Adventures in Pregnancy, week 40

We made it to 40 weeks! 2 1/2 weeks ago, I wasn't sure if this would be possible. I'm so thankful for all the blessings of the past few weeks. Now, onto the news.

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

So over the weekend, I tried everything, except the acupuncture because offices were closed.

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.

Still loading...

Monday, July 8

Over the course of the past week, I (or we) have finished all of the little things left on our TO DO BEFORE BABY COMES list:

• Decorated, organized, cleaned the baby room
• Swept/vacuumed all the floors
• Put away random stuff
• Readied the front guest bedroom
• Washed all the dishes (except for the ones we use each day, of course)
• I even finished my Gilmore Girls seasons

I'm running out of things to do to occupy/distract me from the waiting.

Adventures in Pregnancy, week 39

Thank goodness things have slowed way down this week!! My blood pressure readings stabilized over the weekend, which means I don't stress about taking my blood pressure quite as much...which probably results in even better readings! I've even been released to exercise and do more activity than laying on the couch!! Good thing because my left hip and shoulder are getting pretty sore!

I got to have the garage sale I've been stockpiling for since winter-time on Friday and Saturday. I only opened it for the mornings of each day, and the weather was actually very nice. It even drizzled a bit Saturday morning. Everything I had out, I just wanted gone, so a lot of things were just a quarter or just a dollar. I had a few larger items, and even those I priced way low and sold most of it. Anything that didn't sell went to Goodwill Sunday afternoon, except for clothes which will go to the church's Pants & Pancakes ministry. It's good to have the space in the garage finally cleared out...maybe the garage will get organized now. We'll see...

I have been eating as much protein (eggs) as I can stand trying to improve my lab results from last week. My goal is 80-100 grams of protein a day! I think I've met that goal each day, and even exceeded it on Saturday, when I absolutely stuffed myself with protein!

I had a prenatal Sun. June 30th. Everything went well, and she stripped membranes again (4th time...) I'm dilated to a 3 and 70% effaced. So, progress is being made! I just finished another 24-hour urine test Tuesday morning. If this test and the blood work are clear/much better, I'll be cleared from appointments with the OB and back to Susan as my primary caregiver (with Dr. Lewis still being backup, of course)!

I had quite a few contractions Monday afternoon/evening. These were stronger than ones I've had previously, but they never came at regular intervals. They lasted most of the evening, then went away when I went to bed. Alas, another day!

It's crazy to think that my due date is this coming Thursday, yet we've been so eager for Baby Boy to come, for health reasons, for 2 weeks now!! In retrospect, I'm seeing how it has been best that he has stayed put:
1. Susan had a cold last weekend, and that would not have been ideal, whether we ended up at the hospital or at home.
2. We made progress with decorating the nursery (pics coming soon).
3. We had a garage sale.
4. Laundry, dishes, and some cleaning done.
5. A lot of episodes of Castle watched. We started the series at the beginning of June, so in a month we've watched seasons 1-3, and half of 4!!
(there's probably more that I've thought of, but can't remember right now)

I just wish Baby Boy would have come before Lindi, Evan's youngest cousin who's working on midwifery certification and who has become a dear friend/family member, and her family left for Guatemala. They left on Monday for a couple of months, but I know they'll be doing great work there!

Adventures in Pregnancy, week 38

The adventure continues...
(I know I include a lot of details, but this is to get it all off my mind and still remember this adventure someday in the future.)

Saturday, June 22nd

After breakfast, Evan and I went on a short walk around the neighborhood. Then, we headed to Lowes...well actually Evan dropped me off to get a pedicure while he got what he needed at Lowes. Then we headed home, ate lunch, and I rested until Susan came over. She checked on Baby Boy, checked on protein level in my urine (all was good), then she stripped my membranes. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it only felt a little more uncomfortable/intense than when Baby Boy was putting pressure on my cervix. Then, Susan checked my bp: 142/78...low number really good, high number a little high.

A few hours later, as Evan was getting dinner ready, I started to feel kind of crampy. I went ahead and ate, but my lower back was starting to ache also. I decided I wanted some froyo...some peach froyo that I had had a few weeks before, so we went to Berri-Licious. But alas, no peach froyo, only raspberry peach. So, I got some peach-raspberry and some tart, topped with fruit and nuts. When we got back home, I decided I wanted to take my bp sitting outside instead of inside. I think I was starting to get a little cabin fever/stir crazy, and being outside with the breeze and sounds of nature (including cars going by) drowned out the sound of the bp machine, and just made me feel a little better.

After that, the crampy feelings seemed more like real contractions. I started to ask Evan about timing them, but I had a hard time really knowing when they ended even though they seemed to start about every ten minutes. I was on the birth/yoga ball, first sitting, then leaning my upper body on it and rocking, all the while enjoying the distraction of Castle and getting a little excited that this may be it! A little later, Evan, being the awesome Bradley birth coach he's learned to be, said we needed to go to bed, whether the contractions were real or not. If they were real, it would be good to have the rest, if they weren't real, they'd stop when I went to sleep. So, I reluctantly went to bed, thinking I don't know if I can sleep...but I did, and the contractions subsided.

Sunday, June 23rd

We went to church then had lunch with mom, who had been helping with Moore/Shawnee tornado relief with Western Heights, before she headed home. My lower back was hurting most of church, so I rested and waited for things to pick back up, but nothing. So, we headed to LifeGroup.

Monday, June 24th

Another 24-urine test. Thankfully, I had a bit of distraction from being stuck on the couch with nothing happening by watching a friend's kids for about an hour. The kids played great and it passed the time. Then Evan came home for lunch to see me. That afternoon I decided I was going to be productive, so I worked on some hot/cold rice packs that I had started last month. I finished cutting the fabric, and used a hand-held sewing machine to sew 3 3/4 of the sides. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but I got 3 little ones done, except for adding the rice and sewing them shut. It was nice to feel like I had done something and not just laid on the couch all day! Added bonus, my feet, especially my right foot, seemed to be much less swollen.

Tuesday, June 25th

I took in my 2 jugs of urine and had blood drawn again...now a weekly occurrence. Then a sweet friend came over for a visit, providing more distraction. After that, I rested up because Evan had said he'd take me to visit Camp Impact! I think being stuck on the couch was more frustrating this week 1) because I felt fine and 2) because Camp Impact was going on, and I had really wanted to be there! In the midst of my rest, I got up off the couch to turn off a light and found a needle with the sole of my foot!! OUCH!! Thankfully, it wasn't in too deep, and it only bled a little when I took it out.

Evan came home around 4:15, and we went to interview a pediatrician. It went pretty well, but I still have a hard time with how fast most doctors/nurses seem to more. I understand they try to fit in as many patients as possible, but when they come in a hurry, I don't feel like I can keep up with them or remember what I wanted to ask, etc. Then, we got some dinner...I was good and got a salad from Cool Greens while Evan indulged his craving for Top That! Pizza. I might have snuck a few bites of his pizza. shh! Next, off to Camp Impact!

When I walked into the Garvey Center, all the Children's Ministers were standing there about to have a meeting. Rusty, my youth minister, saw me first and gave me a hug, and then it was a sweet exclamation of "Laura!" as they all gave me hugs. It was so good to see and hug them all! I went on into Hardeman for the Acapella concert so they could finish their meeting. It was a lot of fun to see 4th-6th graders squealing, clapping, and having fun with Acapella! As their meeting ended, my Children's Ministry friends started trickling in and I got to talk with some of them. Evan let me stay for the concert and for worship afterwards. Camp Impact worship is always one of my favorite things. There's just nothing like seeing and hearing a large room full of kids pour out their hearts and voices in worship!! I love it! When I got home that night and took my bp, it was one of the lowest readings of the past 2 weeks!!

Wednesday, June 26th

I went to Revolution Chiropractic again and then to Barnes and Noble to look for "7" by Jen Hatmaker, a study the girls in Lifegroup are starting. Then I went to lunch with a sweet friend, some of my favorite boys, and their sister. It was nice...felt like old times before my body went haywire. Then it was home to rest before an appointment with Dr. Lewis.

I went in feeling great, chatting with Evan and Susan while we waited for the Dr. Lewis. Then the nurse came in, put the bp cuff on, and hit the button without any warning! I tried to relax and slow my breathing down, but it was a borderline/high reading (143/83). It frustrates me that the nurse doesn't give me any warning before starting the bp machine, especially when that's the reason I'm at the Dr.'s office! My 24 hr urine test results showed an increase of protein in my urine to borderline of mild pre-eclampsia, and my iron was down a little bit from last week, but Dr. Lewis was still very pleased with Tuesday's bp readings and was rooting for me to have the homebirth I want. She did recommend stripping membranes again to get baby here as soon as possible and increasing my bp medicine dosage by a little bit, I think to accommodate for the rise in bp when labor starts...I think. So, Susan stripped my membranes there at the Dr.'s office (we didn't know she could until I said I'd be more comfortable if Susan did and Dr. Lewis said she could).

I left feeling more down than when I went in. Once again, there's the feeling of urgency and trying to figure out what's best for me and Baby Boy and the ever-looming possibility of a hospital stay or induction. One of the verses in my daily devotional today that I read before going to Dr. Lewis:

"You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail." Proverbs 19:21

I needed this reminder today. I wish I knew what to do, what's going to happen, and when, but I trust in God, his plan, and his timing.

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

After Wednesday, when we had to be ready to head to the hospital to meet this baby boy, the rest of this week has felt like a waiting game. On Thursday, mom and I went to lunch and to return...and buy...some things at Target and Babies R Us. Then we came home and I rested most of the rest of the day on the couch. Thankfully, I had some sweet visitors come to check on and distract me from being bored on the couch. Later that night, Evan had some friends over to watch the final NBA Finals game. It was an eventful day, and my nightly bp reading was a little higher than I wanted to see, but still much better than it had been on Monday. Then Friday, I went to Revolution Chiropractic, took a 15 min walk, and spent the majority of the rest of the day on the couch.

I'm very thankful to still be carrying this baby boy at 38 weeks!! I'm glad to feel him moving and know that he is ok. I finally got to the point of being mentally and emotionally ready for this baby  to be here and for labor (I kinda had to), and now I'm waiting...doing what I can to jumpstart things, but still just waiting. I've had a few contractions, but nothing regular. Dr. Lewis is hoping I go into labor soon, and even Susan recommended encouraging things along since the only resolution for gestational hypertension is to have the baby. So, I feel a sense of urgency, but it's still very much out of my control.

38 weeks

And so, I lay on my left side on the couch, I go for short walks, then back to the couch, I try acupressure, and later today Susan will try sweeping my membranes, all the while trying to keep the balance of acceptable blood pressure but still encourage labor to start.

Adventures in Pregnancy, week 37...continued

Spoiler alert! Good news!!

Tues. June 18th

I started the 24 hour urine collection. What an experience!! Needless to say, I stayed home all day so I wouldn't have to worry about taking out and keeping that jug cool. I sorted through the last of the baby shower gifts and got everything washed. I made sure to eat a lot of protein, keep up with my supplements and rest. Around 2pm, Susan checked in and asked about blood pressure readings. When I told her, she said to rest on my left side as much as possible, so that's what I did. She was also playing phone tag with the OU midwives to talk with them about my situation. My mom had planned to come up for a few days and got to my house right about the time Susan said to stay laying on my left. All the things I had intended to do, she took over and did for me. The timing couldn't have been better!!

Around 4:30pm, Susan called back after talking with the OU Midwives. My blood pressure readings were too high for them to take me, so we discussed going with an OB. She talked to the Norman (CMS) Midwives and got a recommendation for Dr. Lewis with Mercy. Susan called again around 5:30 and told me that she had called Dr. Lewis and informed her of my situation. Dr. Lewis decided to work me into her schedule on Wednesday, with the caution--if my blood pressure readings were still really high, there's a good chance of an induction. High blood pressure can put pressure on the placenta, compromising it for baby or cause it to detach from the uterus. At that point, I was on bed rest on my left side.

It's so crazy how within the span of 3 1/2 hours, everything changed. My thoughts shifted to packing hospital bags and preparing mentally, emotionally, and physically to possibly have a baby the next day. I cried it all out, took a bath, and resolved to accept the situation and trust that God made my body, He made this baby, and He planned how this baby would come, so no more crying. A sweet friend came by to help me prepare and distract me, then we went to bed early. However, I laid in bed most of the night, thoughts racing my head and unable to sleep. I finally fell asleep for about 3 hours.

Wed. June 19th

I woke up, got ready, finished packing, finished the 24 hour urine collection, and ate breakfast. While eating breakfast, I got a call from the OB office to schedule my appointment for 2:15. It was a relief to know that when we left the house at 9am, we would be coming back home. Evan came with me to the lab to turn in the urine sample, and the receptionist was a sweet, funny, black lady. She drew blood, which went very smoothly, and then I was off to the chiropractor.

Revolution Chiropractic was recommended by our birth class and our midwife both for my blood pressure and baby's position. Drs. Rachel and Adam Duncan were great! They listened to what was going on and were very understanding. It was my first time to get a manual adjustment, and they were great at explaining what they were going to do before doing so. They adjusted my cervical/Atlas area, which is what affects blood pressure, my sacrum to help baby's position, my mid-back, my feet, and head. They also suggested a breathing exercise to inhale for 6-7 sec through my nose and exhale for 6-7 sec through my mouth to help lower my blood pressure. They said to come back Friday if I didn't have a baby already. They were great.

Then we headed home to rest and eat lunch. Another sweet friend came over to bring lunch and check on me. We made sure we had everything (that we could remember) packed, and headed to the OB appointment. After some paperwork and waiting for a while, we went back to the exam room. I gave a urine sample then they hooked me up to the blood pressure cuff (which was not positioned on my arm right), turned it on (I wasn't quite ready), then asked me a question (really?! I'm here because of my blood pressure and you're going to make me talk and possible get a bad reading?!) Thankfully, an error showed (because of talking, the nurse said...imagine that?!), she readjusted the cuff, and turned it on again. I did my slow abdominal breathing and got a better, but still borderline reading of 143/85. *sigh of relief*

Dr. Lewis came in and looked over all my labs. Blood test looked good (my iron was back to 10.3 and in a good range), and even though I didn't everything said between Susan and Dr. Lewis, it sounded like everything was good and clear. The 24 hour test looked good, no protein in my urine. The sample I gave at the office looked good. All those things, in addition to me feeling well and baby moving regularly, led us to believe this is labile blood pressure. Dr. Lewis was great! She kept saying "This is your pregnancy and I want it to go how you want, as long as you and baby are safe." She decided to give me a quick-acting, low-dose bp medicine and discussed stripping my membranes to jumpstart labor and let baby come on his own. She checked me and I was dilated to a 1 and 70% effaced. Evan and I decided we wanted to try some more natural methods of jumpstarting labor before stripping membranes, and if we decided to strip membranes, we'd call Susan and she would come do that.

We left to GO HOME with hope of still having a homebirth!! That's probably the best news we could have gotten, and we were over the moon. We would get to go to church and Evan would get to finish out the volleyball tournament after church! We picked up my Rx, ate dinner at Smashburger, then went to church. Halfway through church, the emotional high wore off and the 3 hrs of sleep the previous night caught up with me, so mom and I headed home so I could rest and a friend brought Evan home after volleyball.

We are so thankful for the good news we got and for our birth team, sweet friends, and family who have cared for us lately! We are blessed

Happy news: Nursery update!

This is how Baby Boy's room is looking these days. I still have a few more things to do, like hang things on the wall, organize, and find a rocking chair/recliner, but it's coming together!

 A pooh bear wall.

This dresser was my brother's and mine when we were babies. Evan spray-painted it for me, and I think it looks great on the robot/space alien wall...

I think we're set with nb-3month clothes. They take up that whole bottom section, and that doesn't even include sleepers/onesies.

Hopefully we'll get it 'finished' soon!!