Today's Wish List

Dear Baby,
We have a couple of appointments today. At 10:30, we have fetal testing and at 2:15, we're going to see Dr. Feldman.

Here's what we hope will happen:

You are going to move a lot, and your heart rate will go up appropriately. Also, Mommy is going to have a few contractions, and your heart rate will stay level - or drop a little - just like it is supposed to. Our fluid levels are going to look really good.

Then we're going to see Dr. Feldman. He's going to say that mommy is progressing (2 cm? shall I wish for more?) and since all of my tests are looking good, and your kick counts are good, we can reschedule the induction for next week, giving us a little more time to get this whole thing started naturally.

Does that sound like a plan, Baby G?

All right - let's do it!

Waiting

Waiting. and waiting. and waiting.

It is the not knowing WHEN or HOW that makes the waiting annoying.

I am so thankful, though, that I am comfortable!

blues

Last night while I was laying in bed with Grant, we were talking, and it occurred to me that I didn't really feel nervous. I ALWAYS get nervous! Before vacations, the first day of school, you name it, I get nervous. So here I am, on the dawn of one of the biggest events of my life, and I haven't had those nervous butterflies yet. Of course, mentioning it did give me a small case of the flutters - but nothing really bad.

Part of it, I think, is the unknown - you know, not knowing when it is going to happen. But part of me wonders why I am not MORE nervous because I don't know when it is going ti happen.

Today, I went in for more fetal monitoring. I was glad to go in, because I woke up kind of worried - he hasn't been moving as much. I can still do kick counts and stuff, but it was nice to be reassured.

The first lady had trouble funding measurements of amniotic fluid, but a 2nd nurse was able to get a measurement of 8.2. She says she wants me drinking lots of water and resting - but that I didn't have anything to worry about and to come back next Tuesday unless I heard otherwise.

The stress test, also, she said was fine - the baby didn't move as much, as I mentioned, but when he did, his heart rate went up. I was only on the monitoring for about 20 minutes or so - and I only had one small contraction.

I don't know - she said everything was fine but I don't feel very reassured. I woke up with the blues and just can't shake this feeling of being on the verge of crying. I know I'll never stop worrying about the baby, but it seems like once he is out, I can monitor him easier. I can see him and feel his heartbeat. I am being silly. I just got the blues.

Date Night

Yesterday, Feb. 10, was my due date. Since baby G is not here yet, and there were no signs that he was coming soon, Mom suggested that grant and I go out on a date!

SO Grant and I went to dinner at Houston's. It was de-licious. I had this yummy thai noodle salad with steak, and Grant had ono and a braised cabbage with goat cheese side that he said was absolutely delicious.

 We shared an ice cream sundae for dessert, and they put a candle on it to congratulate us on our upcoming parenthood!

After dinner, we went and watched The Reader, which was a really great movie. I thought they did a good job adapting the book - and Kate Winslet was, of course, amazing, as was David Kross, who played Michael Burg.

What a nice night. I love being with Grant. I am so excited to share this time with him now, and I am so excited that he and I get to share the adventure of parenthood together!

40 week appt

Yesterday, I went in for two appointments for Baby G. First, I went to the hospital for fetal monitoring - they did a non stress test and measured the fluid in the amniotic sac. The fluid levels are great - just where they should be. The heartbeat was strong and steady and rose whenever he moved, exactly as it is supposed to do - so everything looks good on that front. I only had one contraction during the whole 45 minutes I was hooked up to the machine.

Later, I had a regular appointment at the OB. Dr. Feldman was out delivering a baby, so I saw Jessica Brownrigg, the nurse practitioner that I do like. Everything looks healthy, but I am still just where I was last week - about 75% thinned and barely a cm dilated. Jessica asked about induction - I told her I wanted to go as long as I possibly could without it., and Jessica said most of the doctors don't like you to go past 41 weeks.  Unfortunately, Dr. Feldman wasn't there, but Jessica suggested that i go ahead and book an induction just so I have one on the books if Dr. Feldman decides it is neccesary. I went ahead and booked another appoinment for next Tuesday, and an induction tentitively for Thursday (of next week) - that way I can see Dr. Feldman on Tuesday and hopefully put off the induction another week if my monitering continues to look good (I go in for monitering again this Friday and probably will next Tuesday as well.)

Of course, Baby G could come at any time, so none of this might matter!

I am still feeling good and comfortable, and plenty able to sleep - so I don't really see any reason to induce - as long as the baby is healthy. Obviously, I am looking forward to meeting him - but I certainly don't have any feelings that I need to induce for my own comfort!

Wait and see!

40 weeks

Your Baby
Congrats! That bun in your oven is fully baked! That's the good news. The possibly not so stellar news: Actually giving birth on your due date is hard to do—even for overachievers. In fact, many first-time moms go up to 2 weeks past their due date (sorry!). Hopefully now that baby is cooked to perfection, he'll come bouncing out any day now. Other last-minute progress:

Because some of your hormones are passed into your baby's system, your baby's genitals (scrotum in boys and labia in girls), and even his or her breasts, may appear enlarged at birth. It can be alarming, but rest assured it's perfectly normal.

At birth your baby has a total of 300 bones. Some of the bones will fuse together later, which is why an adult has only 206 bones. Fascinating, no?

Babies vary in size at this point, but the average full-term baby weighs around 7 to 8 pounds and hovers around 19 or 20 inches. That's about the size of a ... BABY! Of course, tell that to the mother who just delivered a 9-pound baby vaginally.

 

How I am feeling

Since I had wanted this blog to be a blog of everything I experienced during my pregnancy, I feel as though I may disappoint since the process was so smooth for me, and i didn't have a ton of pregnancy symptoms.

In general, I have felt pretty good these last few weeks. I've noticed that the baby dropped just in my physical appearance - I never really had the shortness of breath or rib kicks, and I don't feel a significant increase of pressure on my bladder, although it is somewhat noticeable.

In the afternoon, after work, I do notice a soreness on the right side of my pelvic area. It sort of feels like a bruise or like I got kicked, but on the inside.

At night, I can sleep pretty well. I usually feel the most tired and sore at night - but it doesn't prevent me from falling asleep. The first few times that I wake up to pee are the hardest for me because my body is still sore and recovering from the day. Typically it is my hips that are sore, and sometimes my lower back. As the night carries on, it is easier to get up.

Usually, I can fall asleep with no problems. If I can't fall asleep, it has been because I have a million thoughts in my mind that I just can't seem to let go. I've been up for hours with my mind racing - but this usually only happens a few times a week, if that.

I have definitely been sleeping more - usually going to bed at around 9ish.

All in all, I feel incredibly fortunate to have had such a wonderful pregnancy. 

Oh - here is a funny thing - the other night I was trying to roll from one side to the other, but the baby was all stretched out and stiff, and I couldn't twist my torso in order to turn  - it was a pretty funny feeling!

Eye of the storm

Yesterday was my last day of work until April. It is so surreal. I feel like I should feel different if the baby is getting ready to come (physically, emotionally), but I don't yet. I feel overwhelmed leaving work, but otherwise... 

Everyone around me is swirling with thoughts of my eminent labor, ("you must be so excited, he is coming soon," "rest up" "wishing you an easy delivery..." "are you nervous?" "let us know if you're going into labor..." ) I feel more like the eye of the storm... that is, aware of all these feelings swirling around me that I should or could be feeling, but just not really bending in any direction.

39 Week Dr.s Appt

I had an appointment with Dr. Feldman yesterday. I am still only dilated to about a centimeter, but I am thinned 75%.  Baby G's heartbeat is in the 140's and all is looking well! I dropped a pound, which apparently is common as lablr approaches.

Next Tuesday is my due date. I have an appointment at the hospital for fetal monitoring, and I have my regular appointment with Dr. Feldman. 

Both Dr. Feldman and I agree that there is no reason to think about inducing at this point - it is much better if we can just let everything happen naturally - so the waiting game is on!

39 weeks

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

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

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

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

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