She's Due...

But she just doesn't want to come out!

Yesterday was my 40 week appointment (39 Weeks & 6 Days). It was great fun. I cried the whole time. Bad Morning + Dumb Comment + Almost 40 Weeks Pregnant = Crazy, Emotional Pregnant Woman.

No progress in dilation. Cervix has thinned out, bag of water was protruding. Don't know what BP was. It was pretty high because of my emotions but I forgot to have the doctor check it again and chances are, it still wouldn't be very reliable. I cried a little more at home. Stripped my membranes again and was crampy, etc instantly. No contractions or anything though. She feels like she's trying to press out, but there is nothing to accompany the feeling. Some lower abdominal pains that feel like contractions, but I think they are just SUPER intense Braxton Hicks because they are only in my back and lower abdomen and do not go through the rest of my belly.

Here is my giant belly

Come Out!

I am officially miserable! Well, I should say that two nights ago I was officially miserable. And this kid is so dang big. I also just realized (or remembered) that my grandparent-in-laws are coming on the 19th and I really fear that I won't have this kid by then. I DO NOT want to come home with her for the first time while they are here, nor do I want to go into labor and have to deal with them while I am laboring. That would be great fun. Like the last time they were over and I was sitting on Maddox's step stool in the bathroom, hanging over the toilet, throwing up and Pauli is standing in the doorway trying to hold a conversation with me.... So unless I have her next Sunday or Monday (15th or 16th), next week is NOT a good time to have a baby. However, with the way things have been going, I'm sure I will go into labor the day they get here AND they'll stay until I bring her home from the hospital. Why wouldn't that happen? Girls are evil. I think she is trying to torture me. I've done nothing to her so far, why does she have to be so mean?!

Her Blankey

Finally finished! It's super wrinkly because Maddox was playing with it.

You Can't Go Home Without Granola Bars

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39 Weeks Tomorrow

My 39 week appointment was scheduled for Wednesday morning, but I called and got an appointment for today at 11:45AM that my mother took me to.

My midwife swept my membranes again. I had a horrible backache earlier today and have had some pretty intense pressure on and off, but nothing like I had last Thursday. She got blood when she stripped me and said that was a good sign, but it doesn't look like anything is going to happen. My BP was 142/60. I have an enormous amount of swelling in my hands and had an enormous amount in my feet and ankles. The feet and ankle swelling went down, but they are still pretty darn chubby. Obvious swelling.

Really nothing else to update. Wish this little baby would make her appearance.

A Slow to Start Labor

I'm searching around a little to find if there is anything that I can do to make this more progressive and I found the "birthingnaturally" site.

It brought me to an article about "The Slow to Start Labor" - http://www.birthingnaturally.net/birth/progress/slow.html - The third sentence in explains exactly how I feel. I also started reading about the challenges or a slow to start labor - http://www.birthingnaturally.net/birth/challenges/slow.html - "Often a baby in a poor position will cause an irregular contraction pattern with short and painful contractions."

They're definitely not short - some are, but most are lasting around 1.5-2 minutes, but even though they are (I should say were) consistent and frequent, they are very irregular - ranging anywhere between 4-9 min apart and stretching out to 20 minutes apart (now that they'd subsided quite a bit).

I can definitely see one or even BOTH of these being an issue "The slow labor may indicate a problem with the baby's position, such as an asynclyntic (head not pressing fully on the cervix) or posterior presentation." and my labor stalled with Maddox (who was OP) and was talked into getting Pitocin to get things going again.

I do not have a problem pushing the child out (which I found a lot of negative information about people not being able to birth an OP baby - found while I was looking up Breech info), but it seems like I have a heck of a time getting my body to progress into active labor.

This sucks.

So far... Nothing.

Some very irregular contractions. Went for a walk and had some timely contractions 20 min apart. Bloody Show... the size of a BASEBALL! Took a nap and had around three. Two more - one each time I got up from sitting. One more while eating Mac & Cheese.

My pelvis feels like a constant contraction. Like the peak of a contraction, but it never goes away. Very sore feeling.

I just wish this kid would get on with it. Maddox really wants to meet his baby sister. And so do Daddy and I.

She better come!

I wasn't feeling anything soon after having my membranes stripped, but around noon, I was feeling pretty uncomfortable on and off - but not really in a contraction type way. Maddox and I walked over to Caribou around 2:30pm and I was in pain, again on and off, but not contractions. I think I started "normal" contractions around 6-7PM. They lasted till 5AM and were getting stronger all night. Unfortunately, when I woke up at 7AM, besides feeling that same pain as I had been feeling with the contractions when I turned over to get out of bed, there was nothing. I've had about 10 contractions - some strong, some not. They started out as "half" contractions. They'd start, build up, plateau and fade, never peaking. They've been anywhere between 4-9min apart. I am REALLY hoping that they will start up again.

38 Weeks and 2 Days

That's me today. 38 Weeks and 2 Days and according to my first pregnancy 2 weeks and 2 days past due. My midwife likes to giggle about it.

GOOD Blood Pressure today! It was 124/66 (I think it was 66, I can't actually remember though). I haven't had any of the headaches I was having before (just normal ones), no extra swelling (just normal PG swelling), no dizziness, etc. so I'm feeling pretty good - in that aspect.

Been having a lot of pressure pains down low, but nothing like she will be coming soon. Pelvis and hip pain is getting worse. Yay. She feels like she is huge and I would have guessed I would measure around 41cm this week, but I actually only measured 39cm - which has fallen back a little since I've been measure 1-2cm big the entire time.

When the doc felt my belly and Faye's position, she commented on how she would NOT be seeing me this weekend! LOL She did offer to strip my membranes and I said yes. She said to call her if I have anything regular or if my water breaks and my reply was "so you probably won't be hearing from me" - I have no faith lol, I think she is staying put.

2cm dilated on the outside, 1cm on the inside. Didn't mention about effacement and position of my cervix. Sweeping my membranes was not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. Could be for 1 of 2 reasons. Either my cervix isn't as high as it has been, or she didn't have to go in much further than when she normally checks my cervix. The darn thing has been up so high, it is painful when she checks it. When I went to the hospital in Feb (I think it was Feb), I thought the nurse was trying to kill me, but my cervix is just way the heck up there.

That was all really. It was a long appointment. We didn't get in till 30min after what it was scheduled for and then because I had to pee RIGHT after I got undressed, she had to go into another room and we had to wait for awhile again. My appointment was supposed to be at 9AM and we didn't get home till a little after 10AM. Normally we get there and back in 30min.

Here's my giant belly - taken 05.27.2008 at 38 Weeks