It's week 37 here - or 38, going by my earlier EDD. Which makes me officially 'full term' no matter which EDD we are using. I made it through Thanksgiving, as I hoped I would, but there were definitely a few minutes there when I thought that wouldn't happen!
It was quite a week! As I posted, I left home early last Tuesday and had a wonderful massage (first time my hips hadn't ached in weeks!), then got the boys & picked up my Grandma at the airport. It was pretty much a whirlwind from there. I didn't do as much 'sitting & chopping' as I had hoped, but I managed some. Everyone around me kept reminding me to sit down, to not pick up that big heavy pot, etc. It was actually kind of nice - I'm usually annoyed by that kind of thing, but I honestly needed the reminders! I only once lifted something I shouldn't have. The physical response was enough of a reminder, but the loving reminders from my parents, grandmother, and brothers were helpful, too.
Wednesday was interesting - a truck had pulled some cables down in from of the house (we had no internet or cable for 4 days), and the power line had to be replaced. Mom & I were running like crazy to make sure we got the baking done before the power was turned off - I'm pretty sure the electrical component of the oven would have shut off, giving us either no oven or no way to regulate the temperature. Fortunately the power stayed on until around 8pm. I was asleep at that point, but woke up around 9:30 to a candle-light poker game in the kitchen. Proud to say Gabe took 2nd place, knocking out grandpa, the rest of the kids, and Craig.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration on Thursday. My mother made a "Thanksgiving Tree" and everyone placed leaves with what they were thankful for on the tree. It is still sitting in the library area, and will likely stay up for a couple more weeks. Even the dogs added leaves. I think someone helped them with spelling, though....
Daily, I am experiencing rounds of contractions lasting from an hour to 5-6 hours. I'm really not used to having SO MUCH of this go on. With all 3 of the boys, it was 3 days of this, then a baby came. I've gone for 8-9 days now dealing with this every day. It's exhausting! The good thing is I am getting in a very good nap every day - 2.5-3 hours each day. I would be very worried about being rested enough for birth if it wasn't for these naps, as I get up every hour at night. I seem to be able to sleep for an actual stretch of time only in the afternoons. At least I am getting some sleep!
I still think this baby is coming December 4th. I don't know why, it's just the intuition I have had all along. I am looking forward to my mama blessing this Saturday, and I'd really like to go pregnant, so I'm fine if baby waits at least until that is over! Of course, tonight/tomorrow morning is a full moon, so again, who knows what will happen.
I've been awake for 3 hours. It must be time for more sleep, right?
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Week 36
So it's week 36. Or 37, depending on how you look at it.
You've all read my rants about due dates, so I won't go back into that again, However, there are some very important milestones in pregnancy. Today is one of them: According to the charts held by my midwife, I am now 37 weeks pregnant. Which means baby can be born at home.
I don't know why I have been concerned about this so much. I never really worried about that with any of the boys. Yet, I have had a feeling this little one might come early, and as I mentioned a few weeks back, with my friend Teri having little Rowan at 28 weeks, it's just been on my mind the whole time. Honestly, our hospital experience wasn't a total nightmare when Athan was born - I still had a totally natural, intervention free birth. That's a rare thing in hospitals these days. But I had to fight for it, even in the short 2 hours from arriving until he was born. Add to that the battle to get OUT of the hospital, which included me signing him out AMA (Against medical advice), and those are the things I really do NOT want to have to repeat. Bottom line: I am VERY grateful that from this point on, baby will be born at home. Most likely in my bathroom in the birth pool that was delivered last week.
Which is a very good thing, as for the past two days I have been having pretty much non-stop contractions. They aren't the painless Braxton Hicks that women get throughout pregnancy, but they are pretty mild so far. Aside from the crampy, aching sensation in my back I can mostly just keep moving and doing whatever I am doing while they do their job of getting my body started in the birthing process. In reality, women can have these kinds of mild but useful contractions for weeks at a time before baby comes. In my experience, I tend to do about 3 days of these before kicking into full blown labor. Which would have tomorrow be bay's birthday. I mentioned last week I REALLY want to stay pregnant through Thanksgiving, but if baby has other plans I can't exactly argue. Well, I can argue all I want actually, but little good will it do me! Oh, and yes, they are continuing today. Just had to stop typing to pay attention to that one!
Blood sugar levels continue to be good - I'm not testing them very often now, just when I feel 'off' and want to see what's going on. Which is a good thing because those test strips are EXPENSIVE!!!! I've been very good (Santa, bring me an extra present?), eating mostly every 2-2.5 hours, lots of high energy carbs & protein. I don't feel like I am getting the most balanced diet at the moment, because I am eating the same few things over and over again. But hey, if it's working it's working, and I only have a few weeks left of needing these restrictions.
I had a pretty big burst of nesting energy yesterday - I felt the need to either clean the entire house, or find a project to keep me occupied. I ended up painting the hall bathroom. The white walls all over the house were really getting to me. Actually it's the dirty fingerprints all over the white walls that were getting to me. I figured one less space for dirty fingerprints would be nice, plus I generally don't like white walls anyway. I was able to use paint we had on hand, so no expense to the project either. It came out very nice - copper & green, bright but subdued by the copper. I kept the bathroom fan on the whole time so the fumes were pretty minimal. I am glad that Thanksgiving madness starts today, though, otherwise I might end up painting my bedroom today...
It's going to be a busy 36th week. I will be leaving the house around 2 today - I get to start off the craziness with a massage from Kristen at Salt Lake Prenantal Massage. For now, I'll have her stay away from labor triggering pressure points ;). Then it's off to pick up my Grandma from the airport, take her to dinner, and get her settled at her hotel. Tonight, Mom, Jesse, and my awesome nephews arrive. Tomorrow, Dad gets into town; Thursday it's Jeremy & his new wife, Meghan. The turkey is defrosting, the groceries are getting picked up by Craig today. I plan to do a LOT of sitting & chopping vegetables while everyone else does the big work. I am so grateful to be able to be with my family this year. Thanksgiving is a big deal with my Dad's side of the family in particular. Last year I cried because no one was here & I couldn't even reach a single family member by phone for a couple of hours. I can't imagine dealing with that in my pregnant, hormonal state ;). I am happy that this year I will be surrounded by members of my extended family. I just keep telling baby s/he will get to meet them all soon enough, so STAY PUT for another week, will ya?!
You've all read my rants about due dates, so I won't go back into that again, However, there are some very important milestones in pregnancy. Today is one of them: According to the charts held by my midwife, I am now 37 weeks pregnant. Which means baby can be born at home.
I don't know why I have been concerned about this so much. I never really worried about that with any of the boys. Yet, I have had a feeling this little one might come early, and as I mentioned a few weeks back, with my friend Teri having little Rowan at 28 weeks, it's just been on my mind the whole time. Honestly, our hospital experience wasn't a total nightmare when Athan was born - I still had a totally natural, intervention free birth. That's a rare thing in hospitals these days. But I had to fight for it, even in the short 2 hours from arriving until he was born. Add to that the battle to get OUT of the hospital, which included me signing him out AMA (Against medical advice), and those are the things I really do NOT want to have to repeat. Bottom line: I am VERY grateful that from this point on, baby will be born at home. Most likely in my bathroom in the birth pool that was delivered last week.
Which is a very good thing, as for the past two days I have been having pretty much non-stop contractions. They aren't the painless Braxton Hicks that women get throughout pregnancy, but they are pretty mild so far. Aside from the crampy, aching sensation in my back I can mostly just keep moving and doing whatever I am doing while they do their job of getting my body started in the birthing process. In reality, women can have these kinds of mild but useful contractions for weeks at a time before baby comes. In my experience, I tend to do about 3 days of these before kicking into full blown labor. Which would have tomorrow be bay's birthday. I mentioned last week I REALLY want to stay pregnant through Thanksgiving, but if baby has other plans I can't exactly argue. Well, I can argue all I want actually, but little good will it do me! Oh, and yes, they are continuing today. Just had to stop typing to pay attention to that one!
Blood sugar levels continue to be good - I'm not testing them very often now, just when I feel 'off' and want to see what's going on. Which is a good thing because those test strips are EXPENSIVE!!!! I've been very good (Santa, bring me an extra present?), eating mostly every 2-2.5 hours, lots of high energy carbs & protein. I don't feel like I am getting the most balanced diet at the moment, because I am eating the same few things over and over again. But hey, if it's working it's working, and I only have a few weeks left of needing these restrictions.
I had a pretty big burst of nesting energy yesterday - I felt the need to either clean the entire house, or find a project to keep me occupied. I ended up painting the hall bathroom. The white walls all over the house were really getting to me. Actually it's the dirty fingerprints all over the white walls that were getting to me. I figured one less space for dirty fingerprints would be nice, plus I generally don't like white walls anyway. I was able to use paint we had on hand, so no expense to the project either. It came out very nice - copper & green, bright but subdued by the copper. I kept the bathroom fan on the whole time so the fumes were pretty minimal. I am glad that Thanksgiving madness starts today, though, otherwise I might end up painting my bedroom today...
It's going to be a busy 36th week. I will be leaving the house around 2 today - I get to start off the craziness with a massage from Kristen at Salt Lake Prenantal Massage. For now, I'll have her stay away from labor triggering pressure points ;). Then it's off to pick up my Grandma from the airport, take her to dinner, and get her settled at her hotel. Tonight, Mom, Jesse, and my awesome nephews arrive. Tomorrow, Dad gets into town; Thursday it's Jeremy & his new wife, Meghan. The turkey is defrosting, the groceries are getting picked up by Craig today. I plan to do a LOT of sitting & chopping vegetables while everyone else does the big work. I am so grateful to be able to be with my family this year. Thanksgiving is a big deal with my Dad's side of the family in particular. Last year I cried because no one was here & I couldn't even reach a single family member by phone for a couple of hours. I can't imagine dealing with that in my pregnant, hormonal state ;). I am happy that this year I will be surrounded by members of my extended family. I just keep telling baby s/he will get to meet them all soon enough, so STAY PUT for another week, will ya?!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Week 35
Well, last week's attempt at diagnosis was incorrect. My labs came back totally normal, except for a slight increase above normal blood sugars. After a few days of testing those (thank you, Rebecca, for the loaner of a glucose meter!), it was pretty apparent that blood sugar has been the problem. I had a couple of highs over the diabetic range, and many more in the 'very high' range as well. Fortunately, diabetes in pregnant women usually reverses after the baby is born. Also fortunately, it's another issue that can be handled through diet with no other intervention needed.
So for now, I am on a highly restrictive diet until baby comes. The hardest part is eating every 2 hours - I'm not hungry when I am eating, which I don't like to do. And getting enough of the right carbs in combo with enough protein is tough, too. So far, though, it seems to be working - I've had the only two normal blood sugar readings so far right before eating today.
I was also advised to pretty much quit working. So, sadly, tomorrow will be my last staffing day at Sego Lily until baby comes (well, until after I have recovered from baby coming, and am ready to start being back at school with the babe). I will definitely be in for the Chili Supper if I can make it, and of course our holiday party, most likely with baby in arms.
The goal, for now, still remains to stay pregnant through Thanksgiving. Even though I am clear to give birth at home next Tuesday, I have family coming in from Vegas, Portland, and Florida via New York. I really want to spend my time with them, enjoy the holiday, and maybe cheat just a little on the diet ;). I also really don't want to have to kick everyone out of the house to have a baby ;) The next goal will be to stay pregnant past the baby blessing on December 1st. But for now, Thanksgiving is the goal.
The other great thing about my appointment with my midwife (besides the fact that I felt relieved to reconnect with her after her vacation) was that she delivered our birth pool & birth kit. Another step in feeling like things are getting pretty real around here! It feels so close.
We also went and had photos done with Ginger of Earthside Birth Photography. I had really wanted to get maternity photos taken this time, as it is definitely my last pregnancy. I can't wait to see what Ginger came up with. We also got my belly cast done, which was another big to-do off my list. Now my two big 'wants' are handled, in case baby comes early.
Baby remains extremely active, measures just a little big (as always), heart sounds fine, etc. Funny how that works - the babies get whatever they need, while the mamas' bodies fall apart, lol. I'm grateful for that arrangement, though. I can change my diet, baby can't. It's getting so close to baby time, that I am beginning to long to meet her/him. Until now, I have been willing to let this pregnancy take as long as it takes. Now, the due dates can't come soon enough :) As long as we get through Thanksgiving!
So for now, I am on a highly restrictive diet until baby comes. The hardest part is eating every 2 hours - I'm not hungry when I am eating, which I don't like to do. And getting enough of the right carbs in combo with enough protein is tough, too. So far, though, it seems to be working - I've had the only two normal blood sugar readings so far right before eating today.
I was also advised to pretty much quit working. So, sadly, tomorrow will be my last staffing day at Sego Lily until baby comes (well, until after I have recovered from baby coming, and am ready to start being back at school with the babe). I will definitely be in for the Chili Supper if I can make it, and of course our holiday party, most likely with baby in arms.
The goal, for now, still remains to stay pregnant through Thanksgiving. Even though I am clear to give birth at home next Tuesday, I have family coming in from Vegas, Portland, and Florida via New York. I really want to spend my time with them, enjoy the holiday, and maybe cheat just a little on the diet ;). I also really don't want to have to kick everyone out of the house to have a baby ;) The next goal will be to stay pregnant past the baby blessing on December 1st. But for now, Thanksgiving is the goal.
The other great thing about my appointment with my midwife (besides the fact that I felt relieved to reconnect with her after her vacation) was that she delivered our birth pool & birth kit. Another step in feeling like things are getting pretty real around here! It feels so close.
We also went and had photos done with Ginger of Earthside Birth Photography. I had really wanted to get maternity photos taken this time, as it is definitely my last pregnancy. I can't wait to see what Ginger came up with. We also got my belly cast done, which was another big to-do off my list. Now my two big 'wants' are handled, in case baby comes early.
Baby remains extremely active, measures just a little big (as always), heart sounds fine, etc. Funny how that works - the babies get whatever they need, while the mamas' bodies fall apart, lol. I'm grateful for that arrangement, though. I can change my diet, baby can't. It's getting so close to baby time, that I am beginning to long to meet her/him. Until now, I have been willing to let this pregnancy take as long as it takes. Now, the due dates can't come soon enough :) As long as we get through Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Week 34
Well, it has NOT been an uneventful week. Not even close! Some of you were following my Facebook posts, and know a bit about what has been going on, but I will lay it all out here in detail, anyway. After all, this blog is my diary of this pregnancy more than anything else!
Last Friday was a Sego Lily day. I love my Sego Lily days - working with the Odyssey team, chatting with the staff, being around my kids, playing games with students, etc. It was an extra nice day because we had some visitors, and the weather was gorgeous. I spent a lot of time outside, and as much time sitting as I could manage.
The bad thing about my work days is that they have become EXHAUSTING. It's a 6-hour work day, but really an almost 8 hour day when you include the driving back & forth and the energy it takes just to get out of the house. I'm no longer surprised when I get home exhausted from a school day, so Friday seemed very normal to me, in that I came home, got into bed, watched TV, had dinner, and went to sleep.
Saturday morning, I woke up early & took Gabe to his soccer game. Baby was NOT very happy about my camping chair, so I spent a lot of the game standing behind the chair watching the boys play. It was a disappointing 0-2 loss - mostly disappointing because it was their last game of the season., and also because they played really well but just couldn't manage to score. By the time we got back (mind you this was a home game, so a total of probably 2.5 hours of being out), I felt like I had been hit by a truck. I climbed back into bed & tried to nap, but for some reason with 15 kids in the house I just couldn't fall asleep. I did rest though, for as long as I could. When I got up to use the bathroom, I felt super dizzy, and was seeing spots. My heart rate went nuts. I got back into bed as soon as I could. The rest of the day was spent mostly in my room, resting, reading, watching a movie. Each time I got up to pee, same dizziness. My heart rate would go nuts even when I was sitting still. Baby was super active, so I wasn't too worried there. I watched carefully to make sure I was getting enough fluids & food, but that didn't seem to help anything.
Sunday, same routine. At some point, I got worried enough that I decided to call my midwife, who I then remembered was still in Mexico. I tracked down a number for her back-up, and spoke to her about what I was experiencing. She recommended I check my blood pressure, so I went to Walgreens. Totally normal, though my HR was pretty high for just walking into the store. Melissa (the MW) and I brainstormed a few things - the most likely culprit seemed to be anemia.
On Monday, I met Melissa at her office. She did a blood draw, checked BP, listened to baby, etc. I was feeling slightly better, but still dizzy every time I got up. the slightest bit of exertion has me feeling winded & exhausted. I did have slight amounts of both protein & keytones in my urine, which are signs of possible infection, low blood sugar, and also possible preclampsia, but only when combined with high blood pressure. We were both still of the opinion that this is most likely severe anemia, so I decided to start treating as such.
My late lunch on Monday was a salad with half a dozen oysters. My dinner included chopped liver (YUMMY!!!), and I bought some new protein shake powder to get my protein intake up as well. I have upped my intake of my iron supplement, and am combining it with OJ to help with absorption. These things, as well as other steps I will be taking, all help with iron levels & if we are correct about the diagnosis, I should be doing better within the next 2 weeks.
At this point, I am still waiting for the lab results that should be coming in this afternoon. They should rule out anything else, and most likely confirm the anemia. Of course, if they point to anything else I will following those paths as well, to see what I need to do to keep baby & I safe & healthy for another 6 weeks. Oh yeah, 6 weeks. Now THAT is a short time! And I still haven't made those baby wipes....
Last Friday was a Sego Lily day. I love my Sego Lily days - working with the Odyssey team, chatting with the staff, being around my kids, playing games with students, etc. It was an extra nice day because we had some visitors, and the weather was gorgeous. I spent a lot of time outside, and as much time sitting as I could manage.
The bad thing about my work days is that they have become EXHAUSTING. It's a 6-hour work day, but really an almost 8 hour day when you include the driving back & forth and the energy it takes just to get out of the house. I'm no longer surprised when I get home exhausted from a school day, so Friday seemed very normal to me, in that I came home, got into bed, watched TV, had dinner, and went to sleep.
Saturday morning, I woke up early & took Gabe to his soccer game. Baby was NOT very happy about my camping chair, so I spent a lot of the game standing behind the chair watching the boys play. It was a disappointing 0-2 loss - mostly disappointing because it was their last game of the season., and also because they played really well but just couldn't manage to score. By the time we got back (mind you this was a home game, so a total of probably 2.5 hours of being out), I felt like I had been hit by a truck. I climbed back into bed & tried to nap, but for some reason with 15 kids in the house I just couldn't fall asleep. I did rest though, for as long as I could. When I got up to use the bathroom, I felt super dizzy, and was seeing spots. My heart rate went nuts. I got back into bed as soon as I could. The rest of the day was spent mostly in my room, resting, reading, watching a movie. Each time I got up to pee, same dizziness. My heart rate would go nuts even when I was sitting still. Baby was super active, so I wasn't too worried there. I watched carefully to make sure I was getting enough fluids & food, but that didn't seem to help anything.
Sunday, same routine. At some point, I got worried enough that I decided to call my midwife, who I then remembered was still in Mexico. I tracked down a number for her back-up, and spoke to her about what I was experiencing. She recommended I check my blood pressure, so I went to Walgreens. Totally normal, though my HR was pretty high for just walking into the store. Melissa (the MW) and I brainstormed a few things - the most likely culprit seemed to be anemia.
On Monday, I met Melissa at her office. She did a blood draw, checked BP, listened to baby, etc. I was feeling slightly better, but still dizzy every time I got up. the slightest bit of exertion has me feeling winded & exhausted. I did have slight amounts of both protein & keytones in my urine, which are signs of possible infection, low blood sugar, and also possible preclampsia, but only when combined with high blood pressure. We were both still of the opinion that this is most likely severe anemia, so I decided to start treating as such.
My late lunch on Monday was a salad with half a dozen oysters. My dinner included chopped liver (YUMMY!!!), and I bought some new protein shake powder to get my protein intake up as well. I have upped my intake of my iron supplement, and am combining it with OJ to help with absorption. These things, as well as other steps I will be taking, all help with iron levels & if we are correct about the diagnosis, I should be doing better within the next 2 weeks.
At this point, I am still waiting for the lab results that should be coming in this afternoon. They should rule out anything else, and most likely confirm the anemia. Of course, if they point to anything else I will following those paths as well, to see what I need to do to keep baby & I safe & healthy for another 6 weeks. Oh yeah, 6 weeks. Now THAT is a short time! And I still haven't made those baby wipes....
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