor, so it can be misleading, which is probably why she wanted me to get checked. Yet the nurses tell me what to look for regarding real labor, which I know what to look for! Since I'm still pre-term, this false labor makes me a little worried because I don't know what it's doing. Ugh, it really sucks not understanding what my body is doing. I can't wait until next Thursday when I am 37 weeks and considered full term. Until then, I'm praying this doesn't happen again. I just can't handle it :(
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
More Contractions
Ugh, I was woken up at 2:20 this morning with contractions again. I had about 12 in the first hour and about 10 in the second hour. I paged the midwife on call and she told me to try taking a bath, but that didn't really help. However, eventually they started to subside and I was able to briefly fall asleep around 7:00, only to be woken up by another one at 7:30! Why do they insist on coming in the middle of the night?!?! They are strong enough and often enough that I can't sleep through them, yet I know they are not labor.
I have decided not to go into the hospital or to see a midwife since they are subsiding and the only thing they can really do is check my cervix to see if I have dilated more. But even if I have dilated more, it doesn't mean I'm in labor, so it really doesn't provide any benefit and I really don't feel like going in. So I'll just chill and hope that they go away completely like they did last time. I'm sure they will.
I really wish this was an indicator that I will go into labor before my due date, but unfortunately it isn't. I can have all kinds of false labor and still go into labor late! It's so frustrating. Oh well, at least she hasn't come too early yet. The wait continues...
I have decided not to go into the hospital or to see a midwife since they are subsiding and the only thing they can really do is check my cervix to see if I have dilated more. But even if I have dilated more, it doesn't mean I'm in labor, so it really doesn't provide any benefit and I really don't feel like going in. So I'll just chill and hope that they go away completely like they did last time. I'm sure they will.
I really wish this was an indicator that I will go into labor before my due date, but unfortunately it isn't. I can have all kinds of false labor and still go into labor late! It's so frustrating. Oh well, at least she hasn't come too early yet. The wait continues...
Saturday, August 6, 2011
35 weeks
On Thursday I was 35 weeks along, so I'm slowly getting closer to my due date. I say slowly because this isn't flying by for me, but it probably is for all of you, and for Paul as well :) I asked Paul if he felt like these last 5 weeks are going to fly by for him and he said yes, so I guess I'm all by myself in feeling like they are going to drag by. That's not really a surprise since I'm the one who has to carry her around and be uncomfortable. Oh well, hopefully it will go by more quickly than I expect.
This week was really productive. Sunday and Monday nights we spent organizing and cleaning up the house. It was so nice to get all our stuff unpacked and set up for Brooke's arrival. We still have some stuff left to get, but we have most of the big stuff, which is really nice. Thanks to all my friends and family for helping us out so much! Today we plan on finishing up the nursery - we only have a few more things to organize - and setting up the video monitor. Then we are going to make a cheat sheet for our labor techniques from the Bradley method, just so we have them handy when the time comes :) There's no way we are going to remember everything.
On Tuesday I had my regular OB check-up. I met with a midwife to see if I wanted to transfer to the midwifery practice, which is a practice associated with UNC. There are 6 midwives and they practice and perform deliveries at UNC in the same place that the doctors practice, so if something goes wrong during labor, the doctors are right there to take over. I really liked the midwife I met with and felt that their theories and practices for the labor and delivery process match exactly what Paul and I want. They are very focused on making the birth experience what we want and helping us figure out methods for dealing with pain and other situations without medicine. But at the same time, they don't hesitate to give medicine if I want it or if the situation requires it. They will also try to stay with me throughout the entire delivery unless they have other patients at the same time, but that's much better than being delivered by a doctor who doesn't show up until you are pushing.
At my appointment she just measured my belly, which measured perfectly, and listened for Brooke's heartbeat. I thought she might check my cervix since I am already dilated 1 cm, but she said there is no reason to check my cervix unless I am having contractions because it shouldn't be making any progress without contractions. She also said that checking the cervix can stimulate it some, so they don't want to do it unnecessarily. So the next time she will check it is at 39 weeks unless I have contractions again. She also said they don't need to see me more often, so my next appointment is 2 weeks from Tuesday. I was hoping to go again this upcoming week, but I guess there is no need. After next Tuesday's appointment I will begin seeing them on a weekly basis because at that point I will be 36.5 weeks along.
On Wednesday night, there was a "Meet the Midwives" session at UNC where we could meet 3 of the 6 midwives. Paul and I went so that he could hear their practices since he wasn't able to go to my appointment on Tuesday and so that we could meet 3 of the midwives since I probably don't have enough appointments left before I give birth to meet all 6 of them. Paul felt very good about what they had to say and we both were happy with their personalities, so we are very happy to transfer my care to them. From now on, I will see a different midwife at each appointment until I give birth to try to meet as many of them as possible, since we won't know which one will perform the delivery.
The past couple of weeks I have started waking up more often, sometimes as often as 4-5 times per night, so I'm not getting as much sleep anymore. I typically need to go to the bathroom when I wake up and I always have to roll over to my other side, so it's a bit of a process. I have been trying to drink more water lately because I feel more dehydrated lately and dehydration can cause contractions, so I want to avoid that. This past week, each night I have woken up at some point with a numb right hand, which is really weird. I called the nurse on Thursday to find out what could be causing it and she said it sounds like I have carpel tunnel! Apparently that is common in pregnancy and can happen during the day or at night or both. She said I can wear wrist braces if it gets annoying, but that seems like more of an annoyance so I'm going to hold off on doing anything unless it gets really bad. Early this morning I woke up and both hands were numb but it went away quickly and didn't come back. What fun :)
My coworker suggested that I take belly pics of my belly without a shirt over it so I can really get a feel for what it looks like, so that's how I'm going to take my belly pics from now on. Even though I still seem to be carrying Brooke kind of high, I feel like I can kind of tell that she has dropped some from the outside, and I can definitely tell she has dropped some from the inside. It's much harder now to sit or bend forward, especially with my legs together :)
This week was really productive. Sunday and Monday nights we spent organizing and cleaning up the house. It was so nice to get all our stuff unpacked and set up for Brooke's arrival. We still have some stuff left to get, but we have most of the big stuff, which is really nice. Thanks to all my friends and family for helping us out so much! Today we plan on finishing up the nursery - we only have a few more things to organize - and setting up the video monitor. Then we are going to make a cheat sheet for our labor techniques from the Bradley method, just so we have them handy when the time comes :) There's no way we are going to remember everything.
On Tuesday I had my regular OB check-up. I met with a midwife to see if I wanted to transfer to the midwifery practice, which is a practice associated with UNC. There are 6 midwives and they practice and perform deliveries at UNC in the same place that the doctors practice, so if something goes wrong during labor, the doctors are right there to take over. I really liked the midwife I met with and felt that their theories and practices for the labor and delivery process match exactly what Paul and I want. They are very focused on making the birth experience what we want and helping us figure out methods for dealing with pain and other situations without medicine. But at the same time, they don't hesitate to give medicine if I want it or if the situation requires it. They will also try to stay with me throughout the entire delivery unless they have other patients at the same time, but that's much better than being delivered by a doctor who doesn't show up until you are pushing.
At my appointment she just measured my belly, which measured perfectly, and listened for Brooke's heartbeat. I thought she might check my cervix since I am already dilated 1 cm, but she said there is no reason to check my cervix unless I am having contractions because it shouldn't be making any progress without contractions. She also said that checking the cervix can stimulate it some, so they don't want to do it unnecessarily. So the next time she will check it is at 39 weeks unless I have contractions again. She also said they don't need to see me more often, so my next appointment is 2 weeks from Tuesday. I was hoping to go again this upcoming week, but I guess there is no need. After next Tuesday's appointment I will begin seeing them on a weekly basis because at that point I will be 36.5 weeks along.
On Wednesday night, there was a "Meet the Midwives" session at UNC where we could meet 3 of the 6 midwives. Paul and I went so that he could hear their practices since he wasn't able to go to my appointment on Tuesday and so that we could meet 3 of the midwives since I probably don't have enough appointments left before I give birth to meet all 6 of them. Paul felt very good about what they had to say and we both were happy with their personalities, so we are very happy to transfer my care to them. From now on, I will see a different midwife at each appointment until I give birth to try to meet as many of them as possible, since we won't know which one will perform the delivery.
The past couple of weeks I have started waking up more often, sometimes as often as 4-5 times per night, so I'm not getting as much sleep anymore. I typically need to go to the bathroom when I wake up and I always have to roll over to my other side, so it's a bit of a process. I have been trying to drink more water lately because I feel more dehydrated lately and dehydration can cause contractions, so I want to avoid that. This past week, each night I have woken up at some point with a numb right hand, which is really weird. I called the nurse on Thursday to find out what could be causing it and she said it sounds like I have carpel tunnel! Apparently that is common in pregnancy and can happen during the day or at night or both. She said I can wear wrist braces if it gets annoying, but that seems like more of an annoyance so I'm going to hold off on doing anything unless it gets really bad. Early this morning I woke up and both hands were numb but it went away quickly and didn't come back. What fun :)
My coworker suggested that I take belly pics of my belly without a shirt over it so I can really get a feel for what it looks like, so that's how I'm going to take my belly pics from now on. Even though I still seem to be carrying Brooke kind of high, I feel like I can kind of tell that she has dropped some from the outside, and I can definitely tell she has dropped some from the inside. It's much harder now to sit or bend forward, especially with my legs together :)
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