so just like the weekend before, we had about a 16-hour episode of contractions that intensified in the last couple hours and then completely fizzled out.
derek says my uterus has commitment issues. i think it's just fickle and indecisive. so we certainly had some excitement, but here it is monday morning and it seems we're no closer than before saturday. it's frustrating and discouraging, but it certainly makes us that more anxious to meet our little girl.
thinking about it, i guess i'm kind of surprised the dr. didn't suggest i reschedule my next appointment for later in the week, but oh well. i don't expect there to have been any progress since saturday, but we shall see.
this stopping and starting pattern is starting to make me nervous about going late and not being able to birth in family beginnings...i guess we'll take it a day at a time and figure out what we need to do.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
jury's still out.
so we spent about 5 hours at the hospital today. they had me on the monitor for about an hour after we got there, and the dr came and examined me.
i was having contractions fairly regularly around 3-4 minutes apart...but the exam revealed that the contractions weren't getting me any more dilated. so they sent us to walk around the hospital for an hour...after which we got monitored again, after which another hour of walking, after which some more monitoring and another exam.
so after all that, we got sent home. no further dilation, but the contractions remained steady....and continue to do so. we'll call them if my water breaks or if the contractions get more intense.
while we were there, however, we managed to see two friends who had both had their babies in the last couple days. both were discharging and we saw them during our walks. so we got talk with both of them (one a good friend from fairhaven, the other a couple from our bradley class) and meet both of their new sons. :) so that was nice.
and now we wait. when we left, the nurse indicated that she would not expect things to continue like this for more than a day or two without us having a baby, so that's potentially encouraging and potentially discouraging (if it turns out to be longer).
we'll see what happens.......
i was having contractions fairly regularly around 3-4 minutes apart...but the exam revealed that the contractions weren't getting me any more dilated. so they sent us to walk around the hospital for an hour...after which we got monitored again, after which another hour of walking, after which some more monitoring and another exam.
so after all that, we got sent home. no further dilation, but the contractions remained steady....and continue to do so. we'll call them if my water breaks or if the contractions get more intense.
while we were there, however, we managed to see two friends who had both had their babies in the last couple days. both were discharging and we saw them during our walks. so we got talk with both of them (one a good friend from fairhaven, the other a couple from our bradley class) and meet both of their new sons. :) so that was nice.
and now we wait. when we left, the nurse indicated that she would not expect things to continue like this for more than a day or two without us having a baby, so that's potentially encouraging and potentially discouraging (if it turns out to be longer).
we'll see what happens.......
is this it??
so we are heading out to the hospital shortly...i've been having pain/contractions since about 3.30 am at least (maybe longer if it started while i was sleeping)...we called the dr. who said to come in and get checked to see what's going on. we're having a hard time timing things because the pain is constant. so...we'll see!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
i gained HOW MUCH???
so my 38 week appointment was yesterday...some things were a bit different than normal, but apparently nothing too out of order.
my urine showed a little bit of protein, which i'd never had before. i asked the nurse what that meant and she said "nothing, really". oh? then why did you mention it???
my blood pressure was 120/72. typically, my blood pressure has been around 105/70.
my weight. yikes. it didn't seem too bad until i remembered it had only been a WEEK since my last appt. at my last appt, i had lost 1.5 pounds. yay me. this time, i GAINED 5. what??? the dr. said it's probably fluids and am i drinking too much pop? he got me on that one. what used to be a "once every 10 days or so" treat has become a "i promise i never have more than one a day" fiasco. he thinks the sodium in the pop is causing me to retain fluids. woo-hoo. i may have forgotten to tell him about my recent obsession with graeter's and ice cream in general.
as for any other progress, that was a little depressing too. even after all those contractions over the weekend, i am still 1cm dilated, 75% effaced, -1 station. i was really hoping for just one more cm. but, as they say, these things can change quickly. so progress or lack thereof is not indicative of when the baby will come. yeah, i know that. but another cm would've been nice.
my urine showed a little bit of protein, which i'd never had before. i asked the nurse what that meant and she said "nothing, really". oh? then why did you mention it???
my blood pressure was 120/72. typically, my blood pressure has been around 105/70.
my weight. yikes. it didn't seem too bad until i remembered it had only been a WEEK since my last appt. at my last appt, i had lost 1.5 pounds. yay me. this time, i GAINED 5. what??? the dr. said it's probably fluids and am i drinking too much pop? he got me on that one. what used to be a "once every 10 days or so" treat has become a "i promise i never have more than one a day" fiasco. he thinks the sodium in the pop is causing me to retain fluids. woo-hoo. i may have forgotten to tell him about my recent obsession with graeter's and ice cream in general.
as for any other progress, that was a little depressing too. even after all those contractions over the weekend, i am still 1cm dilated, 75% effaced, -1 station. i was really hoping for just one more cm. but, as they say, these things can change quickly. so progress or lack thereof is not indicative of when the baby will come. yeah, i know that. but another cm would've been nice.
nesting and other pertinent questions.
i get a lot of questions nowadays....
q: "is the nursery ready??"
a: there is no nursery, just a guest room/office filled with the baby's clothes/diapers/toys/books. the baby is residing in a co-sleeper next to my side of the bed for at least 6 months and once we have a house (which we hope to begin searching for in earnest this august/september), there will be a nursery.
q: "how are you feeling??"
a: not bad, actually. today i woke up with a backache, but that's fairly rare. my back isn't in the best of shape, by any means, but overall i'm physically doing pretty good i think. not too much to complain about. i mean, of course i'm HUGE...and that presents it's own challenges, but for the most part i feel fine.
q: "have you had the baby yet??"
a: uh, no. but derek and i are both to the point where we find it difficult to concentrate on anything substantial and it seems that mindless tasks are about all we can handle right now.
q: "are you nesting??"
a: if by "you", you mean me, the answer is no. if by "you", you mean derek, the answer is an undeniable yes. the boy is going crazy in this place. this morning, after cleaning the kitchen (which typically involves dealing with all dishes and cleaning countertops) and starting laundry, he proceeded to vaccuum the kitchen floor. i hate to admit it, but this is a bi-annual task around these parts. we have slate floor that doesn't show the dirt and sweeping usually happens when one of us is tired of the bits of cereal and other crumbs that stick to the bottom of our feet. and he didn't just grab the broom and spot sweep, which is usually how said crumbs are dealt with...no, he pulled out the vaccuum, plugged it in, and used the hand tools to clean all the nastiness. the boy is nesting. i wonder if i ever will.
q: "are you ready??"
a: holy cow, yes. and holy cow, never in a million years will i be ready for this one. i'm impatient, but also ambivalent. i was reading in the dr sears pregnancy book this morning about how many first-time mothers are ambivalent...anxious for the waiting to be over, anxious to meet their child, but content to have their sleep and privacy. that pretty much hits it for me. my way of life as i know it is about to end. an entirely new life is waiting for me any day now...and that's great and all, but it's also scary as crap sometimes and this is one time when NOT being in control is just fine with me. for now, i'm content being uneasy and indecisive. it doesn't really matter what i'm ready for or what i'm holding on to, because it's really not up to me when that changes. i'm just doing my best to enjoy each day (which is pretty easy, considering how amazing the weather has been this week), get a few things accomplished, stay rested and go for a walk once in a while.
q: "is the nursery ready??"
a: there is no nursery, just a guest room/office filled with the baby's clothes/diapers/toys/books. the baby is residing in a co-sleeper next to my side of the bed for at least 6 months and once we have a house (which we hope to begin searching for in earnest this august/september), there will be a nursery.
q: "how are you feeling??"
a: not bad, actually. today i woke up with a backache, but that's fairly rare. my back isn't in the best of shape, by any means, but overall i'm physically doing pretty good i think. not too much to complain about. i mean, of course i'm HUGE...and that presents it's own challenges, but for the most part i feel fine.
q: "have you had the baby yet??"
a: uh, no. but derek and i are both to the point where we find it difficult to concentrate on anything substantial and it seems that mindless tasks are about all we can handle right now.
q: "are you nesting??"
a: if by "you", you mean me, the answer is no. if by "you", you mean derek, the answer is an undeniable yes. the boy is going crazy in this place. this morning, after cleaning the kitchen (which typically involves dealing with all dishes and cleaning countertops) and starting laundry, he proceeded to vaccuum the kitchen floor. i hate to admit it, but this is a bi-annual task around these parts. we have slate floor that doesn't show the dirt and sweeping usually happens when one of us is tired of the bits of cereal and other crumbs that stick to the bottom of our feet. and he didn't just grab the broom and spot sweep, which is usually how said crumbs are dealt with...no, he pulled out the vaccuum, plugged it in, and used the hand tools to clean all the nastiness. the boy is nesting. i wonder if i ever will.
q: "are you ready??"
a: holy cow, yes. and holy cow, never in a million years will i be ready for this one. i'm impatient, but also ambivalent. i was reading in the dr sears pregnancy book this morning about how many first-time mothers are ambivalent...anxious for the waiting to be over, anxious to meet their child, but content to have their sleep and privacy. that pretty much hits it for me. my way of life as i know it is about to end. an entirely new life is waiting for me any day now...and that's great and all, but it's also scary as crap sometimes and this is one time when NOT being in control is just fine with me. for now, i'm content being uneasy and indecisive. it doesn't really matter what i'm ready for or what i'm holding on to, because it's really not up to me when that changes. i'm just doing my best to enjoy each day (which is pretty easy, considering how amazing the weather has been this week), get a few things accomplished, stay rested and go for a walk once in a while.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
home stretch.
ok. so looking at the little thingy on the right side of this page that says i have 11 (ELEVEN!!!!) days to go is a bit surreal.
most things that need to be done are done. the remaining things can wait, if they need to.
we went to a friend's for a cookout on saturday...for those who don't know, i have a group of friends from high school that are still quite close. we get together whenever we can, but it can be difficult because we've spread all over the country (with one in maryland, one in idaho, one in washington state, one in louisiana, and others in ohio) and one in london. so when the london boy (or any from out of state for that matter) is in town, we do what we can. it was a great evening and made me miss how often we used to all see each other.
while finishing up dessert, i started having some lower abdominal pain that just didn't stop. as time went on, it started getting stronger from time to time and then ebbing away. seemed like the beginning of labor. we headed home and CALMLY worked on packing some things for the hospital since we hadn't done that yet.
the contractions lasted all night, got stronger sunday morning, and fizzled out around noon. since then, we have had a few recurrences, but nothing substantial. i do feel better having things mostly organized and packed for the hospital though, that's for sure.
monday night i met with three other girls from our bradley class...one had her baby about a month ago -- a girl named norah with the most amazing head of hair i've seen on a newborn, like, ever. we all sat and chatted at caribou for several hours and had a good time.
today i have my 38 week exam, followed by the chiropractor and a massage. hopefully that string of events will get things moving for real this time (well, all the contractions i've had are real, but maybe tomorrow i'll progress into full labor). the false alarms this weekend have made us incredibly anxious for ... (insert name here)'s... arrival :) it's nice to be close to revealing her name, because it does get old not telling. we are ready for her, though, and i think if we had our way, we'd have my water break (naturally and on its own, of course) any minute so we could get this show on the road. just to have some definitive sign that says YES YOU WILL HAVE A CHILD IN YOUR ARMS IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS would be lovely. you know, if that's not asking too much.
most things that need to be done are done. the remaining things can wait, if they need to.
we went to a friend's for a cookout on saturday...for those who don't know, i have a group of friends from high school that are still quite close. we get together whenever we can, but it can be difficult because we've spread all over the country (with one in maryland, one in idaho, one in washington state, one in louisiana, and others in ohio) and one in london. so when the london boy (or any from out of state for that matter) is in town, we do what we can. it was a great evening and made me miss how often we used to all see each other.
while finishing up dessert, i started having some lower abdominal pain that just didn't stop. as time went on, it started getting stronger from time to time and then ebbing away. seemed like the beginning of labor. we headed home and CALMLY worked on packing some things for the hospital since we hadn't done that yet.
the contractions lasted all night, got stronger sunday morning, and fizzled out around noon. since then, we have had a few recurrences, but nothing substantial. i do feel better having things mostly organized and packed for the hospital though, that's for sure.
monday night i met with three other girls from our bradley class...one had her baby about a month ago -- a girl named norah with the most amazing head of hair i've seen on a newborn, like, ever. we all sat and chatted at caribou for several hours and had a good time.
today i have my 38 week exam, followed by the chiropractor and a massage. hopefully that string of events will get things moving for real this time (well, all the contractions i've had are real, but maybe tomorrow i'll progress into full labor). the false alarms this weekend have made us incredibly anxious for ... (insert name here)'s... arrival :) it's nice to be close to revealing her name, because it does get old not telling. we are ready for her, though, and i think if we had our way, we'd have my water break (naturally and on its own, of course) any minute so we could get this show on the road. just to have some definitive sign that says YES YOU WILL HAVE A CHILD IN YOUR ARMS IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS would be lovely. you know, if that's not asking too much.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
stupid strep.
so at my 36 week appointment, as is procedure, i was tested for strep B. Group B Strep is found in 10-30% of pregnant women. it is found in the birth canal and is benign to the mother, but can infect the baby during birth, leading to sepsis, menangitis, and pneumonia. it can be very dangerous for newborns, and is fatal for 5-15% of infants infected.
as it turns out, i fall into the 10-30%. what that means is that during labor, i will have to receive IV antibiotics that will pass to the baby through the placenta, hopefully protecting her from infection. despite antibiotics, some infants still contract group b strep, but the antibiotics are a largely-effective means of prevention.
the good news is that being strep b positive does not mean that we have to change our birthing plans. we will still be able to birth at family beginnings. however, we will be required to stay at the hospital for 48 hours after birth in order for the baby to be monitored for signs of infection. if we are able to stay in a family beginnings room for that time, we'll be pretty comfortable. but if another mother needs the room to birth, we'll have to move into a regular l/d room.
at my appointment today i had lost 1.5 pounds since last week...which, although i have no idea why or how, i'm fine with...and better yet, the doctor is fine with. he did an exam today (i know, i said i would wait until next week, but i've had so many contractions this week, i just couldn't handle the curiosity)... as it turns out, things are moving along. i'm 1cm dilated, 75% effaced, my cervix is VERY soft, and her head is VERY low. he also noted that at this point, he can tell if the baby will fit through ok, and he said we're good to go.
as for any predictions on when we might have a baby in our arms rather than in my belly, he was reticent to predict. which i appreciate. i'd much rather he tell me he doesn't know, than tell me something that ends up not happening and them i'm really upset and anxious. that's the kind of honesty i appreciate.
also, this past weekend i had my last orchestra concert of the year. derek's parents and sister came in town to see it and we had a nice weekend with them. here's a pic of the belly and the cello:
as it turns out, i fall into the 10-30%. what that means is that during labor, i will have to receive IV antibiotics that will pass to the baby through the placenta, hopefully protecting her from infection. despite antibiotics, some infants still contract group b strep, but the antibiotics are a largely-effective means of prevention.
the good news is that being strep b positive does not mean that we have to change our birthing plans. we will still be able to birth at family beginnings. however, we will be required to stay at the hospital for 48 hours after birth in order for the baby to be monitored for signs of infection. if we are able to stay in a family beginnings room for that time, we'll be pretty comfortable. but if another mother needs the room to birth, we'll have to move into a regular l/d room.
at my appointment today i had lost 1.5 pounds since last week...which, although i have no idea why or how, i'm fine with...and better yet, the doctor is fine with. he did an exam today (i know, i said i would wait until next week, but i've had so many contractions this week, i just couldn't handle the curiosity)... as it turns out, things are moving along. i'm 1cm dilated, 75% effaced, my cervix is VERY soft, and her head is VERY low. he also noted that at this point, he can tell if the baby will fit through ok, and he said we're good to go.
as for any predictions on when we might have a baby in our arms rather than in my belly, he was reticent to predict. which i appreciate. i'd much rather he tell me he doesn't know, than tell me something that ends up not happening and them i'm really upset and anxious. that's the kind of honesty i appreciate.
also, this past weekend i had my last orchestra concert of the year. derek's parents and sister came in town to see it and we had a nice weekend with them. here's a pic of the belly and the cello:
Friday, April 11, 2008
april showers
well i was expecting a baby shower on April 5...instead, i had TWO. the one i hadn't planned on was a surprise shower from the folks on the drama team. we had our monthly meeting last saturday morning, and they had combined it with a little baby shower for me. apparently, derek was under strict instructions to make sure i attended the meeting that morning...he performed his job wonderfully, reminding me the night before about the meeting...i had completely forgotten about it. :)
it was nice and simple...they had pooled money and bought several items from our registry, and others that were consistent with our registry, but not actually on it. many of the items are for the nursery (that for now exists only in our imaginations, but will materialize when we finally get a house, hopefully this fall), and they also gave us some organic onesies, a cute little stuffed giraffe, and other fun things.
after the meeting, i rushed home, changed clothes and had lunch with derek before heading to my mom's for the afternoon shower. she and my friend leslie (a close friend from college) had planned it together...the food was yummy, the games were fun, and it was so amazing to see so many close friends and relatives in the same room together.
showers are hard...there are all these people there that you know and love, but there really isn't time to spend privately with everyone. what compounds that, i think, is that the shower (whether bridal or baby variety) is typically held shortly before the big event (wedding or birth), and after said big event, you will have even LESS time to spend with all these great people. in a way, i think showers a kind of like going-away parties...or at least "see-you-in-a-few-months" parties.
anyway, it was a beautiful afternoon and i was happy to spend it with the guests who came to support us. we received many wonderful and thoughtful gifts, but are most blessed by the love and support of those in our lives.
here are a few pictures of the day... :)
it was nice and simple...they had pooled money and bought several items from our registry, and others that were consistent with our registry, but not actually on it. many of the items are for the nursery (that for now exists only in our imaginations, but will materialize when we finally get a house, hopefully this fall), and they also gave us some organic onesies, a cute little stuffed giraffe, and other fun things.
after the meeting, i rushed home, changed clothes and had lunch with derek before heading to my mom's for the afternoon shower. she and my friend leslie (a close friend from college) had planned it together...the food was yummy, the games were fun, and it was so amazing to see so many close friends and relatives in the same room together.
showers are hard...there are all these people there that you know and love, but there really isn't time to spend privately with everyone. what compounds that, i think, is that the shower (whether bridal or baby variety) is typically held shortly before the big event (wedding or birth), and after said big event, you will have even LESS time to spend with all these great people. in a way, i think showers a kind of like going-away parties...or at least "see-you-in-a-few-months" parties.
anyway, it was a beautiful afternoon and i was happy to spend it with the guests who came to support us. we received many wonderful and thoughtful gifts, but are most blessed by the love and support of those in our lives.
here are a few pictures of the day... :)
feels like saturday.
so today is my first day on maternity leave. derek and i spent a couple hours lounging in bed this morning, watching the news and practicing some relaxation positions for labor. we're not the best at practicing, but some is better than none i keep telling myself. :)
yesterday was my last day at work and it was nice. i finished up a bit of work for a co-worker and passed on files for her to take over... went to lunch with the girls and packed up my cubicle afterwards...then the last act -- turning in my air force ID badge. things still don't feel all that different. it kind of just feels like saturday. it'll hit next week, i'm sure.
there is so much to do...starting with taxes. i think i had them done a month early last year. that was nice. i just haven't had the time to focus on them the way i'd like, with all the other things going on. it's time to start making lists, though...of little and big things. i can feel my head getting overwhelmed with all the stuff there is to do, and it always helps to write it all down, no matter how trivial.
this weekend is one we've been looking forward to...i have my last orchestra concerts of the season, and derek's parents are coming to visit.
we're on weekly visits to the OB now...at my last appt on tuesday, the dr. said she's pretty low, that her head is in position, and that i'm beginning to efface. no dilation yet, but that's ok. we're able to decide when we do or don't want internal exams, so i think we'll wait two weeks and check again. that will be at our 38 week appt.
it's strange how all these milestones have happened...finishing our birthing classes...derek signing for his job after school, finishing his co-op quarter, starting his final quarter at UC...me going on maternity leave and tomorrow is 37 weeks --- full term. this baby can come any time after tomorrow. meanwhile, we're enjoying the time we have together, freewheeling it with activities such as spontaneous trips to the library, sleeping through the night and just pretty much doing what we feel like whenever we feel like doing it.
we know that won't last....... :)
yesterday was my last day at work and it was nice. i finished up a bit of work for a co-worker and passed on files for her to take over... went to lunch with the girls and packed up my cubicle afterwards...then the last act -- turning in my air force ID badge. things still don't feel all that different. it kind of just feels like saturday. it'll hit next week, i'm sure.
there is so much to do...starting with taxes. i think i had them done a month early last year. that was nice. i just haven't had the time to focus on them the way i'd like, with all the other things going on. it's time to start making lists, though...of little and big things. i can feel my head getting overwhelmed with all the stuff there is to do, and it always helps to write it all down, no matter how trivial.
this weekend is one we've been looking forward to...i have my last orchestra concerts of the season, and derek's parents are coming to visit.
we're on weekly visits to the OB now...at my last appt on tuesday, the dr. said she's pretty low, that her head is in position, and that i'm beginning to efface. no dilation yet, but that's ok. we're able to decide when we do or don't want internal exams, so i think we'll wait two weeks and check again. that will be at our 38 week appt.
it's strange how all these milestones have happened...finishing our birthing classes...derek signing for his job after school, finishing his co-op quarter, starting his final quarter at UC...me going on maternity leave and tomorrow is 37 weeks --- full term. this baby can come any time after tomorrow. meanwhile, we're enjoying the time we have together, freewheeling it with activities such as spontaneous trips to the library, sleeping through the night and just pretty much doing what we feel like whenever we feel like doing it.
we know that won't last....... :)
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