Tuesday, December 10, 2013

40 Weeks!

This week's Alpha Mom update is probably my favorite one ever.  It goes like this:

Your Baby:
  • get out get out get out.
  • get out get out get out get out.
You:
  • get out get out get out get out get out.
  • get out! get out get out get out.
  • and for real: GET OUT.
So first, the bad news. Less than 10% of babies actually show up on their due date. While the word “overdue” pretty much feels on par with the f-word during the final weeks of pregnancy, the sad truth is that many of us will end up there.
You may continue to trudge to work everyday, silently fuming about how this was SO NOT WHAT YOU MEANT by your plan to “work up until your due date.” You may start working from home, blaming an inability to fit into your shoes or keep the bottom few inches of your belly covered...

There's more to it but that's the basic gist :).

Appointment update:  I had my 40 week appointment today and the first thing the doctor asked when he walked in the room was "so how long do you want to keep this going?"  My response was "as long as I can" and he basically said ok.  The female doctor I saw last week seemed to be more of the opinion that I needed to schedule a c-section asap and that I wasn't allowed to go over 41 weeks.  My regular OB doctor said he'll let me go over 41 but they like to monitor the baby fairly closely.  Here's the gameplan going forward:  my next appointment is scheduled for next Monday and they will do a 'biophysical profile' which is basically an ultrasound to make sure the baby's muscle tone, breathing function, heart rate, amniotic fluid, and my placenta are all looking healthy.  As long as that's still good, I'll return on Friday (if I'm still pregnant) and they will hook me up to a fetal monitor for about 30 minutes to make sure her heart rate is good.  If all is still well, he'll let me go through the following weekend but if I'm still pregnant around Monday the 23rd he said we will have to make a decision about what to do.  So there's a chance she could be a Christmas Eve baby but I'm still hoping she will come sooner since my doctor won't induce for a VBAC.

Anyway... currently I'm about 1cm dilated and 30% effaced & softened.  Fun times.  He said he could've done a membrane sweep (I need to do some research on this) but I wasn't dilated enough.  I've heard that it isn't as effective until after 41 weeks anyway, but I need to look into it.

As far as my carpal tunnel issues, he sent me to the pharmacy to get a wrist splint.  I've been wearing it all afternoon and the numbness has mostly been replaced with tingling, so I guess that's progress.  I had to take it off to type this, though, because my hand is close to worthless while it's on :).

On the homefront, our Christmas tree is up, lights are on the house, and stockings are hung.  I finished most of my Christmas shopping this week, just in case baby Elise decides to make an appearance.  I've been getting some more painful contractions but they're very random.  I was getting back pains during church on Sunday and was hopeful that it could mean impending labor but they stopped right after church, boo.  If it wasn't raining constantly this week, I'd be taking walks outside to try and get labor started.  I went shopping/walking at Target last night and it felt pretty good.  I'm thinking about walking around the plant at work whenever I get a chance but it would be nice to get outside.  Today was the first day without rain in weeks, so I'm going to recruit a couple of coworkers to go on a stroll outside with me tomorrow.

My due date is tomorrow (Wednesday the 11th) but I just wanted to touch on the topic of due dates briefly.  When I was pregnant with Logan, the doctor tried to give me a little heart-to-heart as I was approaching my due date.  She said the due date isn't an exact science and that some doctors had been talking about changing it from a due date to a due week.  While that might help most pregnant women to not lose their !@^#*$! minds at the end of their pregnancies, I don't see it happening anytime soon.  And even though women know that the due date doesn't mean a baby is going to be born "on time", it's still really hard to get close or pass the due date without getting upset/emotional/anxious, etc.  I tried explaining it to my boss today... when you first find out you're pregnant, you're given a date.  During the 9 or so months of pregnancy, you look forward to that date with expectation and an eagerness that really can't be explained.  Then you reach that date.  You pass that date.  Nothing happens.  I have to say that I'm pretty easy to deal with when I'm pregnant... I try not to make a fuss or call more attention to myself but when I passed my due date with Logan, I was extremely upset, hormonal, emotional, etc.  It's just really hard to be patient when that's what you've been doing for 9+ months straight :).  I'm trying to stay calm this time while still remaining hopeful that labor will start on its own very soon.  At this point in both pregnancies, I leaned on a specific scripture:

Philippians 4:6-8
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Meditating on this has helped a little but there's still a small part of me that's anxious.  Lord, please help me to get through this week if she doesn't come out!!! I will say, though, that I'm feeling much more at peace with everything since my appointment this morning.  It helps to know that as long as Elise is healthy and strong in the womb, they will let me continue carrying her without worrying about a c-section.  I'm not under quite as much pressure now :).

Elise has been very active this week.  I've been sitting on the couch tonight watching her poke her rear, knees, and feet out of my belly.  I think I even felt some toes, which was kinda cute :).  I'm still getting random contractions that make it look like I'm smuggling a bowling ball.  She is pretty low at this point... if she gets much lower I think she'll start to crown (I hope).  

That's about it for now.  I think I covered more than everything :).  Will update next week or sooner if things start to happen!  Prayers are appreciated ;).

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