Closer and closer

Yesterday:

Spent the morning grocery shopping solo
Lost my mucus plug
Met S for a walk in Prospect Park
Went out to a birthday dinner with a few of his friends
Met a few of my friends at a bar for another birthday celebration
Came home around 10:30, exhausted and with a pain in my lower back that wouldn’t go away.
Pain lasted all night. It was on the left side, the side I usually sleep on. I spent the night tossing and turning in pain, half hoping it was back labor, because I want to get this labor business over with, half hoping it wasn’t, because I was too exhausted to efficiently deal with labor at that point.

The pain went away at some point in the early morning hours. I feel fine again. I don’t want to feel fine. I would like to get this labor over with. Just when I think my stomach can’t get any bigger, it does. I look ridiculous:

Hopefully he’ll come out at some point this week. My mom yesterday told me that I was overdue by two weeks! I’m hoping that this is because they didn’t calculated correctly. I can’t go to 42 weeks. The idea is just inconceivable.

39 weeks

I’m 1cm dialated (which is nothing) and a little bit effaced. Dr Pepper checked my cervix for the first time today and remarked that I have a nice pelvis. Baby Z is still sunny side up, but apparently it’s not a big deal because my pelvis can handle it.

I think I’m going all the way to my due date. Even though my tummy is HUGE, Baby Z is a normal size baby. There’s just a lot of fluid in there with him. As much as I want this over with, and want to move onto the next phase of this journey, I can wait until he’s ready.

Hospital Tour

On Monday we went on a maternity tour of the hospital I’ll be delivering at. It really gave me a good idea of how the process would work. We didn’t get to tour triage or the labor and delivery rooms, because they were all full. When they say that more babies are born in September than any other month, they weren’t kidding!

As expected, the rate of women getting epidurals vs. going all natural was high: 80-90%. The cesarean rate is 40%. This is not a hospital that’s natural-birth friendly. There are no bathtubs in the delivery rooms, and only some of them have showers. Once you’re checked into the hospital, you are hooked up to IV lines and a monitor, although you can have your MD request that you be periodically taken off so that you can walk around. There are no battery powered monitors.

All of this is going to make it that much more difficult to birth naturally, and I shudder to think that I’ll be spending the most intense part of labor on the hospital bed. But, I still fully believe that I can do this naturally, without drugs or an epidural. S and I have been preparing, getting all the essentials ready to go, both for me and for baby Z.

We also bought a car! We had been looking intensely for the last 2 weeks, and finally found the perfect little car for us. S doesn’t have his driver’s license yet, (not uncommon for someone who’s lived in Brooklyn his whole life) but his road test is scheduled for the end of October.

We’re seeing the doctor later this afternoon. I’m two weeks away from my due date, and I feel fine. I’ve been looking out for the signs that labor is impending, but so far I’ve just been feeling like myself, only rounder. My tummy is stretched to its limits, as I’m still carrying high, and all in front. So far, that’s my only complaint, which isn’t too bad. Easy breezy!

Full Term (37 weeks) tomorrow

Today I went out to Ikea and Fairway to pick up a few items. I guess the belly’s grown larger because THREE people asked if I was having twins. I’m going to be optimistic and blame it on the dress I was wearing, because I really don’t feel that ginormous. And yesterday’s OB visit revealed that baby Z is still under 7 pounds, so he’s not that ridiculously big.

Have been getting prepared for the Big day, whenever it comes. I don’t feel like it’s going to be in my immediate future. I have at least a week to go. Worked out a birth/labor plan that just might work. I might have mentioned before that I was a little concerned about the distance between our apartment and the hospital. I don’t want to get there too early, because I don’t want to get tied to a bed, but I also don’t want to give birth at the side of the road. Then I remembered that a friend of mine lives a few blocks from the hospital! I asked if I could use her apartment as a “labor center” where I could get through the early stages of labor in comfort before going to the hospital for the big moment. She happily agreed!

I bought a birthing ball and a few hot and cold compresses. From what I gather, bouncing on the ball, and doing the breathing exercises help to cope with the pain by getting you into a rhythm, and giving you something else to concentrate on. It was particularly helpful to speak with one of S’s friends, a mother of a 1 year old, who birthed naturally and was strengthened by the experience. She reminded me that the contractions are just one minute apart, and you have to remember that they are going to end. In between the contractions there is a rush of adrenaline and other chemicals to the brain, so you feel really good! You just have to remember to live in the moment, and not concentrate on the future contractions. Talking to her left me with a boost of confidence, because she was able to deliver a 9.5 pound baby boy without a hitch. Also, because Dr Pepper loves reminding me that my son has a huge noggin, we’ve been doing nightly perineal massage to stretch out the Kegal muscle. No episiotomy for me!

I feel confident. Let’s do this!

36 Weeks

Z is a very active being, and if I try hard enough, I can make out where his various body parts are positioned inside my abdomen. The best is when he kicks, and I can feel his foot moving along my abdomen. It makes me feel connected to the life inside of me.

Dr Pepper says his head is very low so he’s definitely not breached anymore, although he is in the occiput posterior (OP) position (facing upwards instead of the more favorable face-down position.) It’s okay though, either he’ll turn by himself or Dr P will turn him. I’m sure with all the movement I’ve been feeling recently, he’s going to move into the “correct” position all on his own. My baby’s a smarty pants. :-p

At yesterday’s visit he weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces, which is right where he should be at this point. I gained a pound since last week’s dr visit, but it looks like I didn’t really gain anything–Z gained it all. My weight has normalized–I’m not gaining the usual “pound a week” I did the first 20 weeks. I really thought I was right on track to gain 40 pounds, but total weight gain so far is 29 pounds, and it looks like it’ll stay around that number. Yes!

I’m not working right now, and quite honestly, I don’t know how I’d be able to manage if I had to. Earlier this week I tried to walk to the grocery store and almost fainted. We don’t live in the most convenient area and we don’t have a car. The subway stations are 10-15 minutes away (on foot) and so are the grocery stores. The walk has never been an issue in the past–walking has always been my preferred (read: only) method of exercise.
So I couldn’t possible imagine having to walk to and from the subway every weekday. Not to mention enduring the subway ride. Ugh, and having to sit in an uncomfortable chair all day long! These days, my preferred position is lounging on my left side. I can’t imagine doing that at the office!

(Almost) 36 weeks

09/09/09

Last week’s doctor’s appointment was great. My low carb attempts paid off! Baby’s size has normalized and he was over 5 pounds last Thursday, which is right where he should be. My next appointment is tomorrow, where Dr Pepper is planning on doing a strep test.

I can’t believe how close to delivering I am. Have been getting mild contractions, that are too far apart to even mention. I feel the pain and think, “He’s getting ready!”

I’m also not adequately prepared. Have not visited the hospital, have not taken birthing classes. And yet I’m planning on trying to deliver sans drugs. The birth plan is very loose, but it hinges heavily on me laboring for as long as possible at home, or somewhere close to the hospital, but not actually in the hospital. The issue with that plan is that I live in Brooklyn, and I’m delivering at a hospital on the upper east side of Manhattan. I’ve been reading stories of babies born before the mothers were able to make it to the hospital (like this one). I can just imagine going through the second stage of labor stuck on the BQE during rush hour. Oof.

34 weeks

“You look like you’re about to pop.”
“Any day now, right?”

These and similar comments I get from friends, family, strangers on the street, etc. In truth, Z is bigger than average, but he’s not ready to come out. I still haven’t dropped. My belly is still high up, resting right up against my breasts and stomach, making it impossible to eat more than a little bit at a time. Of course, that hasn’t stopped me from indulging. Yesterday we attended a Hindu wedding of a friend of mine, and ate the most delicious Indian food I’ve had in a while. We ate during the ceremony, because I had forgotten all about eating lunch, and Z wasn’t so happy about that. S graciously pulled the pregnancy card and asked the caterers for food for his baby mama. I got the most delicious sag paneer and chicken tikka masala I’ve ever eaten. For the rest of the ceremony, all I could think about was the food. I had two plates of hor dourves, followed in a couple of hours by a full dinner and yummy resmilai for dessert. I totally overate and felt bloated and disgusting for a few hours but it was so worth it.

Z is a lot more active these days. And when he moves, my entire belly moves. It’s fun to watch and to feel. I’ve accepted my stretch marks. After going through the trauma and itchiness of PUPPS, a few blemishes on my belly is nothing. (Thankfully, the PUPPS is still at bay.)
I see my doctor again on Thursday. He’s had me on a low-carb diet because Z is getting so big, and I’m anxious to see if it’s done anything. I haven’t gained my normal pound-a-week for the past two weeks, so hopefully his massive head hasn’t gotten too much larger.

This weekend we held a small gathering in our apartment and received a ton of presents for Z. I am so grateful to everyone for their generosity. We haven’t had to buy one single item so far! We also arranged our bedroom to accommodate Z when he decides to enter infanthood. He’s got his own little section, with a view, plus 24 hour maid and room service. What more could a boy ask for? 😉

32 Weeks

Well, the rash is gone. The itch is very minimal. And I didn’t end up using anything except the pine tar soap.
I’m so grateful. The thought of having to spend the remainder of my pregnancy covered in an itchy rash was nightmarish. I don’t know if it was the soap, or maybe the rash ran its course, but I don’t really care. I’m just glad it’s not there anymore. I see Dr Pepper tomorrow to find out the results of the blood test. Since the rash is gone, I’m not that worried anymore. I will deal with the results when I have them.

WOOHOO, THE ITCH IS GONE!!!!!!!

PUPPS or bust

Yesterday’s visit to Dr Pepper was not as fruitful as I had hoped. He didn’t really do much, just took a look at my rashy skin and sent me to a lab to get blood tests done. He said it’s either PUPPS, or another more serious condition. The more serious condition results in infant mortality, and they would have to induce me at 37 weeks to make sure that that doesn’t happen. PUPPS, while really annoying and uncomfortable for me, is harmless to both me and Z. I find out the blood test results in a week.
Pepper did give me a prescription for a numbing cream that he said may or may not help. Unfortunately there isn’t much that can be done medically to help me. However, he did put me in touch with another one of his patients, N, a woman in her sixth month who got PUPPS at 20 weeks. She went to a herbalist, got a few remedies, and the rash and itch disappeared!

Right now, I’m waiting for my pharmacy to fill the prescription. It was out of stock and pricey, even with my insurance. I’ll see how that works before trying the herbs. I have been using Pine Tar soap, which looks like it’s helping with the rash, although not so much with the itching. That’s one of the products that N is using.

What does help with the itching is cold. I’ve taken to sleeping in a very cold air-conditioned room and taking frequent cold showers. It works, but it’s also really impractical. I don’t want to be stuck indoors for the duration of the pregnancy. Hopefully the prescription or the herbal remedies works.

Dr. Pepper also did a quick ultrasound and we found out that Z is back to being breach. He just doesn’t like being upside down. Pepper didn’t make a big deal out of it; I guess it’s the least of my problems at the moment.

Itchy and Scratchy

Silly, silly insurance company. They need to find out my medical history b/c my dr tested for gestational diabetes. The test was negative. As in, I don’t have gestational diabetes, or any other form of diabetes for that matter. So why do they need my previous medical history if I don’t have the condition? If I don’t have it now, then how can it be pre-existing? I don’t understand this logic at all. All this for a $62 charge. Pain in my butt.
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I’ve had an easy pregnancy so far. It’s been drama free, and I’ve just had to deal with mild discomfort. I should have known better. Last week, I started getting an itchy rash on my belly. I had gotten a similar one a few months back, and it was from excessive cocoa butter use. I figured that it was the vitamin E cream I was using instead so I stopped. But the rash didn’t go away. Instead it spread to my thighs, arms, hands, feet and back. Basically everywhere except for my palms, chest, neck and face. (Which I’m very grateful for.)

The itch is unbearable. In all seriousness, I’d rather go through the pain of labor than have to deal with an itch I can’t scratch. (Of course I say this now, never having gone through labor pains) The itch is continuous. So far, nothing has helped. I’ve been through a bottle of calamine lotion, tubes of cortizone 10, gold bond ointment, benedryl spray, oatmeal baths, black tar soap, and benedryl tablets.

As someone who has always avoided medication whenever possible, that’s quite a list. The benedryl spray works best, but I can’t take it in combinaton with the benedryl tablets, as they have the same active ingredient. The Benedryl tablets take about 2 hours to work, and all they really do is put me to sleep. I wake up itching.

As for the cause, I’ve ruled out everything environmental. I’m pretty sure it’s PUPPS, which is a rare condition that affects pregnant women carrying boys. If it is, then I can look forward to being itchy and looking like a leper until I give birth. That’s nine more weeks of this torture.

I seeing Dr. Tepper tomorrow. He wants to get a blood test to confirm.