38 weeks and NST details here.

Yesterday I had my first NST ( non stress test ) visit. All was normal. Baby's heart rate was great, my blood pressure was fine. I will go twice a week from now until birth day but hopefully that isn't but for another one or possibly 2 times at the most. 

Monday is the next NST, (how will I ever make it through the weekend?!) and then right after NST I see the doctor to be examined, and then I also was told she will go over inducing info. I should also get an induction date. I'm GUESSTIMATING, this to be SOON! Like real soon. On Monday when I saw she said she wouldn't let me go past 39 weeks. I will be 39 weeks on 23 March, in 7 more days. Which falls on a Saturday. They don't do inductions on Saturdays but only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I believe. So, I'm hoping and guessing that at  Monday's appointment I find out that in just a day or just a couple, our baby will arrive. 

That is of course is she doesn't make her appearance naturally this weekend. 

Which is is my number ONE hope over being induced.

But I honestly don't feel it physically or in my gut, unfortunately.

I see us making it to the induction date :(

And today we hit 38 weeks. Here I am at 8 weeks, 18 weeks, 28 weeks and 38 weeks.

I wont even tell you how much weight I have gained...

But I am over it now.

I will lose it and am looking forward to the challenge :) 

Again.

Crazy couple of days! Details here!

So, its been a wild couple of days. Yesterday March 11th, Monday, I went in for my normal, now weekly appointment for week 37. The night before I had some pretty bad menstrual like cramping so I thought I would mention it at the appointment. When I went back, my blood pressure was elevated. I told the nurse I did have cramping but not sure what it is because I don't know what contractions feel like. So she offered me the option to have the doctor check me and of course I said yes. They normally don't start checking until 38 weeks.

The doctor came in and checked me and I was NOT expecting anything at all like, Oh you are 3 cm dilated and 75% effaced. And yes, I was feeling contractions. Real ones. Not braxton hicks. REAL folks. Real.

Because of the contractions, combined with high blood pressure (also I had one time of high blood pressure at 28 weeks) the doctor decided to send me up to labor and delivery to get checked out.

Once I got there I was all hooked up. Midwife did an ultrasound and we saw the baby practicing taking breaths. She also felt her head down low so she is definitely dropped.

The midwife wants to take all precautions and call me boarder line high risk for pre eclampsia because of the high blood pressure. Even though it dropped back to normal and only elevated once more during the 2 hours I was monitored.

So, the plan was I had to pee in a jug for 24 hours. Yuck. She said I might make it the 24 hours or I might not. I was having nice contractions while in the hospital being monitored. One of them was pretty nice and wow, hurt. Obviously, Im still here and no baby yet.

After I left the hospital from being monitored the contractions stopped. As of right now, I haven't had any in a little over 24 hours and I hope to God that doesn't mean I will be stuck at 3 cm for days on end with no action.

I had to bring the pee jug back in the next morning (this morning) as well as have a growth scan ultrasound for the baby.

Yesterday evening we decided to go to McDonalds for dinner. I had a weird feeling while I was eating and couldn't tell if I had to pee or not so I went. As soon I got to the potty...there it was. The biggest, weirdest, grossest, 5 inch long clear, white, brown, snotty looking mucous plug. Oh my. I don't think I will ever forget that moment. Wow. Gross.

So, this morning. The scan showed a happy healthy baby. The ultrasound tech pointed out a whole bunch of white specks all around her head which was hair! And she pointed out Carly has chubby cheeks.

Then I went back for a blood pressure check and it was normal.

I am not concerned about pre eclampsia at all but the doctors are watching me close just in case.

I now go 2 times a week for Non Stress Tests, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Midwife said they wont allow me to go over 39 weeks and that I had an induction date set. She didn't give me the date or go over it with me yet, but will on Thursday.

Again, today...more mucous plug has come out. I honestly don't know how its possible that there is that much stuff in there! So gross. I hope this means that my cervix is doing something. Maybe thinning out more trying to get to full effacement so I can start to dilate more? I don't know.... hopeful wishful thinking here. Maybe the longer the early labor, the faster the active labor? I dont know. I just want her out already and do not want to be induced! Unless she is past her 39 weeks and still not arrived then bring on the induction, but Id rather her come in the next few days on her own.

Im hoping that we are just a couple or few days away from this baby arriving and I don't have to be induced.

Today would have been a great birthday for her.

11 years ago Nick asked me to marry him.

20 years ago Nick's Grandfather passed away.

So Moms, when you start early labor? How long were you in early labor? Did you lose your mucous plug? How long after did active labor start? Did your water ever break? If yes, did it break before active labor or after it started?

Give me some hope here friends!

So long 20's!

We are out of the 20's in the countdown!

Only 19 days left until Carly's due date, although the past 2 days I swear she is coming out early. I feel so different. My body feels physically different in so many ways. Its definitely changing. Other moments I feel  like it's my luck that she will be right on time and some moments I think for a milisecond, what if she is a post term baby? I will cry.

Anyways, 19 days to go!!!

Tomorrow is my 37 week visit. I will be 37w3d.

37 weeks

Today. 37 weeks. 37 weeks pregnant. FULL TERM.

37 weeks today. Carly is the size of a watermelon, about 6.5 lbs and 18-20 inches long. Mom is up to 174 lbs from 117 lbs and is very ready and anxious to get fit again. Mom developed a few light stretch marks on the lower front of her belly. Still have a belly button slightly in. We saw Carly inhale and exhale on the 36 week ultrasound. She gets hiccups a lot, sometimes 2 times a day. She is getting really cramped, her movements are getting lighter. Carly's hospital bag is packed and is in the car. Big Sister's and Big Brother's emergency overnight bag is packed. Mom's is almost 100% packed. We are ready to be holding this baby.

36 week appointment details

36 week appointment went very well. Started out with weighing the Mama.... 174. That is ONE freaking SEVENTY FOUR. Crap. From 117 lbs....no wonder I struggle day to day with normal activities. Holy Crap. But, I'm over it. This baby is almost done baking. I will be able to focus on that number shortly. So be it.

I then got swabbed for some routine bacteria test, which I forgot the name of. The midwife said only about 1 in 1,000 people test + for it so its not a concern, just something they have to do. If its positive I take an antibiotic for it when I go into labor. Its something like a normal bacteria that lives in our intestines but can be in the vaginal canal and can be given to the baby on the way out during a vaginal birth and get into her lungs.

After that she was feeling all around my belly and was telling me what body parts of Carly's are where. And I was exact right on with that I thought I had been feeling for a long time. Her feet are to my right side. Her butt is up high way above my belly  button and at my belly button is sometimes her butt, sometimes shoulders. Midwife could feel her head down low and she had an arm to my left side but I never feel anything on my left side. She said her back was to my back so she is face up!

While she was feeling my belly, she could feel I was having a slight contraction. And then I said, "Oh, so that is what that slight crampy feeling is!?" Yup. It is. I been having braxton hicks contractions and didn't realize what it was. Just thought I was crampy. Woops. She said that the real contractions are just like that but much worse and once I cant walk or talk through them, then it's time to come in to Labor and Delivery. They are very very light right now. So my guess is she's got a couple more weeks before she is ready.

After that we got a quick peep at her on the ultrasound. Saw her heart beat which was up from 140's previously, to now 150's. We looked at her toes, and her fingers, and her face. Midwife tried to get a look at her girl parts but she wasn't cooperating. Fluids look great. Happy healthy baby girl cooking in there. Midwife is guessing her to be about 6 pounds now and guessing she should be 7-7 1/2 lbs at birth. But my hopes are she doesn't make it to 40 weeks and comes out sooner and closer to the 7 lb mark.

I told the midwife about my seasonal allergy problem going on, and that I was in the ER on Sunday morning because my nose and face were so closed up I couldn't breathe. I got some clariton from ER but it doesn't seem to be helping. Midwive gave me some more nasal spray, and some sudefed but said not to take the sudafed for more than 3 days. I will be taking that at night for the next 3 nights in hopes to get some sleep.

I also explained to her that near constant my fingers and hands and arms are tingling and I read it was normal, but its so bad for me that its almost constantly. Even when Im not doing anything. I drop stuff. It wakes me up out of sleep even it's so  bad. She told me it was my carpel tunnel and that I shouldn't expect it to stop until a couple weeks after delivery. Oh joy. There isn't anything I can do about it, its just something annoying I have to live with for now.

Then we briefly talked about birth control. Something I never had to think about before, so it's been a really hard choice for me.

Next appointment is on Monday, at 37w3d. Only 6 more days away. Crazy that I get seen weekly now to check on the baby. Just crazy. Where has the time gone? That first trimester I was such an emotional mess I swear it took a year to get through, and now here we are. At the END. Wow.

Yesterday I took a full body shot in the bathroom mirror of Kayla's preschool. I dont have a full body mirror at home so I took advantage. I got this picture.

My belly shape has defiantly changed during the past 4 days. I think Carly is more front and center, preparing to drop. Its my assumption, and Im ready for some droppage so I'm sticking to that assumption. 

Ha!

Different

In just 3 days, my belly physically feels and looks different. To me and everyone that has commented, it looks like she is up higher but she doesn't feel any higher than normal. I'm guessing just a nice growth spurt happened because I think my belly looks as if its just over all bigger. It doesn't feel bigger though. It feels less heavy physically. Weird. I don't know what is going on!! I sure hope she doesn't have to many more growth spurts if that's what this is. I was 5 lbs at birth and Nick was 8 lbs at birth. Id much rather push out a small baby!

36!

Home stretch! 36 weeks!