Making Progress: Dilation, Effacement, and Me

SO MUCH to blather at you about that restless bun that's been in my oven for 38 weeks!

Let's get the technical mumbo jumbo out of the way because it's EXCITING but not EXCITING. Spencer is still pretty much the size of a mini-watermelon but he's stretched from a swiss chard to the length of a leek...from a vegetable I'm not familiar with to a vegetable I'm not a fan of. "Can't wait to sneak a peak at my lil leek" - Todd. Regardless, I'm guessing I've got a lengthy little man in there because he's wedged up under my ribs while simultaneously using my bladder as a pillow. He's ALL OVER in there that I think he may be part octopus.

As for the specifics of being 38 weeks along, there's really not much to tell. The clock is winding down. He's still secreting that gunk that prevents his lungs from sticking together when he begins to breathe, he's layering on the fat, and his brain is continuing to develop it's Ivy League potential. And that's about it in that department! He's just prepping for his big debut!

As for moi, I could be leaking breast milk, but I'm not. I could have swollen feet and ankles, but I don't. No stretch marks, no itchy abdomen, no dark black tummy line, no sign of the mucous plug (ew). I AM really bouncing from hyper active to totally drained. Trying to use my spurts of energy to get last minute projects done. Contractions put a damper on that though. Yeeouch! I shed a few tear droplets the other day (haven't had many emotions while preggo) because I was in pain and frustrated but Todd rubbed the bump and made me feel a little better. It's good to have a partner in all this.

So here's my 38 week mug shot and shot of my mug, for posterity.

So I had my weekly doctor's appointment yesterday (but almost DIDN'T due to my doc ducking out to deliver a baby) and was totally ready to hear that I had made zero progress as certain people are convinced that I'm going to be late. My BP was still good (which I'm jazzed about because I've been having some headaches) and his heart beat was 142. Again, he gave the nurse a hard time and insisted on wriggling while she was using the Doppler. My little troublemaker. My weight remained the same and when she measured my fundal height, she said I was a little under but that it was alright. If she's not nervous, I'm not.

Like I said, I was honestly ready to hear that my cervix was like a steel trap and we'd just have to wait until next week for any developments. Shockingly, this was not the case! During my exam, she discovered I was 2 cm (1 and a wiggle, but she's counting it) and I'm 50% effaced. ROCK! Effacement is really what you want. Yes, they sort of go hand-in-hand (10 cm and 100% = baby) but you can only dilate SO FAR without being effaced. They can make you dilate but they can't thin you out! So I'm in a really good place and the doc said it truly can be any day.

The nurse said I might not even make it to my appointment next Wednesday!

The Godmother: Excellent. I think your body is ready to get him on outta there. I want to poke at him. Nicely of course. Rest up and efface!

Like always, I need to make notes of my contractions and call when I have them every 5 minutes for an hour. I was also told that if I am leaking any fluid to call right away, contractions or not. For the first time, I was spotting a little. I was told this could happen after a vaginal exam this late in the game but it was still scary to see. It didn't last long and now I'm back to feeling like me. All anxious and excited. It truly COULD be any time now. EEK! So tonight, we get the car seat and my bag in the car and stock the freezer and cupboard. This could possibly be the LAST WEEKLY UPDATE (if I get my way)!!!

My fortune cookie seems to think so!

So Close: Our Son's Arrival Is Right Around The Corner

Do NOT Google "mucous plus" unless you really want to see it. Nightmarish.

Oh, by the way, you DON'T want to see it. Even if you ARE pregnant.

So today I am 37 weeks along and my man is either the size of swiss chard or a really round watermelon, depend on who you ask. I'm guessing the comparison to swiss chard has to do with his length and the watermelon with his overall size ("Monster melon"). Either way, he's as tasty as ever.

I'm definitely starting to loosen up, ligament-wise. I've got the waddle going on but I was told that it's cute. I'm not leaking any breast milk, my feet and ankles aren't swollen, I'm still painting my own toenails (they're Slate this week)...but I AM contracting at really odd intervals. Last night, they were 2 hours and 48 minutes, 3 hours 24 minutes, 1 hour and 26 minutes, and 18 minutes apart...followed by nothing because I fell asleep. The previous day, they were 1 hour 29 minutes, 5 minutes, 41 minutes, and 3 hours 11 minutes apart. So we're all over the map in the contraction department.

Oh! My man is awake! And he has the hiccups. He ALWAYS has the hiccups.

At this moment, he's shedding all that weird vernix and lanugo shtuff and swallowing amniotic fluid. My nephews recently inquired what a shot of amniotic fluid might taste like. That was enough to make me want to throw up in my mouth. Basically, he's good to go and could come out at any time but the longer he cooks, the better. The only thing still developing really is the lungs. They're maturing and something called "surfactant" is being secreted. I guess that keeps the lungs from sticking together when he begins to breathe. I find that fascinating.

I find the fact that the lungs COULD stick together horrific!

I have 8 work days left until maternity leave. I'd be lying if I said I'm not starting to get nervous. I am. Not about being a parent or being responsible for raising a human being. I've gotten over that. I'm nervous about the dogs. I'm nervous about the house not being as clean as I want it. I'm nervous about my maternity-leave replacement being properly trained. I'm nervous about money (although it is so nice to know a paycheck is coming every week while I'm off). I'm nervous about things going well during delivery. I'm nervous that he might not be healthy or there will be some other complication. And yeah, I'm nervous about the pain and my ability to remain tough.

I'm sure every mother has these worries but they're all hitting me like a ton of bricks and keeping me up at night...though my bladder and a baby that never seems to sleep help with that one. I'm taking everything day by day. Actually, I'm taking things hour by hour because I never know for certain how I'm going to feel. I'm doing the best I can. This much I know.

The Pain Game: Having My Aching Suspicions Confirmed

Only 2 doctor's appointments (or LESS) to go before our due date!

Time flies when you're having...contractions? I had my weekly appointment this morning with one of my doctor's colleagues since she's off this week. I've seen this doctor before so I was totally comfortable. Well, as comfortable as I COULD be in an office without the air conditioning on...preggo chicks need AC, buddy...and after a day of pretty intense pain.

I had to leave work before the day even began yesterday because I was doubled over more than I was upright. I felt like I had an industrial strength rubberband around my mid-section which had me all rolled up on myself. So, feeling like a wuss, I bailed. I crawled back into bed and there I stayed for the duration. I slept on and off, watched a little TV when I was too uncomfortable to snooze, and had some mac-n-cheese care of the husband. Yep. That was my day in it's entirity.

Today I hit the doctor for what I hope was my third to last visit. My blood pressure was 110/64 (I was told this was excellent and I'll take excellent any day). Spencer's fetal heart rate was 160, which is the quickest it's even been! The nurse said he is a very active baby...I've been hearing that a lot about my little Squiggy. When the doc came in, I told him about the pain I'd been having and he had me lay down to measure my fundal height (36 cm), and right then...YEEEEEOUCH!

Me: I'm having a pain right now.
Doc: You're having a contraction right now!

He told me he could feel my entire belly firm up and that I was having a contraction at that very moment. He began feeling around to see if Spencer's head was down (and pushing on me like that while I was contracting was NOT awesome) but I was "very firm". He brought in the ultrasound just to be sure my guy was in position, which he was. I wish he wouldn't turned the screen to let me see my man. I should've asked. Wuss.

The weird thing is that he didn't do an internal physical exam. I was told I'd be examined for dilation and effacement every week until I popped but not this time. So I have no idea where I stand in that department. You would think that since he was handling me at the very moment I had a contraction, he'd be interested in what was happening below the belt. He just told me to stay on patrol (I had another contraction 33 minutes later so I'm thinking this is still all pre-term garbage) because things were definitely a-brewing. I'm guessing we'll get some news at my appointment next Thursday, if Spencer doesn't shock us all before.

In other tales of interest...

1. I am NOT a Group B Strep carrier so no antibiotics during delivery.
2. Spencer scored a third generation Yorktown Lanes bowling shirt from the Cottrells!!
3. He also scored another home-made blanket, this one with spaceships & aliens.

I managed to cart the Spencer bump to the Roll-n-Bowl for a few hours on Saturday but he told me when he reached his limit. We went home and watched Gray's Anatomy in bed while Todd rubbed my head. Sunday, I'm attempting to cart him to the Renaissance Faire in Geneva with his daddy and Auntie Phee-Bizzle. That will most likely be the last hurrah (and huzzah!) before my agenda switched to Motherhood Mode. I'm excited for both events, motherhood AND mutton-n-mead. Well, no mead for me but you get the point!

See you Thursday when we hit 37 weeks or 21 days to go!

News Flash: A Lack-Of-News Flash

So I had my first weekly doctor's visit today and this is what we've learned:

-His heart beat was 150.

-My blood pressure is still really good.

-His head is down so he hasn't repositioned.

-My cervix is shut, but per my doc, it's still pretty early.

-The fundal height was 34cm which she considered OK.

-The Group B Strep results should be in tomorrow.

The next appointment is 1 week from today so we'll see if anything changes. But like she said, it's still pretty early. He won't even be considered full-term until the end of next week. But she also said anything can happen, it's unpredictable, so I'm still on contraction patrol.

When they're 5 minutes apart for 1 hour, I'll call in. She doesn't like to send broads to Labor and Delivery unless everything sounds promising because they'll just send you home if the timing isn't right. If it's during office hours, she'll check me out there first. If it's in the evening, I can call and then go to L&D or go to L&D and then call.

Either way, I'm leaving with a baby.

Dreaming Is Free: Is Lots of Hair and Funny Ears In Store?

I dreamed of Spencer again last night. I was checking in on him in the middle of the night like a terrified mom even though Todd told me to relax. There he was, wide awake and chubby cheeked in his crib. He had tons of fluffy hair (like his dad) and over sized ears that he was gripping on to. After I woke up and realized I was dreaming, I couldn't fall back to sleep. I'm ready to hang out with my boy.

I'm 34 weeks today and he is the size of my most hated food, the pineapple. Blech.

The specs say he's probably between 19 - 22 inches long and a around 5.5 pounds, but that's all speculation and guesstimation. The rest of his growth with be pounds, not inches, and it could be anywhere from 1 measly pound to several. We'll just have to wait and see. As of my doctor's appointment yesterday, I have not gained any more weight, but that really means squat. It's at this time that my monster is becoming "squeezably soft", like he was in my dream. Swoon. And his squeezably soft brain is continuing to develop at warp speed.

Nothing much has changed about me since last week or my last appointment. I haven't gained any weight and I'm still getting up only once or twice during the night to empty my tank. No swollen feet/ankles or varicose veins either!And thank sweet zombie Jesus, I haven't had any moments of urgency or lack of bladder control when I laugh or sneeze. But there's still time for all that magic to happen. I'm feeling good (and my mom was told that I look good, healthy and happy, which is quite the compliment), just getting anxious to meet our son! Patience is not one of my virtues.

My doctor's appointment was pretty boring as well...and boring is good! No news is good news. His heart rate was 148, my blood pressure was excellent, his head is down, he's in position, and he's pretty much out of room in there (the punching I've been feeling behind my belly button is actually from a KNEE). And my fundal height was a little over 33cm so I'm no longer measuring ahead at all! Way to go, Spence! Since I'm still having constant dull back pain, I was told to keep an eye on the cramping for anything "measurable" and to call if there were any physical changes down below.

Spencer totally pulled one over on the nurse. She was dead set he was in one position but couldn't find his heartbeat so she started poking around. The little sucker was laid out in a completely ridiculous position and the nurse was really shocked that he had tricked her. Silly baby.

So my next appointment is set for the 19th (we'll be married 1 year and 10 months that day) and after that, I'll go every week. How's THAT for a sign that it's all getting close?? Until then, I'm taking it as easy as I can. I know I keep saying that I'm anxious to get Spencer into my arms, but I know he needs every extra minute he can get in the oven to give him a good start. Dr. Nightmare is making sure he stays right where he belongs...for now!



Getting Comfy: Trying To Clock Some Hours In Dream Land.

Last week, I had no idea what fruit/veggie/food stuff Spencer was the size of. But I've been informed by another preggo chick's blog that at 31 weeks, he was the size of 4 oranges. Are they small, are they large...I can't tell you. But allegedly, that's how big my little bruiser was.

This week, 32 weeks to be exact, he is the size of jicama, which is really coincidental. My pal John Jackson and I were just discussing jicama. Neither of us knew what it was so I did some research and learned it's kind of like a water chestnut or a radish...therefore, it is disgusting, and the furthest thing from Spencer. Regardless, this week he is about the size of one of these nasty...vegetables? It doesn't really seem to be bigger than 4 oranges though.

At 32 weeks, my boy is pretty much at his birth length which should at least be around 19 inches and he's weighing in at around 4.5 pounds which is awesome. I want him to be as big and healthy as he can be!  "They" say he can even double in size between now and birth...my mom DID predict a 9 pound bundle of joy! This week, his Immune System is all in place...unless he's like his mommy, then he's doomed. And amniotic fluid is at it's maximum now so they're less juice to cushion his ninja activities.

And in the land of ME, it's said that insomnia affects about 75% of moms during the third trimester but it's not really insomnia that's my problem. Even my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome hasn't been an issue...I've actually had MORE energy during my pregnancy, including now. I'm just uncomfortable and FUSSY! Then there are frequent bathroom trips and then trying to get back into a comfy spot when the Round Ligament Pains and (I think) contraction cramping hits at night. Once I find that comfy spot, I'm out like a light again. There's just a lot of hunting going on during the night. The pillow between the knees is helping.

An additional help to my night time troubles has been the adjustment in my work schedule. I cut my days down by an hour and half, which may not sound like much (but it's IS when I was clocking 10.5 hour days). But it's been 2 days and I can already feel the difference. By the time I start feeling irrationally fussy at work, it's time to hit the road. And I have some extra time while I'm there to relax, settle, and empty my mind in order to get some quality snoozing in. I feel really good about it...even if it makes me feel incredibly lazy. I'm going to embrace the laziness because in no time...it'll vanish!

Baby Shower is this weekend which is a milestone we need to hit! I'm in such a panic about him coming early and us being unprepared but things are looking MORE than good that I won't be dropping any bombs before Sunday. I'm keeping everything crossed that this is the case...especially my legs. To my girlfriends out there, I really can't WAIT to see your sexy faces! It's been far, far too long!

Time for morning meds and the countdown until my long weekend begins!



Shut Tight: Taking It Day By Day, Week By Week.

My brother-in-law just walked up to me and said, "So I heard your cervix is still closed". Yep, died a little on the inside just then. But he's the godfather so I guess he can comment...and at least he cares about what's going on in Spencer Land.

Skipping over Father's Day for now to talk about my doctor's appt while it's fresh.

Went to my follow-up appointment with my OB/GYN yesterday. As soon as I walked in the office, my nurse said, "Baby's giving you troubles, huh?" and was he ever, though I don't blame him. He's crammed into a small space and probably itching to see the world. Or at least to tell me to stop talking to him so he could some peace. Added a few pounds to my tally and gave a urine sample for good measure. Same ol' routine.

I spill my story to the nurse who thinks it's a little too early for me to be in pain. My doc arrives for an oh-so wonderful and quick pelvic exam. Typically, I don't mind them because they're over in a flash but there's no room for anything else in there at this point...it was a little more uncomfortable than usual. So as you already know, my cervix is still closed and that's good news. The longer he cooks, the better.

She did say, however, that because I've been having contractions (or so I'm told), I could be a totally different person today, so I just have to keep an eye on how I'm feeling day to day and go from there. She said besides the contractions, his size or position could be making things worse as far as my back pain (and that ever-annoying tailbone throb). But when she measured my fundal height, he's right on schedule! No more measuring ahead. Good news again.

So I'll go back in 2 weeks...then again in 2 weeks...and then every week, unless something comes up in between. She said to never hesitate to call and even if she's not available (for instance, I'll be seeing a different doctor at my next appointment), I can see anyone in the practice. She would rather over examine me than under examine, and I appreciate that.

I feel a little bit like I was rushed but there's nothing I can do about that now. She said she could tell I was winded and that my body is taking a little bit of a beating right now thanks to my main man.  But I breezed through the first two trimesters and the beginning of the third. She's hoping this is my little struggle and that labor and delivery will be a breeze. I'm going to try and believe that'll be true.

For now, I just have to deal with the discomfort and crampy pains and pay as much attention to myself as I can. I knew something was up this time around even if I didn't know I was having contractions (and by the way, these are NOT Braxton-Hicks...I'm having those, too, and I recognize them...but these trouble makers are the real deal). I have to believe that I'll know again if something is up.

Now to decide if I need to decrease my works hours...oh Pre-Term Labor!

Emergency Room: Proving It's Better To Be Safe Than Sorry.

In the words of Foreigner, "Urgent! Urgent! Emergency!"

Turns out that sometimes back pain during pregnancy is more than just back pain!

So after 3 days of constant lower back pain and some random, quick, stabbing uterine pains, I decided to head to the emergency room and have them see what's what. When it comes to Spencer, I'll happily deal with people calling me a wuss since back pain and tailbone pain come with the territory of pregnancy. Something felt OFF. I may have never been 31 weeks pregnant before but I know my body. We've had a lot of ups-n-downs together, and something wasn't clicking. Better to be safe than sorry and the people who really know and love me and Spencer backed up my decision to go.

One thing I learned is that hospitals don't mess around with pregnancy. Right there in the Emergency Room is a telephone that goes straight to the maternity ward if you are pregnant and ill/injured. It was like passing GO and collection 200 bucks! Maybe I should back track and say I spent several hours in the Urgicare on Wednesday night because my doc was in surgery and the back pain and lack of sleep were making me a little batty. Of course, as Urgicares are typically useless, they told me to rest and go to the ER if I felt any worse. Hence how I ended up on the maternity floor of the hospital (so I got to check out where Spencer will be born!!) and in a bed within mere minutes. Nice rooms, nice nurses, nice doctors...I felt like I was in backwards land.

So my awesome nurse hooks me up to a monitor and gives me a clicker to push every time Spencer moves while we wait for the house doc to show up. It's during this time that I'm told I have a "busy baby" because he was putting on quite the show, getting his groove on several times a minute almost the entire time I was chilling there. Thank technology for Smart Phones because I couldn't get a hold of my husband so I had to entertain myself. Lots of Facebook, lots of Solitaire, lots of texting, and lots of hitting that little clicker to mark that Spencer was well and rocking out!

Before the doctor even showed up, the nurse told me I was having small contractions. This was news to me! Is that the weird stabbing feeling I was...feeling? Were they just so mild that I couldn't tell? What does this mean for Spencer? It's TOO SOON! We don't even have the car seats yet! We only have one box of diapers! Needless to say, I was feeling a lot of anxiety and I was miffed that while he has a 7.5 month pregnant wife, my husband still doesn't keep his phone near him when he's sleeping. Grrrr. And booooo.

The doctor arrives and looks at the print out of my boy's heartbeat and contractions and it looks like they're every 12 minutes. After an exam...yep, the exact one you're thinking of...I'm told that my cervix is shut so I'm not in "clinical or active labor". That's a good thing because he is NOT done cooking. I need to keep him in there a while longer where he's safe. The test they did was to determine if I was at risk of going into clinical/active labor and the results would be back in 1-2 hours, so there I sat, trying to decrease my anxiety while waiting for my husband...who was finally on his way. I was an unhappy mommy.

My OB/GYN was paged and she said if they test results looked a certain way (what way, I'm not sure as I'm not a doctor), I could go home but she wanted to see me in her office ASAP. The test results DID come out in my favor and the contractions DID slow down a bit so I was sent home with information about pre-term labor (and a really fancy cup that measured my fluid intake), which I guess is my diagnosis.

I've been instructed to do a whole slew of things I've already been doing like:

- Drink 12 or more glasses of juice or water a day.

- Empty my bladder often.

- Lie on my left side to rest or sleep.

- Ask my doc how long I can be on my feet and lie down the rest of the time.

I also have to watch out for:

- A tightening in my belly every 15 minutes or sooner.

- Low, dull backache.

- Menstrual-like cramping.

- Pressure if the vag, as is the baby is pressing down.

- A change is discharge (YUM!).

- Flu-like aching all over the body.

What do you know...I have 4 out of 6. Do I win a prize?

Yep. I win a cat nurse who is watching over me, even as I type this very entry!!!

I also win a trip to see my OB/GYN on Monday to discuss what's gone on, see what's what, and make a plan. Hopefully that plan doesn't include bed rest because I'd feel better having a little bit more in the bank before I have to abandon ship. My plan was to work until my water broke on my office floor, ensuring that all of my maternity-leave weeks were spent with Spencer and not spent sitting on the couch, bored to tears (believe it or not, I sometimes get tired of TV...but don't tell my TV that).

So that's the Emergency Room drama that took place. Every day is an adventure, indeed!