40 Week Appointment

We just got back from our 40-week appointment. There have been no changes since last Monday, which is surprising and disappointing considering all that I feel has been happening this week. The midwife we met with today took another shot at sweeping my membranes, so maybe it'll work this time. Since they won't induce until 41 weeks (Saturday) and they want to do some testing before hand, we have to wait until next Monday to schedule an induction. So much for guaranteeing our baby by this weekend! I'm still holding out hope that he'll make his appearance on his own time this week, but maybe I need to give up hope. I just get more and more disappointed every day that he's not here.

If we make it until next Monday, they'll do some testing to make sure that he's doing alright and that there's enough amniotic fluid to keep him healthy. The amount of amniotic fluid can be an indication of how well the placenta is keeping up, so if the fluid is getting low they'll get him out so that there are no extra risks of him not getting enough oxygen. Also, the longer you wait, the higher the risk of meconium aspiration there is. That's when the baby poops in the uterus (which doesn't usually happen) and the baby breathes it in. Since meconium is thick and sticky, that presents problems at birth if it's stuck in the lungs. And, since the baby is still growing, waiting longer ups the odds of a c-section. All of these things have me worried.

But I guess I don't have any options at this point, other than to wait (miserably). I just hope he's okay.

Blast Off?

0. As in Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Nil. That's what's going on in the labor department. Yes, I cried this morning when I woke up to realize that today's supposed to be the day, and I'm definitely not in labor. The due date is only an estimate, and besides that, it's only 10 AM. But I'm absolutely positive he's not coming today. In fact, I'm absolutely positive that it's going to take medical intervention to induce me in a week. Of course, Baby Boy's health and safety are most important to me. So as long as he's okay in there, I can live with it.

So, today is 40 weeks. My babycenter account has switched to "Congrats on your newborn!" 3dpregnancy says that at 40 weeks, my baby is the size of, well, a baby. And all the other sites I usually hit up weekly say to hang in there, babies all have to come out sometime. The other 3 couples in our pregnancy class have had their babies. I'm on an online board with 45 women and all but 3 of us have had their babies. I know it's ridiculous, but it really feels like our baby just isn't meant to come out. He's going to stay comfy and cozy (and keep me uncomfortable) FOREVER!

I know it's worth it. I know I need to be patient. I know he'll come when he's ready. I just don't like waiting...

1...

Well, despite having strong contractions off and on all day yesterday, I am still pregnant! This time yesterday I was convinced I was in early labor and that we'd be holding Baby Boy by now. He has his own schedule I guess. Luckily, I got a good night's sleep last night. I was up every few hours to use the bathroom, but there were no painful contractions keeping me up. I'm still pretty tired from yesterday though, so there are likely naps in my near future. Sorry for the false alarm yesterday. I am convinced more than ever that I won't actually know when I'm in real labor because the fake labor seems so real!

2...

I woke up at 2:30 this morning with pretty strong contractions. They stayed strong and consistent until around 8:00 when I got up and moving. Now that I'm up and about they've slowed down, but I'm going to do some serious housework today to try to get them back again. Today may be the day...or at this rate, tomorrow. But anytime before next weekend sounds pretty good to me!

3...

For the moment, I'm okay with having to wait for our baby. I mean, we've waited so long already. It was around this time last year that we found out we were pregnant the first time, and obviously a lot has happened since then. As long as he's healthy and happy, who am I to rush him? But I can guarantee my mood will swing again soon. 3 days until D-Day...or 10 until he's officially evicted!

4...

We're in the lower 50% of successes with membrane sweeping I guess, but that's okay. I'm still feeling alright, but I'm extra sensitive about every little thing I feel going on in there. I spent some time on my hands and knees yesterday, coaxing him into a back-forward position. I woke up this morning with him in that position too, so that's good. We heard that baby position makes labor a little easier so I'll give it a shot.

I also picked up some raspberry leaf tea, which is supposed to cause gentle contractions. None of this stuff works if the baby's not ready, but then at least I feel like I'm doing something to help things along. Dan has been super patient with me and my constant begging of Baby Boy to come out. He's absolutely right that we won't remember this time of impatient waiting once he's here, and it's so so worth it. It just seems like we should have had him by now, which makes me feel like we missed the window and I'll just stay pregnant forever. But that can't happen, right?

5...

Yep, still "with child." We went to our 39+ week appointment this morning, and there's not much progress to report. I'm around 2 cm dilated, and I somehow managed to lose 2 pounds since last week! Our midwife swept my membranes today, which has a 50/50 chance of starting labor within 24 hours. I'm trying to be realistic that we'll be in the unlucky half, but I can't help hoping.

This waiting is way more intense than any birthday, Christmas or Spring break. I know it's so worth it, but the suspense is killing me! :)

6...

Ugh! I just had this feeling last night that he was coming, but no such luck. I did have crazy dreams about having him but nothing close to the real thing. I've been super tired these past few days, and I have a lot of pressure in my lower abdomen. I feel kind of crampy all the time, so I'm hoping all of these things are normal along the road to labor. I'm trying to come to grips with the reality that it could be another 3 weeks before I meet this little man, but I'm thinking our midwife will help us out and induce in 2 if he doesn't come on his own. Two weeks isn't that long, right? :|

I am uncomfortable at this point - it's impossible not to be when you're gaining weight so quickly and it's all centralized. But I'm more mentally uncomfortable. I am so antsy not knowing when this is all going to happen. Hopefully it'll happen today...

7... (39 Weeks Pregnant)

A week to go! And our baby is apparently the size of a "mini" watermelon, at least in weight. I'm not so sure this picture is as "mini" as I would picture our baby, but we'll let babycenter.com think what it wants.

In the mean time, let's go to 3dpregnancy.com for the 39 week info:

One uncomfortable complaint of late pregnancy is frequent hiccups. No, not you, your baby. Because there is no air around your baby, when she practices breathing, it can cause amniotic fluid to get into her windpipe, resulting in those regularly spaced thumps that make you think you're carrying a jumping bean in your belly. Other news this week:

The lanugo (an exotic word for soft, downy hair) that used to cover your baby's body has mostly disappeared, but you may find a bit leftover on the shoulders, forehead and neck. Don't freak and think you've given birth to a monkey: It'll fall out soon.

The color of baby's skin is changing from a red-pink hue to a white or blue-pink color (even in babes with dark skin). These changes are due to the amount of fat your little pudger is putting on. The circumference of your baby's head and abdomen are about the same size now (though you may not be able to tell if your baby's born with the common cone-shaped head!).

The placenta is lending your Mini antibodies that'll keep him strong and healthy after birth. That said, it's still a good idea to invest in that mega-size bottle of hand sanitizer.

At this point your little critter is about 19 to 20 inches long and weights about 7 pounds. That's just around the size of a large rabbit. What's up Doc?

I've been continuing to have contractions here and there, but so far nothing regular or uncomfortable. Just annoying! Even with the progress I'm making, I'm not so sure this March baby won't end up an April baby. Dan and I are trying to sweeten the deal for him. We go into his new room and look around, telling him that "all of this could be yours" if he comes out...but no dice yet.

8...

8 days to go...a week from tomorrow...assuming he's not fashionably late. Overall, I think I'm handling the wait/weight pretty well. I don't have too much to report today. I'll check in tomorrow with the 39-week stats, assuming I'm still pregnant tomorrow too. :)

9...

Ha! Only the second day of my daily countdown, and it's starting to feel like I'm counting down to the "or else" part of any parent/child countdown. Of course, usually you're counting to 3 and you don't want to know what happens when I get to 3, but still...

Yep, another morning and I'm still pregnant. I took the opportunity yesterday to get a haircut and pedicure. I hadn't touched my toes since my last pedicure 2 months ago, and my nails were LONG. I got the ultimate package yesterday so that involved lots of massaging and scrubs and masks...it was awesome! Plus, she offered to rub the pressure points that can lead to labor so of course I took her up on it. Too bad it didn't work!

Happy Birthday (a day late), Uncle Cruz!

10...

10 days until D-Day

We had our final Centering class last night. Two of the four couples left had their daughters last week, so they came and shared their birth stories and babies with us. Newborns really are that small! We're rethinking the outfits we have packed for Baby Boy since he really isn't going to be 6-month size when he comes out.

I also had my first internal exam to check for dilation and effacement. Effacement is the thinning of the cervix that makes dilation possible. I am 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced, so these practice contractions I'm having are doing something. Since dilation can happen slowly over time or all at once, me being 1 cm doesn't really say when I'll be having this little man, but things are starting to happen.

Dan and I went on a long walk this morning that seemed to get my contractions going, but now that we're home they've calmed down again. I'm so anxious to get this show on the road that every little twinge or ache has me convinced it's the beginning of labor. I'm like the little girl who cried wolf to herself! I won't believe it when it's actually happening.

10 more days...

Guess What? Still Pregnant...

With 12 days to go, I'm still pregnant. I know that I'm due to post another belly picture, but our camera is tucked in our hospital bag in the car. I'll try to remember to take one final picture at the hospital, but I can't make any promises!

I was sure that this past weekend was our time. I even woke up Saturday night with contractions every 15 minutes for two hours, but when I woke up for good on Sunday I was still pregnant. And last night I slept better than I have in weeks so clearly I didn't have a baby last night.

I am so impatient! I think about how long I've been pregnant and how nice it will be to sleep on my back or stomach, but of course I'm going to miss feeling him adjust his little legs and have hiccups. And I'll have to share him too! But I'm ready.

38 Weeks Tomorrow

Another week has passed and I'm still pregnant.

New developments this week:

• My knees are really stiff. I guess they're tired of lugging around this extra weight and standing up/sitting down really hurts.
• I snore so hard my nasal passages close up. I wake up gasping for air because all of a sudden my nose isn't cutting it anymore and I have to breathe somehow.
  
• My hips can't handle me sleeping on them anymore. I think they're relaxing to let my pelvis spread, but it's very hard to find comfortable sleeping positions. Combined with the snoring, I'm not sleeping well. And either is Dan.
  

So what does babycenter.com have to say about week 38?

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs between 6 and 7 1/2 pounds (boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls), and he's nearly 20 inches long. He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old.

That's about that. We're still waiting, gently coaxing him to do what he's got to do to get out here. Every morning I wake up a little disappointed that I'm still pregnant. I've had ups and downs, but overall this pregnancy hasn't been too bad. But I'm ready to be done and start the next phase. And I'm dying to know if he's a redhead!

Eating for Eight

Since I got pregnant, I've read plenty to dispel the "eating for two" idea. In all reality, you only need about 300 extra calories by the end of the pregnancy to meet the caloric needs of being pregnant. And until recently, that hasn't really been an issue. I definitely wasn't extra hungry for the first trimester while I was hugging the toilet. I got a little bit of my appetite back in the second trimester, but mostly for a bowl of ice cream or a brownie at night. But now? I can't eat enough! In the past week or so, my appetite has gone through the roof. Dan and I barbecued burgers tonight, and ate them with baked beans and chips. I had inhaled my entire plate before Dan was even half way done with his burger. Then I went back and finished off the beans before I made myself stop.

So that was like 20 minutes ago...and now I'm dreaming up dessert! Our friend Nicole made chocolate chip cookies for us, so that's an option. We have several ice cream options. Or I could make a fresh batch of brownies. Then again, I could just have a little of each!

I'm supposed to slow down on my weight gain in these last few weeks, huh? I doubt it!

Preparations

We're getting ready for our little bundle of joy. His nursery is ready. All of the newborn clothes and blankets have been washed. Our first diaper service bundle was delivered today. Tomorrow, we'll put the car seat in our car. Wednesday I'm going to Dinners Ready to make food to freeze for after his birth.

It's funny how I think we're getting ready, but we can't possibly be fully prepared for him. We don't know what to expect. I guess maybe the preparations are to help us feel better and pass time and I'll keep doing what I can. These days, that means napping a lot which is only building up energy for lack of sleep when he gets here, right?

He moves so strongly and we can always feel him. Dan and I are both trying to talk him into coming out now but he's not budging yet. We tell ourselves that if it were up to him, he'd be here. But it doesn't seem to be up to any of us. It's just a matter of time now. So we'll keep prepping the best we can and hope he doesn't keep us waiting too much longer.

37 Weeks - Full Term!

We made it! We're at full term now. The baby can come any time. Like now. Or now. Or...

3dpregnancy.com says:

Huge news this week: You're carrying a full-term baby! If you were to go into labor today, all systems would be a go. Woohoo! Even though you can't wait for the little bambino to quite literally rear his head, keep in mind that your bun benefits from every day in the oven. Other ticker-tape-worthy developments:

Baby's growth slows down dramatically this week, which is great news for your birth canal. His bones are still soft and pliable and will solidify after he's born. More great news for your birth canal.

So if he's all cooked and ready to go, what the heck is he still doing in there?! He's busy practicing for "life on the outside," working on his breathing, sucking, sleeping, gazing and peeing abilities. The only thing he can't practice yet is his ability to scream at the top of his lungs when he's hungry—but he'll do plenty of that in a few weeks.

At this point babies vary in size, but the average length is between 19 and 20 inches and most babies weigh approximately 6 and a half pounds. About the size of an average large-mouth bass caught in Minnesota by your cousin Earl.

The weeks have been flying by and we've already passed 37 of them, but I feel like our due date isn't getting any closer. 3 more weeks?!?! If I have the same labor luck as my mom, he'll be here sometime this week. I could totally handle that! But I'm also sure that I won't be so lucky and we'll have to be induced mid-April since he's too comfy in there. As hard as it is to not know, I think I prefer not knowing to having an exact date to look forward to. This way, I can hope every day that it's the day without being too disappointed if it's not.

But really...any time now, Baby!!

I Cheated

I've been so good for a whole year now - no drinking, no diet pop, no caffeine (except a little chocolate here and there), no sushi...But Wednesday night I gave in and cheated on my pregnancy diet. I had a Coke!

I grew up drinking diet and have never really liked the real stuff - it's too sugary for me. But Dan and I were making tacos and there in the fridge was a can of real Coke, staring at me, taunting me. So I gave in. And I drank the whole thing. Then I was up for hours. And it wasn't just me. Our little baby boy went bonkers for HOURS. He would not stop moving and grooving! It's pretty amazing what some caffeine and sugar will do to an unborn baby.

But then last night, I did it again. I couldn't stop myself! I went to dinner with Stephanie, Sharon and Lisa, and I had Coke with my steak. The second time wasn't as good as the first, but it was still pretty darn great. I don't want to get in that habit, so it's back to water and juice for me, but just for a few minutes it was nice to splurge on the Real Thing.

Centering Pregnancy - Session 8

We met for our second-to-last Centering group today. My blood pressure is still good, and I gained 2 pounds in the last 2 weeks (which is right on schedule!). Our baby boy is engaged, which means he is head down and his head has dropped into my pelvis. I've had a lot of pressure down low, so I'm not surprised. My uterus is measuring 38 weeks (we're technically at 36 weeks and 3 days) so that could be an indication that he's bigger than "normal" but the way they measure isn't that exact. Either way, we are definitely headed in the right direction (pun intended)!

We're down to 4 couples in our class, and two are due before our next class on St. Patrick's Day. I'm not-so-secretly hoping that our little man will be with us before then, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high. Oh, who am I trying to kid?!!? I wish he'd come tonight! I had a good set of contractions tonight, but as soon as I started walking they died down. I know it's still early, and I have as many as 5 weeks until I can count on him being here, but I can hope right?

Here are a few pictures of our group, taken today:



It's a fun group, but I can't believe we're almost done!

Monday Again?

Seriously...take me out of work for two weeks and I lose all track of time. Today, I'm spending a domestic day at home. So far, I've already cleaned the kitchen (including reorganizing some of our cabinets), vacuumed the downstairs, and started the laundry. That may not sound like all that much, but it's much harder than you'd think when you're lugging around extra weight and your ankles are the size of your thighs!

It's a beautiful sunny day, and the bright blue sky makes me feel good. I've spent the past year in a window-less office where I rarely saw the outside world in daylight, and it really makes a difference. I'm still adjusting to not going to work. It's especially hard for me to say goodbye to Dan on Mondays. I miss him a lot now that we don't spend all of our time together and I feel guilty that he's giving me this amazing opportunity. But I guess when I'm a feeding, diapering, bathing machine in a few weeks, I won't feel quite so worthless!