Last Doctors Appt

Filed Under Pregnancy, Symptoms | 7 Comments

Wow, I can’t believe I actually made it to every single one of my OB appointments. I am still pregnant. 39 weeks and 5 days.

I think my blood pressure was high again today. The nurse took it and didn’t tell me what it was- which she usually does- and then the doctor came in and took it again. The doctor has never done my blood pressure herself. Then she asked me if I had been having any headaches or seeing spots. I told her no, and she said that I was “okay” but that if I had anything like that I needed to go in to the hospital. This seems to be the theme of my appointments lately.

She also checked my cervix and I am now at 4 cm. Not much change from last week, but the good news is that she said even if I went to the hospital before my contractions were five minutes apart (she said like 5-7 mins or not completely consistent) that they wouldn’t send me home at this point.

I asked her to guess the baby’s size- and she said it was really just a guess and probably not very accurate but she guessed around 7 1/2 pounds. Yikes I don’t want a big baby! I was only 6 lbs 4 oz and I was hoping for a little girl more about that size. But that could be way off anyway.

She said she is still hoping I will go into labor this weekend but if not, I’ll definitely have a baby on Monday! I am glad I am making such a good snuggly home for Bailey but I wish she didn’t like it in there QUITE so much!

Other than that, I am just having a little more back pain than usual, and trouble sleeping because of being uncomfortable. I wake up about every half hour until about 5 a.m. and then I manage to get about three hours straight where I can sleep. That’s been the pattern for the past few nights. The reason I wake up is because my back and hips are in pain and I have to turn over- but then of course I have to pee while I’m up too- but I always fall right back asleep.

This Little Piggy

Filed Under Pregnancy, Symptoms | 7 Comments

Okay, I hate feet and I know mine aren’t so pretty right now… despite the pedicure which LOOKS really bad in the picture but I think it’s the angle… but I had to take a picture of them and actually document how swollen they are or I won’t ever believe myself later.

These guys are causing me some pain. This picture isn’t even as bad as it gets. By evening, it hurts to walk because the bottoms swell too. That’s about the time when my toes look like they might pop off. I’m bringing sexy back.

Swelling

Filed Under Doctor Stuff, Pregnancy, Symptoms | 4 Comments

Just a quick update- I have my 37 week dr appt today- was supposed to be at noon but I am freakishly swollen, including my face, so doctor told me to come in sooner and just get checked. On my way out the door!

EDITED:

I am fine. No protein in urine, blood pressure is normal, etc etc. Just horrible water retention, apparently. Things are fine and in fact I have progressed even more. Details later- and I will post my 37 week pictures- but I am going to take a nap first.

Seriously

Filed Under Pregnancy, Symptoms | Leave a Comment

I am very tired of being pregnant. I want to meet my baby. I love having her in me, but I would like to have her out of me a lot more at this point.

My main complaints:

-back pain
-swollen ankles and feet
-rib pain (drop, Bailey, drop!)
-hands get tingly
-can’t get comfortable sleeping

36 Weeks, 5 Days- Pictures and Dr Appt

Filed Under Belly Pictures, Pregnancy, Symptoms | 5 Comments

My belly, taken a few days ago by Jonathon.

Wow… I feel really round…

So today we had our “36 Week” appointment, although I am technically almost 37 weeks now, which my doctor considers full term. Nothing but good news today. First I did the routine pee-in-a-cup and blood pressure stuff. My blood pressure was 130/76 which is a little higher than normal for me, but I was pretty nervous today between the upcoming internal exam and also having a different doctor. He measured my uterus, which always means nothing to me, and checked the baby’s heartbeat which he said was just fine.

He also showed me where Bailey’s body parts are this time. He said she hasn’t “fully dropped” or whatever but that she’s on her way, and definitely head down. Her spine is on my left side and the pokey things over to my right are her feet. Her butt is the big hard thing above my belly button, which I kind of guessed. He said she will probably stay head down now but that the side she’s facing could definitely change.

Sidenote: Why am I saying “he?” My regular doctor is out of the office this week (I’m not really sure why because I think she’s in town, but both Dr. K and the other female doctor in the practice are gone for something right now. So I had to see the male Dr. K instead, who was a little older and a little quirky but very nice.

Anyway, the exciting news is that I am already dilated 2 cm and 65% effaced. Please don’t ask me what that means for sure, because I know it has something to do with thinning of the cervix, but if it’s already open a little bit I’m not sure how it can still be thinning. Anyway, it was good news. Jonathon also asked if my mucus plug had come out yet. For some reason he has been pretty interested in this. I guess he’s just a boy and he likes gross body stuff. The doctor said he didn’t really believe in a “plug” but more like it could come out a little at a time, but that if I had one to begin with it was definitely gone now.

In the doctor’s exact words, “Will you deliver this weekend? I doubt it, but I wouldn’t fall off my stool if it happened. Will you ever see your due date pregnant? No.” He said that his best “guess” would be maybe next week or even more likely the week after. Which means at 37 or 38 weeks, and I would be very, very happy.

I have been feeling okay for the most part. Just some cramping that feels like my period is going to start, but apparently that’s my cervix doing what it’s supposed to do, so I really can’t complain too much. Sometimes when I walk it feels like Bailey’s head is banging against my bladder or my pelvic bones or something. Last night I had the joy of waking up about every 30-40 minutes. I guess I’m getting ready to be up all the time with a newborn

Where did the time go?

Filed Under Symptoms, Thoughts | 1 Comment

I had my “almost 35 week” doctors appointment yesterday- the last time I will be seeing Dr. K for a few weeks. I go back in two weeks and see a different doctor in the practice, and that begins my weekly appointments. So this was my last non-internal check up, I guess

Baby’s heartbeat was in the 150s again- of course me I am already worried that’s too high, but she said it was just right My blood pressure was normal, although she didn’t tell me what it was this time. So apparently I am just freakishly swollen from retaining water and nothing serious. The last thing I want now is high blood pressure, so that was a big relief to me. She measured my uterus, and again I am assuming it was fine because she didn’t really say anything about that. Asked if the baby was moving and I told her I think she has about ten arms.

I asked her to take a guess as to which direction Bailey is facing. She felt around my belly and then said she was feeling a head down really low (think: almost pubic area) so she said she is most likely to stay in that position now, which is good news for this mommy I told Jonathon the other night, she constantly pounds on my belly button. I said I hoped that she didn’t think that was the way out, and if she didn’t stop we were going to stick a flashlight in my underwear to light up the exit for her so she could get things figured out.

I also told the doctor that I was kind of ready to be done being pregnant. I mean, seriously despite my complaints, I have loved having this baby in me. I just kind of want her OUT of me now. For comfort reasons and because I am so excited to meet her that I am literally counting the days! Doctor told me I needed to wait two weeks and two days, and then she would be full term. I can wait that long Wow, two weeks and two days and I will have a full term baby in me? Where did the time go?

A Few Random Things

Filed Under Pregnancy, Random, Symptoms | 3 Comments

-I finished getting the changing table/diaper pail/wipes warmer set up in the nursery… so we are officially “ready” except for a few decorating things!

-My father in law is really creepy- the other day he asked me if I had been doing my Kegels! Ewwwwww, I really don’t like to think about him thinking about my hoo hoo

-One week from today, I will be done working.

-My belly button is sticking out just a little bit on one side. I told Jonathon it looks like a sleepy old man. He says it looks drunk. I’ll have to post a picture of it because it’s really goofy looking.

-I have a baby shower this Saturday at my friend Jen’s house, and I am really excited I told Bailey she can come out anytime after that shower.

-Jonathon finally took the little shrub thing out of the ground that fell over during the ice storm. It was ridiculous looking.

-I started frantically packing my hospital bag the other night because I became convinced that when I go for my doctors appointment on Thursday she is going to have me admitted to the hospital, for any of the following reasons:

1. I have the most swollen ankles, feet, and toes I have ever seen. If I didn’t hate feet so much I would post a picture of them for proof. I keep checking my blood pressure and it’s normal, but the feet are crazy!

2. I have had a lot of (painful) contractions lately. Totally random and not so uncomfortable that I can’t handle it- I guess painful isn’t the best word- more like uncomfortable period cramps. For that, I am glad that I have an appointment tomorrow.

Kicking My Ribs

Filed Under Pregnancy, Symptoms | Leave a Comment

Okay I suddenly know what people are talking about when they say the baby got a foot under their ribs or kicked them in the ribs. I really thought people were exaggerating until now. Seriously.

But I was laying on the couch this morning at work, watching a movie (yeah I have a rough job, don’t I?) and her foot was jabbing me up underneath the right side of my ribs. Not comfortable. And I couldn’t get her to relocate.

I guess she might be stubborn like her mommy and daddy. Uh oh.

32 Weeks and Some Thoughts About the Birth

Filed Under Birth, Family, Pregnancy, Symptoms, Week by Week | Leave a Comment

Information according to Babycenter (italics are me talking):

How your baby’s growing: By now, your baby probably weighs almost 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. She has tiny toenails now, and her fingernails have grown in, too. Some babies have a head of hair already; others have only peach fuzz.

How your life’s changing:
Your blood volume (the plasma plus red blood cells) is now about 40 to 50 percent greater than before you became pregnant to accommodate the needs of you and your baby. (This extra amount also helps make up for any blood you’ll lose when giving birth.) You’re also gaining a pound a week now, yikes! and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and adding pressure on your abdomen, you may be dealing with heartburn more often or feeling a little short of breath. Yeah, heartburn has become pretty much a constant thing in the evenings. I am keeping Tums on my nightstand- out of the bottle and ready to go so I can grab them anytime!

To help with shortness of breath, try eating smaller quantities more often (rather than three daily feasts) and sleeping propped up. Those smaller meals should help with the heartburn, too. Smaller meals seem to be mandatory now. If I eat too much, I am horribly uncomfortable.

As your baby grows, the increasing concentration of weight in your growing belly causes a change in your posture and a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, your abdominal muscles are stretching, hormones are making your ligaments more lax, and your growing uterus may even press on some nerves. All of this can contribute to low back pain and possibly to some pain in your buttocks and thighs as well. Let your caregiver know if you have severe pain or feel numbness or tingling in your legs.

Decision Guide: Who should be in the labor room with you?

Childbirth is an intensely personal experience, as is your decision whether to have additional family members, friends, or labor coaches in the birthing room with you. Here are some things to keep in mind as you prepare your guest list:

• Labor and delivery nurses come and go according to their shifts, so if you’d like to be attended continuously by one person, a private labor coach or doula is a good option. I briefly thought about getting a doula. There is a mom, Vicki, in the playgroup that I’m in with Alison. She just finished her training or whatever to be a doula. But then I also think that might be more for people interested in natural childbirth, which I’m not- AT ALL! We are planning to get an epidural, but first I’m going to see how long I can go without. Just because I don’t want it to slow down the labor too much… but if it starts sucking really bad, I’m not holding out!

• Some husbands or partners may be confused about their role in the birth or reluctant to participate if others are present. If you bring outside relatives or coaches in, make sure your partner is on board with the plan.

• You may be under pressure from mothers or mothers-in-law who are eager to be in the delivery room for the birth of their grandchild — regardless of your wishes to keep the experience private. If you want to be alone with your partner, don’t be afraid to enlist hospital staff for support in carrying out your wishes and keeping relatives out of the delivery room. We are planning on not having anyone (other than hospital staff of course) in with us. No moms or dads or friends. Except: I am reserving the right to call my mom into the room in case of emergency. Emergency being extreme panic on my part. For some reason she can calm me down better than anyone else. Jonathon knows this, and knows that it is a possibility for her to come in at some point. But not stay. I imagine my parents coming to the hospital sometime during the labor/delivery so that they can see Bailey fairly soon after she’s born. Once she’s clean and we have a little time with her, then I want the grandparents to come in. Well, not Jonathon’s parents. Hopefully they will still be in Oklahoma at this point. I don’t want them to even come in town until we’ve been home from the hospital for a week or so. And even then, they’re not staying at our house. They already know this, and I am sticking to it.

Friend or Foe

Filed Under Food, Symptoms | 3 Comments

Remember that game show with Kennedy on it? That’s kind of how I’m feeling about food lately. I can’t decide whether to love it or hate it. Do I do what I want and be selfish, or do I try to think about the future? (The future of my stomach, that is…)

Friday night I went to TGI Frid@y’s with my friend Faith. I really didn’t eat that much. I got potato skins for my whole meal, and I gave her one or two of them. I had a brownie/ice cream dessert thing and didn’t finish it because I was feeling stuffed. Not pleasantly stuffed. Sickeningly stuffed. So I get home that night and have some sort of reflux thing going on for a while. Went straight to bed but couldn’t really sleep. Drifted off and woke up to… drumroll…. me puking in bed because I couldn’t move my fat stomach over the pillows and get to the bathroom in time. Not a pleasant experience. I won’t go into any more details except to say that it was very gross and also very humbling considering that Jonathon was maybe two feet away.

Then on Saturday, we had reservations at The Melting P*t to celebrate V-day a little bit early. Our favorite restaurant, and also one where it is very easy to overeat. I was determined to eat sooooo slowly after my experience the night before. It went fine. I felt okay, and everything stayed down. And I’m sure I ate more during that meal than I did at Friday’s.

Sunday wasn’t anything exciting, food-wise. Last night I was good and had a chicken caesar salad and baked potato at home. Today for lunch, I went to a pizza buffet with Alison and a friend and her kids. Overate again. I am not used to this smaller stomach thing. It’s like my body wants more food and is hungry, but it just won’t fit.

Now I feel like I don’t ever want to eat again. ANyone else having/had this same issue with third trimester and food?

Random Update

Filed Under Nanny Job, Sleep, Symptoms | Leave a Comment

This morning Mae asked me how I was feeling, so I figured it might be time for just a random update/complaint session…

1. My stomach is almost completely squashed under my ribs. If I lay in bed wrong, it feels like I can’t breathe. If I eat too much,I feel like I am going to explode. I am beyond the food obsession because I just can’t hold that much and don’t feel hungry very often anymore.

2. Still not sleeping well. Up a million times at night. Then tired during the day- I am hoping these iron pills help with that.

3. My last day of work is April 6th, assuming the baby is still in there and we are both healthy up until that point. That gives me just a week until my due date, but I am assuming since she is a first baby she will be on time or late. Although I would LOVE for her to be a week or two early Work is getting harder- I lack the energy to keep up with Alison and don’t feel like doing much with her, except going sale shopping for baby stuff-otherwise I just want to sit here and let her play, which she doesn’t seem to mind too much, but we don’t get out as much as we used to. I guess that’s to be expected right now, and also it’s winter and there’s not as much to do anyway.

4. Random pains in pelvic area, especially when walking or when I need to pee- in fact almost shooting pains sometimes when I need to pee which is weird because I have been on that antibiotic for almost a week now, so I am going to have to talk to the doctor about that tomorrow. Not really having any more contractions though, so that’s good.

5. Baby is still kicking a lot and getting stronger. I think she must be at the point where she is strong enough to feel a lot, but still has enough room to move around a bit. She seems to do a weird rolling thing now, especially at night in bed.

6. I bought a diaper bag yesterday (will have to post pictures) and we got a video camera last night, so I am feeling a little more “prepared” than I did a few days ago. It’s the little things, I guess.

Exhausted

Filed Under Pregnancy, Sleep, Symptoms | 2 Comments

I think it has officially begun. I was thinking about this yesterday- at almost exactly 12 weeks, I woke up one day and realized that I’m not tired anymore. Now at almost exactly 28 weeks, I suddenly feel exhausted again.

I slept until noon on Saturday. On Sunday, we went to church, came home and napped all day, went to a meeting and out with my parents, and then went back to bed. I say “we” because Jonathon seems to enjoy sneaking in these extra naps with me- one of the benefits of having a pregnant wife, I guess.

I have noticed that Bailey always wakes up as soon as I lay down in bed. I try to tell her to settle down and go back to sleep, but that doesn’t work. Thump, thump, thump. For about twenty minutes, then if I’m lucky she stops and I can get some rest. Sometimes she has a crazy night though and seems to be rolling around in there. Also, she has found a new spot to poke me, way over on the side and kind of under my ribs, and it really tickles. When she does it in bed, it forces me to move because it surprises me and feels funny.

I just want to sleep. All day. Wake me up in April when she’s ready to come out. Only first I have to straighten out something with my health insurance.

Hospital Visit

Filed Under Birth, Pregnancy, Symptoms, classes | 3 Comments

Warning: Contains medical information and maybe a little TMI in some parts, but I wanted to document everything that happened and also a lot of people have been curious exactly what happened.

Wednesday at work, I noticed during the day that I was possibly leaking something (or was repeatedly peeing my pants without noticing, but I don’t think that was the case). I was kind of concerned, but then we had our childbirth class and I got distracted. We took a tour of the hospital, and my back started hurting really bad- lower back, where I usually have pain, but much worse than normal. It was to the point that I could hardly keep up with the tour.

We got home at about 9:30 and I felt horrible. Just kind of achey around my uterus and pelvic area, but it’s so hard to know what’s “normal” pregnancy stuff and what is different, especially since this is my first baby! I started having contractions here and there around 10:30- I assumed Braxton-Hicks because they didn’t hurt, but then I realized they weren’t going away with fluids or change in activity or anything.

I called my doctor to see what I should do (thinking maybe rest, more fluids, come see her in the morning, etc) and she told me to go to the hospital. Although I was terrified, I was also relieved because I knew my baby would be safe and I wouldn’t be worrying all night.

We got to the hospital around 12:00 am and they asked me if I was in labor. I told them I didn’t think so. They took me into Triage Room #3, which we had just seen on our hospital tour! Everyone at the hospital was really nice and helpful and comforting, which makes me think that I can survive the labor and delivery. I also calmed down a lot once we were there, and got in control of myself. The first thing they did was take a urine sample, then hook me up to fetal monitors, and I was relieved to hear the baby’s heartbeat. The nurse took all my info while I laid there. Then she left for about a half an hour, and Jonathon and I sat there and tried to figure out why nobody was checking on us.

She came back in and said baby was fine, so they were turning off the heartbeat monitor thing. She asked if I felt any contractions, and I said I thought I had a couple. She told me that I was actually having them about every three to four minutes, and they wanted to monitor me for longer to try to figure out why and make sure that I wasn’t going into labor. She brought the staff OB in with her, who was great and apparently SHE goes to the same OB that I do!

With all that still hooked up, they did the worst pap smear/internal exam I have ever had. It seemed to involve a lot of tools. She explained that they were checking to make sure my water hadn’t broken, and she made me cough a few times to see if anything came out. Then they took swipes of a few things to test for infections. She said that my cervix had softened on the outside, but was still hard on the inside and long or whatever they measure for. She said she was assuming the softening was from being irritated by the infection. Nurses and staff OB left again. When she returned, she said that the tests so far were all negative but asked if I would like STD tests done… I declined… she said there was definitely an infection present- lots of white blood cells and bacteria and also something about aerobic vs anaerobic cells. I don’t know why she was telling me that- I’m not a doctor and wasn’t following it at all. Had a few vague flashbacks of college biology but I couldn’t make sense of anything.

She said they wanted to do ANOTHER pee test to check for a bladder infection. She explained how to give a sterile sample in this really weird container, and said that if that didn’t work I would have to get a catheter. Yuck. First I had to drink this GIANT thing of water (but I got to take home the really cool mug) and then I almost peed on the floor while trying to clean myself in preparation for the “sterile sample.” I was almost in tears because I had to go so bad and I didn’t want to screw it up and get cathetered.

Those results weren’t going to be in until the next day, so she said they were just going to treat me for a generic infection with an antibiotic. They gave me Flagyl (I swear this is the worst stuff I’ve ever had, I puked four times with the first dose and it still upsets my stomach each time I take it) and she said my doctor could re-evaluate at my appointment next week and make any changes. Until then, I am instructed to not have sex, and no exercise or heavy lifting. If I have more than four contractions in an hour, or if I have them regularly every 10-15 minutes, I am supposed to call my doctor.

So basically, their conclusion was: This mystery infection (which I am guessing is a bladder infection) caused my cervix to get weird and other things to happen, such as contractions and pain. I am not at higher risk for preterm labor, but since this happened I need to be monitored a little more carefully and take it easy. Apparently bladder infections during pregnancy don’t always have the same symptoms as they do at other times.

We got home from the hospital about 3-3:30 in the morning. I have a renewed confidence in the hospital staff and in how well the birth will go. I am not worried about the baby. I am taking my antibiotics, even though they suck. And I am promising myself to rest more- Jonathon said he wanted to start helping out more around the house, so I will try to take him up on that.

Sleep, Sleep, Where Are You?

Filed Under Sleep, Symptoms | 2 Comments

I can’t sleep lately. Have I mentioned this? It is rare that I get a night of good sleep. I had to take a nap today at work, which I haven’t done in a long time. I can’t tell if I am starting to get to the third trimester/tired more thing or if it’s just because I’m not sleeping at night.

I haven’t napped during the day in at least a few weeks, with the exception of today. I have almost completely cut out caffeine, and if I have it, it’s before like 2 pm and only one serving/soda/whatever.

I wake up a million times during the night. Sometimes to pee, sometimes to get a drink, sometimes to check the thermostat, take off my socks, put on a shirt, or just to turn over because my hips or back or shoulders hurt.

Last night I woke up to turn our humidifier on. I tried to refill it and somehow put it back together crooked in the dark, so the water started pouring out around it. At about four in the morning, I was trying to clean up wet carpet with a towel. Jonathon woke up and yelled at me for not knowing how to use the humidifier (which I do) but I kept trying to explain what happened and he wouldn’t listen. We were both too asleep to have a rational conversation about it, so I cried myself back to sleep. Good thing I didn’t have to work until 9 today.

Hopefully tonight will be better. We’ll see. If I post to my blog at a really strange time, you’ll know it’s because I can’t sleep.

27 Weeks- Third Trimester!

Filed Under Dreams, Pregnancy, Symptoms, Thoughts, Week by Week | Leave a Comment

According to Babycenter:

How your baby’s growing: Your baby is really starting to fill up your uterus. This week he weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn’t bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby’s brain is very active now. Wonder what he’s thinking?

Your body is gearing up for the final lap, so you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They’re carrying extra weight, after all, and your uterus is putting extra demands on your circulation. (As your uterus expands, it puts pressure on the blood vessels that return blood from your legs to your heart and on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs.) Unfortunately, the cramps are likely to get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. Flexing your foot (by pointing your toes forward and then flexing them back toward your shins) stretches the calf and should give you some relief. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.

I haven’t felt the baby have hiccups yet. I know everyone talks about it, but if it’s happened, I don’t know about it. She seems to just kick and change positions a lot. Also, one of her body parts is a little to the left of my belly button- it must be an elbow or foot or something, because she pushes hard in that one spot from time to time. Sometimes I push back at her and she stops.

I get leg cramps sometimes at night- a feeling like a charlie horse is going to start, but then if I move fast enough it doesn’t happen. A few times, I haven’t caught it in time and have woken up to my leg being curled up in charlie horse pain. It goes away pretty fast, but it’s annoying. I know it’s not because of lack of fluid intake, because I get up to pee at least 5 times a night!

It’s so hard to imagine that I’m in the third trimester now- well according to some stuff anyway. Other things say it doesn’t start until week 28, but I’ll take what I can get. I can’t wait to meet Bailey, but I know she’s not done growing in there, yet. Every day I think this becomes more real to me, and I get more excited about having a baby and not just being pregnant. It’s fun that so many of my friends are having babies right now, too… I think I spent most of my awake time feeling the baby kick, playing with my belly, thinking about her, and shopping for her or her room or her stuff!

Last night, I dreamed that she was a few months old and we were getting her all dressed up for church. It was really disappointing when I woke up out of that dream.