My due date of July 4th came and went with very little action, and we were ok with that. We didn't particularly want our baby boy to be a "firecracker baby," as some have said.
Friday, July 5th
I had a prenatal appointment. My blood work from Monday had come back clear, but the urine test results had been delayed. I found them out at my appointment...I had crossed that line of 300mg of proteinuria to 334mg. After a discussion between Susan and Dr. Lewis, they decided to let me go, hoping baby would come over the weekend, since my blood pressure readings had stabilized. If baby boy doesn't come over the weekend, I have to do another 24-hr urine test; if those results show a continued increase in proteinuria, then there will be talk of hospital induction again. But, baby boy is still moving and heart rate sounds good! I was dilated to a 3, 70% effaced, and -1 station.Once again I left with a sense of urgency for baby boy to come soon for health reasons, but still so much of it was out of my control.
We discussed with Susan all the ways to naturally induce labor. In case you don't know:
- walking
- nipple stimulation/breast pump
- sex
- stripping membranes
- watch sappy romantic comedies (anything that boosts oxytocin)
- rub Clary Sage essential oil on the belly
- drink Raspberry Leaf Tea
- Cimicifuga Racemosa (homeopathic)
- Caulophyllum Thalictroides (homeopathic)
- acupuncture
Saturday, July 6th
Evan slept in, then we went out to Katie's Country Griddle for good big breakfast, in case baby boy decided to come that day. I spent the day doing what I could to encourage labor, and made some progress. I had contractions and they got to 5 minutes apart and about 2 minutes long, but they weren't very intense. We called Susan to update her and for reassurance then went for a late night walk, when it was a little cooler. We stayed up until the contractions started to subside, then went to sleep.Sunday, July 7th
We stayed home so Evan could sleep in (I've been getting up just about every hour and once it hits 7-8am, I'm up), in case labor started, and to avoid all the questions about still being pregnant. I ate a good breakfast of scrambled eggs made by my awesome hubby, then I spent another day doing everything I could to encourage labor, and thankfully we got out of the house to go for a walk around Target. I decided to call Susan to come over and check my progress and strip membranes again. When she came over, my bp was good, I was dilated to a 4, stretchy to a 6, 80-90% effaced, 0 station, and anterior cervical position, so definitely progress. Susan said she was impressed to see progress like this from a first-time mom, especially without being in active labor. After she left, we went on another late night walk and contractions got more intense than the night before. They lasted through the night, though I was able to sleep, and subsided early in the morning.Monday, July 8th
Today I'm in the midst of yet another 24-hr urine test. I ate another good breakfast of scrambled eggs, made in my new Green Pan. I'm really starting to get tired of eggs!! I spent another day at home doing everything I could to encourage labor, and Susan made an acupuncture appointment for me tonight. It was my first time for acupuncture. Some of the needle inserts hurt a little, and the room was warm, and after about half an hour in the same position, my back and bum were hurting. However, I felt baby boy moving a lot and had a couple contractions (also uncomfortable since I felt like I couldn't move at all during them).
Afterwards, Evan and I picked up some dinner, visited with some friends, then headed back home. Let me tell you how fun it is to lug a cooler with a pee bucket around while out and about...not!! But I did it, and now we're back home, once again waiting to see if tonight is the night we'll get to meet our baby boy.
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