39 Week Dr appt

Today I went to my dr appt early. Last night the rapid heart rate decided to act up again and go throughout the night. I slept a couple hours and woke up feeling horrible. I called the dr's office to see if I could get in earlier and they were able to see me. I felt very nauseated and overall sick. They did the normal check and my blood pressure was okay. My pulse was 80 once and 110 the second time. She thinks the nausea is related to my heart and not pre-eclampsia. All good news. She did check me this week. My cervix was thinned more and very soft. She said I was not quite dilated to a 2. She stripped my membranes which wasn't a very comfortable procedure. I have read it can help progress things so it was worth it. She scheduled me for April 2 to go in the evening and get the inducing medicine. I would like it to be sooner but I have given up!!! Now it is just the waiting game. BJ got called to work so I didn't get a new belly pic last night. Hopefully I can get one tonight and I will post it later or tomorrow.

38 1/2 weeks..GET HER OUT!!!!!!

I officially want this baby OUT!!! I have reached my limit and selfishly it is time to NOT be prego anymore. Each day seems to magnify this feeling. I am miserable at night trying to sleep. I guess this is good preparation for being a mom but seriously I will be more than exhausted when she gets here. On Monday I noticed my feet hurt and I took my shoes off to find I had very large poofy feet and ankles. I thought it was because I had been on my feet most of the day. By Tuesday I had developed larger feet that don't fit into normal shoes and CANKLES!! Awesome. The swelling gradualing continued up my calves to my no-knee cap visible knees. My face and hands are swollen too. I was all too disturbed by this. On top of it my heart has really stepped up it's rate to add to the yucky tired feeling. Tuesday night I went to be thinking, How much worse is this going to get? Then SURPRISE Wednesday morning I woke up to find my stomach covered in red stretch marks. Up to this point ZERO stretch marks. Overnight LOTS. (I can't count them because I can only see half of them) That spurred an entire day of depression. I cried most of the day. Then I came to a new realization, I must take matters into my own hands. I started researching all the old wives recommendations. I have received plenty of advice that has proven useless. Sex=no contractions and very uncomfortable, Nipple Stimulation= no contractions and some really sore nipples, Walking=contractions and cankles, Cleaning=some contractions but a clean house, Squatting=some contractions but I often fear I might not be able to get up, Bumpy ride in the truck=fun but it mainly felt like a needed to poo real bad and no contractions..... This is where I decided to step up the process!

After some research and first hand advice I have choosen Primrose Oil and Blue Cohosh. Primrose oil was adviced from a group of religious woman I work with that are pros at birthing lots of babies. After researching it online it says it is supposed to stimulate contractions and thin the cervix. It does require you to put the capsules inside your vagina against your cervix. A little odd but REALLY? at this point I would do whatever. The Blue Cohosh is from a plant that comes in a pill. My sister took this with my niece who proved to be a 1 hr delivery. I found some at a health food store and the woman read to me what it was to be used for. It stated that once in labor if taken it would drastically speed up the process. It would not trigger labor. It is used in many 3rd world countries and indian tribes where Pitocin is not available. I purchased some of this too.

My experiment began on Wednesday with Primrose Oil. I put the capsules inside. I have no idea if it is thinning my cervix or not but it does give contractions so I figure it is a step in the right direction.

Yesterday was the 38 week Dr visit appointment so I decided I should discontinue the Primrose Oil and try Blue Cohosh. I had some contractions but I don't think it was the Blue Cohosh so I have decided to save those until I think I am actually in labor. At my dr appt I did not share my new found Herbal Lifestyle. I know how much the dr's dislike herbs.

The dr didn't end up checking me which was a recommendation from BJ that it could bring back the depression if I hadn't progressed. As much as I don't want to admit if she didn't have good news I think I would have burst into tears. So we ended up discussing the delivery process. She agreed to induce on my due date, April 1st and possibly next week. Baby Olivia is measuring over 39 weeks. On Monday we did an ultrasound and she measured 6lbs 8 oz at a min and up to 7lbs 8 oz max. She is in the correct position and no cord wrapped around her neck. All good news only increasing my desire for her to come SOON.

Today I have gone back to Primrose Oil. I used some at 7am and had contractions regularly every 8-10 min. I am learning you must lay down with it because it is oil and gravity takes control. So I am going to use more and lay down and read a book for a couple hours. Then it is off for a walk and back home to elevate the cankles and more Primrose Oil. PROACTIVE is my new motto!

All of this is silly to most people even though I know how many woman have drank Castro Oil only to poop their brains out. These options seem much better!!

Anyone else have some labor inducing advice?????????????

37 weeks Dr appt and another Hospital trip

Today was my normal 37 week dr visit. I woke up this morning and noticed that Miss Olivia was not her usual crazy self. I figured she was still sleeping. After about an hour of feeling no movement I started to get nervous. I had a big glass of orange juice and some cereal. I felt a couple flutters but nothing much. My nervousness increased but my dr appt was in an hour so I headed to the dr office early. When I got there we discussed her lack of activity and checked the heart rate. Her heart rate was lower than usual, 110, normal for her is about 140-150. The dr acted a little concerned and started pushing on her. She was able to get her heart rate back up to 140 but decided I should have a non-stress test. BJ and I headed to the hospital for another visit. In between I ate a peanutbutter sandwich hoping a little sugar boost might help her. Once we got to the hospital and got hooked up to the monitor, things looked better. Her heart rate was up to the 130s. After thirty minutes her heart rate looked good and she was moving more. They sent us home and said to relax and count the movements. So we are back home now and I am thinking it is nap time. I am relieved everything was ok. I like her crazy self so I know she is ok!!!!

36 week belly pic and dr visit

Today was the 36 week dr visit. I was excited to go today. I have been having LOTS of hard contractions. I have resisted going to the hospital even though I have had multiple episodes of 3 hr contractions every 5-7 min apart. I have been able to breath through them and rock back and forth to ease the back pain. I don't understand why I am having them this hard so early. The dr said some woman just have them earlier than others. She checked me and I had thinned a little more and was dilated to a one. The baby has dropped and she was able to feel her head when she pushed on my cervix. I was glad there was a little progression and I wasn't suffering through the contractions only to gain nothing.

Funny story...(only for those who have had an embarrassing "I am prego and my body is falling apart moment") On Thursday I was driving home from a work training and felt a warm wet sensation as I was driving. I thought, "wow am I peeing my pants?" I tried to tighten the muscles and it did not stop. I reached down to investigate and realized my pants were wet. I immediately tried to decide if my water broke or did I wet my pants. I contemplated what I should do or who I should call and share this info with. I decided to continue driving home to investigate things more thoroughly in the privacy of my house. I got home expecting that if it was my water breaking I would get out of the car and it would continue to gush down my legs. ( I have heard so many prego woman's water breaking stories similar to this) I get home and hop out of the car and nothing happens. Now I am getting embarrassed and decide I must have wet my pants! Awesome. So I go into the house and take my pants off. In my quick thinking I remember the birthing class they said you should smell it. Seems gross but I go ahead and start smelling. Hmm well doesn't smell like urine but really has no smell. Now I am miffed. I don't want to share this news with anyone but I know it is possible to leak amniotic fluid. I decide the best thing is to call the Hospital Birthing Center and talk to them about it. They recommend coming in and they can test the fluid. They assure me its no big deal even if I wet my pants many woman do and don't know it. BJ isnt home from work so I call his cell phone and get no answer. I decide to call the dispatcher and ask her to page him. As soon as I call she asks if I am in labor (apparently they are all aware of my current state). I inform her I don't think so but I talked to the hospital and they want me to come in. She starts playing 20 questions and asking why. I decide to tell her my story, of course, this is normal to share personal info with the dispatcher woman you don't know. She is very excited for me and says she will page him immediately to call me. I hang up and wait for him to call. Ten minutes go by and no phone call. I finally decide I should just go on my own. I start to gather my purse and hear commotion at the back door. BJ comes racing in throwing his stuff down and running around in circles and rambling. I keep trying to tell him to slow down but he is flustered. Finally I get through that he needs to calm down I am not in labor. He says, "but the dispatcher came on the radio and said to get home ASAP that your water broke!!" I inform him of the real situation and we start to laugh. He said she came on the radio and they couldn't hear very good but they heard "Her water broke!" So the guys hopped in the trucks and drove as fast as they could back to the warehouse. I can just see the line of big power trucks with their emergency lights flashing going 100 mph to get him back. We end up going in and they did three different tests. They concluded it wasn't urine but the ph level was between amniotic fluid and normal vaginal fluid. They monitored the baby and concluded since I wasn't having contractions it most likely wasn't amniotic fluid. So I guess I am happy it most likely wasn't amniotic fluid but a little confused why your body goes to crap and you start having weirdo vaginal fluid.....The pleasures of pregnancy I guess??? I guess the best outcome is the realization that BJ will not be calm and composed when the time comes! lol

New 34 Week Belly Pics

Okay well I forgot to post this last week but the belly keeps getting bigger...Thankfully at a slower rate now! Olivia is still moving and twirling like crazy. I thought she might calm down as she ran out of room but she hasn't figured out that she has ran out of room. Some of her naughty new tricks are NOT mommy approved, I have stern conversations with her but she is already defiant and not listening. lol I went to the dr and she checked me. I was 80% effaced and not dilated. I was not surprised by this and okay with it since I am only 34 weeks. The next day we went to Spokane and I had horrible contractions for hours. We went out to eat and I felt sick. We decided to leave and come home. The drive proved to be worse and I was sure she was coming! I had not got a bag together for the hospital so we decided to come home first. I had more than exceeded the "allowed" contractions per hour. Once we got home I layed down and they stopped. We debated what we should do. I was so tired that we decided to wait and see if they came back. They didn't. Not sure if it was the right choice to go or not go but we don't have a baby. I am going to talk to the dr on Monday and let her know. I am still having sporatic contractions but not painful, can't talk, must breath contractions. I think it was just a false alarm I think she will not be arriving for at least three weeks.

Lots of new updates

Things seem to be busy busy! On Sunday my friends Lynley and Josie hosted a baby shower for me. We had a great turnout of about 30 people. It was cozy! We had it at my house which was a lot of work to get ready for but no transporting presents and we had everything we needed handy. Olivia received an amazing amount of presents. I haven't had a chance to really look at everything and take inventory of what we got and still need but there shouldn't be much. I will have to post some pics in the next couple days.

I saw my dr for my follow up heart issues. The cardiologist had called and consulted with her. My monitor showed: "Heart monitored for 24 hrs of those hours: rates above 130 were noted for 6 hrs 44 min, rates from 100-130 were noted for 7hrs 12 min, 60-100 for 9 hrs ?, and below 60 for 1 hr 20 min. No abnormal rhythms were noted. The episodes of tachycardia (rapid heart rate) are an abnormal amount and patient should be tested for hypothyroidism." The dr had already tested my thyroid and it was normal. So after she consulted they agreed that although there was an abnormal amount of time my heart was fast it was still regulating and slowing on its own. The medication would slow my heart rate down but I would need to be monitoring the baby's activities frequently to make sure she wasn't showing stress. NOPE I would be a disaster if I had to do this. I would end up sitting in the parking lot of the hospital for hours "just in case". My blood pressure at the drs office was only 98/53 which was also another reason I will not be taking the medicine, it would lower it more. So after a long chat with the dr we agreed I would continue to lay on my left side and drink a glass of water everytime this happens and suffer through the next 8 weeks. I am content with that decision. I feel like it is the safer option. I will be 33 weeks on Wednesday.

I am getting so excited for her arrival. That's about it for now!

31 week Belly Pics

Okay here goes again! The newest belly pics at 31 weeks...only 9 more weeks to go. I think my stomach will split open soon!