Week 39: Baby wants OUT

At my 39 week check up on Friday, the non-stress test went well. Sarrazine was active and healthy, the nurse said. Dr. Dominicis checked my cervix but I was only dilated 1-2 cm. He said that because the baby is measuring large, and my blood pressure has been elevated the past few visits, he doesn't want to go past 40 weeks. So he said to come in on Monday (Jan 31) and we'll "discuss the next steps."

So in the next 14 hours or so, I will be finding out approximately when (and how) I'll be seeing my baby girl!!! I had it in my head I didn't want any inteventions if I could help it... induction, epidural, etc., because they can chain react into needing a C section. He did mention the "very, very small risk" that her shoulders could get stuck. But he mentioned this like 3 times, which was almost enough to make me say, "Let's just pick a date for a C section right now and be done with it."

I wish there were a way they could somehow measure your pelvis and just know whether you'll make it or not.

So to make matters even more complicated, a blizzard is due to hit Chicago tomorrow and snow for the next three days. I am wondering if he will say, let's get you checked in today and start the induction now, or if he'll let me wait until Thursday when the snow has stopped. I am feeling now like I may not go into labor this week and that induction will be necessary.


Yesterday I was sitting on the couch and she was trying to kick her way out with both feet! Weird feeling and I wish I'd had my Flip on me at the time.

I'm so sore and tired and very ready to have her in my arms, rather than my belly. We love her so much already, and can't wait to see what she looks like and what her personality is. We hope she loves us as much as we love her!

Week 38: C'mon out of the oven, Little Turkey!

So, at last week's NST (Non-Stress Test, where they measure the baby's heartbeat and I mark every time I feel her move, so they can see if her heartrate increases when she moves), they thought the baby was inverse breech (sideways) and I think they were right. They set up an ultrasound for t his week to confirm, and if she was still breech, they were going to schedule a Caesarean. (Colby was going to call her Sarrazine Caesarean).

I had the ultrasound on Tuesday and she is head down (I’d gotten lots of advice from nurses and other mamas on how to turn her, and apparently they worked!) so they didn’t schedule anything, but they did remove the stitch. And oh, did that hurt. I’m still pretty sore. Plus I’m feeling my cervix doing weird things now, so it’s only a matter of time… I’m 38 weeks today, but she’s measuring 2 weeks ahead. Now would be a good time for her to come, the doctors all say, but I haven’t felt any contractions yet. My belly button is sticking out, so I think that means she's fully cooked!

So, other than only getting 2 crappy ultrasound pictures (it's too crowded in there now for the pictures to turn out), it was a great office visit... very relieved to have dodged the C bullet, at least for now. I am still prepared to need one if the baby is just too big, or whatever, but I am still so scared of the epidural (after my experience getting the cerclage put in) that I really hope I don't have to go that route again.

I''m officially off bed rest, but my muscles are so weak from lack of exercise since June, that just walking from the parking lot to the inside of the mall is exhausting! :) There definitely needs to be more Expectant Mother spaces in this town.
 
Anyway, so I am finally able to fulfill my Nesting instinct. Colby put together a bunch of stackable storage cubicles and bought some fabric draws to fit in them, and I've been going through clothes, toys, and various baby accessories we've been given, and organizing the heck out of the place. I also sold a bunch of Mary Kay products at wholesale, just to clean out my inventory and give myself a little more space, as well as to get back a little bit of money. When the baby is a little older, I'll replenish my inventory, and will continue to place orders for people as requested in the meantime.
 
So let me know if you need anything! :)

Week 37: A Half-hearted Escape Attempt

Not much to report yet. But I got a nice video of Sarrazine trying to make her escape early.

Week 36: Turn, Baby, Turn! (Natural Birth-o)

Today I had my non-stress test (due to being an old lady at 40). Which was a mis-nomer. It was one of the most stressful OB visits of my pregnancy.

The nurse couldn't find the heartbeat. I hadn't felt the baby move in several hours, so when she finally found a faint, relatively slow heartbeat (114), I thought it was probably mine. Then she said, "Well, the baby is moving, anyway. She's making me chase her." Whew!

She called for backup and a more experienced RN came in. She found the heartbeat right away. Then she put the heartrate monitor on me, secured around my waist with a velcro strap, and another strap held on a monitor to look for contractions (I apparently had one while sitting there). She said, "OK, now I'm going to put you to work. Every time you feel a movement, press the 'Mark' button."

I was on the machine for a while but wasn't feeling any movement. It had been about 5 hours since I'd eaten (due to severe heartburn all morning) so she gave me a juicebox (which spilled all over me because I was fully reclined). The juice got Sarrazine moving, though, and the movements corresponded correctly with increased heart rate, so that was awesome! The nurse was very pleased.

However, the bad part is, she thinks the baby has moved to a transverse breech position again (lying sideways, her head to the left of my belly button and her butt to the right). That is exactly how I feel like she is, based on the location of her hiccups that morning and her butt sticking out to my right side.

The doctor never did come see me, but she spoke with him and he said that I'll need to get an ultrasound next week and if she's still breech, they won't remove the cerclage..... They'll either try again the following week, or they'll just schedule a c-section right then and there! ARGH. C-Section is NOT part of my birth plan! But if she's breech, they have no choice. They didn't seem to offer the possibility of manually moving her, but I've heard that's horribly painful, so maybe just getting gutted like a fish is the better option....