37 Weeks, 1 day – The 38th Week

My Symptoms
Today I feel good. There are good days and harder days. I think I’ve been doing a bit of nesting. Eric mentioned it, but I don’t feel like I’ve been doing so much. I did get the Christmas decorations up, finished wrapping presents, vacuumed and steamed upstairs again, and of course all the Thanksgiving preparations. I told him if I was really nesting, I’d tackle our bathroom. Physically, I think Grace has dropped more. I wouldn’t quite describe it as a bowling ball between the legs, but there sure is a lot of pressure and it hurts a bit when I stand up or walk around. I’m just very “sore.” No contractions to speak of, but I do head to the restroom at least once an hour (that’s being conservative) while I’m awake and another 2 or 3 times during the night. Sleep isn’t too bad although I was wide awake at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday. I made myself go back to sleep though. I think my belly button is slightly out (and if you noticed the difference in my belly measurements from the last 3 weeks, you’d understand). It’s not really poking out, but if you run your hand over it, you can feel it. We had a little scare yesterday. I got up around 8:15 a.m., ate breakfast, etc. By 9:00 a.m. I realized I hadn’t felt Grace move since her hiccups at 5:00 a.m. So I decided to sit down watch a little TLC and do a kick count. By 10:00 a.m. I had only felt 1 really strong movement and maybe 2 smaller ones. My doctor said 6 in a hour is what to aim for and the books usually say 10. So I decided to try some other things for the next hour. I can usually get her moving by sort of massaging my belly where she is, but that didn’t work. So I decided to get an ice cube and put it on my stomach and see if I could make her move. I got 5 movements over a 15 minute period, but when I stopped with the ice, she stopped. I usually can get 10 movements in less than 10 minutes on a normal day. Eric called at about 10:30 (he was at work) and I mentioned that Grace wasn’t moving much. He suggested drinking a caffeinated Coke and eating some chocolate and laying down to count again. So I did, and he came home (poor guy was worried). Starting at 10:30 a.m. I started counting again. It took about a half hour, but I finally got my 10 movements, so we decided things were ok, and not to go to the hospital. Saturday evening she was a little better and today has been moving lots all day. I felt her 10 times before getting out of bed this morning. Ok, that’s long enough for now. Less than 3 weeks to go!

The Baby
At this time, your baby weighs about 6.8 pounds. Crown-to-rump length hasn’t changed much; it’s still about 14 inches. Total length is 21 inches.

The fluid in the amnionic sac has increased from one drop to one liter. The placenta has grown to about seven inches in diameter and weights about one to two pounds.

Your baby has really fattened up. She likely weighs between 6 and 7 1/2 pounds now (boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls), and she's probably between 19 and 20 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test with your pinky! Her organs are fully developed and in place, but her lungs and brain — though developed enough for her to function now — will continue to mature right through childhood. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If your baby is born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

The baby may be gaining as much as 1 ounce (about 28 grams) a day at this point! However, your weight gain has slowed or stopped. Hang in there! If you haven't written a letter to your baby, now would be a good time to do so.

The Mom
Many women don’t grow larger during the last several weeks of pregnancy, but they feel very uncomfortable. The distance between your uterus and the pubic symphsis is 14.4 to 15.2 inches (36 to 38 cm). From your bellybutton to the top of your uterus is about 6.4 to 7.2 inches.

Pack your bags and put them by the door! No need to stress on what to bring; we've got a checklist of the absolute necessities and some luxuries that might make your experience a little more comfortable and enjoyable. Even if you plan a home birth, you should pack a small suitcase. You’re waiting now. Your Braxton Hicks contractions are more frequent and intense. You may feel large and ungainly but, unless your water has broken, it’s fine to have sex. As a matter of fact, intercourse and nipple stimulation are some methods people use to induce labor naturally.

It may be harder than ever to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night. Take it easy through the day — this may be your last opportunity to do so for quite a while. Keep monitoring your baby's movements, too. Though she's crowded, she should still be active. Swelling of your feet is normal in these last weeks, but if you notice any swelling of your hands or face, sudden weight gain, persistent or severe headaches, blurry vision or spots before your eyes, or upper abdominal pain, call your practitioner right away, because these are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia. Encourage your partner to relax and enjoy some activities he won't have time for after the baby arrives.
You may begin to feel electrical buzzes down your legs and inside your vagina. This is caused from the baby hitting nerves as s/he settles into your pelvis. A lot of time and effort has been spent educating mom about the process of labor, we are going to talk about a common fear for men this week: BEING IN THE BIRTH ROOM! I highly encourage men to go in to watch the partners give birth. It is one of the most amazing experiences you will ever be able to have. As a doula, I am constantly in awe of birth, even though I see it on a routine basis. Be assured that you will only have to watch or participate as much as you feel comfortable with. For some men this will be little more than holding your partners hand and gazing into her eyes. Let me assure you that this is a great thing to do! If you wish to take a more active role this may include labor support (breathing, massage, heat and cold packs, etc.), cutting to cord, helping to catch the baby. These are all fine, but should be discussed with your practitioner ahead of time, so that they know your preferences. A note about cord cutting: The umbilical cord contains no nerves, so neither the mother nor the baby will feel the cut. The cord is also a tough, fatty substance (this protects the cord from compression inutero) so expect to give it some effort to cut it.

Measurements & Pics - 37 weeks

Blogger is acting up, so I’m doing this in word to transfer later.

The picture is from Friday night 36 weeks, 6 days. The measurements are from today 37 weeks 1 day. The last measurement is from 34 weeks, 2 days.

Before = (B) Last = (L) Current =(C)

Weight - 150.5 (B), 176.5 (L), 181.0 (C) = +30.5 pounds (blame it on the Turkey, I was only up 28 pounds Wednesday at the doctor.
Bicep - 11 3/4 (B), 12 (L), 11 3/4 (C) = 0
Chest - 35 1/2 (B), 39 1/2 (L), 40 (C) = +4 1/2 inches
Waist (at smallest point) - 30 (B), 37 1/4 (L), 39 3/4 (C) = +9 3/4 inches
Waist (at belly button) - 32 1/2 (B), 42 (L), 45 (C) = +12 1/2 inches
Hips - 38 (B), 41 (L), 41 1/2 (C) = +3 1/2 inches
Thigh - 23 (B), 22 ½ (L), 22 1/2 (C) = -1/2 inch
Calf - 14 (B), 14 1/2 (L), 15 1/4 (C) = +1 1/4 inch

Here is the belly shot. I must apologize for how bad I look. Looking good at home isn’t something I spend a lot of time on.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know, I know, I'm a day late.

I guess I just updated on Wednesday, but it seems a like it's been a while. Wednesday I was very, very busy as I started reviewing my dishes to bring for Thanksgiving it seemed that almost everything needed to be done ahead of time, so I cooked. I made 3 dozen yeast rolls that required 2 1/2 hours for the dough to rise before turning into rolls and then another hour to rise before cooking. I made chicken broth (from boiling a whole chicken and peeling the meat from the bones) and homemade noodles. I made a fruity/cream cheese/whip cream salad/dessert (had to chill for at least 5 hours). And I made a homemade apple pie (using storebought crusts). Then finally at midnight, I got to go to bed.

Thanksgiving, Eric and I slept in a bit and then headed over to Will and Samaras. We got there about 10:30 a.m. The boys watched TV and Samara and I chatted and did some preparations. About 11:30 I started cooking my noodles in my homemade broth and then started peeling and cutting up the potatoes for my Mashed potatoes. The turkey was ready around 1:30 and we got to eat. The menu: Turkey, gravy, Chicken & Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, Rolls, Scalloped Corn, Mashed Yams, Deviled Eggs, Fruity Salad, Apple, and Pumpkin Pie. I might have forgotten something, but regardless, it was a whole lot of food for just 4 people (and 2 babies in utero). After dinner, we were all pooped, so we sat around the counches and finished watching the Colts game. After that we decided to break out the pie. After pie, we cleaned the rest of the stuff up and Eric and I headed back home. I was pretty pooped last night too. Eric tried to watch a little more football, but fell asleep on the couch by 7:00 p.m. I took a nice hot bath and then watched all the Thursday night shows while working on my cross-stitch.

Today, Eric had to go to work, but I stayed home and slept until 9:45 a.m. Samara called then and asked me to go to Babies R Us with her. I wasn't planning on shopping, but as Eric had fallen asleep so early the night before, he didn't bring up my Christmas decorations or move the furniture for me, so I couldn't work on decorating anyway. I met her at about 11:30. She ordered her crib and I found a toy I'd been looking for for my niece and finished up the Christmas shopping (except one item for Eric that needs to be ordered online and is currently unavailable). Then we went to Chile's for lunch. I ordered an appetizer combo and they messed it up, so they gave it to me for free. After lunch we decided to go over to Target where Samara needed a few items and we met the crazy shopper crowd. After that, Grace was starting to feel really heavy and I was ready to get home and off my feet. I got home around 3:30 p.m. and then took a nice little hour long nap. Once Eric got home I showed him where to move all the furniture, and he brought my decorations up from the basement. Then I decided to finish wrapping the rest of my Christmas presents. I decided not to start decorating tonight.

My plans for the rest of the weekend include: tonight - go sit on the couch and cross-stitch, tomorrow (Sat.) - put up the Christmas tree and decorations, address and get Christmas cards ready to send, possibly do some work from work (although now I'm pretty sure I'll be there next week, so I may not work now), and take a 37 week belly picture and measurements. Sunday - go to church, relax, work on the cross-stitch. It's been a nice long weekend.

Well, I better go get started on that TV watching. I hope you are all having great weekends too. By the way, can you believe my baby will be here in 3 weeks or less? All the sudden that doesn't seem that far away to me. Wow.

Doctor's Appointment - 36 weeks, 4 days

Sorry for the delay if any of you were anxiously awaiting my update.

I did have an appointment this morning. With it being the Thanksgiving holiday, most of the doctors were out, so I saw the nurse practitioner. As a result, I had to wait a bit longer than my last couple of visits.

I left my urine sample, the nurse weighed me (no change from last week - still 28 pounds total). She took my blood pressure 106/70 and pulse. She asked if I had any problems or concerns. I mentioned the bleeding last time and she agreed it was probably a result of the exam and wasn't a concern since it stopped. I also mentioned that my hands had been swelling a bit. That seemed to cause a little more concern, but she told me to stop wearing my rings and be sure to let them know if I noticed more swelling or if it spread to my feet or face. However, she said my blood pressure looked good. I'm assuming they are slightly concerned as swelling is a sign of pre-eclampsia, but so is high blood pressure and mine if fine.

Then I undressed and waited for the NP. She introduced herself when she came in and asked me many of the same questions the nurse did (baby movement, problems, etc.) I told her the same thing I told the nurse. Then she felt my belly and I mean felt it. I think she was trying to see how the baby is positioned. She said she felt a head down low, so I guess that is good. I was pretty sure she was head down, but it's nice to know they think so too. She measured my stomach and said I was measuring right on (no actual measurement given to me). Then we listened to the heartbeat. The doppler kept cutting out, but it sounded good while we could hear it. She seemed to be actual counting a heart rate, as I saw her check her watch, but she didn't tell me what it was. Then she checked my chart to see where I was last time and then did the internal exam. She said I'm dialated "about the same", but I might be "more thinned out." She also said, she thinks "the baby has moved down a bit." Again, no real numbers this time, but I'm taking that as pretty much no change. I'm not sure how far the baby has dropped, but that probably has a lot to do with the increased pressure I've been feeling.

She also asked me if I'd had any contractions. I said I didn't know, but explained the period type pain I've been getting occasionally especially when I go back to bed after my middle of the night bathroom trips. She said that could be a contraction, but she'd send my urine sample to the lab to check for a bladder infection. Speaking of infection, my Group B Strep test came back negative, so I don't have to worry about needing antibiotics during labor.

Well, that's about it. I think we should be fine this weekend. I didn't get everything I needed to accomplished at work this week, so I need a couple more days there. I even brought my laptop home to try to get some stuff done if I feel the urge this weekend.

Well, I need to go and start on some of my cooking for tomorrow. I have a couple of things that need to rise as I'm making noodles and yeast rolls from scratch, so I need to go do that tonight. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Guesses

First of all, I'd like to say that I've felt better today. The morning started off a little rough, but then as the day went on, I felt better. I've even got my wedding ring on again.

I don't think I'm going to meet my Thanksgiving deadline for all of my work projects, but I guess that keeps me busy instead of just sitting around waiting.

Anyway, about this post. I was told that I needed to post guesses from my friends and family. These are the one's I've been told. If anyone else wants to make a guess, put it in the comments section. I've put them in order of soonest to farthest away. I don't know that there is a prize, but if someone is exactly right, I may have to do something.

12/2/04 - 7lb 14oz (Samara)
12/10/04 - 8lb 3oz (Me)
12/13/04 - 8lb 9oz (Heather)
12/14/04 - 9lb 2 oz (Eric)
12/15/04 - 7lb 15 oz (Erica)
12/18/04 - 7lb 4oz (Danialle)

We'll have to see who wins.

Ick

Today is not such a good day. It all started around 4ish a.m. (I think). During one of my routine trips to the restroom, I saw that the bedroom clock was flashing. For some reason we fairly regularly get power flashes that affect the TV and cable box, computer, and my bedroom clock. Anyway, I grabbed my watch, turned on the bedside light and reset the time and alarm and went back to sleep. After a fairly decent night of sleep, I got up at 7:00 a.m. I went downstairs to let the dog out and caught a glimpse of the clock on the cable box which said 8:00 a.m. Apparently at 4 something in the morning I can't read my watch and I set the time an hour off. I went upstairs and woke Eric up apologizing (he's supposed to be at work at 8:00). He washed his face, threw on some clothes and headed out. I decided I was going to go ahead and shower, etc, as I never oversleep and am never really "late" for work. As I was about to get in the shower, however, I realized that I had a client meeting scheduled at 8:30 a.m. downtown. No shower for me. I called the other guy I was meeting there to explain, and luckily I was only 15 minutes late. They were pretty understanding.

Then I got into the office around 10:00, we had a all-collegue conference call at 11 and then I had lunch, so I got basically nothing done all morning.

Then there are the pregnancy symptoms. I forget if I mentioned this, but my hands are swelling. I put on the ring I usually wear on my right hand. I noticed during the call that it seemed tight. I took it off and have the indention of the ring in my skin. So, I put it on my pinkie until I could get back to my desk. By the time I got back to my desk, I had the indention on my pinkie too. After lunch, I decided to play it safe and take off my wedding ring too. I wore it on my pinkie for the rest of the day, but that makes me sad. I never take off my wedding ring. I sleep in it, shower in it, I wear it all day every day. Now I need to find a chain or something. I haven't noticed any swelling in my feet or face though, so I suppose it could be worse.

I've also just felt really icky today. I was hot all day long. Other people freeze and I've got a sweat going. I'm glad this baby wasn't due in September or I'd really be in trouble. I've also felt slightly nauseous and still have that familiar crampy/achiness in my belly. It's nothing that I could time, so I don't think it's contractions, but every twinge makes me wonder. This afternoon, getting up and walking around was difficult (my hips really feel out of socket) and I just felt really blah. Tonight I haven't been able to get comfortable even on the couch, because I feel like I can't breathe.

I'm just complaining. These are the last few weeks of pregnancy and it makes since that I'm uncomfortable. I'm just readay to finish this week and then let the baby come whenever she wants (After Saturday).

I think I'm going to go wrap some Christmas presents, so maybe I can move up my comfort date to Friday.

36 weeks, 1 day - The 37th Week

My Symptoms
I've felt pretty good this week although I've been much more aware of all the pressure I've been feeling down below since I know I'm dialating. Unfortunately I think my stretch marks have gotten a bit darker. I'm also noticing the line down my belly. I thought maybe I was imagining it before, but Eric pointed it out this week, so it must really be there. My belly button has about 1/2 way popped out. The top half sort of popped, so now it's almost completetly flat on top, but the bottom is still inside. I've noticed, especially at night, that I get really uncomfortable and feel a lot of pressure just after I empty my bladder. Not really sure why, but it's hard to go back to sleep right afterwards. I've noticed a little bit of swelling in my hands, not so much in my feet. I wear my wedding ring all the time, but I have a ring I wear on my right hand when I go to work or out. The last couple of days I've noticed a line around my finger when I take that one off. That must mean my fingers are swelling right? I could feel a lot worse and I keep going back and forth about whether I'm ready for Grace to come right now or wait a while. Some people told me that they only thought I'd make it another two weeks. That seems a little soon, although at times I think I really want it soon. I at least need to wait until after next weekend. I think I can get most of my work stuff done this week and the rest of my home stuff should be done by the end of next weekend. So if she could wait until sometime in December, we'd be happy. I also feel like we could go right up until the due date, although we'll have to see if I opt to be induced a day or two early if that's the case. For now, I'm ok with waiting around this week. I'll give you another update after my Wednesday doctor's appointment.

The Baby
Your baby weighs almost 6.5 pounds. Crown-to-rump length is 14 inches. Its total length is 21 inches. Your baby is continuing to grow and to gain weight, even during these last few weeks of pregnancy. The baby's head is usually directed down into the pelvis around this time.

Your cherub is approximately 5.5 pounds and 19 inches long. This baby is just about done growing inside you. That means it could be anytime now!

Congratulations! Your pregnancy is now considered full term — meaning your baby is developmentally ready to handle life outside the womb. (Babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 weeks are post-term.) Your baby probably weighs a little over 6 pounds at this point and measures between 19 and 20 inches, head to heel. Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children are born blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Your baby is practicing breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid. Sometimes the baby will even get hiccoughs! Remember to feel these last few weeks of kicks, believe it or not you will miss them.

The Mom
Your uterus may be the same size as measured in the last week or two. Measuring from the pubic symphysis, the top of the uterus is about 14.8 inches (37 cm). From the bellybutton, it is 6.4 to 6.8 inches. Your total weight gain by this time should be about as high as it will go at 25 to 35 pounds. About this time in your pregnancy, your healthcare provider may do a pelvic exam. Your healthcare provider will examine your cervix at the pelvic exam. During labor, the cervix usually becomes softer and thins out. This process is called effacement. Before labor begins, the cervix is thick and is "0% effaced." When you're in active labor, the cervix thins out; when it is half-thinned, it is "50% effaced." Immediately before delivery, the cervix is "100% effaced." The dilatation of teh cervix is also important. It is usually measured in cenimeters. The cervix if fully open when the diameter of tehr cervical opening measures 10 cm. Before labor begins, the cervix may be closed. Or it may be open a little way, such as 1cm. The goal of labor is the stretching and opening of the cervix so the baby fist through it and can pass out of the uterus. The station is then determined. Station describes the degree to which the presenting part of the baby has descended into the brith canal. If the baby's head is at a -2 station, it means the head is higher inside you than if it were at a +2 station. The 0 point is a bony landmark in the pelvis, the starting point of the birth canal.

Have you discussed hospital procedures, including birthing facilities, IVs, shaves, monitors, pain relief, and enemas, with your caregiver? Do you know you have choices about many of these things? Look for answers to your questions (or ask one of your own!) in our Ask the Expert section, and if you haven't done so already, take the time to fill out the interactive birth plan. This is the best action you can take to insure you and your family will be in control of your birth experience. If you’ll be using a diaper service, arrange for predelivery. They’ll help you determine how many diapers you’ll actually need (it’s probably a LOT more than you think!) What about help after the baby is born? You don't have to be supermom. Ask a family member or friend to help out the days following your delivery or if you can afford it hire a domestic service. Childbirth is overwhelming and exhausting - take the time you need to recuperate and enjoy this special time in your life. Your uterus has grown from about 3 inches to a whopping 12 inches to hold your baby. Continue to do your Kegal exercises, at least 25 a day. They’ll help you in your recovery.

The next couple of weeks are a waiting game. Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps and catch up on your reading while you can. Have you noticed an increase in the frequency or vividness of dreams lately? Anxiety about becoming a parent can fuel a lot of strange pregnancy dreams. You may be getting a lot more Braxton Hicks contractions now, and they may last longer and be more uncomfortable. Sometimes — when they start to come frequently — you may even think you're in labor. You might also notice an increase in mucus discharge from your vagina. If you see some "bloody show" (the mucus plug tinged with a tiny amount of blood), labor is probably right around the corner! (If you have other spotting or bleeding, call your caregiver immediately.)

The pregnancy is considered a "term" pregnancy at this point and nothing will be done to stop labor in most circumstances. You should plan to take a tour of your birth facility if you have not previously. If you are having a home birth try to invite everyone over for a quick run through of what you expect. It will save hurt feelings in the end! Many women wonder if they will really know when labor has begun. There are several ways to tell the difference between real labor and prelabor. Be sure that you talk to your practitioner about knowing the difference.

The Weekend

Finally, my first weekend at home with "nothing" plannned. It ended up being pretty useful though and I now have almost everything done off of my "to-do before the baby comes list (home version)."

Friday night Eric played a lot of X-Box and I got some important stuff done. I did the laundry, picked up the house, vacuumed upstairs, moved the litter box. I better explain that one. Until Friday, the cat's litter box has been what was originally was our computer room, but now has turned into the office/guestroom. There is no computer there anymore, but we still have a desk, 3 bookshelves, and a futon. The closet in that room is also where I keep most micellaneous items. The dog's cage is in there, but he only uses it while we're at work. Anyway, with the baby on the way, I'm thinking if my parents could use that room as "home base" while they are visiting. You know, keep there stuff in there, sleep, etc. The dog cage won't be a problem because he doesn't need to be in there unless no one is home. However, the litter box was also in this room and that would prevent us from closing that door, plus who wants to sleep in a room with a litter box? So, I would like to move the litter box to the basement. I have tried this once before, and the cat protested and decided to just use the carpet instead, but I am going to try this in stages. For the next few days the box has moved to the upstairs hallway, just outside the room it was in. On Tuesday, I plan to move it to the bottom of the stairs in our landing. This will not be a practical long-term solution, but I don't want the cat to "forget" where the box is. On Saturday, I will move it into the basement at the bottom of the stairs. My cat does frequent the basement, as his food is in the laundry room, but last time for some reason, he refused to use the litter box when I moved it from the bottom of the stairs into the laundry room. Someone suggested that the basement may be too dark. I bought night lights this time. We'll be sure that Smokey can see where he is going and find his way. Eric will not like the litter box hanging out at the bottom of the stairs. I'm not sure if it's the unfinished part of the basement that makes the cat jumpy, so if I need to the final step will be to put it behind the bar area (still in the finished part). Wish us luck.

Anyway, also on Friday night, I did two more thank you notes, wrote all receipt amounts in the checkbook, paid the bills, and updated my budget spreadsheet, I also pre-ordered our birth announcements and typed all addresses into "labels" to be printed off of word. I'm thinking that will help out on the Christmas cards too.

Saturday, I slept in until about 9:30 a.m. Samara and I planned to go Christmas shopping, so I called her. While she was finishing up some things at home, I showered, dressed, and took Zeus to Petsmart for a nailtrim. I left the house to meet her at the mall at 12:30 p.m. We thought the mall would be empty because the OSU/Michigan game started at 1:00 p.m., but it was still slightly crowded. We first got us some lunch and then we shopped, and shopped. We finally left the mall just after 6:00 p.m. I had to stop by the grocery store for some essentials as I was completely out of contact solution, water, milk, cereal and Coke for Eric, and I got home at 6:45 p.m. I was so tired and while I didn't get all the shopping done, by the time we were done I at least knew what I was getting everyone else. Eric was sleeping on the couch when I got home. It must have been a combination of staying up late Friday night, being at work by 8:00 on Saturday morning, and watching football all day with some guy friends. He slept all night. I ordered pizza, watched Erin Brochovich on TV, and cross-stiched with my feet up for the rest of the night.

Today, we finally went back to church! I hadn't been since October 3rd with everything we've had going on. It was good to be back. We picked up some Wendy's came home and then I took a nice 2 hour nap. It was so nice! Eric went to BW3s with Martin to watch the Colts game. After my nap and waking up a bit, I went to Wal-Mart to finish up the Christmas shopping. Since then I've taken a bath and sat on the couch. It's like heaven.

So, here's what I still need to get done before the baby comes. Get my Thanksgiving recipes from my Mom, do the Thanksgiving grocery shopping, Wednesday evening and Thursday cook and have Thanksgiving dinner with Will & Samara. Finish the final Christmas shopping (I have a couple of items to order online for Eric, plus one thing to return at Hallmark and a gift to get Eric from Grace, also one other friend gift and then I'll be done). Next weekend, put up the Christmas tree, decorate the house and wrap all the presents. We may also need to come up with a backup labor and delivery plan for Zeus' care depending on when April and Martin will be out of town for Christmas. Now my "to-do list...Work version", that's another story.

Doctor's Appointment

Today I had my first of the weekly doctor's appointments. I wasn't sure if they'd do an internal exam because last time they said they don't start those until 36 weeks and according to them I'm 35 weeks, 5 days, which is not quite 36 weeks. Anyway, I got there, gave my urine sample, got weighed and gained 3 pounds since 2 weeks ago, for a total weight gain of 28 pounds. The nurse took my blood pressure which was a nice 112/60. Then the nurse told me we were going to start internals this week, so to take off the bottoms and use the cover up sheet.

When Dr. D. came in she asked if I had any questions. I asked her if she would give me a guess on how big the baby is. She said she'd feel my stomach and see. Then I asked a couple of questions from the birth plan section of my planner. 1. Can I wear contacts during labor? Yes, unless at some point the anesthesiologist asks me to take them out. 2. What are her thoughts about induction? If I want to be induced, they will consider it on 12/16 or 12/17 (both days that my doctor is on call) as long as I am dialating and effacing nicely. If I'm not ready by the due date, she will usually only let me go a week past the due date. For me, that would be Christmas, so they would probably induce me on the 23rd. We talked a little bit about episiotomies and C-sections too. Again, I'm only interested if it's really needed and I don't think she would do either unnecessarily.

After the questions she measured me, but didn't tell me the number. She felt my belly and said she thinks we're probably average size, about 5 1/2 or 6 pounds right now. Which would put us on track for a 7 or 8 pound baby. We listened to the heartbeat which was good. Then she did a swab for the Group B Strep test. If it comes back positive, I would need antibiotics during labor.

Then she did the internal exam. She said that I am 1, almost 2 cm dialated, 60% effaced, and the baby is at -2 station. For reference, you can be 0-10 cm dialated, 0-100% effaced with 100% being the goal, and the baby starts at -4 (floating in the uterus) to 0 (fully engaged in the pelvis) to +4 (crowning). Things seem to be progressing nicely. We'll see if anything changes over the next week. None of it means much as your water can break when you are 0 cm and my friend Kelly walked around at 4cm dialated for 2 weeks. At least it's nice to know that in some way, my
body has started preparing.

One other thing, after I left my appointment I stopped by Eric's office. When I went to the restroom, I noticed I was bleeding. I'm assuming it's because of the exam. It wasn't really alot of blood, but enough to go through my underwear and to my pants. I went home and changed and added a panty-liner. It's definatly tapered off though the afternoon and evening, but there is still a hint of pink when I wipe. If I still have pink by mornnig, I will call and ask the doctor about it. I'm pretty sure it's just from the exam.

That's about it. Next appointment Wednesday.

35 Weeks, 2 Days - The 36th Week

My Symptoms
I'm calling this my ninth month now. I've got about a month left, give or take, and I'm ready. Overall, I guess I still feel pretty good, but I am noticing the little things. I can't sit or stand for too long without getting a back ache. I'm pretty sure the "relaxin" has kicked in as I definately waddle, especially after I get up after sitting for a while. It's weird. I just feel like my hips don't work properly, almost like they are out of socket. I can't see it, but I feel like the baby is dropping at least a little. I notice a lot more "pressure" down below. Again, especially if I sit for a while, I need to stand up and walk around. She still moves alot and I just figured out that if I put my hand where her butt is when she's poking her feet out my side, and push her feet back in, I can feel her butt move. It's kind of cool. It probably annoys her. I'm thinking I may have a little bit of the dark line down my belly. I don't see it when I look directly at my belly, but do notice a bit of a line when I look in the mirror. I still have an appetite, but notice now that I get full very fast. I can actually feel full and hungry at the same time. It just means that I try to eat more frequently, since I have to eat less. I can't think of much else. No noticible swelling or puffiness, my belly button is still in, the stretch marks don't seem to have gotten darker or multiplied. I'm just ready for her to come out. Two more weeks and I'll be considered "full term." That sounds nice.

The Baby
By this week, your baby weighs about 6 pounds. Its crown-to-rump length is over 13.5 inches and total length is 20.7 inches.

It’s getting cramped in there! Kicking and shoving have replaced the early swooping and rolling -- there’s simply no more room! He is about 17 inches long and weighs about five pounds. From now on his growth will be slow and steady as he continues to put on weight and fill out.

Your baby is still putting on the pounds — about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is a little less than 19 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the creamy substance that covered and protected her skin during its submersion in amniotic fluid. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, which will stay in her bowels until birth. This blackish mixture, called meconium, will become her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Babies between 37 and 42 weeks are considered full-term; a baby born before 37 weeks is pre-term and after 42 is post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position by now, which is optimal for a smooth delivery, but if she isn't in the next week, your provider may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position manually, by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

The baby continues to grow and snuggle down into your pelvis. The benefit of this is that you can breathe more easily, however, you also have to urinate more often. Your practitioner will probably not stop your labor if you were to start having regular contractions now. Baby weighs about five pounds two ounces (2.3 kilograms) and measures 45 cms or 17.8 inches. Although here at the end there is a larger margin of difference among babies. Ask your practitioner to palpate (feel through your abdomen) to guesstimate the weight. Remember it is just a guess, although some are better than others.

The Mom
Measuring from the pubic symphysis, it's about 14.5 inches (36cm) to the top of your uterus. If you measure from your bellybutton, it's more than 5.5 inches to the top of your uterus. You may feel as though you've run out of room! Your uterus has grown bigger in the past few weeks as the baby has grown inside of it. Now the uterus is probably up under your ribs. You only have 4 to 5 weeks to go until your due date. It's easy to get anxious for your baby to be delivered. However, don't ask your doctor to induce labor at this point. You may have gained 25 to 30 pounds, and you still have a month to go. It isn't unusual for your weight to stay the same at each of your weekly visits after this point.

Having odd dreams? That’s common! So is "nesting" behavior, though this tends to kick in strongest right before labor begins. Watch out! If you have a sudden, unbearable urge to scrub the grease from behind the stove, you may be heading for the hospital soon! Ah! At last! At some point during the last month of most first pregnancies, the fetus will "drop" into the pelvis, and once again you’ll be able to breathe! You’ve probably gained between 25-30 pounds (though that’s just the average, and many women gain less or more).

While your baby continues to grow and crowd your internal organs, you may find that you're not as hungry as you were a few weeks ago. Smaller, more frequent meals are often easier to handle at this point. On the other hand, you may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to drop down lower in your pelvis. This dropping — called lightening or engagement — is more likely to happen before labor if this is your first baby. When it does, though, you may feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen, making walking increasingly uncomfortable. Some women say it feels as though they're carrying a bowling ball between their legs, or as if the baby is going to fall out. (Don't worry, she won't!) You might also notice that your Braxton Hicks contractions are a little more frequent now. Be sure to review with your practitioner exactly when and where to call her when you think your labor has started. As a general rule, you should call when you start having regular contractions coming every five minutes for about an hour. Of course, you'll want to call right away if you're not yet 37 weeks and have signs of preterm labor. You should also call without delay if your water breaks (or if you even think you're leaking amniotic fluid), if you notice a decrease in your baby's activity, or if you have any vaginal bleeding, fever, severe headaches, abdominal pain, or changes in your vision. Even if you're enjoying an uncomplicated pregnancy, it's best to avoid flying during your final month, when you're more likely to go into labor. In fact, many airlines won't let women on board who are due to deliver within seven or sometimes 30 days of the flight.

You will probably start to see your practitioner every week until you give birth. Most babies will be in a head down position at this point. However, about 4% of the babies will be breech. Do not panic! There are plenty of things that you can do to encourage the baby to turn, including special exercises. If the exercises do not work, your practitioner may want to attempt an external cephalic version (ECV). The ECV is a manual turning of the baby.

The Weekend

Another busy weekend, although this one wasn't really supposed to be that way.

Friday afternoon I got a call at work from my father-in-law. He and his girlfriend were planning on going to the riverboat in Cincinnati on Friday night and thought they'd come by on Saturday to visit. They haven't been here to visit since we moved into the house 2 1/2 years ago, so I was glad to have them come by. That meant, however, that Friday night I needed to do a little housecleaning. So when I got home from work I cleaned the house, did some laundry, and then started packing my hospital bags.

Saturday, Eric got up to go into work around 8:30 a.m. I decided to get up too and I went shopping at Target. I got most of the baby things we still needed that I could get there, plus alot of stuff for my labor and hospital bags and some baskets and boxes for baby storage. When packing my hospital bags, my main goal is to have as little as possible on the "pack last minute" list. So I made sure to get travel toiletries so we don't have to get anything out of the bathroom (except my makeup, which I am keeping in a bag on the counter, so we just have to grab it). I also didn't want to deplete Eric's wardrobe, so I bought him some new sweats and a couple of t-shirts that I could go ahead and pack. I also needed a robe to wear when walking the halls in my hospital gown, some slippers, and at least one front opening set of PJ's for afterwards when I'm trying to nurse. The Target expedition lasted until about noon and after spending lots of cash, I headed home. We weren't really sure when Gary and Christie would be in (they said afternoon), so after I got some lunch I decided to take an hour nap. When I got up they had just called and were about an hour away.

Gary and Christie got in around 3:30 p.m. We showed them the house which is much different than when we were moving in. They hadn't seen the new TV, Eric's Colt's basement, the painted old computer room, or of course the nursery. I think they were impressed with the quality of our crib as that was the item they had offered to help us with. After taking a look at the house, we left to get them checked into the hotel. They know they are welcome to stay with us, but they prefer a hotel so they can be more comfortable and they are both smokers, so they don't have to go outside to smoke, etc. After they got checked in, we decided to go to Babies R' Us. I still wanted to finish off my list of the last of the items needed before Grace comes. While we were there, Gary and Christie got stuck in the clothes section and when the time came to check out, they spent about as much as we did. We were of course, very appreciative. After shopping, we headed to Champps for dinner. It was very yummy as always. After dinner we just went back to the hotel and hung out until around 11:00 p.m. when Eric and I came home and went to bed.

Sunday morning we met back at the hotel for breakfast around 9:00 a.m. After breakfast we drove up to Powell to go to some antique stores, but most things didn't open until at least noon, so there wasn't much to see. After that, Gary and Christie headed back to Indiana and Eric and I went home. At 1:00 p.m. we went to BW3s to get some lunch and watch the Colts game. They won by a lot, so I didn't think we really needed to stay the whole time, but we did. We got home around 4:30 p.m. Then we left again at just after 6:00 to go to our final Childbirth Education class.

Eric was really nervous about this class because he was supposed to lead me through a "relaxation and visualization" exercise. He thought he had to do it in front of the class, but the teacher just turned the music on, the lights down, and left the room instructing us to "practice." We'd been having some problems with the position we are usually in. Eric sits against the wall, we put my two pillows in front of him, and I sit between his legs and lean back into him. Eric's legs always go to sleep and lately, sitting too much makes my back hurt. This time, we decided to have me lay on my left side with Eric laying behind me and rubbing my lower back. We practiced the breathing too and it seemed like a much better position for me. I could see me using that for part of labor. After the practice session we practiced "pushing." Actually, we just went over the breathing part of it, she didn't want us to actually bear down and break any waters while we were there. The end of class was spent talking a little bit about what to expect from your baby after birth, cord care, and just general questions. Overall a decent class and I think I feel much more comfortable with everything now. I'm getting excited about the upcoming birth. Maybe I should be more scared, but I'm going to go with the flow. I'll try to manage my pain, but I know there are drugs if I need them and no matter what happens, in the end I should get my beautiful baby girl.

Well, that was my weekend. Now it's back to another week of work. I have a doctor's appointment Thursday and now will have one every week.

Stress at Work

I don't really like stress, but sometimes it finds me.

There is a whole collaboration of things at work that are causing me to feel a bit stressed. I can't go into too much detail for the sake of being annonomous, but I would like to get some thoughts out here. Anyone who doesn't know me, but could do a little research could probably figure out where I work after this post, but anyway...

Things causing me stress at work:
1. My company was recently brought into huge lawsuit at the corporate level. Most of the things the lawsuit alleges are industry practice and would therefore effect our competitors as well, but right now, we're the only ones in the limelight. This lawsuit has caused us to stop doing one of those industry practices which will cost our company approximately $500 million in revenue this year.
2. As a result of above mentioned lawsuit, the corporation has been making various management changes and this week decided to lay off 3000 employees (2200 from my part of the company). The effect on my office was the loss of 2 people. Luckily, I am not one, but we just had a RIF (Reduction in Force) a couple of months ago due to more local competitive pressure. It doesn't seem fair to have to do it again. Corporate has said this may not be the end. They will re-evaluate after first quarter next year.
3. Suddenly, every one I work with has realized that I will be leaving soon. This means that I have had many "team meetings" to discuss open items and have a whole lot on my plate that needs to get finished or resolved before I leave. The fewer items I leave open, the less chance that someone else will have to figure out what was going on. The ideal would be that the people covering my accounts should just deal with new issues that arise while I am out, not complete items that were open before I left.
4. Some of these projects are big. Many of them will take a lot of time. I don't know how much time I have. Realistically, I can probably count on at least 2 more weeks. After that, I could have another 3 to get to my due date, but after 2 weeks, I'll be in the "anytime" category.
5. I am a bit of a perfectionist. I don't want to let anyone down, and thus I want all of these loose ends tied up in that "guaranteed" two week time period. I don't want to take the chance with those next 3 weeks.

I may spend the next two weeks working long hours and maybe, just maybe a little weekend time. The bad part about that is I still have some stuff to do at home. I don't want to spend my nights and weekends at work. I'm having a baby soon and I want to prepare at home or at least enjoy these last few weeks of relaxing on the couch when I feel the urge.

There's no real point to this post, but to vent a little. I will try to take it easy as I know stress isn't good for me or the baby and I certainly don't want to put myself into labor early! I still take lunch and get up and take breaks on occasion. Unfortunately, the only way I'll truely be able to relax is to get the stuff done. I have one person who has volunteered to go ahead and take some of the work before I go (she'll be covering one of my accounts). I'm going to let her. I certainly have enough on other accounts to stay busy. So, friends, don't worry too much about me. I'll be ok and when I'm off work, my goal is to forget it all. Someone will pick up my work...they have to.

Measurements & Pics - 34weeks, 2 days

The measurements and picture are from yesterday 34 weeks 2 days. The last measurement is from 32 weeks, 3 days.

Before = (B) Last = (L) Current =(C)

Weight - 150.5 (B), 176.0(L), 176.5 (C) = +26 pounds
Bicep - 11 3/4 (B), 12 (L), 12 (C) = +1/4
Chest - 35 1/2 (B), 40 (L), 39 1/2 (C) = +4 inches
Waist (at smallest point) - 30 (B), 37 1/2 (L), 37 1/4 (C) = +7 1/4 inches
Waist (at belly button) - 32 1/2 (B), 43 (L), 42 (C) = +9 1/2 inches
Hips - 38 (B), 41 (L), 41 (C) = +3 inches
Thigh - 23 (B), 23 3/4(L), 22 1/2 (C) = -1/2 inch
Calf - 14 (B), 14 1/2 (L), 14 1/2 (C) = +1/2 inch

Here is the belly shot.

34 Weeks, 2 Days - The 35th Week

My Symptoms
This week has been better than last week. Maybe because I didn't have to travel. I was really busy, but didn't really feel too bad. Less BH contractions than last week. I still feel really big and awkward and I've noticed when I stand up after sitting for a while (mostly at work), I waddle when I walk. My hips just don't feel like they are on right. Kind of like they are out of socket. I know it's probably just the "relaxin" hormone trying to loosen up my pelvis so the baby will have an easier exit route, but it's kind of uncomfortable. I've noticed more and more than when Grace moves, my belly changes shape. I woke up this morning with my right side all hard and poked out. She must be running out of room and needs to stretch more. I'm becoming more comfortable with this whole idea and with just over 5 weeks until my due date, I think I'll be ready when she comes, emotionally that is. My head is racing as I feel like I'm running out of time. For home, I have a list of to-dos before the baby is born. Like packing my bags. I have a list, but may need to go to the store to complete it. I also want to order baby announcements soon, do the Christmas shopping, finish thank you notes, and so on. Work is another animal. My self-set goal is to have everything important finished by Thanksgiving, with detailed enough documentation or open items list that any time after that day, someone else could come to my desk and pick up where I left off. Time will tell if that one happens. I should stay late to catch up, but then I have all this stuff to do at home...

The Baby
Your baby now weighs over 5.5 pounds. Crown-to-rump length by this week is about 13.2 inches. Its total length is 20.25 inches.

During these last weeks, the fetus is gaining weight. She’s developed sleeping patterns (and they often have little to do with night and day!) Your little bouncer may be around four and a half pounds right now!

Your baby's getting big. He weighs a tad over 5 pounds and is just over 18 inches long. Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Your baby weighs about 4 pounds 12 ounces (2.15 kilograms) right now, although later in pregnancy there is more room for variation than in the beginning of pregnancy. Your baby is putting on an average of .5 pounds a week at this point. The length is reaching 18 inches from head to toe, as opposed to the earlier measurements from crown to rump. All organ systems have been present for a long time, now they are just putting on the final touches before birth.

The Mom
Measuring from the bellybutton, it is now about 6 inches to the top of the uterus. Measuring from the pubic symphysis, the distance is about 14 inches (35cm). By this week, your total weight gain should be between 24 and 29 pounds.

You’ll be visiting the doctor more frequently now and should be tested for Group B strep. You may also have non-stress tests and manual checks for cervical effacement (thinning) and dilation. You’re eating 2400 calories a day. Keep that intake healthy! Later in life you’ll be able to pig out on junk food again. You’re growing a human being in there. Give her the best start that you can!

Your uterus — now up under your ribs — has expanded to about 15 times its original volume, and you may feel like you've run out of room! If you could peek inside your uterus, you'd see that there's much less amniotic fluid and much more baby in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your internal organs too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and have heartburn and other digestive problems. If you don't have these problems, you're one of the lucky few. Your doctor or midwife will probably want to start seeing you every week until you deliver. She may ask you to count fetal movements, to track your baby's activity level. Between now and 37 weeks, she'll also do a culture to check for bacteria called Group B streptococci (GBS). This is done by swabbing the lower end of your vagina and your rectum — the swab is the size of a regular cotton swab, and it won't hurt at all. Group B streptococcus is usually harmless in adults, but if you have it and pass it on to your baby during labor and birth, it can cause complications (like pneumonia, meningitis, or a blood infection). Because 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women have the bacteria and don't know it, it's important to be screened. (The bacteria come and go on their own — that's why you weren't screened earlier in pregnancy.) If you're a GBS carrier, you'll be given IV antibiotics when you're in labor, which will reduce your baby's risk of infection by 70 percent. This is also a good time to fill out your birth plan. Using our form will help you focus on specifics — like who will be present, what pain management techniques you want to try, and how long you want to stay in the hospital. It will give you a starting point to discuss your preferences with your medical team. Labor and delivery are unpredictable and you probably won't follow your plan to the letter, but knowing ahead of time what choices you have to make can take some of the anxiety out of the process.

Your pregnancy is progressing and you may have trouble sleeping at night. Some claim that this is mother nature's way of preparing you for life with a new baby. Others believe it is caused by worrying about the health of your baby, labor, and/or parenting. There are also numerous physical reasons that sleep may be difficult. For one going the bathroom every 45 minutes isn't conducive to sleep, nor is a constant backache. Try doing pelvic tilts before bed, limiting fluids after a certain time, and being tired when you go to bed.

My Weekend - Shower & Childbirth Education

Thought you might want to know how my weekend went. Some more pretty eventful things going on. This will be a long post as it has the shower update and my Childbirth Class Update.

This was the weekend of my Columbus shower and two of my best out-of-town girlfriends came in on Friday night. My job was to pick Danialle up at the airport at 9:25 p.m. When I got home from work I did some last minute cleaning and preparations. I finished up the last load of laundry, picked up in the kitchen, and sort of helped Eric figure out what needed to be cleaned. Erica and Samara called me around 6:30 to see if I wanted to meet them for dinner, but at that point I hadn’t packed yet (we were all spending the night at Samara’s) and didn’t know that I’d have time to go get dinner, come back and pack, and still get to the airport in time, so I turned them down. I finished up at home and got to the airport at about 9:00 p.m. A good surprise, Danialle’s flight got in early, so by 9:15 p.m. we were headed back to the parking garage. We then drove to Samara’s and got in before they had their shopping bags unloaded. We all got comfy, the girls did a couple of shower related things and we chatted until almost midnight. Samara and the other girls let me use the guest bedroom, so I got a great night of sleep and we got up around 8:30 a.m.

Saturday, the other girls were in full shower preparation mode. They didn’t really let me help, but I did go to the grocery store twice for items we forgot. Guests arrived just after 12:00 p.m. Several people I had invited and hoped could come had other things come up, so it was a small party, but it was really nice. Samara and the other girls put a lot of effort in. There was a nice light lunch with finger sandwiches, macaroni salad, fruit, and cheese and crackers. The cake was beautiful. Even the decorations were adorable, although now I have a surplus of rubber ducky bath temperature monitors (one for every grandma plus a diaper bag). We played a couple of games which everyone seemed to enjoy. Then we opened gifts. I got a lot of really nice things and was again overwhelmed at how generous my friends are. We also played “Baby Bingo” with bingo cards made up with possible gift items. If I opened a gift on the card, you got to mark the square. I’ll have to keep that one in mind. It really has people focusing on what you are opening. After the party we headed back to my house with all the stuff. I got to show Danialle and Erica Grace’s room in person for the first time. It’s really just about done. All we need is the baby! Then we headed to El Vaquero’s for some Mexican food. I love that place, but it didn’t really sit well with Erica and Samara has had a bit of a Mexican aversion, so it may not have been the best choice. After dinner we went to Babies R’Us to exchange a couple of items and I decided I wanted to go ahead and pick up some more things that I didn’t have that I know I’ll need. It was so fun to look at all the stuff and actually put things in my cart this time. The other girls humored my shopping desire and after the cart was loaded we checked out and headed back home. Samara headed home as her husband and dog had been hanging out at my place all day. Danialle, Erica, and I changed into our PJ’s and went to work assembling the stroller they bought me! It’s still sitting in my living room and I love it! After that, we played Phase 10 with Eric and then headed to bed.

Sunday morning we got up early and took Danialle to the airport. Erica decided to head out early too, so she would get back early and have all day at home to play with her new puppy. We dropped Danialle off about 7:30 a.m. Then Eric and I headed to First Watch for some breakfast. After breakfast, we decided to play hooky instead of going to church and I headed back to bed while Eric got comfortable on the couch. Around noon I got up again. Then I was pretty productive at home. I wrote all the receipts in the checkbook, paid the bills, finally finished my Wedding Scrapbook journaling!, and put up all of the stuff from the shower and my Babies R’ Us shopping spree. Although I have another load of baby laundry to do now. About that time, it was time to get ready to go to class.

Two couples were missing from our Childbirth class, but this one was actually really informative and not repetitive like the last one. We learned all about the different types of pain medicine, induction methods, and other assistance that you could have during labor/delivery. I think some of it scared Eric as they also discussed possible side effects of the different types of medications. I’m sure we all knew it, but the closer to a natural (drug-free) childbirth you can get, the better for both Mom and Baby. We discussed that early in labor they can give you a drug called NuBane to help take the edge off contractions. It is given as an injection in your IV and is a narcotic. Since it goes into your IV it does cross the placenta and get to the baby. It wears off in about 2 hours and after the 2nd dose is virtually ineffective. Side effects if the baby is born before it wears off are sleepiness/sluggishness in baby and possible respiratory problems. They didn’t say much about side effects before birth except that it can effect the fetal heart rate. That was enough for Eric, his vote, no NuBane. We can try the breathing, hot shower, massage, and position changes for pain management in early labor. The epidural on the other hand, is injected into your spinal column so very little medication if any gets to the baby. The epidural numbs Mom from abdomen to toes and allows you to only feel pressure, not pain. Once an epidural is administered, Mom isn’t allowed to get out of bed, a catheter may be used to empty the bladder and you are much more immobilized. An epidural can also slow labor, so the earlier it is given, the more likely they will have to use Pitocin to speed labor back up. An epidural can be administered after 4 cm, but is most effective between 6-7 cm. Pitocin is used in an induction or to help out irregular or slowed contractions. It causes your uterus to contract more frequently and intensely than natural labor. This is another IV drug, so it must be monitored very closely. Too little and the contractions won’t be productive, too much and it could cause fetal distress. Eric’s opinion on this…try to wait until 6 or 7 cm before getting an epidural (if at all), so there is less need to use other drugs that could affect the baby.

So here is our birth plan. We would like to go into labor naturally if possible. Once in labor we will attempt to use relaxation techniques such as breathing, massage, hot showers, hot rice packs, and position changes to manage the pain. We would prefer not to use any narcotics. As long as the pain is tolerable, I will attempt to stay drug free. The goal is to stay drug free until at least 6 cm of dilation. When pain is no longer manageable I will ask for an epidural. If there are problems in delivery, we are against the use of forceps, we will allow a vacuum extractor if needed. I would prefer to not have an episiotomy if possible, but if necessary, be gentle. If it appears that I will not be able to deliver naturally and will need a C-section, I would prefer to make the decision sooner rather than later in labor. I do not want to labor for 30 hours and then still have a C-section (as we saw in the movie we watched last night). I’m not sure what my tolerance for pain will be, but we’re going to go in with an open mind. If I can go natural, I will. If I can’t, I won’t feel guilty for using pain relief.

Rest of the Week Update

I didn't get around to doing my weekly update for this week, so I'll try to at least get the stuff about what's going on with me in here.

Baby News
As far as baby symptoms go, the last two weeks I've been feeling very...pregnant. My back aches alot, it is alot of work to get up and down, and I've still been having some Braxton Hicks contractions, although they are more noticable when I've been really active. Grace has been even more active than usual. She has big movements which make my stomach jerk all over the place. It's kind of fun. On a sadder note, I'm getting some very faint stretch marks on the lower half of my belly. They aren't really dark yet, but I can see them. Hopefully, they'll be even lighter after baby. Last night I had really bad shin splints. My legs hurt all evening so I took a hot bath, some Tylenol and went to bed at 10:30 p.m. I started noticing the same leg pain today when I was leaving work, but I took a hot bath and relaxed when I got home and they seemed to get better. My belly button is really starting to struggle too. The very top of it feels like it's poking out a little. There's still more in than out, but give me another 6 weeks.

Election Day
I voted for the first time and it kind of felt important as Ohio was an important state. I didn't feel like getting up early, so my plan was to go after work. Throughout the morning though, I started hearing from others at work about how long the lines were at the polls. Eric went at 10:00 and didn't finish until 12:30 p.m., so I dedided I should go early. They gave us permission to miss a little work for voting, so I left the office in time to arrive at the polls at 4:15 p.m. I finished at 6:15 p.m. and the line was at least twice as long as when I got there, so I'm glad I went early. One cute story...the woman in front of me, went and got her son from the daycare at the church we were at around 5:30 p.m. He was about 5. When they got back in line, she told him that I had a baby in my belly and said, "Isn't that neat." He said, "Yeah." Then he just kind of stared at me for a minute. His mom said he was thinking of a question to ask me. Then he asked, "How are you going to get that baby out of there?" I kind of laughed and said that was a good question. His mom jumped in and said that was a long story and we just decided not to go into any more detail. At least he didn't ask how the baby got in there.

Breastfeeding Class
Wednesday, Eric and I went to the Breastfeeding class at Babies R Us. It was from 6:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m. All I can say is that I'm glad it was free because the teacher was a nutcase and seemed to have trouble keeping her thoughts organized. What we did get out of it was the basics as to what are good positions to hold the baby in, important tips about latching on so it doesn't hurt, and a little information about the different types of breast pumps. After class, we looked at the pumps and were considering getting one, but if I'm planning on pumping daily at work after I go back, we might need to get one of the expensive ones that cost close to $300. The cheaper versions are better for occasional use or you have to do manually and that might take too long. I figure first I'll figure out if I can breastfeed. If things are going well and I want to continue when we get close to the time to go back to work, then we'll consider a pump. There's no reason to spend the money now when I may decide to switch to formula 2 weeks in.

Doctor's Appointment
Today I had a doctor's appointment. The most amazing thing about this appointment was that they got me in right away. My appointment was at 1:15 and I was done by 1:30 p.m. I usually haven't even seen the doctor by that time. My weight was good. I only gained one pound over the last two weeks. According to the hospital scale, that puts me at 25 pounds gained so far. My bloodpressure was good and I'm assuming all the stuff they test your urine for was fine. When the doctor came in and asked about questions I had a few. I've been trying to schedule a client meeting at work, but my Client Executive has a very tight schedule in November. The best week for the meeting would be December 3-10, but the client is about a 2 hour drive away. That close to my due date, it scares me to consider driving that far. Especially with this man who I would not be comfortable with him having to deliver my baby on the side of the road. The doctor agreed and no trips even that far away once we get to December. I've also had a minor toothache the last two days and so I asked if I should try to wait until after the baby's born if it keeps bothering me. She said no, if it keeps hurting go to the dentist and let them do what they need to do. I asked her about the labor and delivery process from her standpoint and she told me that I won't have to call her office. When I go to the hospital the hospital will call and discuss everything with the on-call doctor and she/he will come in time to deliver the baby. My doctor is on call on Thursdays and Fridays so if I go on one of those days, she'll be there, if not, I'll get someone else. In other news, we will start internal exams at 36 weeks. I have an appointment in 2 weeks where I will be 35 weeks, 5 days, but she'll wait until the next one. After my next appointment, I will begin going weekly. Dr. D will be missing my first 2 weekly appointments (Thanksgiving week and the week after), so I'll be seeing someone else on the staff. That doesn't bother me as it's not especially likely that I'll go on a Thursday or Friday and get my doctor at delivery.

Home Chores
My shower in Columbus is this weekend and since two of my GWO girls are coming in for the weekend, I've been trying to get some stuff done at home. I've had a busy week otherwise though and been pretty tired, so I haven't been quite as productive as I would have liked. As of today though, I have everything from last weekend's shower put away. This means that I did do all of Grace's laundry from the new stuff. Eric finished staining the bookshelf and today we took it upstairs and it looks nice. I decided to go ahead and start laundry for Eric and I since I'll be busy all weekend, and I'll have one more load to do tomorrow before I pick Danialle up at the airport. I worked on a couple of lists as far as what to pack in my hospital bag, although it's not going to get packed until at least next week. I did the bills on Monday and spent a good portion of time writing things in the checkbook register as we hadn't had one for a month and I wrote everything in a notebook. I did not get around to finishing up the Wedding scrapbook, but I did get 5 thank you notes done today. I'll have about 3 hours tomorrow to work on stuff. Eric is planning on cleaning for me (how sweet!) and I will try to either do the scrapbook or finish up the Thank you's. The scrapbook is taking up more room on the table though and I'll have more thank you's after this weekend, so I may opt for the scrapbook. We'll see.

Ok, well that's about it. I'll owe more updates after this weekend. I'm going to attempt to remember to do a belly pic and measurements for 34 weeks. Maybe the girls can remind me. I have another shower on Saturday. Sunday another childbirth education class and will also be due for another weekly update. I've got too much going on! At least the time is passing quickly and I have more to do than sit around and wait on Grace to get here. Ok, time for bed. Goodnight.

Childbirth Class 10/31/04

Sorry this is a little late. My Internet's been down since Tuesday, so I've had this one waiting in Word.

I got a bit behind, but I need to update about our 2nd class on Sunday night. It was pretty good although I’m not sure I’ve learned that much “new” information. We kind of went over the same things we discussed last week as far as how labor progresses, but with some more detail. This time we specifically focused on the early signs of labor and how to tell the difference between real and false labor.

We also practiced the relaxation and visualization excercises again. I couldn’t get completely comfortable, because Eric’s foot went to sleep and he was wiggling everywhere because he couldn’t feel his legs. The visualization is still hard for me and I can’t imagine trying to do it while in pain. We also practiced some slow breathing techniques. Again, it’s hard to imagine being in pain and doing it, but I kind of feel like my body will naturally know what to do to help ease any pain. Then we tried out a couple of positions to use during contractions to ease pain. There was one called the double hip squeeze. It basically requires your partner to put pressure on your hips. It works best when you get on your hands and knees or on your knees with your upper body on a birthing ball or even the couch (we tried that last night). Then your partner stands over you and squeezes your hips with his knees/thighs. At the same time, he can lean over and massage your back. It was wonderful. It’s so nice to get a massage that I think we’ll practice that a lot.

The most interesting part for me was when we went over the actual process at our hospital to go through the birth. She discussed it in class and then at the end we went over for the tour. The hospital has free valet parking, so when we get there, we just pull up to the main entrance and Eric will be able to come in with me. If we happen to arrive during non-valet hours, there are 4 parking spots right by the door for Labor and Delivery that we can use. We will then go inside and use the elevators to go to the 3rd floor. At that point we’ll check in at the nurses station. Then they will take you back to a triage room to be sure you are in labor (I’m guessing you can skip this if your water has broken). They will give you a gown, do an exam to check your progress and ask questions about your labor. Only one person is allowed with you in triage. Then they may have you walk around or do something else, and check back in to make sure you are progressing. If your labor is progressing, they will admit you and you get to go to a LDR room (Labor, Delivery, and Recovery). You’ll be in this room until about an hour after delivery. In here they will give you an IV, hook up a monitor to check the baby’s heart rate, and monitor your contractions. You are allowed to have 2 people at any one time in the LDR room with you. This is where you will labor and when it gets close to pushing time, they take the lower half of the bed off, add stirrups and handlebars, turn on the baby warmer, bring in the delivery table with instruments, and change the lighting for the doctor. Once the baby is born they either give it to you immediately, or take it over to the warmer to check it out. They let you keep the baby with you during that first hour. At the same time, you deliver the placenta, get stitches if needed, the nurses clean you up, give you a new gown, and they encourage you to do the first feeding of the baby. Once all that is done, the nurses take the baby to the nursery for newborn tests, the first bath, and to be sure the baby can maintain her body temperature. You are then moved to a post-partum room where you will stay until you check out. Once you are in your room, the baby can stay there the whole time or you can send it back to the nursery whenever you want/need to.

I am glad to know what’s going on, but now need to put together some questions for the doctor. There were several things that they said it depends on how your doctor does it. For example, if you get the baby before they cut the cord and take it to the baby warmer or after. I’m not sure what I want all the answers to be, but I need to at least ask the questions. Next week we get to learn about drugs!