34.5 weeks and a trip to triage

August 26, 2012

How far along? 34 1/2 weeks (according to Oct 3 due date)

Total weight gain: 15 lbs ish
Maternity clothes? YES, all day every day.  They are so comfy!
Stretch marks? Just a few around my belly button, not to awful and totally worth it.

Sleep: Well it’s midnight and I’m just starting to blog…so yeah sleep is sporadic.

Best moment this week:  There were a few, but probably hearing J tell me how grateful he is for me and how hard I’m trying to take care of our baby.  He also said that he thinks its amazing that I get to feel the baby move inside me and that he thinks that would be pretty neat.  It just melted me to hear him say that and reminded me even more how lucky I am to get to be the one to carry our little baby.  I love hearing J talk about how excited he is!  J

Also having my MOMMY here to help me and keep me company.  She did SO SO much and I couldn’t be more grateful!  She went shopping for us, helped clean our house (it looks amazing thanks to her), helped me cook, and most importantly she helped me go through all of our baby things and organize the room.  She took SUCH a burden off of me I can’t even begin to express my gratitude!  I now feel so much more prepared and less stressed.  I miss her so much already!

Miss Anything?   Sleeping through the night without waking up for a potty break!
Movement:  SO so much!  I am feeling his head moving pretty low and feeling kicks up high.  Crazy wonderful! I love it and love sharing it with J even more!
Food cravings:  Chocolate milk…mmmm good!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  nope not really

Gender:  Boy

Labor Signs:  Actually last night I started having pretty regular Braxton hicks contractions.  I also felt some pressure down low.  In the 4 or 5 times I got up to use the bathroom during the night I had one each time as well.  In the morning J told me to keep relaxing while he went to a meeting we were both supposed to attend. By church time (noon) I called my sister and told her what was going on.  I was not thinking anything was wrong but also just wanted to be sure.

She said to rest and drink and count them and we’d go from there.  After talking to her I started to mark how many I was having I had 10 in an hour and they were right on top of each other.  Not painful although some were a little uncomfortable.  She said I needed to go in.  This scared me as I know that 34 or 35 weeks babies will probably be just fine but they would be even better if they were in there until 37-40 weeks.  J and his Dad gave me a blessing and we were on our way to Triage.  The whole way there I was just so nervous that the nurses would see NO contractions and NOTHING wrong and laugh at me for coming in.  I didn’t want to be ONE OF THOSE patients.  But my sister and J reminded me that it is much better to be safe than sorry and I couldn’t agree more.  I’d rather be embarrassed than have a preterm baby because I was being prideful. 

Once we got there I got a room in triage and the nurse came in and started asking me all sorts of ?’s.  She asked why I was in today and I told her I was having contractions but that they didn’t really hurt.  To which she snidely remarked, “well they have to hurt to do something.” At which point I felt really dumb for coming in and I had no idea what to say to try to defend myself.  So I just said well they are coming really close together and I had them all night long.  She also said that around 35 weeks they don’t try to aggressively to stop contractions.  Ok well WHATEVER!  I learned in my birthing classes that before 37 weeks you shouldn’t be having regular contractions and my Dr’s even said to come in with more than 5 an hour.  So there!  Either way she hooked me up to the monitors and checked me out.

(On Tuesday of this week I had a Dr. apt and they checked my cervix and I was not dilated on the inside but the outside of both of my cervixes it was dilating)

Now it is Sunday and after she checked me she said my cervixes were very soft and I was 60% effaced and dilated to at least a one and she could feel the baby’s head.  When she touched his head he wiggled up a storm!  I honestly thought she was teasing me when she said, “Oh I can feel his head” but she was of course NOT the teasing type. 

She reported her findings to the on call Dr and they decided to give me a shot of tributerine (or something like that) and that was supposed to slow the contractions. (also had some great side effects like making my heart race and shortness of breath!) Either way it did it’s job and I was able to be sent home.  Thank goodness.  They said I need to be on modified bed rest, so no mall walking or shopping for me right now.  I guess I have a great excuse to take it easy.  I will do all I can to keep our little man safe and healthy!  I’m really hoping to make it to at least 37 weeks if not farther! 

I’m so happy this all happened on Sunday so J was able to be with me.  He calms my nerves So much!  Love my man!

Symptoms: Heart burn, back pain, Braxton hicks contractions, frequent trips to the bathroom,

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off?  On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy. Elated, Ecstatic!

Looking forward to: Meeting the little  man that is a little piece of me and a little piece of J…but not for a few more weeks we hope and pray!

To do list: 

·         pick a pediatrician

·         talk to my doctor about my labor and delivery (what if my amazing Dr. isn’t there to deliver my baby?  Will the on call Dr. fully understand my body/situation and help me to have this baby naturally or without a C Section as long as it is safe?  I trust my dr. completely but there is a chance that he may not be able to be there when I deliver – so I want to know what I’m getting into and what support I’ll have) 

·         Decorate the nursery

·         Tour the hospital (set up the tour for Sept 15, but am wondering now if we will make it that far!)

·         Take a breastfeeding class (I signed up for it tonight! YAY, I’m excited!)

·         Write my birthing plan

·         Keep practicing breathing exercises (working on it)

·         Go on a baby moon (a vacation before baby comes)

·         Pack my hospital bag (I know I still have some time but it will need to be done eventually)

·         Pick a name or at least narrow it down to a few

·         Find a coming home outfit for baby

·         Find a photographer for maternity photos and newborn pictures

·         Wash all of the baby laundry

·         Buy a video camera

·         Buy a car seat, crib mattress, crib bedding, diaper bag,

·         Clean the house – good! (yep entire house!)

·         Buy all of the baby items we need that we didn’t get from the shower

We got our CAR SEAT this week!

Also love my new diaper bag!  It is so cute! 

Misc.:  Had a doctor’s appointment this week.  Everything was looking great and they screened me for the Group B Strep.  While there the Dr. came in and asked if there was any reason why they would need to check my cervix or do an exam and I said nope, everything had been going great and as far as I knew I just needed the Strep B test. 

Since the Dr. was not my usual OB Dr. she asked if she could perform an exam just out of sheer curiosity of my 2 cervixes.  She wanted to see for herself what they were like.  She had tried to pull up pictures and info on my case before she came in but their server was down and she was quite disappointed.  She also asked if we were just going to have a C-section to which I quickly replied, NOPE! Dr. Wilson and us just want to play it by ear and see how it goes.  

Hoping for a normal delivery. 

She was quite impressed with my 2 cervixes.  I must admit it is always fun to see the Dr.’s and nurses react to my unique situation.  Even the nurse in triage (at a high risk hospital) says they see lots of abnormal uteri but she said it is very rare to see 2 cervixes.  Now we are all just wondering how this baby will be delivered – what will my cervixes do?

When the nurse in triage did my exam today she said that if she had to guess she thinks Baby D will choose one cervix because one cervix was more in the middle and just a little softer than the other.  We will see.

After my Dr. appointment this week I got a call with the test results.  And wouldn’t you know I have Group B strep!  Darn it all!  Well it could be worse.  It just means I have to have an IV as soon as I’m admitted to L and D and I hate IV’s.  Hopefully this will be the only hiccup!

Tonight J and I were telling each other what we are grateful for and he said that he is happy that the baby is probably going to come before 40 weeks because he can’t wait to meet him.  Yep, melt my heart! I can’t wait either babe; you’re going to be the best Daddy ever!  I really do love hearing how J feels about it all!  I know he is so excited!

My mom was here this week and I just loved having her.  She did SO much for us I can’t believe it!  The baby’s room looks great and clothes are washed and folded and put away nicely.  I never knew folded laundry could look so beautiful! Haha!

This week we also bought the bedding for the crib, our only pack of new born diapers, and…the CAR SEAT!  YIPPEE!  I love crossing things off our list!