Hi there! I bet you're just thrilled to be reading yet another post where I spew forth verbal diarrhea . I wanted to give everyone adequate notice for the squeamish and shy that today will be a lot of TMI, so don't say I didn't warn you. Let's get started, shall we?
So the biggest thing on my mind lately has been a certain tendency towards being Frisky, which makes me sound like a sex-crazed maniac. This is only partly true. There seem to be two things going on right now, not exactly mutually exclusive but they don't seem to work well together either. On the one hand, my body seems to be going "Get it now before you have to wait at least 6 weeks and make it work while sleep-deprived with leaky boobs!". That part is fine, I know how to handle that (obviously, or I wouldn't be in this...predicament). But on the other hand, I feel a certain amount of pressure to be Frisky to bring on labor. There's a certain amount of ironic symmetry in pushing to do this on a regular schedule after the routines we went through to get pregnant in the first place.
One of the things that couples complain about if they have trouble conceiving is that sex starts to feel like a chore instead of a fun and intimate expression of love. We never quite got there, but there were a couple times that a small glass of wine was needed to get things started, and right now I don't have that luxury available. I'm terrified that I'll start not looking forward to it, and then I'll be regretting not taking advantage of the opportunity when I was able to.
Ahem.
Enough about that. You know what else you probably never wanted to know about? The fascinating prospect of going to the bathroom! Most women have a fear of a tiny bit of, shall we say, involuntary bodily function during delivery. But your body does it's best to clear everything out of your system before you get anywhere near the pushing stage, generally the day before you go into labor. I have never been so excited by the idea of number two before, for the sole fact that it could mean the big day is imminent. Exciting stuff, I know. Also exciting is the slow break down of the mucus plug (which somehow hadn't come out yet despite dilating to 4cm), because it's so fun to have what looks like a shower snot rocket when you wipe. But it's a good thing, if more than a little strange feeling.
We met with the midwife yesterday and got some recommendations on DIY induction. Sex and acupressure topped the list (check, and trying it out). She also tried using some of the tricks of her trade, only to discover that I'm already so close to going into labor that she couldn't actually do any of them because my body was already there. In addition to being 4cm and 60% effaced, I'm also carrying fully engaged ("her head is basically at the gates of the luge") with bulging waters and my membranes have separated on their own. One good sneeze could be all it takes, though several rough coughs associated with the bronchitis I have had hasn't been enough to do it, so I guess I can take that option out of the running. Then again, how am I supposed to know the difference between peeing my pants and having my water break? I'm guessing they all feel the same when you have a sneezing fit, based on my previous experiences with the "spritz of joy".
But enough about me and everything else you never wanted to read about. The midwife estimated Brianna to be about 8 and a half pounds, pretty much on par with last week's ultrasound, so I'm guessing she's actually in the 8 and three-quarters range. We'll see though. Either way, she puts a lot of pressure on my pelvic bone, so I will be sooooooo happy to go into labor. I've been getting about 10 hours of sleep throughout the day because I'm so tired after carrying her around for the other 14, and that's still not enough time to ease the achiness. I'm just hoping for Brianna's sake that even if I go into labor by tomorrow morning that things take just long enough that she's not born on April Fool's Day, because that's just a sucky day to have a birthday. So right now we're shooting for April 2nd just after midnight. If you see a post about going into labor, it's probably not a joke, unless I'm feeling particularly punchy. Can't discount that possibility either.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Week 37 - Under Pressure
I've been really thrown off by the whole false labor situation, so this post is a bit late. I'm second-guessing myself about a lot of different things, and it's starting to wear on me a bit. Small twinges that made me wonder seem like something I need to ignore now, and I worry that I won't recognize when the real thing starts or I'll think something else is labor when it's not. The pain of my pelvis opening up (and trying to turn over in bed when I'm that sore) make me wonder whether I'll be able to handle labor without meds. It seems like this will go on forever, but then when I consider what I still need to do at work or at home it feels like I can't possibly get to everything in time.
Luckily, my mom was AMAZING with helping us get ready this week while she was here, so that oh-shit list is a lot shorter than it was before. The nursery is completely set up and just needs the wall decals put up. Our kitchen is half baby-proofed (we'll add door latches later). She was even generous enough to hire cleaners for us, and as sad as it is to admit it, our house hasn't been this clean since we bought the place. We still have to finish taxes and replace the shelves in our bedroom closet, but everything else is as ready as it can be. We would even have a little party to show off our clean house and adorable nursery except half our friends are going out to another party which we can't make it to because (a) too many stairs at their place and (b) I don't like to be more than a half hour from our hospital. I'm weird like that. But anyone who wants to crash our place is welcome to enjoy the cheese and alcohol-free wine we will probably be enjoying with a Burn Notice marathon this Saturday. There might even be yogurt to accompany the Michael Westin eye candy.
Our last appointment was disappointing in a lot of ways. First off was the news that I was shut down like Fort Knox and shouldn't expect labor to start anytime soon. Then there was the news that my Group B Strep test came back positive, so I will have to have an IV of antibiotics when I arrive at the hospital. We were so thrown off by the news that I was no longer dilated or effaced that I didn't even think to ask about the test results, so hopefully we'll get more answers when we go in later today. (Yes, technically I'm 38 weeks already. You try doing regular blog updates when you have to pee every half hour and tell me how it goes while you search for more toilet paper.) On top of that, the OB ordered additional stuff to look at when we did the ultrasound, which made me paranoid that I would be induced early.
Luckily that probably won't happen. She still looks big, but they couldn't get her head measurement because she's so nicely engaged, which is a good sign for me. Her legs are going to be incredibly long though, unlike my stumpy limbs. That part comes from her daddy for sure. The placenta looks like it's still healthy and functioning as intended, so even if she gets bigger, an induction isn't recommended since it hasn't been shown to prevent C-sections. She's still thriving by all accounts and my pelvis should be wide enough to accommodate her, so according the perinatologist I might as well be allowed to start labor on my own. There are a couple of OBs who would be more open to them, so I'll do my best to avoid getting appointments with them over the next few weeks, but you never what will happen.
I've decided to make Friday my last day of working. I've been feeling so tired, and it just doesn't seem worth it anymore to go into labor exhausted so I can save a week or two with Brianna at the end of my maternity leave. Part-time work will let me extend my time home with her while keeping me sane, especially since I can work from home when I'm starting out instead of jumping straight into daycare. And this way I don't have to try to work when my mom comes back from her work week next Tuesday.
So how big was Brianna estimated at? Eight pounds, seven ounces. Thank God for this big bone structure of mine. I've never been so happy to wear a size 10 shoe, though I would be even happier if it didn't also come with extra width. Fred Flintstone's cross-dressing brother called, he wants his heels back. Anywho, enough of that tangent. Her lungs should be just about done maturing, though apparently another week to grow would be ideal. Her movements have slowed down quite a bit. Saturday, she scared the crap out of me by refusing to move until the afternoon when I ate two pieces of candy, drank a glass of cold water and a glass of cold juice, and put on some Queen. I'm pretty sure it's the Queen that did it, because just a couple bars into Under Pressure she started dancing around. Kind of a fitting song considering all the pressure she's putting on my pelvis. Now she just needs to stay put for a few more days until my mom comes back again, and then it will be perfect timing.
Luckily, my mom was AMAZING with helping us get ready this week while she was here, so that oh-shit list is a lot shorter than it was before. The nursery is completely set up and just needs the wall decals put up. Our kitchen is half baby-proofed (we'll add door latches later). She was even generous enough to hire cleaners for us, and as sad as it is to admit it, our house hasn't been this clean since we bought the place. We still have to finish taxes and replace the shelves in our bedroom closet, but everything else is as ready as it can be. We would even have a little party to show off our clean house and adorable nursery except half our friends are going out to another party which we can't make it to because (a) too many stairs at their place and (b) I don't like to be more than a half hour from our hospital. I'm weird like that. But anyone who wants to crash our place is welcome to enjoy the cheese and alcohol-free wine we will probably be enjoying with a Burn Notice marathon this Saturday. There might even be yogurt to accompany the Michael Westin eye candy.
Our last appointment was disappointing in a lot of ways. First off was the news that I was shut down like Fort Knox and shouldn't expect labor to start anytime soon. Then there was the news that my Group B Strep test came back positive, so I will have to have an IV of antibiotics when I arrive at the hospital. We were so thrown off by the news that I was no longer dilated or effaced that I didn't even think to ask about the test results, so hopefully we'll get more answers when we go in later today. (Yes, technically I'm 38 weeks already. You try doing regular blog updates when you have to pee every half hour and tell me how it goes while you search for more toilet paper.) On top of that, the OB ordered additional stuff to look at when we did the ultrasound, which made me paranoid that I would be induced early.
Luckily that probably won't happen. She still looks big, but they couldn't get her head measurement because she's so nicely engaged, which is a good sign for me. Her legs are going to be incredibly long though, unlike my stumpy limbs. That part comes from her daddy for sure. The placenta looks like it's still healthy and functioning as intended, so even if she gets bigger, an induction isn't recommended since it hasn't been shown to prevent C-sections. She's still thriving by all accounts and my pelvis should be wide enough to accommodate her, so according the perinatologist I might as well be allowed to start labor on my own. There are a couple of OBs who would be more open to them, so I'll do my best to avoid getting appointments with them over the next few weeks, but you never what will happen.
I've decided to make Friday my last day of working. I've been feeling so tired, and it just doesn't seem worth it anymore to go into labor exhausted so I can save a week or two with Brianna at the end of my maternity leave. Part-time work will let me extend my time home with her while keeping me sane, especially since I can work from home when I'm starting out instead of jumping straight into daycare. And this way I don't have to try to work when my mom comes back from her work week next Tuesday.
So how big was Brianna estimated at? Eight pounds, seven ounces. Thank God for this big bone structure of mine. I've never been so happy to wear a size 10 shoe, though I would be even happier if it didn't also come with extra width. Fred Flintstone's cross-dressing brother called, he wants his heels back. Anywho, enough of that tangent. Her lungs should be just about done maturing, though apparently another week to grow would be ideal. Her movements have slowed down quite a bit. Saturday, she scared the crap out of me by refusing to move until the afternoon when I ate two pieces of candy, drank a glass of cold water and a glass of cold juice, and put on some Queen. I'm pretty sure it's the Queen that did it, because just a couple bars into Under Pressure she started dancing around. Kind of a fitting song considering all the pressure she's putting on my pelvis. Now she just needs to stay put for a few more days until my mom comes back again, and then it will be perfect timing.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
....Or Not
That was what is known as false labor in medical terminology. I call it frustrating and confusing, but at least I have my mom here now. I just wish I didn't feel so down for misjudging it, and for being told that I was nowhere near labor at today's appointment.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
It's Happening....
Contractions have started. We're on our way to the hospital in about an hour or so. Looks like we're going to get that St Patrick's Day baby after all! Wish us luck and check back for updates and pictures.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Week 36 - Almost There
We made it through the week without too many more contractions. In 36 hours, she'll be officially full term and I can take a deep breath and welcome any signs of labor. (Oh hell, who am I kidding? I would welcome any and all signs of labor right now, but it's better for Brianna to get all the cooking time she deserves.) There were definitely some overly emotional moments over the weekend where I let anxiety get the better of me. It wasn't so much the fear of going into labor early that got to me. Rather, it was the emotional roller coaster of constantly looking for signals, reading into everything when I should just take it in stride and keep on living, and the tension between wanting to be done with the difficult side of pregnancy and knowing that it will be healthier for Brianna if I just give it time. A lot of it reminded me of the stress of infertility, the constant struggle of hoping everything works this time and the minor complaints like upset stomach and achy boobs will finally mean something great. It's nice to know that there is no disappointment with this though, just the anticipation of finally meeting our baby girl.
I finally feel ready for all of this to happen. Our bags are packed for the hospital and patiently waiting in the trunk. The bassinet is set up and waiting for her arrival. Tiny outfits are folded and stacked on the changing table while we wait to get the dresser built (and waiting with good reason, since the box weighs over 100 pounds and will probably get upstairs by being opened up and carried piece by piece). If we make it to Friday, we'll have the car seat inspected by the Sheriff's office for some extra piece of mind to be sure it's installed correctly. Plus, I have a nice work-from-home set-up that's letting me stay comfy while not burning any leave waiting for this to happen.
I have been informed by my family that some of my Monty Python references on here haven't come across all that well. Which just confirms my belief that I should entertain myself before going to the hospital by watching Eddie Izzard and other British comedy so Brianna will be quite familiar from an early age with all the material I will use to be an embarrassing mom when she's a teenager. Anyone want to join me for a marathon of Dressed to Kill, Holy Grail, and Coupling? We can even watch the Circus of the Epidural just to keep it labor related.
Brianna is probably seven and a half pounds now. She had hiccups earlier, and it took FOREVER for them to go away. Kind of unnerving to feel that rhythmic little bounce over and over so many times. She still hates extremely warm water, since every time I tried to get a hot shower to relieve hip pain, she got squirmy and unhappy and I got contractions. So, we'll probably avoid that one since it's just generally uncomfortable for everyone.
My belly button is flat now. It probably won't ever pop since I carry some extra "cushion" around my waist, but there's definitely nothing to it anymore. I guess this means I'm done, even without the turkey timer popping. The earliest signs of spring have arrived in DC, like buds appearing that will become cherry blossoms in a couple weeks and tiny leaves of green on the weeping willows along the Parkway. It's one of the prettiest times of year around here (impending tourist invasion aside), and now I just want a baby to complete it.
I finally feel ready for all of this to happen. Our bags are packed for the hospital and patiently waiting in the trunk. The bassinet is set up and waiting for her arrival. Tiny outfits are folded and stacked on the changing table while we wait to get the dresser built (and waiting with good reason, since the box weighs over 100 pounds and will probably get upstairs by being opened up and carried piece by piece). If we make it to Friday, we'll have the car seat inspected by the Sheriff's office for some extra piece of mind to be sure it's installed correctly. Plus, I have a nice work-from-home set-up that's letting me stay comfy while not burning any leave waiting for this to happen.
I have been informed by my family that some of my Monty Python references on here haven't come across all that well. Which just confirms my belief that I should entertain myself before going to the hospital by watching Eddie Izzard and other British comedy so Brianna will be quite familiar from an early age with all the material I will use to be an embarrassing mom when she's a teenager. Anyone want to join me for a marathon of Dressed to Kill, Holy Grail, and Coupling? We can even watch the Circus of the Epidural just to keep it labor related.
Brianna is probably seven and a half pounds now. She had hiccups earlier, and it took FOREVER for them to go away. Kind of unnerving to feel that rhythmic little bounce over and over so many times. She still hates extremely warm water, since every time I tried to get a hot shower to relieve hip pain, she got squirmy and unhappy and I got contractions. So, we'll probably avoid that one since it's just generally uncomfortable for everyone.
My belly button is flat now. It probably won't ever pop since I carry some extra "cushion" around my waist, but there's definitely nothing to it anymore. I guess this means I'm done, even without the turkey timer popping. The earliest signs of spring have arrived in DC, like buds appearing that will become cherry blossoms in a couple weeks and tiny leaves of green on the weeping willows along the Parkway. It's one of the prettiest times of year around here (impending tourist invasion aside), and now I just want a baby to complete it.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Week 35 - Shoot Me Now
As of today, I have four weeks and a day until my estimated due date. Which is absolutely crazy and more than a little scary. And right on cue to herald the end of my eighth month? Some serious Braxton-Hicks, which seem to be happen more often in the car and are more intense there. It seems to be a combination of being stressed (like when we're driving home at the end of the day) and having poor posture in general when we're in the car. By Friday they had gotten so bad that I went to bed and spent all afternoon and evening switching back and forth between my left and right side. (They got better eventually, but several times that night I was convinced that I would in fact go into labor in the next two weeks. More on that in a bit.)
By Saturday morning I wanted nothing to do with the bed, so I continued to take it easy by supervising in a comfy chair (lovingly provided by the Spanish Inquisition) while Andy did most of the work of cleaning our room. I think he would have mutinied if I hadn't also been set up at a table so I could sort through some of the crap that had accumulated all over the place. So now we have a clear floor and a clear desk, and even better? None of it was shoved in the closet. That would be the classic packrat coping technique, but we managed to find a home for everything or agreed to get rid of it. Goodwill is going to start recognizing our car and refuse to take our stuff.
Sunday was spent writing thank you notes for my first shower and getting taxes done. Woohoo, another refund. Not sure what we'll do with it this year, but last year it helped replace our roof. Maybe part of it will go towards some of the inevitable last minute "Oh crap, babies can't shop for themselves..." runs to Babies R Us for swings and diaper pails and the other things that we don't have yet but will be desperate for about 12 hours after bringing Brianna home.
In the midst of my impending doom of labor freakout over the weekend, I realized that while we do need some stuff still, a lot of them are gifts that just haven't arrived yet, and that by next weekend, we could theoretically be ready to bring home a baby. You know, as long as you look past the fact that we don't have diapers or a car seat. Or packed bags for going to the hospital.
Moodiness seems to be happening a lot lately. Last night I had round ligament pain from hell (quite literally - the devil showed up and made my uterus hurt, not such a nice guy that one) but didn't recognize it at first and called the midwives. I'm sure they think I'm a moron, and I went to today's appointment being that idiot who called over round ligament pain. Anywho, I was so overwhelmed and uncomfortable that I had a bit of a breakdown. Again. Poor Andy. All this on top of him having dental work and a headache yesterday. He's a real trooper, but we have finally decided that adventurous cooking (ie, let's make this up as we go along!) is out for the next several weeks. In fact, it might be out for a few months, because I don't think we feel like experimenting with a newborn on hand, unless we're feeling particularly crazy and so sleep deprived that it also sounds like a good idea to run around with our underwear on our heads. So, not likely.
Complaint #54,763 about pregnancy? I have to pee. All. The. Time. Middle of the night waddling to the bathroom is especially painful when your bladder is full and the hormones that loosen your pelvis are making it hard to stand up straight. It's gotten so bad that I'm starting to run out of toilet paper. Which means a trip to Costco needs to happen. However, that probably won't be happening for a couple days. Do you want to know why? Of course you do, this wouldn't be the TMI happy hour if I didn't tell you anything and everything about what's going on.
So at said appointment today, I got to hear the heartbeat as usual and measured rather large (39 weeks, but Brianna was sticking her butt out again so it's probably not that bad). Our midwife was a wee bit out of sorts because she had just had the pleasure of telling her previous (rather clueless) patient that she had a bulging abdomen because she was 20 weeks pregnant, not constipated. How anyone gets that far thinking they just need a good laxative, I don't know, but the midwife felt she had had her fair share of surprises today. She offered to check my cervix after doing the swab for Group B Strep, and after all the action my uterus has been getting, it sounded like a good idea to me. Good instincts on that one, because the surprises were not done for the day.
Y'all, I'm 4cm dilated already. 4 freaking centimeters! And 70% effaced to boot. I'm halfway through the easy-ish part of labor, and apparently those "fake" contractions were probably the real deal. If I get any regular contractions, I have to call the hospital even if they're several minutes apart. So I'm going to treat the next week like I'm on bedrest whenever possible. No Frisky fun-time. No standing over the stove cooking dinner. Still working, but not going back and forth between the adjacent buildings several times and staying off my feet. With my luck, the fire alarm will go off and I'll have to stand outside for awhile. And it will be raining.
Brianna is probably 7 pounds now, maybe 21 inches. We'll get a more definite answer when we go in for a yet another ultrasound, just to check her growth again since I measured so big. Right now it's just a waiting game as her lungs mature. Hopefully she'll stay tight for another week and continue to grow and be even healthier when she's born. It would be awesome to have a St. Patty's Day baby, or if she were born on the 21st (my grandma's birthday), that would be pretty cool too. With a full moon on the 19th, who knows what will happen. I'll try to update a little more often as things change through the week, so check here first if you're curious about our baby status.
By Saturday morning I wanted nothing to do with the bed, so I continued to take it easy by supervising in a comfy chair (lovingly provided by the Spanish Inquisition) while Andy did most of the work of cleaning our room. I think he would have mutinied if I hadn't also been set up at a table so I could sort through some of the crap that had accumulated all over the place. So now we have a clear floor and a clear desk, and even better? None of it was shoved in the closet. That would be the classic packrat coping technique, but we managed to find a home for everything or agreed to get rid of it. Goodwill is going to start recognizing our car and refuse to take our stuff.
Sunday was spent writing thank you notes for my first shower and getting taxes done. Woohoo, another refund. Not sure what we'll do with it this year, but last year it helped replace our roof. Maybe part of it will go towards some of the inevitable last minute "Oh crap, babies can't shop for themselves..." runs to Babies R Us for swings and diaper pails and the other things that we don't have yet but will be desperate for about 12 hours after bringing Brianna home.
In the midst of my impending doom of labor freakout over the weekend, I realized that while we do need some stuff still, a lot of them are gifts that just haven't arrived yet, and that by next weekend, we could theoretically be ready to bring home a baby. You know, as long as you look past the fact that we don't have diapers or a car seat. Or packed bags for going to the hospital.
Moodiness seems to be happening a lot lately. Last night I had round ligament pain from hell (quite literally - the devil showed up and made my uterus hurt, not such a nice guy that one) but didn't recognize it at first and called the midwives. I'm sure they think I'm a moron, and I went to today's appointment being that idiot who called over round ligament pain. Anywho, I was so overwhelmed and uncomfortable that I had a bit of a breakdown. Again. Poor Andy. All this on top of him having dental work and a headache yesterday. He's a real trooper, but we have finally decided that adventurous cooking (ie, let's make this up as we go along!) is out for the next several weeks. In fact, it might be out for a few months, because I don't think we feel like experimenting with a newborn on hand, unless we're feeling particularly crazy and so sleep deprived that it also sounds like a good idea to run around with our underwear on our heads. So, not likely.
Complaint #54,763 about pregnancy? I have to pee. All. The. Time. Middle of the night waddling to the bathroom is especially painful when your bladder is full and the hormones that loosen your pelvis are making it hard to stand up straight. It's gotten so bad that I'm starting to run out of toilet paper. Which means a trip to Costco needs to happen. However, that probably won't be happening for a couple days. Do you want to know why? Of course you do, this wouldn't be the TMI happy hour if I didn't tell you anything and everything about what's going on.
So at said appointment today, I got to hear the heartbeat as usual and measured rather large (39 weeks, but Brianna was sticking her butt out again so it's probably not that bad). Our midwife was a wee bit out of sorts because she had just had the pleasure of telling her previous (rather clueless) patient that she had a bulging abdomen because she was 20 weeks pregnant, not constipated. How anyone gets that far thinking they just need a good laxative, I don't know, but the midwife felt she had had her fair share of surprises today. She offered to check my cervix after doing the swab for Group B Strep, and after all the action my uterus has been getting, it sounded like a good idea to me. Good instincts on that one, because the surprises were not done for the day.
Y'all, I'm 4cm dilated already. 4 freaking centimeters! And 70% effaced to boot. I'm halfway through the easy-ish part of labor, and apparently those "fake" contractions were probably the real deal. If I get any regular contractions, I have to call the hospital even if they're several minutes apart. So I'm going to treat the next week like I'm on bedrest whenever possible. No Frisky fun-time. No standing over the stove cooking dinner. Still working, but not going back and forth between the adjacent buildings several times and staying off my feet. With my luck, the fire alarm will go off and I'll have to stand outside for awhile. And it will be raining.
Brianna is probably 7 pounds now, maybe 21 inches. We'll get a more definite answer when we go in for a yet another ultrasound, just to check her growth again since I measured so big. Right now it's just a waiting game as her lungs mature. Hopefully she'll stay tight for another week and continue to grow and be even healthier when she's born. It would be awesome to have a St. Patty's Day baby, or if she were born on the 21st (my grandma's birthday), that would be pretty cool too. With a full moon on the 19th, who knows what will happen. I'll try to update a little more often as things change through the week, so check here first if you're curious about our baby status.
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