39 Weeks & Impending Labor

So I'm going to have a baby very soon.  Hopefully within the next week or so.  I'm thinking early next week.  Why do I think that?  I have no idea.  I guess Phoebe was pretty much right on time so I'm guessing this baby will be as well.  And getting through the weekend pregnant would be convenient.  

I'm sorry.  I realize I have probably worn this outfit in multiple blog posts, but it was what I was wearing this morning to take my 39 week picture.  And quite honestly, I don't think I have anything "new" or "fresh" to wear anymore.

Aversions/Cravings-  I have been craving sweets and baked goods this week.
Movement-  ALL THE TIME.  Getting to be ridiculous and almost annoying.
Pregnancy Symptoms- The itching is SO much better!  I mentioned the shower filter we got here, that is supposed to filter the chlorine out of your water.  It has helped SO much!  Worth every penny.  Chlorine can do some pretty awful stuff to your skin.  Now my hands are the only thing that itch.  And you can literally see a line at my wrist where the back of my hands are red and irritated because I wash them so much and am washing so many dishes.  This pregnancy has made my skin a lot more sensitive.  If you have eczema or sensitive skin you should seriously look into the New Wave Enviro shower filter.
I got some new support hose things that are seriously amazing and have helped the pain with the varicose veins A LOT!
Contractions, contractions, contractions- all the time.  Just not painful enough or regular enough for labor.
Sleep- What sleep?  I can't sleep without medication.  Ambien is my friend, but I only have a few so I'm trying to ration it well.
Sex-  I give up trying to guess.  I can't wait to know for sure.
Weight Gain- 28 lbs.  They think this baby is going to be significantly bigger than Phoebe.  Yikes.
Randoms- I'm feeling much more prepared now.  After a little scare last week we have all our bags packed, cradle down, sheets washed, and infant carrier ready.  I boiled all the pump parts and a few bottles just in case.  I even washed a few of Phoebe's newborn outfits in case its a girl.  

I'm excited to have the baby, but the "problem" with having a baby is that you have go actually go through labor.  It doesn't come easily.  And for some reason I'm way more anxious about it this time than I was round one.  Is that weird?  I wasn't going in clueless the first time either.  You see I'm an labor and delivery nurse.  I see people birth babies ALL the time- both with an epidural and without.  I see the medical inductions of labor and I see the natural labor progress.  I knew what to expect.  I knew what it looked like and most likely what physical and emotional phases I would go through as a laboring mother.  I knew it would most likely take a long time.  And I knew I wanted to try to have an un-medicated birth.  Yes, I am one of those "crazies".  I think birth is a beautiful and natural process that should be embraced for what it is.  I didn't feel like I had something to prove.  I knew having a baby without an epidural wouldn't make me a better mother.  And I'm not one of those people who feels like I have to experience God's curse on Eve.  No.  Believe me I know we live in a fallen world and am reminded of that on a moment by moment basis- I don't need labor pains to remind me.  Yet, I do think birth as with any other event in life is an opportunity to glorify God.
And did you know that almost a third of all births in the US now are via cesarean section?  That is scary to me and I feel like we have caused that problem ourselves with our medical model of birth.  But that is a tangent I will not go off on right now.
Really I just feel like the more we try to intervene with any natural process the more complications we potentially create.  So I wanted as little intervention as possible.  Did you know there is such a thing as the nurse curse?  Yep, that's right.  Nurses are cursed to have everything go wrong in labor.  For example there were 3 other nurses I worked with that were due right around the same time as me.  Two ended up with unplanned cesarean sections and one had a post-partum hemorrhage.  Nurse curse.
I wanted to avoid the nurse curse.  I wasn't a crazy person with an eight page birth plan (if that is/was you I'm sorry I have probably judged you) I just wanted to see if I could do it.  And you know what?  I did.  You can read my birth story here.  It was truly amazing.  If I had gotten an epidural or needed to have a cesarean section, it would have been ok and I still would have left the hospital with a beautiful daughter.  But I will tell you that birthing Phoebe was by far the most empowering thing I have ever done and the accomplishment I felt cannot be described.  And I could not have done it with the grace of God and the support of my husband.
So all that to say, I felt no pressure with my first labor.  If I had a natural delivery great.  If I didn't- oh well.  But this time, because I have done it before, I feel like I should be able to do it again.  So I'm nervous.  What if I can't?  I know your second labor is typically "easier" or maybe quicker is a better term, but there are always exceptions to the rule.
I'm also nervous this time around because I have a 19 month old that we need to do something with when I go into labor.  (And the dog, but I'm not as concerned about him.)  We don't have family in town so it makes it a little bit trickier.  Our "first call" is out of town until tomorrow, so I will feel much better when she gets back to Atlanta.
Ok, that is enough rambling.  If you've stuck with me this far, thanks for reading :)

30 Weeks

So I have officially made it into my third trimester of pregnancy and I am feeling it.  I'm not feeling bad, just big :)  Although still perfectly capable, it is getting more challenging to get up and down off the floor and in and out of bed.

30 Weeks- "Your baby is about 17 inches long, and just over 3 pounds in weight.  He or she getting bigger by the day.  Also getting bigger daily is baby's brain, which is preparing for life outside the womb--and for a lifetime of learning.  Starting this week, your baby's brain is starting to look like one, taking on those characteristics grooves and indentations.  These wrinkles allow for future expansion of brain tissue that is crucial as your baby goes from helpless newborn to responsive infant to verbal toddler to curious preschooler and beyond.  Your baby's bigger and better brain is also starting to take on task previously delegated to other parts of the body, like temperature regulation.  Now that the brain is capable of turning up the heat, your baby will start shedding lanugo, the downy soft body hair that has been keeping him or her warm up to this point.  Which means by the time the baby is born, he or she probably won't be fuzzy anymore."
What to Expect When You're Expecting

I did a quick ultrasound yesterday and the baby is head down again!  Yay!  I thought it had flipped from what I was feeling, but wasn't 100% sure.

Aversions/cravings- None.  I still have no desire to eat yogurt, which was a favorite snack before pregnancy, but that's about it.  

Movement-  Lots!  I started to see my belly moving around 26 weeks.  And again it was not like this with Phoebe.  I didn't see her movements until much later and actually went into the hospital at 27 weeks because I hadn't felt her move in a couple days.

Pregnancy Symptoms- The itching is awful!  And its not just my belly!  It is my WHOLE body- legs, back, belly, shoulders, forehead, everything!  There are times when I literally feel like I could scratch my skin off!  And my poor not-so-little varicose vein is starting to throb a little bit more.  Overall though I feel great, but it is getting a little bit harder to bend over and pick things up.  I still can of course, but I am reminded much more frequently now that I am indeed pregnant.

I have started to feel the occasional braxton hicks contractions too.  But nothing strong and nothing regular.

Sleep- Just fine.  I went through a couple weeks where I was peeing ALL the time.  It must have been the position of the baby on my bladder because I really don't remember using the restroom this much at this point in pregnancy last time.

Sex-  I still think it is a girl.  Although we reserve the right to change our minds (I don't think we will)  if it is a girl she will be Ava Grace.  (We will call her Ava Grace.  I have always wanted to have a little girl with a double name!)  And if its a boy he will be Ridley Thomas.

Weight Gain- 19 lbs

Randoms-  I think Phoebe is finally getting the concept that there is a baby in my belly.  Now when I ask her where the baby is she {sometimes} either lifts up my shirt or points to my belly.  This took A LONG time.  

I really do feel so much bigger this time around.  And I know it is not all in my head because t-shirts and things that I know I was wearing the final weeks of my previous pregnancy are now starting to be too small/short and I have 10 weeks to go...  I also had to buy new underwear this week because my regular ones (that I had no problem wearing through 40 weeks last time) just weren't cutting it anymore.  So not only is my belly bigger, but so is my booty.  I only gained 24 lbs total with Phoebe and I'm sure I will be gaining a few more than that this time.  I don't mind; I know every pregnancy is different.  I was able to stay in a little bit better pregnancy shape the first time around, but I've still been pretty active with this one too.

December Goals

I've been meaning to post and linkup monthly goals now for a couple months, but just haven't gotten around to it.  No good excuses.

So it has been a goal of mine to post December Goals.  Done!  Check!  I'm off to a successful start already!  Man, I feel so accomplished. 1. Stick to our grocery budget.  I don't know why this is so hard for me, but we've I've (I take full responsibility for this one) gone over just about every month this year.   2. Don't stress out over packing/traveling for Christmas!  I don't mind traveling, but I always get really stressed about packing!  So the couple days before we leave on any trip are miserable.  But hopefully not this time! 3. Eat Sweets and Christmas Cookies in MODERATION.  I have a pretty big sweet tooth and very little self-control.  Hence, we do not keep a lot of "goodies" in the house.  But over the holidays with cookie swaps and Christmas parties, it is hard to avoid the fact that sweets are EVERYWHERE.  So although I have no intention of avoidance, I would like to enjoy in healthy moderation. 4. Take a prenatal vitamin everyday.  When I was pregnant with Phoebe I took them religiously every morning.  This pregnancy, I maybe remember twice/week.  But now that I'll be hitting my third trimester this month I really want to make sure I'm getting the DHA in the vitamins for brain development because I know I'm not getting enough in my diet. 5. Get my Christmas cards sent out by Tuesday Dec. 11th.
6. Exercise three days/week What are your goals this month?   I'd love to hear from you!

Thankful Thursday: 23 Weeks

In honor of Thanksgiving I've been sharing one or two things each Thursday that I am thankful for.  Although there are many things to be thankful for I'm trying to just highlight a few each week.  Check out my previous posts here.
Today I am thankful for this sweet (and wild) little baby growing in my belly.  I had another ultrasound on Monday and the perinatologist said everything looks "picture" perfect.  We had a few potential health scares with Phoebe, so I'm thankful this baby is healthy. Well so much for doing weekly updates.  But I guess if I get something posted monthly or every 4 weeks then I'm doing pretty well.  Check out my last (and first) update at 19 weeks here. So I didn't think about this when we were taking this picture, but apparently black isn't the best color to show off a growing belly...  Black really is slimming.

23 Weeks- A window into your womb would reveal that you baby's skin is a big saggy, hanging loosely from her or her little body.  That's because skin grows faster than fat develops, and there's not much fat to fill that skin out yet.  But don't worry- the fat is about to start catching up.  Beginning this week your baby begins to pack on the pounds.  In fact, by months end, your baby will be double the weight he or she is now.  Once those fat deposits are made, your baby will be less transparent too.  Right now, the organs and bones can still be seen through the skin, which has a red hue thanks to the developing blood veins and arteries just underneath.  What to Expect When You're Expecting

You're baby is the size of a papaya.   (Do you eat Papaya's?  Does anyone really know how big a papaya is?  Maybe its just me but papayas are not in my normal diet...)  So the baby is about 8 inches long and 1.2 lbs.

Actually according to the ultrasound my baby is 1 lb 4 oz, which puts it exactly in the 50th percentile for weight. Here's the little squirt.  (Head is on the left.  Belly on the right) Notice the hand and arm at the top of the picture.  Almost the whole time this child was hitting itself in the head with its hand- over and over and over again.  Awesome.

Aversions/cravings- None now.  I couldn't eat yogurt for awhile and I still haven't tried.  It doesn't sound gross to me anymore.  I just don't necessarily want it.  Perhaps I should try to eat it again and see what happens.  It used to be one of my favorite snacks.
Movement- Oh my goodness!  This child kicks, and punches, and kicks, and hits itself in the head all the time!  And they are strong movements too!  I mean really, I did not feel this much movement at this point in pregnancy last time.  What I'm feeling now is closer to what I was feeling full-term.  Now, is that because my placenta is in a different place or because this baby is moving more, or both?  Who knows. But I will tell you that both the ultrasound tech and the doctor kept making comments the other day about how they were having to "chase" the baby around because it was moving so much. This baby is breech right now too. I know this is completely normal and I shouldn't worry, but I still didn't like seeing it upside down.  Turn baby turn!
Pregnancy Symptoms- The itching has gotten better.  I think due to a combination of the Tom's unscented sensitive skin soap and the Aveeno Eczema lotion.  My eczema has actually been a little bit better too- except 3 spots ON MY FOREHEAD that have shown up in the past 3 weeks.  Thankfully the  worst of the bunch is underneath my bangs.  But it probably looks like I have dandruff or something the way I am scratching at my hairline... Still no stretch marks.  I really don't expect any.  I didn't have any last time.  BUT the pregnancy has not been so kind to me because I've started getting a couple varicose veins!!  Awful.  The only thing I can think of is that I did wear support hose at work with the last pregnancy because I was working 3 or 4 12hr shifts/week.  This pregnancy I haven't worn support hose at all because I'm only working 8hrs about once/week. I guess I need to start considering it.  But they are pretty miserable.  Its one thing to wear them under scrubs at work.  It is a whole other ball game to try to wear those things under jeans... Sleep-  I'm sleeping through the night about twice/week now on average.  Hey, I'll take it.  And although Chris would never admit it, I think my body pillow is growing on him.  I've woken up to him cuddling with it on several occasions... Sex- I still think its a girl.  I know a lot of people think we're I'm crazy for not finding out.  I've seen it done both ways in the delivery room and don't get me wrong it is ALWAYS special and exciting when a baby is born.  And it is a surprise when you find out the sex whether it is at 20ish weeks or at delivery.  But there definitely is an added energy and excitement to the delivery when you're also finding out the sex at the same time- it really is fun for everyone. A few weeks ago I had a couple who was having a "surprise" baby for their second child.  Now typically the way this works is the dad "announces" the sex as soon as the baby's born.  I say typically because that is often the plan, but in the excitement of the moment the dad often forgets to look or speak.  Or perhaps it takes men a extra split second to process everything before they can verbalize sex- who knows.  Anyhow, in this particular case the dad was speechless and as the midwife was bringing the baby up to mom, she starts screaming (yes screaming) at the top of her lungs: "I see his balls!!  Its a boy!  Its a boy!  I see his little blue balls!  Its a boy!"  She kept repeating this over and over and over.  I dunno, maybe you had to be there, but it was hilarious.  Everyone in the room was cracking up. All that to say surprises are fun.   And yes, we do have names picked out.  They've changed a little bit and are still subject to change, but perhaps I will share them next update. Weight Gain- 10 lbs Randoms-  I'm excited for Phoebe to meet this baby!  She is clueless.  My belly button popped out at 13 weeks- see it poking through my dress in the picture?  Next week (24 weeks) my baby will be viable, but 24 weeks still makes me a bit nervous.  I will breath a bit easier when we hit the 28 week mark. What are you thankful for today? Today I am linking up with Angie and Tiffanie.

Second Pregnancy

I know it is still early, but first 15 weeks of this pregnancy has been a very different experience from my pregnancy with Phoebe.  And don't get me wrong- I am not complaining at all!  It really has not been bad at all- just different.  My pregnancy with Phoebe was almost so picture perfect that of course it couldnt' be repeated.

• When I found out I was pregnant with Phoebe I was SO anxious and thought about the baby ALL THE TIME.  I was so worried something would go wrong.  So worried.  I thought about the possibility of horrible very frequently throughout the entire pregnancy.  I did multiple ultrasounds of myself at work and listened to the baby's heart rate at least once a week before I was feeling regular movements.  I immediately wanted to know what I could and couldn't eat and do.  
• This pregnancy I have barely thought about it.  I really have not been anxious at all.  I have forgotten that I was pregnant many times and haven't followed those "dos and don'ts" very well at all.  I have not done one ultrasound on myself or listened to the baby's heart rate.

• I started taking pre-natal vitamins when we were just thinking about maybe having a baby last time
• I didn't even think about taking pre-natal vitamins until 2 or 3 weeks after I knew I was pregnant.  And even then I'm embarrassed to say I didn't think of it on my own.  Someone else was talking about me taking them (assuming that I was) and I thought "hmm, that would probably be a good idea"

• I was not nauseous when I was pregnant with Phoebe.  (I could count on one hand the number of waves of nausea I had)  I did not have headaches with my first pregnancy.
• Although my nausea was not near as bad as it could have been and it certainly didn't last the whole first trimester, I had about 3 weeks of feeling nauseous and it was not fun.  And the headaches- I get them all the time!

• I had no food aversions at all
• Coffee, yogurt, and nuts I couldn't eat for the longest time  (I still can't do yogurt, but thankfully coffee and nuts have made the good list again)

• My abs held that baby pooch in so well the first time.  I wasn't showing for the longest time
• I certainly started showing much earlier this time.  I was bigger at 14 weeks than I was at 17 weeks last time

(And yes I remembered what shirt I was wearing when I took my first belly shot last time at 17 weeks and I put on that same shirt again)

14 weeks
9/14/12

17 weeks
March 2011

D-Day

Delivery day or "D-Day" as we often referred to it with anticipation happened one day early, Wednesday, August 3rd.  It was certainly a bit of a surprise.  As much as I was ready to meet Phoebe and stop anticipating the actual labor I was convinced that I was going to go past my due date (which was August 4th)

On Tuesday when I went to the doctor I was 1cm dilated and 50% effaced, which yes is better than closed, but being the labor and delivery nurse that I am I found it nothing to get excited about.  Lots of people walk around 1, 2, or even 3cms for weeks.  My doctor did strip my membranes, and although I realize that this has "worked" for a lot of people it also has"not worked" for just as many.  So I told my parents it was probably going to be awhile- no need to rush down, and I started brain storming alternative means to stimulate labor so I would not have to be induced the following week.  I was starting to collect names of acupuncturists so that I could make an appointment on Monday or Tuesday the 8th or 9th to see if this could put me into labor.  And yes of course I had been taking the evening primrose oil, and drinking raspberry tea and all these other things they say will stimulate labor or at least get your body ready...  (Yes, I am a fan of alternative forms of medicine and health care.)   I was planning on eating eggplant parmesan at Scalini's on Wednesday night and am a tiny bit sad I didn't eat there Tuesday night so I could get a free onesie and gift card.

So anyhow on Tuesday evening we went to Willy's with one of Chris' RUF students.  I mentioned on the way over that I felt a little bit more "crampy" than usual.  Nothing major, just a little different.  I actually lost my mucus plug at Willy's, but again this can happen up to 2 weeks before you deliver so I was not excited or impressed.  Tuesday evening we came home and I was tired, so I went to bed around 10 or 10:30pm.

The fun began around 12:30am Wednesday morning.  I woke up and could not get comfortable.  I laid in bed till around 1:30, when I decided I need to get up.  So I got up and over the next several hours cleaned the bathroom, did 2 loads of laundry, and baked 2 batches of cookies.  Yes, classic nesting.  Chris woke up at 3:30am and came downstairs asking "what in the world are you doing?!?!"  At this point my contractions were about 9 minutes apart.  Chris laid down on the couch while I finished my cookies and laundry and I decided it was probably going to be a long day so I should lie back down for a little bit too.  I slept till maybe around 5 or 5:30 when I woke Chris up because I was just too uncomfortable to be on my own anymore.  We labored and bit and went for a walk around the funeral home by our house.  At this point Chris was wanting to know how long I thought it was going to be before we needed to go to the hospital.  I had no idea!  I was pretty sure I was in labor at this point and going to have the baby sometime on Wednesday, but it was probably still pretty early in the labor process.  Chris was very concerned that it would be time to go to the hospital during Atlanta rush hour traffic.  He told me if I thought it was going to be before 9am we needed to go "now."

Well we stayed at home through rush hour and Chris was by my side with me being a wonderful encouragement while I labored.  Around 11:30 we headed over to the hospital for the first time… Yes, I said first time.  I wasn’t sure if it was time to go to the hospital or not, but I was hurting pretty bad so I figured I was either pretty far along or I was going to get an epidural, which was not my plan or desire, but I absolutely would have if I needed to.  So Chris got the car packed up and about 10 minutes down the road after I had had a lull in contractions, I decided maybe it was too early and we should go back home.  So back home we headed.  Chris had some lunch and we really weren’t home long before we climbed back into the car to go to the hospital for good. 

Through a series of providential events and phone calls, one of the girls at work who I would have loved to labor me, Kristin Trapp, had an empty room!  And it wasn’t any empty room- it was one of the nicest rooms on the unit!  So they were able to hold that room for me, which again was great because it was VERY busy that day.  In fact, when I checked in at the admission desk there were 6 or 7 pregnant women waiting for a room in the waiting area.   They took me straight back to my room though.

Let me first of all say that Kristin is a FABULOUS nurse!  Really, I could not have asked for a better experience.  I really didn’t know when I got to the hospital if I was really in “good labor.”  I knew I was having contractions every 2-4 minutes, but I was still scared I would only be 2cm.  But I was 6cm/75%/ballotable when I got there around 12:30ish.  Then 7/75/-2  around 2:00ish.  Dr. Sun broke my water around 3:40 and I was 7-8cm/100% and she said the head was lower.  From there things got INTENSE.  The next hour was by far the hardest hour of my life.  I could not have done it without Chris, Kristin, and Cathryn.  (At 3:00 Cathryn Martin took over and became my primary nurse.  She was also WONDERFUL!  Kristin was amazing and stayed until I delivered even though she was off the clock.  THANK YOU!)  Thankfully I transitioned quickly.  I was complete and ready to start pushing by 4:35ish.  From there with the help of my amazing husband, nurses and doctor Phoebe was born at 5:24pm without any medication or epidural for mommy.

Kristin and I (obviously before Phoebe was born)

Getting Checked Out

Mommy holding her baby for the first time

Daddy and his daughter

6lbs 14oz

Cathryn and I (obviously after Phoebe was born...)

My labor and her delivery was certainly a team effort.  Chris played a HUGE roll and I could not have done it without his love, support, and encouragement.

Baby Showers

We have been blessed to have wonderful friends and family throw several baby showers for us.  My first was thrown by some good friends Sara, Laura, and Ansley.  It was a quaint shower that was great time with good friends.  Everyone decorated a bib for Phoebe, which was such a cute idea!

Then the ladies at our church, Midway Presbyterian Church, threw me a big and wonderful shower!  Chris and I were both overwhelmed by the love and support the church showed through this shower!  It was an encouraging picture of the body of Christ.  My mom, Margaret, and Catrina were all able to come down for this shower as well.  (Please ignore the fact that I am wearing the same outfit...I don't have that many maternity clothes.  With the baby bump pictures, and these I think you've seen them all....)

The wonderful ladies at Northside threw a shower complete with all the yummy food that everyone likes to eat in the middle of the night!  Work showers are always fun because its a potluck of fabulous dishes! They collected money and gave us a gift card so that we were able to purchase the cloth diapers we are planning to use, bumgenius 4.0.  (I don't have any pictures from this shower yet, supposed to be getting some soon from a co-worker)

And then MUCH to my SURPRISE the girls at Kennestone also threw me a surprise shower!  The biggest part of the surprise was that I had to call out that night because of a death in Chris' family!  So they all enjoyed the food, but they did freeze the cake for me and we celebrated the next week.  

And then just a couple weeks ago, Margaret and Catrina threw us a shower up in Chattanooga!  I mean, we have been very spoiled.  It was fun to see some of Chris' family and friends from Chattanooga that we don't get to see too often.

With all our wonderful showers, the generous gifts from friends and family, and with the help of Craig's List (God Bless Craig's List) we're all ready for Miss Phoebe to make her debut!

Baby Bump

Ok, let me briefly catch you up on the last 9 months or so.  Obviously the biggest change has been the size of my belly.  Its funny I really can't remember what it was like to not have a belly even though I've been not pregnant the majority of my life...  Check out the growth-

17 weeks

21 weeks

23.5 weeks

 26 weeks

 29.3 weeks

 32 weeks

 34.3 weeks

38.2 weeks

39.2 weeks

So quick funny story as it relates to my "baby bump" which is not so much of a bump anymore, but a rather large lump.  Anyhow last Friday evening we were at the Marietta Square for an outdoor concert with some friends.  (The last Friday of the month during the summer they do a free concert on the square and people bring their lawn chairs and coolers filled with drinks and food)  Its pretty crowded so when some man tapped me on the shoulder I tried to move out of his way- figured I was in front of his chair or something.  Well he proceeds to apologize for interrupting and begins to tell me how I have the "perfect pregnant belly" and how "beautiful my belly is."  A little awkward, but it gets worse.  He proceeds to ask me if he can take a picture of my belly.  I'm a little taken aback, but I say "umm, sure."  So he pulls out his camera and I ask if he is taking a picture of my face too, "should I smile?"  He says "no, do you want me to?"  "No.  what should I do with my arms?"  And he takes the picture.  Meanwhile some of the women around us (who are quite intoxicated at this point) assures me that he is "the photographer in Marietta"  Well at this point my friend and I practically run away laughing because its too awkward to stay there anymore.  So Chris and I have tried to look around at several Marietta photographer blogs, but have yet to see a picture of my belly.  I was wearing that same pinkish tank top in the final picture, so if you see my belly somewhere please let me know.