38 Weeks

I hit the 36 week mark 2 weeks ago Tuesday and had my usual appointment on Wednesday. The perinatologist had upped my meds again so I am taking two glyburides at bedtime to help with my fasting levels and it does seem to be helping although I still have some lunch and dinner levels that shoot up. I figure I will have perfect levels the week before this little one is born. They also decided to do a sono in their office this week and baby girl was, according to the sono, measuring about 6 lbs still with a little head but the perinatologist said she wasn't too concerned but they may want to do one more sono in their office before she is born. I went from there to see Jeane and since I had the sono at the peri's office didn't have to have one there. I gained 2/10th  of a pound so no complaints there. I am just under a 20lb weight gain total and basically haven't gained any the last trimester so YAY! Not much at last weeks appointments, all was good, sono was just a bio physical and all was good there too. This Tuesday I hit 38 weeks and had my appointments yesterday. I had a growth sono at the perinatologist and it all looked good and baby is, according to the sono, weighing 6lbs 10oz and it shows my est. due date as the 18th so she is just a petite little thing! Went to see Jeane right after and I lost about a pound or so and we set a day!!!!! My due date is Oct. 9 but we will be inducing on Oct. 4 unless I go into labor before that but as history shows......I don't expect that to happen! We picked this day since Jeane doesn't have any appointments on Thursday mornings so she will be able to be there from start to finish, which I love.....it's nice having her there the entire time. So no more doctor appointments for me, I will get to the hospital at 7am on the 4th and Jeane will meet us there around 8:30 and break my water, start pit and we will all hang out until Kinley makes her appearance. I had Katelin about 5 hours after starting pit and Evan about 3 hours after so this little girl shouldn't take too long to get here!



36 Weeks!

 

While I really do love being pregnant, i'm ready to meet this little girl! I love all the kicks and movements, watching my belly like there is a little alien in there and the hiccups and this little one has those all the time. I'd say at least once a day and often 2 or 3 times a day! Since my placenta is in the back i've really gotten to see and feel a lot of her movement.....she likes to stick her butt out so my belly is lopsided a lot.....it's pretty funny and she pokes her little knees out a lot (the only reason I know they are her kness is because Jeane told me they were).

 

You notice how lopsided my belly is....that's my girl sticking her booty out!

 

 

On the other side.....this pregnancy has been rough. I'm not complaining just expressing the negative. I want to document all aspects of this pregnancy but first I will share what i'm grateful for.......I have happy healthy children and for that I could never be more grateful. I am, obviously, rather fertile and that is something that I do not take for granted. All I ever wanted was to be a mommy and I couldn't imagine the pain of not being able to fulfill that dream. I also am grateful to have been able to successfully VBAC 3 times now and hopefully a fourth time. I really owe that to Jeane, they had my bed unhooked from the wall, they had me drink the nasty drink and they had me shaved ready to wheel me off for a c-section with Owen when Jeane yelled "everybody stop" and preceded to explain that we were going to try to get his heartrate back up and even though I had to keep rotating from side to side to keep it up.....we were able to and I had my first successful VBAC. Had I not I would probably have had all c-sections with the rest. And while that wouldn't have been a horrible thing I actually enjoy the entire birthing process (I know that seems crazy to lots of people) and am so grateful to have experienced vaginal births.

 

Some belly fun during "girls night in"

 

 

I know a lot of people have horrible, miserable pregnancies and i'm grateful that I have never experienced that. I've had some pretty miserable first trimesters but I survived. This pregnancy has definitely been the one with the most struggles, definitely not horrible just lots of struggles. The GD has been a whole new experience. The diet isn't all that bad it's just that you can't really deviate from it and I am sooooo tired of eating the same things all the time. I'm not a big "sweets" eater but when you can't really have any......man do they all look soooo good. Plus you have to eat basically every 2 to 3 hours even if you don't really want to, your basically on the same feeding schedule your little one will be on except you don't have to eat during the night. And then there has been the struggles with my levels. My understanding is that most women are able to control GD with their diet......well not me. I went on the glyburide and have still had trouble even though I have been strict with the diet. It makes you feel like your doing something wrong and failing to keep your baby as healthy as she can be. I've heard of people with GD who don't seem to think it's a big deal and they cheat on their diet and just don't take it too seriously. I'm not one of those, I never realized how serious it can be if you don't control it and i'm not willing to chance my little girl's health. And it can actually have some pretty bad effects on my health too if it's not controlled. Even though I have some high numbers, I am controlling it overall pretty good so I fully expect a beautiful healthy baby girl next week.

 

There are lots of foods that I miss......like cereal, casey's ice cream, french fries, blueberry muffins,  and of course....I miss pepsi but not near as much as I did in the beginning of this whole thing. I really should avoid the bakery sections in grocery stores.....everything looks and smells sooooo good. So while I look foward to being able to have my foods again.... I would, of course, do it all over again in a heartbeat for my baby! I plan on sticking to some of the things i've learned, I see now how much changing a few habits can effect your weight but it will be nice not to be sooo restricted.

 

My view

 

 

So i'm super excited to meet this little girl and hold her in my arms. She will share a birthday with her Uncle Stephen and also with my lifelong friend Meredith. It is looking like she will be my smallest baby yet so kinda anxious to see how much she will weigh, i've had some pretty decent sized babies so i'm good with her being on the small side.

 

38 Weeks!

 

 

I've never done a birth plan and don't have one this time. Never really felt the need for one and obviously with my first birth ending an an emergency c-section, i've known from the beginning of my journey into motherhood that each birth is different and anything can happen. I, of course, have an idea of how I hope it will go but if things change.....i'm pretty good with going with the flow. My biggest thing is having Jeane there to deliver and I do plan on going unmedicated again. I know from the last two natural labors that when I get to the point that I don't think I can handle the pain anymore then it is probably time to push! It is a little scary going into natural labor having done it before because I know how bad the pain can get but I also know that I have done it before and I can do it again. And I tend to be a worrier but I have to say this has probably been the worse. This whole pregnancy has been so different from my others....and while i'm sure she is perfect and healthy.....I just won't be completely content until I hear her, see her, touch her and am holding her in my arms knowing she is healthy and happy!