OH MY FREAKIN' GOD! 2 weeks til my due date!!! Why can't it be tomorrow? Doesn't Monday seem like a great day to have a baby?
I have said since week 6 that my estimated due date was late, and that it is a week off, so by my intuition, we have a week or so left! I am hoping even less. I have started getting some painful contractions for the last 2 nights and every time I take the dog on a walk, they start up pretty hard core and last for a few hours, and then just stop...they are teasers! I believe they call it false labor. False, indeed!! Hopefully this means the end is in sight. I am so done carrying her in my belly, it is time to get her in my arms already!!! In the last like 4 days, I got stretch marks on my belly...really... now? After all this time, I get them now at the end? I couldn't have escaped without any of the darned things? They get darker and longer each day! Gross!
Keep hoping that she comes soon!! Send all your prayers my way, in hopes they break my water, ha!
More news: Since I have to go all natural, with the help of my sister in California, Erin, I have found a "doula" or birthing coach, who is trained in natural pain coping techniques, to help during BellaReese's delivery. She is somewhat new to the doula scene, with 5 deliveries under her belt, and she offered to do our birth for free! Usually a "doula" around here can run about $600, but newer ones are even less since they have less experience, but since it is so last minute, she said she would do it for free! She is in nursing school and training to be a midwife, and is extremely nice and we are looking forward to seeing what she is capable of doing! A thousand thanks to Erin for helping us set this all up!
Anyway, here is what is going on with our little stinker this week:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of her skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.
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?
How your life's changing:
Head for the hospital or birthing center if you think you're in labor (even if it turns out that you're not!) It's better to make a couple of test runs than to deliver your baby at the local truck stop. If you are in labor but it has just started, the hospital may send you back home, which can be a bit of a buzz kill. But trust us, you'd rather be comfortable in your own home than stuck in a hospital bed with only four TV channels for the next 12 hours waiting to dilate from 1 centimeter to 2.While there is nothing false about the pain that comes with false labor, it's a fake-out because it doesn't dilate the cervix like true labor does. And when you're trying to squeeze a grapefruit out of something the size of a cherry, it's an important distinction. Basically, false labor gives you all of the pain and none of the advancements. Nice, huh?One way to identify false labor is to start timing your contractions. True labor contractions come regularly and get progressively closer together (and they hurt more as they get closer). False labor contractions are about as regular as your bowels since you've been pregnant—not very—and they vary from one to another on the pain meter.False labor is more common in second or subsequent pregnancies than in first pregnancies.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
BellaReese has dropped!
Basically, that means that she is getting ready to be born and is getting lower in my hips! "Lightening" is another term to describe when a baby drops. Read below to learn more about what this means!
Lightening During Pregnancy as an Early Sign of Labor
Lightening during pregnancy actually refers to the term used to describe the baby engaging in the pelvis before vaginal birth. It is thus named because as the baby moved down from under the rib cage, the mother may feel a sense of relief in that her rib cage expands more easily allowing her to draw deeper breaths and eat without feeling full so quickly.
Although lightening may eliminate some uncomfortable symptoms, it may increase others. Some women feel more pressure on their bladders which causes them to urinate more frequently while others have a perpetual feeling that the baby is about to fall out. These feelings result from the added pressure that the baby's head is placing on the rectum and pelvic floor.
In essence, lightening can be the calm before the storm. It cannot be directly linked to indicating that labor will start within a certain window but it usually occurs up to two weeks before labor in 65% of first-time moms. Although it can't pinpoint the beginning of labor, it is a sign that things are headed in the right direction.
It should be noted, however, that lightening usually occurs in a first-time pregnancy whereas in subsequent pregnancies, the baby may not drop until labor has officially begun. It can be a gradual process that happens over several days or weeks or it can be an all-or-nothing event.
Lightening During Pregnancy as an Early Sign of Labor
Lightening during pregnancy actually refers to the term used to describe the baby engaging in the pelvis before vaginal birth. It is thus named because as the baby moved down from under the rib cage, the mother may feel a sense of relief in that her rib cage expands more easily allowing her to draw deeper breaths and eat without feeling full so quickly.
Although lightening may eliminate some uncomfortable symptoms, it may increase others. Some women feel more pressure on their bladders which causes them to urinate more frequently while others have a perpetual feeling that the baby is about to fall out. These feelings result from the added pressure that the baby's head is placing on the rectum and pelvic floor.
In essence, lightening can be the calm before the storm. It cannot be directly linked to indicating that labor will start within a certain window but it usually occurs up to two weeks before labor in 65% of first-time moms. Although it can't pinpoint the beginning of labor, it is a sign that things are headed in the right direction.
It should be noted, however, that lightening usually occurs in a first-time pregnancy whereas in subsequent pregnancies, the baby may not drop until labor has officially begun. It can be a gradual process that happens over several days or weeks or it can be an all-or-nothing event.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
37 week belly pictures!
Bored at work again, so I took some photos in the room where I will get to pump once I go back. This is my favorite outfit right now, it is a regular Old Navy dress that feels comfy like pajamas. It is floor length, and actually dragged a little on the ground when I first wore it, but as my belly has gotten bigger, it has lifted more and more off the ground, and now you can almost see my ankles, ha! It has been a good indicator of how much my belly has been changing!
3!!!
We have hit the "full term" mark, meaning that BellaReese is healthy enough to be born at any time from here on out, everything is fully developed enough and should be working well enough to sustain life outside my big ole' belly! How exciting! Just 3 weeks left til my due date!!! I am SOOO happy we made it this far! Now it is time to COME OUT, dear Bella!!!!! Mom is more than ready, and so is Dad. Tons of people are waiting to meet you, so break the water with your little finger nails, ha, and start to cause mommy lots of pain! Come on baby, come meet me already!!!
Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)
Your baby's intestines have accumulated a considerable amount of meconium (the code name for black, tar-like baby poop), which is usually eliminated shortly after birth and gives you your first experience with the 100-wipe diaper change. Here's what else is up: Your baby might just scratch herself in the womb as the fingernails have grown over the fingertips now. Resist painting them hot pink when she arrives.Baby's lungs continue to mature and her brain and nerve function are working better every day. The latter two will continue to mature until Junior is a teenager, at which point she'll know it all (or at least she'll think she does).Your baby weighs about 6½ pounds and is around 19 or 20 inches long—as long as a duffel bag (in case you needed an excuse to go shopping for a new bag for your labor gear).
How your life's changing:
For many women, the next couple of weeks are a waiting game (um, this whole damned pregnancy has been a waiting game!!!). Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of necessary tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps (yes, please, I am as tired as I was during the first trimester! I have no problem sleeping during the day, during the night, however, I can't seem to get comfy or sleep long enough to make it count), catch up on your reading (check! I love reading, everything from baby books to fiction, I will take whatever I can find), and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can (Brian and I are fortunate enough that we could lock ourselves in our house for the next two weeks and still look forward to spending the next week alone with just each other...it might also help that we have a kick ass TV and home and puppy...not sure...).
Seeing that you've been wearing the same pair of maternity jeans every day for the last month (more like rotating between the same 4-5 dresses, but yes, my wardrobe is pretty scarce), you probably haven't had a ton of laundry to do. That's all going to change in the next few weeks. Who knew that such a tiny person could create such mountains of laundry in a mere 48 hours? There will be so much barf and poop to get out of baby's clothes, you'll think you've given birth to the Exorcist baby.
Her hospital bag is packed and ready for the hospital, mine is pseudo-packed...everything is on the ground around the bag, just not folded and put into the bag. I don't know what is holding me back from finishing packing, but oh well. At least if we have to rush to the hospital, it is all there for Brian to grab at a later date, not like he has to find things for me, like "underwear"...If I had to ask him over the phone, he'd probably bring something cute and not hospital/post baby appropriate, ha!
Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)
Your baby's intestines have accumulated a considerable amount of meconium (the code name for black, tar-like baby poop), which is usually eliminated shortly after birth and gives you your first experience with the 100-wipe diaper change. Here's what else is up: Your baby might just scratch herself in the womb as the fingernails have grown over the fingertips now. Resist painting them hot pink when she arrives.Baby's lungs continue to mature and her brain and nerve function are working better every day. The latter two will continue to mature until Junior is a teenager, at which point she'll know it all (or at least she'll think she does).Your baby weighs about 6½ pounds and is around 19 or 20 inches long—as long as a duffel bag (in case you needed an excuse to go shopping for a new bag for your labor gear).
How your life's changing:
For many women, the next couple of weeks are a waiting game (um, this whole damned pregnancy has been a waiting game!!!). Use this time to prepare your baby's nursery or to take care of necessary tasks you may not get around to for a while after your baby's born. Take naps (yes, please, I am as tired as I was during the first trimester! I have no problem sleeping during the day, during the night, however, I can't seem to get comfy or sleep long enough to make it count), catch up on your reading (check! I love reading, everything from baby books to fiction, I will take whatever I can find), and spend uninterrupted time with your partner while you can (Brian and I are fortunate enough that we could lock ourselves in our house for the next two weeks and still look forward to spending the next week alone with just each other...it might also help that we have a kick ass TV and home and puppy...not sure...).
Seeing that you've been wearing the same pair of maternity jeans every day for the last month (more like rotating between the same 4-5 dresses, but yes, my wardrobe is pretty scarce), you probably haven't had a ton of laundry to do. That's all going to change in the next few weeks. Who knew that such a tiny person could create such mountains of laundry in a mere 48 hours? There will be so much barf and poop to get out of baby's clothes, you'll think you've given birth to the Exorcist baby.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Disappoinment and Frustration- latest medical issue
I am not really sure how to preface this post. Let me just start by saying that this has been a relatively easy pregnancy, text book to some extent; no worries about fetal issues, no placental problems, no worries about medical problems with the baby. I have had my share of bumps in the road with finding out about the septate growth and wondering whether or not the baby will turn, but in terms of Bella, she has been fine the whole time, it has been my body that is presenting/causing any and all of the problems. Once again, my body has become a problem. This is going to seem scarier than it is at this point, and realize, please, I am not at all worried about my health or the baby's health. I debated even going into the situation and decided that I have told every other detail, might as well share this one.
I went to Labor and Delivery on Wednesday, despite feeling like a hypochondriac and possibly overreacting about certain symptoms, it turns out that it was a blessing that I went in. The drew blood at the hospital and at my regular, weekly doctors appointment the next day, Thursday, the doctor came in a little worried about the results. I could tell right away from his demeanor that something was not copacetic. It turns out that I have developed "gestational thrombocytopenia" or low blood platelet count; I have developed a possible clotting disorder. Quick Biology lesson of the day: Platelets (thrombocytes) are colorless blood cells that play an important role in blood clotting. They stop blood loss by clumping together and forming plugs in blood vessel holes. Platelets are small, sticky, components of the blood formed in the bone marrow (the soft, porous tissue found in the long bones of the body). Their job is to maintain the integrity of the blood vessels and seal small cuts and wounds by forming a blood clot. If the blood doesn’t have enough platelets it is unable to clot as rapidly as needed. One would never want to administer an epidural or any other form of regional anesthesia to a woman with a clotting disorder. The risk of hemorrhage at the site or into the cerebral spinal fluid could be disastrous. If your platelet count is below 100,000 epidural anesthesia will not be permitted. No one knows why pregnant women develop this, and there is nothing you can do to bring the count up, aside from having the baby. Doctors are not sure if the body stops making them or if the body starts destroying their own for some reason. Gestational thrombocytopenia is still somewhat of a mystery.
The average person has a platelet count of 160,000 to 400,000, and it is common with pregnancy for that number to fall a little. At the 28 week of the pregnancy, I had blood drawn to do the Gestational Diabetes test, and my platelet count came back at 151,000. A little low, but nothing alarming, the OB didn't even tell me about the results since it wasn't problematic. Well, the results came back from my CBC blood draw on Wednesday, and the number has dropped significantly to 104,000. This is considered mild thrombocytopenia, but if it continues to fall, and falls below 100,000 (only 4,000 to lose) then it becomes a moderate case. They drew more blood yesterday and I am hoping to get the results back today at some point. They are hoping it was a fluke, and that the numbers aren't really that low, but we will have to wait and see. So what does this mean for me and baby?
At this point, after months of not wanting a c-section due to BellaReese being breech, and then a few weeks of celebrating her achievement of turning into the proper birthing position and finally being excited to be have the birth I wanted, my birthing dreams/plans/goals have been shattered once again, and this point, it doesn't get much worse. I was told by the OB that I most likely will not be allowed to get an epidural. This might seem insignificant overall, but I am just tired of having my damn body interfere with the happiness of the pregnancy. One thing after another is making this pregnancy such a burden. I have always been the first person to raise their hand when asked if they wanted an epidural; my best friend Erin and I have always joked about the fact that as soon as we walk into the hospital on our delivery day, we will ask for the anesthesiologist. I have dreamt of a near pain-free delivery since finding out about Isabella, and now, I have that carpet ripped out from underneath my feet because my stupid body can't hold onto its platelets! This might seem superficial and stupid, and I should be looking at the positives of having a healthy baby, but now I am dreading labor and scared to death to have this baby. I realize that the prize at the end is "worth" all the pain, and that women for centuries have been giving birth naturally, but it doesn't make the situation any better, really. Hell, even in movies about where dentists have to yank a tooth back in the day before novacaine, they get the guy all drunk and buzzed up before pulling….I don't even get to get drunk! I am so scared of pushing out this baby now; I am starting to not look forward to having her! I feel guilty for feeling angry about having to give birth!
It turns out, this only occurs in about 5% of pregnancies. One concern is over whether or not my blood will be able to clot during delivery and that I will not continue to hemorrhage afterwards. At the level it is at right now, I should be ok, the doctors aren't too concerned with that, if they were, I might be getting induced asap, since the more platelets I lose, the higher the risk of clotting problems. He didn't seem too concerned about this though, and truth be told, neither am I, not in the least! Like I said, I am still considered mild, on the border of moderate risk, and plenty of women have this and have no problem clotting. At this point, the doctor was concerned about how I would handle this news: "No epidural"; most anesthesiologists will not give an epidural to a woman who is at 100,000 for fear of blood getting into the spinal column upon the needles removal, which could result in nerve damage and worse, paralysis. A c-section at this point is more dangerous as well, since there is more possibility of blood loss, so it is imperative that BellaReese stay head down.
There is mixed findings on what the lowest number of platelets could be to still administer an epidural, some doctor’s say anyone over 80,000 can still have one, but our doctor and hospital stick to the 100,000 level. My OB said that it could be a “day of” decision, that certain anesthesiologists will do one at the point I am at, and some will not, but Brian and I discussed this, and while he, of course, leaves the decision up to me since it is my body, we have decided that it is not worth the risk and that we will go at this naturally. I am just so frustrated with things not going how I envisioned them.
There are other ways to recieve pain meds while pregnant, but they all have a negative effect on the baby, making them drowsy and sluggish after birth, and I really don't want that for my baby. I want her to be 100% her when she enters the world.
Can I do this? Yes, of course. Will I do this? Yes, of course, the baby has to be born! I am just so frustrated. At this point, I would rather have her now so I don't have to focus on the fact that I will be practically splitting in 2 in the near future, I just want to get it over with. I hope my feelings of stress and anger aren't being passed on to the baby.
In other news, I am not yet dialated, the baby has not dropped and I have only slightly started to efface. It was a rather depressing day at the doctors.
I went to Labor and Delivery on Wednesday, despite feeling like a hypochondriac and possibly overreacting about certain symptoms, it turns out that it was a blessing that I went in. The drew blood at the hospital and at my regular, weekly doctors appointment the next day, Thursday, the doctor came in a little worried about the results. I could tell right away from his demeanor that something was not copacetic. It turns out that I have developed "gestational thrombocytopenia" or low blood platelet count; I have developed a possible clotting disorder. Quick Biology lesson of the day: Platelets (thrombocytes) are colorless blood cells that play an important role in blood clotting. They stop blood loss by clumping together and forming plugs in blood vessel holes. Platelets are small, sticky, components of the blood formed in the bone marrow (the soft, porous tissue found in the long bones of the body). Their job is to maintain the integrity of the blood vessels and seal small cuts and wounds by forming a blood clot. If the blood doesn’t have enough platelets it is unable to clot as rapidly as needed. One would never want to administer an epidural or any other form of regional anesthesia to a woman with a clotting disorder. The risk of hemorrhage at the site or into the cerebral spinal fluid could be disastrous. If your platelet count is below 100,000 epidural anesthesia will not be permitted. No one knows why pregnant women develop this, and there is nothing you can do to bring the count up, aside from having the baby. Doctors are not sure if the body stops making them or if the body starts destroying their own for some reason. Gestational thrombocytopenia is still somewhat of a mystery.
The average person has a platelet count of 160,000 to 400,000, and it is common with pregnancy for that number to fall a little. At the 28 week of the pregnancy, I had blood drawn to do the Gestational Diabetes test, and my platelet count came back at 151,000. A little low, but nothing alarming, the OB didn't even tell me about the results since it wasn't problematic. Well, the results came back from my CBC blood draw on Wednesday, and the number has dropped significantly to 104,000. This is considered mild thrombocytopenia, but if it continues to fall, and falls below 100,000 (only 4,000 to lose) then it becomes a moderate case. They drew more blood yesterday and I am hoping to get the results back today at some point. They are hoping it was a fluke, and that the numbers aren't really that low, but we will have to wait and see. So what does this mean for me and baby?
At this point, after months of not wanting a c-section due to BellaReese being breech, and then a few weeks of celebrating her achievement of turning into the proper birthing position and finally being excited to be have the birth I wanted, my birthing dreams/plans/goals have been shattered once again, and this point, it doesn't get much worse. I was told by the OB that I most likely will not be allowed to get an epidural. This might seem insignificant overall, but I am just tired of having my damn body interfere with the happiness of the pregnancy. One thing after another is making this pregnancy such a burden. I have always been the first person to raise their hand when asked if they wanted an epidural; my best friend Erin and I have always joked about the fact that as soon as we walk into the hospital on our delivery day, we will ask for the anesthesiologist. I have dreamt of a near pain-free delivery since finding out about Isabella, and now, I have that carpet ripped out from underneath my feet because my stupid body can't hold onto its platelets! This might seem superficial and stupid, and I should be looking at the positives of having a healthy baby, but now I am dreading labor and scared to death to have this baby. I realize that the prize at the end is "worth" all the pain, and that women for centuries have been giving birth naturally, but it doesn't make the situation any better, really. Hell, even in movies about where dentists have to yank a tooth back in the day before novacaine, they get the guy all drunk and buzzed up before pulling….I don't even get to get drunk! I am so scared of pushing out this baby now; I am starting to not look forward to having her! I feel guilty for feeling angry about having to give birth!
It turns out, this only occurs in about 5% of pregnancies. One concern is over whether or not my blood will be able to clot during delivery and that I will not continue to hemorrhage afterwards. At the level it is at right now, I should be ok, the doctors aren't too concerned with that, if they were, I might be getting induced asap, since the more platelets I lose, the higher the risk of clotting problems. He didn't seem too concerned about this though, and truth be told, neither am I, not in the least! Like I said, I am still considered mild, on the border of moderate risk, and plenty of women have this and have no problem clotting. At this point, the doctor was concerned about how I would handle this news: "No epidural"; most anesthesiologists will not give an epidural to a woman who is at 100,000 for fear of blood getting into the spinal column upon the needles removal, which could result in nerve damage and worse, paralysis. A c-section at this point is more dangerous as well, since there is more possibility of blood loss, so it is imperative that BellaReese stay head down.
There is mixed findings on what the lowest number of platelets could be to still administer an epidural, some doctor’s say anyone over 80,000 can still have one, but our doctor and hospital stick to the 100,000 level. My OB said that it could be a “day of” decision, that certain anesthesiologists will do one at the point I am at, and some will not, but Brian and I discussed this, and while he, of course, leaves the decision up to me since it is my body, we have decided that it is not worth the risk and that we will go at this naturally. I am just so frustrated with things not going how I envisioned them.
There are other ways to recieve pain meds while pregnant, but they all have a negative effect on the baby, making them drowsy and sluggish after birth, and I really don't want that for my baby. I want her to be 100% her when she enters the world.
Can I do this? Yes, of course. Will I do this? Yes, of course, the baby has to be born! I am just so frustrated. At this point, I would rather have her now so I don't have to focus on the fact that I will be practically splitting in 2 in the near future, I just want to get it over with. I hope my feelings of stress and anger aren't being passed on to the baby.
In other news, I am not yet dialated, the baby has not dropped and I have only slightly started to efface. It was a rather depressing day at the doctors.
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