Well, as of today, I am officially full-term! In other words, it could be ANY TIME NOW! And I have a feeling it will be sooner, rather than later. She dropped sooner than what is considered "normal" and I lost my mucus plug sooner than "normal", and I've been cramping, feeling pressure in my pelvis, and having contractions for well over a week. Granted, the contractions have settled down a lot from how they started off, but I'm still having them. I had five days of good, hard contractions, which caused me to go running to the hospital several times, and effectively dilated me to 1 1/2 cms. However, last Monday they settled into something more like weak braxton hicks, which I get irregularly off and on throughout the day, and they haven't caused any more dilation since then. Still....they could come back at any time.
And so, we wait....I can't help but think constantly, "Will I need my OB appointment next week?" "Will I still be sitting here tomorrow, wondering when?" "Will I have a baby the next time I go to church?" And then I wonder, "What if she's late? What if I'm still sitting here three or four weeks from now, wondering when?" Every appointment or plan I have set at a future date, I wonder if Lexi is going to interfere with it, or be there for it. This is nerve wracking! But, I'm ready. We have all the stuff we need for her, the bags are packed and in the van, and everybody in the house is on high alert...just waiting...
Friday, March 29, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
What's On My Mind
I have officially reached the stage of weekly doctor's visits! I am at 35 weeks. I can't believe how close I am! Within 3-7 weeks, I should be holding my baby girl! It seems unreal. And then I look around my room, at the mountain of baby stuff that has yet to be organized, and I worry. I can't bring her home to this. I need to get it all organized and set up. But this is going to be SUCH a project!
I have been sick, too. I think it's just a cold, and it probably wouldn't be a very bad cold if I weren't pregnant. However, being pregnant just amplifies it! I've been beyond exhausted. And tomorrow is my busy day! Oh dear! But I will live. I won't overdo it.
Being this close to delivery day, I can't help but think about it all the time. Every day, I am watching for any signs of it getting closer. I read yesterday that this week, Lexi's lungs should be fully developed, and her immune system and liver should be starting to function. That's pretty exciting! Babies who are born at this stage usually do okay with minimal medical intervention, and have no lasting health issues. That means, even though she'd still be considered premature at this point, she would be developed enough to do fine. That is really awesome!
.....Now if I could just get over that nagging concern about how much labor is going to hurt!
I have been sick, too. I think it's just a cold, and it probably wouldn't be a very bad cold if I weren't pregnant. However, being pregnant just amplifies it! I've been beyond exhausted. And tomorrow is my busy day! Oh dear! But I will live. I won't overdo it.
Being this close to delivery day, I can't help but think about it all the time. Every day, I am watching for any signs of it getting closer. I read yesterday that this week, Lexi's lungs should be fully developed, and her immune system and liver should be starting to function. That's pretty exciting! Babies who are born at this stage usually do okay with minimal medical intervention, and have no lasting health issues. That means, even though she'd still be considered premature at this point, she would be developed enough to do fine. That is really awesome!
.....Now if I could just get over that nagging concern about how much labor is going to hurt!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Dropping
Where labor is concerned, I have gone from terrified, to complacent, to excited. Right now, I can hardly wait! I wanna hold my baby!!! And she is getting ready too. I'm 90% certain that she has dropped. At first, I really wasn't sure. Several people mentioned that I seemed to be carrying lower. What was, before, a slight pressure in my pelvis, became a BIG pressure in my pelvis, which hurts all the way down into my thighs. I was honestly hoping that I hadn't dropped, because I was afraid that meant that labor was imminent, and I don't want her to be premature.
So, I did what I always do, and researched it. I googled "baby dropped at 34 weeks", and what I found was a lot of pregnancy messaging boards, where women with their first pregnancy were saying they were 34 weeks (some even less) and had dropped. In every thread I looked at, more experienced mothers were commenting on these posts telling the girls not to worry, and that it was normal. One woman said that with her first pregnancy, she dropped around 30 weeks, and still delivered around her due date. What I learned from reading those is that dropping is not really any indication of when labor will start. It normally happens much earlier with first pregnancies than with later ones, but even that is not always the case. And some babies will drop, then go back up, repeatedly. So, I'm not too worried about it anymore.
The more I've payed attention to my body, the more I'm convinced that she must have dropped. There are several signals that I wouldn't have put together before reading all those message boards. For one thing, a few days ago, I got my first hemroid. Ouch! This is, as I read, a sign of lots of pressure in that area. Also, I keep getting quick, stinging pains in my bladder. I originally thought that meant I had a bladder infection, and was going to bring it up at my next appointment, but when I read the boards, almost every girl sighted that same symptom. I'm still going to mention it to my nurse, but they're going to test my urine anyway. The feeling of pressure in my pelvis has also been strengthening and spreading. Originally, I figured it was just because my body isn't used to all this weight, and hormones are making all my joints relax. That may well have something to do with it. But I read that when the baby drops, it creates a lot of pressure down there, and can be extremely uncomfortable, which it is getting to be. I currently have a constant ache that spreads across my pelvis, and into my thighs, and hurts especially right at the crease of my legs. Another symptom I wouldn't have paid much attention to is back pain. I've had back pain from very early in my pregnancy, but within the last few days, it's gotten worse. I again, assumed that was due to added weight that my body isn't used to. But I read that when the baby drops, it can increase the pressure on the lower back. At first, I couldn't tell much difference with my breathing. I still felt as out of breath as ever. But, over the past 48 hours, I have slowly begun to notice that I CAN, in fact, take a fuller breath. I've also noticed, just today, that when Lexi kicks, it feels a tad bit lower than it was before. She isn't getting into my ribs like she was before. The only symptom I haven't gotten that is related to dropping is a decrease in heart burn....go figure, one of the pleasant symptoms, and I'm not getting it. If anything, my heartburn is getting worse. But, I saw some people say that their heartburn got worse after the baby dropped. I'm not sure why that is, as you would think it is decreasing the pressure up there, but oh well.
Although, on one hand, it makes me slightly nervous that she might already have dropped, on the other hand, I'm super excited. I've likened it to a race. She is now positioned at the starting line, and is waiting to start her engine. I guess I'll say her engine has started whenever I lose my mucus plug (lovely term). I kind of can't believe I am this close to the end of my pregnancy. It seems to have flown by so quickly! But I can't wait to meet my little girl. Now if I could just get the room in a decent state to welcome her home! ACK!!!
So, I did what I always do, and researched it. I googled "baby dropped at 34 weeks", and what I found was a lot of pregnancy messaging boards, where women with their first pregnancy were saying they were 34 weeks (some even less) and had dropped. In every thread I looked at, more experienced mothers were commenting on these posts telling the girls not to worry, and that it was normal. One woman said that with her first pregnancy, she dropped around 30 weeks, and still delivered around her due date. What I learned from reading those is that dropping is not really any indication of when labor will start. It normally happens much earlier with first pregnancies than with later ones, but even that is not always the case. And some babies will drop, then go back up, repeatedly. So, I'm not too worried about it anymore.
The more I've payed attention to my body, the more I'm convinced that she must have dropped. There are several signals that I wouldn't have put together before reading all those message boards. For one thing, a few days ago, I got my first hemroid. Ouch! This is, as I read, a sign of lots of pressure in that area. Also, I keep getting quick, stinging pains in my bladder. I originally thought that meant I had a bladder infection, and was going to bring it up at my next appointment, but when I read the boards, almost every girl sighted that same symptom. I'm still going to mention it to my nurse, but they're going to test my urine anyway. The feeling of pressure in my pelvis has also been strengthening and spreading. Originally, I figured it was just because my body isn't used to all this weight, and hormones are making all my joints relax. That may well have something to do with it. But I read that when the baby drops, it creates a lot of pressure down there, and can be extremely uncomfortable, which it is getting to be. I currently have a constant ache that spreads across my pelvis, and into my thighs, and hurts especially right at the crease of my legs. Another symptom I wouldn't have paid much attention to is back pain. I've had back pain from very early in my pregnancy, but within the last few days, it's gotten worse. I again, assumed that was due to added weight that my body isn't used to. But I read that when the baby drops, it can increase the pressure on the lower back. At first, I couldn't tell much difference with my breathing. I still felt as out of breath as ever. But, over the past 48 hours, I have slowly begun to notice that I CAN, in fact, take a fuller breath. I've also noticed, just today, that when Lexi kicks, it feels a tad bit lower than it was before. She isn't getting into my ribs like she was before. The only symptom I haven't gotten that is related to dropping is a decrease in heart burn....go figure, one of the pleasant symptoms, and I'm not getting it. If anything, my heartburn is getting worse. But, I saw some people say that their heartburn got worse after the baby dropped. I'm not sure why that is, as you would think it is decreasing the pressure up there, but oh well.
Although, on one hand, it makes me slightly nervous that she might already have dropped, on the other hand, I'm super excited. I've likened it to a race. She is now positioned at the starting line, and is waiting to start her engine. I guess I'll say her engine has started whenever I lose my mucus plug (lovely term). I kind of can't believe I am this close to the end of my pregnancy. It seems to have flown by so quickly! But I can't wait to meet my little girl. Now if I could just get the room in a decent state to welcome her home! ACK!!!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel
I have had an exciting weekend! On Thursday, Russ and I bought a van. It's a white, '03 Dodge Caravan, and it is going to be just perfect for our family! I used to have fantasies of one day having a big enough family to justify a van, and now I do! It only recently really dawned on me that we are about to be a family of four! It seems a little bit surreal. It's what I've always wanted, and always feared I'd never have.
Friday, I had a doctor's appointment, then ran a thousand errands, which resulted in us being out and about all day long. That was a bit exhausting. But the appointment went well! For the first time since I've started going to the doctor, I did not have any new questions to ask. I will have another appointment in two weeks, and after that we will start weekly appointments. My nurse said that once we start the weekly appointments, they will start checking my dilation. That was exciting and scary at the same time! I can't believe I'm that close to the end of this! A part of me is getting antsy to see and hold my baby girl, but a part of me is still really enjoying being pregnant, and doesn't want it to end. However, I can tell that Lexi is getting ready to be born, because my pubic bone, just above her exit tunnel, feels really sore and bruised. I figure that's because her head is probably resting near there, pressing down on it all the time. At least I know she's facing the right way!
Today, we got to go to church. I really love getting to see everybody! Unfortunately, we had to rush away after the service, because Russ had to get to work on time. But that's okay. Once we got home, and he left for work, I took a nice long shower, then got into some pajamas, so I feel fresh and comfy. I am trying to relax all evening, so that I will be ready for tomorrow!
Tomorrow is my baby shower! I am beyond excited for this! Somehow, even once I knew I was pregnant, it never crossed my mind that I might get a baby shower. Not until my friend, Brittany, said she wanted to host one for me. Even at that point, it didn't feel completely real that I might actually get one. But plans were made, and put in place, and tomorrow is the day! The ladies at the church we go to have done almost all of the planning, allowing me to sit back and anticipate! The plans that I know of are, we are going to decorate onesies and t-shirts for the baby, there is going to be plenty of food, and there will be petit fours (small cakes). I'm sure there will be plenty of other surprises lined up for me, and I can't WAIT to see it all!
There is more excitement coming! On Monday evening, we will be going to an induction ceremony for Russ into an honor society (the name of which I can't remember). I am so excited for him! I married a very smart man! Also on Monday, if I remember, I am going to call and make an appointment to get on WIC. I've been meaning to do that for months! I also need to call and register with ViaCord, to bank Lexi's cord blood.
I am less than 7 weeks from my due date. As a matter of fact, I have 48 days. I read that new mom's tend to go past their due date, so I might have longer than that, but either way, it's getting really close! I can't wait, and at the same time, I'm terrified. But I'm trying to let the "I can't wait" side of me win. There's no use going into labor still terrified of it, right?
Friday, I had a doctor's appointment, then ran a thousand errands, which resulted in us being out and about all day long. That was a bit exhausting. But the appointment went well! For the first time since I've started going to the doctor, I did not have any new questions to ask. I will have another appointment in two weeks, and after that we will start weekly appointments. My nurse said that once we start the weekly appointments, they will start checking my dilation. That was exciting and scary at the same time! I can't believe I'm that close to the end of this! A part of me is getting antsy to see and hold my baby girl, but a part of me is still really enjoying being pregnant, and doesn't want it to end. However, I can tell that Lexi is getting ready to be born, because my pubic bone, just above her exit tunnel, feels really sore and bruised. I figure that's because her head is probably resting near there, pressing down on it all the time. At least I know she's facing the right way!
Today, we got to go to church. I really love getting to see everybody! Unfortunately, we had to rush away after the service, because Russ had to get to work on time. But that's okay. Once we got home, and he left for work, I took a nice long shower, then got into some pajamas, so I feel fresh and comfy. I am trying to relax all evening, so that I will be ready for tomorrow!
Tomorrow is my baby shower! I am beyond excited for this! Somehow, even once I knew I was pregnant, it never crossed my mind that I might get a baby shower. Not until my friend, Brittany, said she wanted to host one for me. Even at that point, it didn't feel completely real that I might actually get one. But plans were made, and put in place, and tomorrow is the day! The ladies at the church we go to have done almost all of the planning, allowing me to sit back and anticipate! The plans that I know of are, we are going to decorate onesies and t-shirts for the baby, there is going to be plenty of food, and there will be petit fours (small cakes). I'm sure there will be plenty of other surprises lined up for me, and I can't WAIT to see it all!
There is more excitement coming! On Monday evening, we will be going to an induction ceremony for Russ into an honor society (the name of which I can't remember). I am so excited for him! I married a very smart man! Also on Monday, if I remember, I am going to call and make an appointment to get on WIC. I've been meaning to do that for months! I also need to call and register with ViaCord, to bank Lexi's cord blood.
I am less than 7 weeks from my due date. As a matter of fact, I have 48 days. I read that new mom's tend to go past their due date, so I might have longer than that, but either way, it's getting really close! I can't wait, and at the same time, I'm terrified. But I'm trying to let the "I can't wait" side of me win. There's no use going into labor still terrified of it, right?
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Latest updates
Okay, biggest news first: I had my three hour glucose test, and I PASSED!!! Woohoo!!! It was a pretty miserable day anyway, because the glucose drink was SO sugary, and drinking that on an empty stomach really did a number on me! I got slightly queasy, and really dizzy, and for a little while I felt like I was going to pass out. I had to lay down for most of the time I was at the doctor. However, we got the good news that I was not diabetic, then Russ took me out for lunch, and I pigged out because I was STARVING! After eating, I felt much better! Lexi was on overdrive the rest of the day, and the following day she was really quiet, so I guess she had her first sugar crash.
I've mostly gotten my hospital bag packed. I wanted to do it good and early, so that I'd have over two months to think of anything I might have forgotten. The only things I'm waiting to pack is snacks for those who go to the hospital with me, my camera, and my baby book. My camera I will probably pack sometime around the beginning of April. Same goes for snacks, which will probably be trail mix, or granola bars....just something so people don't need to worry about paying for the vending machine, unless they really want to. The baby book I will pack after my baby shower, which is coming up soon! Then, on our way out the door, I just need to remember to grab my pillow and my phone charger. Russ will bring me my laptop after the first time he comes home to take care of Rusty. My only other concern is school. Whatever class I start after the one I'm in, I will need to warn the teacher that I might go into labor, and have to turn some things in late. I'm sure it won't be a problem, but it makes me nervous to realize it's that soon!
Speaking of my baby shower, I am really excited about that! There are some solid plans now. My friend, Brittany, is hosting it at her house. It'll be on March 3rd, at 3. Which, ironically, is when I originally wanted to have my wedding, but we couldn't because of lent. The women of the church we go to here are taking care of all the details, so I don't have to worry about a thing! It's going to be so much fun! My very own baby shower! Wow!
Our plans for visiting Texas are a little bit more solidified now. We still don't know exactly when, or for how long we will be there, but we have narrowed it down to a month. We want to go sometime in July. That gives us four months from now to start saving money for the trip. We have some plans in place to save what we need. We're talking about the trip being anywhere from four days to a week. We'll see what we can afford, as the time gets closer. I know for a fact that we want to visit my family, Russ's dad and Brenda, as many of my grandparents, aunts and uncles as we can, and Moonie and Kourtney. As for fine tuning all the arrangements, that has yet to be done. We'll get there, though!
I've mostly gotten my hospital bag packed. I wanted to do it good and early, so that I'd have over two months to think of anything I might have forgotten. The only things I'm waiting to pack is snacks for those who go to the hospital with me, my camera, and my baby book. My camera I will probably pack sometime around the beginning of April. Same goes for snacks, which will probably be trail mix, or granola bars....just something so people don't need to worry about paying for the vending machine, unless they really want to. The baby book I will pack after my baby shower, which is coming up soon! Then, on our way out the door, I just need to remember to grab my pillow and my phone charger. Russ will bring me my laptop after the first time he comes home to take care of Rusty. My only other concern is school. Whatever class I start after the one I'm in, I will need to warn the teacher that I might go into labor, and have to turn some things in late. I'm sure it won't be a problem, but it makes me nervous to realize it's that soon!
Speaking of my baby shower, I am really excited about that! There are some solid plans now. My friend, Brittany, is hosting it at her house. It'll be on March 3rd, at 3. Which, ironically, is when I originally wanted to have my wedding, but we couldn't because of lent. The women of the church we go to here are taking care of all the details, so I don't have to worry about a thing! It's going to be so much fun! My very own baby shower! Wow!
Our plans for visiting Texas are a little bit more solidified now. We still don't know exactly when, or for how long we will be there, but we have narrowed it down to a month. We want to go sometime in July. That gives us four months from now to start saving money for the trip. We have some plans in place to save what we need. We're talking about the trip being anywhere from four days to a week. We'll see what we can afford, as the time gets closer. I know for a fact that we want to visit my family, Russ's dad and Brenda, as many of my grandparents, aunts and uncles as we can, and Moonie and Kourtney. As for fine tuning all the arrangements, that has yet to be done. We'll get there, though!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Feel the Burn!
My stomach acid has become my mortal enemy! I started experiencing heartburn pretty early on. Originally, I was handling it purely with tums. Eventually, I was eating so many tums, I worried whether that was safe. That was when I began taking Prilosec. Prilosec worked pretty well for several months. However, as my uterus has begun to move up, and put more pressure on my stomach, the acid began to overpower the Prilosec. At an appointment, I brought this up to my nurse practitioner, and she suggested I try Zantac, as she had known some women to have more success with that. So, I got some Zantac and began taking that. However, the stomach acid overpowered the Zantac so easily that I could hardly tell I was taking anything at all. I would take a Zantac in the morning, and spend the rest of the day munching on tums anyway. What's worst is that I could not lay on my right side in bed at all. If I layed on my right side, I felt like I was breathing fire. The heartburn would get SO bad. And unfortunately, I just am not as comfortable sleeping on my left side. For a few weeks, I was pretty miserable, and unable to really get any sleep. Then, my sister-in-law, who recently had her daughter, gave me what was left of some prescription heartburn meds she'd had to take while pregnant. It's called Nexium. Taking that seemed to work a miracle! Suddenly, I could sleep on my right side again, and I could get through most of my day without having to take tums. I do still need to take them around dinner time. So, at my next appointment, I told my nurse practitioner about the Nexium, and that it's the only thing that's seemed to help. She said that since I have tried three things, and not had much success she would TRY to write me a prescription for some heartburn relief. The reason she said "TRY" is because I am on medicaid, and medicaid does not want to pay for heartburn meds. She sent the prescription out, and told me that she did not know how long it would take for medicaid to either give in and approve it, or not. So far as I know, they have not yet approved it. I am waiting as patiently as I can, while watching the Nexium my sister-in-law gave me slowly dwindle away. I am just praying that medicaid will approve my prescription before I run out. Honestly, I am scared that they won't, and that before long, I will go back to being miserable. But if that's the case, I can at least take comfort in the fact that I am nearing the end of this journey.
The medicaid fiasco is not the only bad news I got on that Monday. I had my glucose test that day, and I failed it. I was only over by six points, so I'm hoping it was a fluke. However, because I failed the one hour test, they had to schedule me a three hour test. Now, for the one hour test, what they did was tell me to eat something plain for breakfast that morning, and drink nothing but water. When I went in for the test, they drew my blood, then gave me the glucose drink. It was like orange syrup. After drinking that, I had to wait for an hour, then go back and have my finger pricked. They checked my iron and glucose levels with that. The three hour test is a little stricter. I will not be allowed to eat anything at all after midnight the night before. I will not be allowed anything to drink later than two hours before the test starts. When I go in, they will draw my blood again, then give me another glucose drink, which I'm told will be twice as strong as the last one I drank. After that, for the next three hours, I will have my finger pricked once an hour, to test my glucose levels. I can't eat until the test is over. And WHAT I can eat will depend entirely on the results of the test. If I fail it, I will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and I will have to start watching out for sugar and starch and carbs. If I have to....well, then I have to. But I know that it will be rather difficult for me to change my diet so drastically, especially when I'm hungry ALL THE TIME! So I am praying that the first test was a fluke, and I will pass the second one and not have to worry.
Some happier news: I have officially reached the stage of pregnancy where you're supposed to do daily kick counts. What that means is, you're supposed to pick a time during the day to count how often your baby kicks you. The goal is to feel ten kicks within a two hour period. If you don't, you're supposed to call your doctor. Well, since I have started, it has not taken me longer than thirty minutes to feel ten kicks. The quickest I got to ten was fifteen minutes. So, I guess I have a hyperactive, but healthy baby.
I have also now taken all the classes I had signed up for. All of them were fun, and I did learn some things. I think my favorite class was the first one, Preparation for Childbirth. The Sibling class, for Rusty, was also really fun. Rusty actually paid attention and when we got home, wanted to practice changing diapers on a doll I have. Since taking that class, he has seemed a lot more excited about being a big brother. I am thrilled. I know he is going to be such a great brother! Lexi will be lucky to have him!
The only other thing that is of interest that is going on right now, is that me and Russ are very close to being able to get a vehicle of our own. We just filed our taxes a couple nights ago, and once we get our return, we will be using that to make a down payment. We started off looking for cross-over vehicles, but those are in high demand right now, so they're expensive. Now we've been looking at SUV's. We think we've found one we like, which is at a dealership near here. It's a Ford Escape. It looks to be in pretty good condition, and it's roomy enough for the four of us, plus one more. With the deposit we will be able to make, we should be able to get monthly payments we can afford. Plus, it has decent gas mileage. Now, having a vehicle will be the first step toward some very tentative plans we've been making. We have been talking about taking a trip to Texas, to visit everybody, when Lexi is 3-4 months old. We want to have her baptized there, if we can go. We'd probably drive up on a Friday, and drive back on a Monday. That gives us a span of two days to see everybody. Those are going to be a BUSY two days! I honestly don't know if we'll be able to see everybody we want to. I've been trying to work out, in my head, how to organize all the visits we'll need to make, without taking too much time away from any of them. The most important visits, obviously, will be to my family and to Russ' Dad and Brenda. If we're having Lexi baptized at my parents church, then it just makes sense that my family will get Sunday. Then it's just a matter of seeing everybody else in between. We will figure it out, though, and we'll let everybody know if / when we'll be able to see them.
The medicaid fiasco is not the only bad news I got on that Monday. I had my glucose test that day, and I failed it. I was only over by six points, so I'm hoping it was a fluke. However, because I failed the one hour test, they had to schedule me a three hour test. Now, for the one hour test, what they did was tell me to eat something plain for breakfast that morning, and drink nothing but water. When I went in for the test, they drew my blood, then gave me the glucose drink. It was like orange syrup. After drinking that, I had to wait for an hour, then go back and have my finger pricked. They checked my iron and glucose levels with that. The three hour test is a little stricter. I will not be allowed to eat anything at all after midnight the night before. I will not be allowed anything to drink later than two hours before the test starts. When I go in, they will draw my blood again, then give me another glucose drink, which I'm told will be twice as strong as the last one I drank. After that, for the next three hours, I will have my finger pricked once an hour, to test my glucose levels. I can't eat until the test is over. And WHAT I can eat will depend entirely on the results of the test. If I fail it, I will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and I will have to start watching out for sugar and starch and carbs. If I have to....well, then I have to. But I know that it will be rather difficult for me to change my diet so drastically, especially when I'm hungry ALL THE TIME! So I am praying that the first test was a fluke, and I will pass the second one and not have to worry.
Some happier news: I have officially reached the stage of pregnancy where you're supposed to do daily kick counts. What that means is, you're supposed to pick a time during the day to count how often your baby kicks you. The goal is to feel ten kicks within a two hour period. If you don't, you're supposed to call your doctor. Well, since I have started, it has not taken me longer than thirty minutes to feel ten kicks. The quickest I got to ten was fifteen minutes. So, I guess I have a hyperactive, but healthy baby.
I have also now taken all the classes I had signed up for. All of them were fun, and I did learn some things. I think my favorite class was the first one, Preparation for Childbirth. The Sibling class, for Rusty, was also really fun. Rusty actually paid attention and when we got home, wanted to practice changing diapers on a doll I have. Since taking that class, he has seemed a lot more excited about being a big brother. I am thrilled. I know he is going to be such a great brother! Lexi will be lucky to have him!
The only other thing that is of interest that is going on right now, is that me and Russ are very close to being able to get a vehicle of our own. We just filed our taxes a couple nights ago, and once we get our return, we will be using that to make a down payment. We started off looking for cross-over vehicles, but those are in high demand right now, so they're expensive. Now we've been looking at SUV's. We think we've found one we like, which is at a dealership near here. It's a Ford Escape. It looks to be in pretty good condition, and it's roomy enough for the four of us, plus one more. With the deposit we will be able to make, we should be able to get monthly payments we can afford. Plus, it has decent gas mileage. Now, having a vehicle will be the first step toward some very tentative plans we've been making. We have been talking about taking a trip to Texas, to visit everybody, when Lexi is 3-4 months old. We want to have her baptized there, if we can go. We'd probably drive up on a Friday, and drive back on a Monday. That gives us a span of two days to see everybody. Those are going to be a BUSY two days! I honestly don't know if we'll be able to see everybody we want to. I've been trying to work out, in my head, how to organize all the visits we'll need to make, without taking too much time away from any of them. The most important visits, obviously, will be to my family and to Russ' Dad and Brenda. If we're having Lexi baptized at my parents church, then it just makes sense that my family will get Sunday. Then it's just a matter of seeing everybody else in between. We will figure it out, though, and we'll let everybody know if / when we'll be able to see them.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Third Trimester!!!
So, here we are, in the third trimester! It seems really hard to believe. My belly is growing more every day, and I am feeling Lexi move more and more. Now I can very clearly tell the difference between a kick and a roll. And one day, I was even able to feel what was either an elbow or a knee or a heel through my belly. Every once in a while, I can tell she has the hiccups, but they never seem to last long. It is so much fun to feel all this stuff! I can now tell you that her most active times of day are from around 8am to noon, and from about 11pm until sometime after I fall asleep. Odds are, she'll keep that schedule up until after she's born, which is just GREAT news for my sleep! (Sarcasm) But, it'll be okay. I will adjust.
It is harder and harder for me to move around. I get short of breath easily, and if I curl my legs up too far, or bend down too far, the pressure on my tummy forces stomach acid into my throat...pleasant. I can't really cross my legs any more. Some other third trimester symptoms I've already got would include the never ending back ache, occasional leg cramps that aren't too severe yet, heart burn like crazy, peeing like crazy, and a returning lack of energy.
A couple days ago, I got stitches for the first time in my life. I had grown what was either a mole, or a third nipple. My OB called it a third nipple, because it grew along the mammary gland. It was really just a small pink mole, with a divit in the center of it. In any case, it had grown right where the wire of my bra sits, and that was causing it to be quite uncomfortable. My OB said that sometimes after pregnancy, things like that will go away on their own, but since it was causing me pain, she made me an appointment to have it removed. It was a fairly simple process. They numbed up the area, cut the mole thingy off, and put in three stitches. I go back on the 28th to have them removed. The stitches have caused me a little discomfort, mainly because there is no way to keep my boob from resting on them. I am also a little worried about all the sweat in that area, which I cannot avoid. Occasionally, I've been holding my boob up with my hand for a minute or two, to let that area air out. I know that sounds weird, but it's what I've had to do. They are itching really bad, which I guess is a sign they're healing. Can't wait for them to be gone, so I don't have to worry about pain in that area any more. That was the whole point of having the mole thingy removed.
Some things I have been thinking about, in regards to my upcoming labor: I don't know if I'll be able to have an epidural or not. I am highly, highly sensitive to opiates....like, half a dose of morphine would KILL me....and I don't know what's in an epidural. Nobody seems able to tell me. I have asked my nurse practitioner, and I asked the lady who taught the childbirth preparation class Russ and I took. My nurse had absolutely no idea. The teacher said I more than likely could get one, but said I should ask my OB. I also asked a nurse at the hospital where my sister-in-law gave birth (not the hospital I'll be at), and she said they would absolutely not give me an epidural if I went there. So I have an appointment with my OB in early February. I am going to ask her and hope she can give me an answer. If she says I can get one, then I probably will. My plan is to play it by ear, and see if I can handle the contractions or not. However, I know that the contractions progressively get worse, until you are fully dilated. I am a wimp about pain, so odds are I'll be getting one if I can. If I can't....well, that will be all kinds of fun, since I can't have morphine or any other narcotics either.
I am not planned on making an official "birth plan". That seems a bit overboard to me. After all, you can't control how your labor goes. But the one thing that I would really, really like, is to have them put Lexi on my chest as SOON as possible after she's born. I want to try to breastfeed right away, because I have read over and over and over, and heard from several different sources, that within the first hour is the BEST time to start breastfeeding. I know I could probably establish good breastfeeding even if I can't do that, but I would really like to. I asked at the class, and the teacher said that if I have a healthy delivery, without complications, then they will put her on my chest all slimy if I want them to. If I don't want her slimy, they will wash her off first, and that shouldn't take very long at all. I'm thinking I might want her slimy though, partly because I'll be impatient.
Also, relating to breastfeeding, I have read over and over, and heard from several sources, that in order to establish a good breastfeeding relationship, you should not use pacifiers or introduce bottles for at least the first month. I intend to try that. Everybody I've talked to has seemed doubtful if I will be able to do that. They have told me that some babies NEED to have something to suck on in order to sooth themselves, even when they're not hungry. And that may be true. But so many sources say that you should avoid it for the first month, and I wouldn't want to do anything that would be detrimental to breastfeeding. It can cause nipple confusion, which could result in the baby rejecting the breast all together, because it is easier to suck on a bottle or pacifier. I know that countless women have successfully held off the pacifier and bottle for a month or longer. One of my best friends has two boys, one is almost two, and the other is about 7 months, and neither of them has ever had a pacifier, to my knowledge. Me and my two younger brothers didn't even WANT the pacifier when we were babies. Our mom had to dip it in peanut butter or honey to get us to take it for any length of time. So I KNOW that not all babies HAVE to have the pacifier at all, and I'm hoping Lexi is one who doesn't want it. But even aside from that....if you never give them a pacifier, how can they miss it? You can't miss what you've never had, right? I figure, if she needs to suck on something to self-sooth, she can suck on her thumb, or her fist, or I can give her some toys that are safe to put in her mouth. I really feel determined that a pacifier and bottles will not be necessary for the first month. I only wish I felt like I had a little more support on that, instead of everybody telling me it's practically impossible.
The only other thing I've been debating, oddly enough, is music. I have heard that if I were to bring a CD with me to the hospital, they could play it while I'm in labor. The idea is that you pick music that will relax and sooth you, and it will help you get through your labor more easily. That sounds like a cool idea. The problem is, I don't have very much music. I have a total of six CD's. Three of them, I just recently got for Christmas, and while they are cool music, they wouldn't really be very relaxing. I am not very familiar with those CD's yet, so it would be harder to focus on them. One of the CD's I have is my wedding music CD. That CD already has special attachment to it, and there are a couple songs on there that make me cry, so that's probably not the best idea. Of the other two CD's, one I'm not too familiar with, and the other I absolutely love, love, LOVE! It would totally be relaxing to me, and I would enjoy putting a special attachment to that CD. So the problem? Well, I am the ONLY one who likes that CD. Russ can barely stand it, and Mom and Pop don't care for it much either. Since all of them will be there, and since this is Russ' baby too, I would almost feel guilty forcing them all to listen to it for however long until she is born. So then I am thinking, "Well fine. Maybe I should just forget about playing music all together. Who needs it? I'll have so much else going on, I probably wouldn't even hear it anyway." And that's probably the way it'll end up going. But, I have thought about trying to find some music I really enjoy that WOULDN'T drive everybody else crazy, and seeing if I can get somebody to burn me a CD. I also wonder if they have any kind of satellite radio, or one of those cable stations that plays music. If they do, I could have them put that on some jazz or something like that. That would be relaxing to me. So, I don't know.
Well, it's getting late, so I think I am off to bed. Night all!
It is harder and harder for me to move around. I get short of breath easily, and if I curl my legs up too far, or bend down too far, the pressure on my tummy forces stomach acid into my throat...pleasant. I can't really cross my legs any more. Some other third trimester symptoms I've already got would include the never ending back ache, occasional leg cramps that aren't too severe yet, heart burn like crazy, peeing like crazy, and a returning lack of energy.
A couple days ago, I got stitches for the first time in my life. I had grown what was either a mole, or a third nipple. My OB called it a third nipple, because it grew along the mammary gland. It was really just a small pink mole, with a divit in the center of it. In any case, it had grown right where the wire of my bra sits, and that was causing it to be quite uncomfortable. My OB said that sometimes after pregnancy, things like that will go away on their own, but since it was causing me pain, she made me an appointment to have it removed. It was a fairly simple process. They numbed up the area, cut the mole thingy off, and put in three stitches. I go back on the 28th to have them removed. The stitches have caused me a little discomfort, mainly because there is no way to keep my boob from resting on them. I am also a little worried about all the sweat in that area, which I cannot avoid. Occasionally, I've been holding my boob up with my hand for a minute or two, to let that area air out. I know that sounds weird, but it's what I've had to do. They are itching really bad, which I guess is a sign they're healing. Can't wait for them to be gone, so I don't have to worry about pain in that area any more. That was the whole point of having the mole thingy removed.
Some things I have been thinking about, in regards to my upcoming labor: I don't know if I'll be able to have an epidural or not. I am highly, highly sensitive to opiates....like, half a dose of morphine would KILL me....and I don't know what's in an epidural. Nobody seems able to tell me. I have asked my nurse practitioner, and I asked the lady who taught the childbirth preparation class Russ and I took. My nurse had absolutely no idea. The teacher said I more than likely could get one, but said I should ask my OB. I also asked a nurse at the hospital where my sister-in-law gave birth (not the hospital I'll be at), and she said they would absolutely not give me an epidural if I went there. So I have an appointment with my OB in early February. I am going to ask her and hope she can give me an answer. If she says I can get one, then I probably will. My plan is to play it by ear, and see if I can handle the contractions or not. However, I know that the contractions progressively get worse, until you are fully dilated. I am a wimp about pain, so odds are I'll be getting one if I can. If I can't....well, that will be all kinds of fun, since I can't have morphine or any other narcotics either.
I am not planned on making an official "birth plan". That seems a bit overboard to me. After all, you can't control how your labor goes. But the one thing that I would really, really like, is to have them put Lexi on my chest as SOON as possible after she's born. I want to try to breastfeed right away, because I have read over and over and over, and heard from several different sources, that within the first hour is the BEST time to start breastfeeding. I know I could probably establish good breastfeeding even if I can't do that, but I would really like to. I asked at the class, and the teacher said that if I have a healthy delivery, without complications, then they will put her on my chest all slimy if I want them to. If I don't want her slimy, they will wash her off first, and that shouldn't take very long at all. I'm thinking I might want her slimy though, partly because I'll be impatient.
Also, relating to breastfeeding, I have read over and over, and heard from several sources, that in order to establish a good breastfeeding relationship, you should not use pacifiers or introduce bottles for at least the first month. I intend to try that. Everybody I've talked to has seemed doubtful if I will be able to do that. They have told me that some babies NEED to have something to suck on in order to sooth themselves, even when they're not hungry. And that may be true. But so many sources say that you should avoid it for the first month, and I wouldn't want to do anything that would be detrimental to breastfeeding. It can cause nipple confusion, which could result in the baby rejecting the breast all together, because it is easier to suck on a bottle or pacifier. I know that countless women have successfully held off the pacifier and bottle for a month or longer. One of my best friends has two boys, one is almost two, and the other is about 7 months, and neither of them has ever had a pacifier, to my knowledge. Me and my two younger brothers didn't even WANT the pacifier when we were babies. Our mom had to dip it in peanut butter or honey to get us to take it for any length of time. So I KNOW that not all babies HAVE to have the pacifier at all, and I'm hoping Lexi is one who doesn't want it. But even aside from that....if you never give them a pacifier, how can they miss it? You can't miss what you've never had, right? I figure, if she needs to suck on something to self-sooth, she can suck on her thumb, or her fist, or I can give her some toys that are safe to put in her mouth. I really feel determined that a pacifier and bottles will not be necessary for the first month. I only wish I felt like I had a little more support on that, instead of everybody telling me it's practically impossible.
The only other thing I've been debating, oddly enough, is music. I have heard that if I were to bring a CD with me to the hospital, they could play it while I'm in labor. The idea is that you pick music that will relax and sooth you, and it will help you get through your labor more easily. That sounds like a cool idea. The problem is, I don't have very much music. I have a total of six CD's. Three of them, I just recently got for Christmas, and while they are cool music, they wouldn't really be very relaxing. I am not very familiar with those CD's yet, so it would be harder to focus on them. One of the CD's I have is my wedding music CD. That CD already has special attachment to it, and there are a couple songs on there that make me cry, so that's probably not the best idea. Of the other two CD's, one I'm not too familiar with, and the other I absolutely love, love, LOVE! It would totally be relaxing to me, and I would enjoy putting a special attachment to that CD. So the problem? Well, I am the ONLY one who likes that CD. Russ can barely stand it, and Mom and Pop don't care for it much either. Since all of them will be there, and since this is Russ' baby too, I would almost feel guilty forcing them all to listen to it for however long until she is born. So then I am thinking, "Well fine. Maybe I should just forget about playing music all together. Who needs it? I'll have so much else going on, I probably wouldn't even hear it anyway." And that's probably the way it'll end up going. But, I have thought about trying to find some music I really enjoy that WOULDN'T drive everybody else crazy, and seeing if I can get somebody to burn me a CD. I also wonder if they have any kind of satellite radio, or one of those cable stations that plays music. If they do, I could have them put that on some jazz or something like that. That would be relaxing to me. So, I don't know.
Well, it's getting late, so I think I am off to bed. Night all!
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