39 Weeks 1 Day

Dear Little Guy,
Six more days until your due date. I have been feeling fairly well during the last few weeks considering how late in the pregnancy it is. I've told a few people that I feel better now than I did during my entire second trimester, when I was supposed to feel great. I'm tired, but I haven't caught any viruses or colds and my round ligament/extreme pelvic pain has lessened a great deal. Nights are uncomfortable since I can't lay on my stomach or back, but I think every pregnant woman has that issue this late in the game.

We had our 39 week appointment yesterday and it proved to be very eventful! The nurse took my blood pressure and asked if it was normally high. I told her it can be, and has been from time to time this pregnancy. I asked if it was high and she said yes. She took it again. It was 140/89. Not good. When she said I would be seeing the midwife I looked at Daddy and we both knew I'd be getting pulled out of work and put on bed rest immediately.

I told the midwife I was experiencing nausea off and on over the last couple of days. And throughout that day I was having sharp pains underneath my boobs. Both are a sign of pre-eclampsia, especially when coupled with a high blood pressure reading. I also told her that for the last few weeks I have been experiencing itchiness all over my body. It started at my tummy, but over the last week I was starting to feel itchy on my arms, boobs, neck, and thighs as well. The strange thing is there isn't a rash that I could see and I only had dry skin on my tummy.

The midwife said the itching was probably due to cholestasis. That's a condition where the flow of bile from the liver is restricted or blocked. Apparently the bile can start to pool under the skin and cause itching. It can crop up during the third trimester of pregnancy and doesn't produce a rash, although the itching can spread to other parts of the body.

We went on to discuss my blood pressure. She wanted to do another blood test to see if I had pre-eclampsia. Since it would take a few days to get the results back from their lab, she said she'd be sending me to Labor and Delivery at the hospital. This meant that I'd be hooked up to the fetal monitor while we waited for the results. She said that if the results were higher than the results from the blood test I had a few weeks ago they would go ahead and give me medicine to soften my cervix and a sleeping pill and induce me in the morning.

I think I sat on the table with a goofy grin on my face. Partly because I was going to be able to listen to you for a couple of hours and partly because I was in shock. Complete shock. A number of things started going through my head: I could have a baby tomorrow?...I'm not ready for this!...The baby isn't ready for this!...I haven't packed a hospital bag -- I need to go home first!...I'm starving. I need dinner...This is not how things were supposed to go...I wanted to know what labor was like when it happened on it's own...I'm going to end up with an epidural...I'm not ready for this!

Daddy made sure it was okay for us to eat and pack before heading to the hospital. The midwife was confident that I wouldn't be induced, but I wanted to make sure I at least had the items I wanted to labor with just in case.

Needless to say I was feeling very overwhelmed. The midwife explained that if everything was okay and I wasn't induced, then I was officially on bed rest. Which means laying in bed or on the couch on my left or right side only.

The rest of the appointment went as normal. I love seeing the midwife because she'll prod my tummy to figure out how you're positioned and how much you might weigh based on touch. She said you're definitely 8 pounds, if not a little more. But definitely not less. If we make it to the last possible day before the OB will want to induce, you may be a 10 pounder after all.

She said my belly is all you! And I agree. I really can't feel too many empty, squishy parts anymore. Every time I poke around I feel you. She even said I was having a contraction as she was feeling around. I didn't realize I was having it, so it was more than likely a Braxton Hicks contraction.

We made our next appointment, where the nurses and front desk staff insisted I was having my baby in the next 24 hours, and then got dinner. I felt like I was eating my last meal. Only it wasn't a very exciting last meal and all I could think when trying to decide what to eat was whether or not it would come back up if I had to be induced.

Then we went home and I had to try and remember everything I had on the list of what to bring to the hospital I had saved on my computer (yes, I have a list, but nothing had been packed yet).

Then we went to Labor and Delivery. I was asked to pee in a cup and change into a hospital gown. Then I was hooked up to the fetal monitor. One sensor to monitor your heart beat, one sensor to monitor contractions, and a blood pressure cuff to monitor my blood pressure.

zig zaggy lines on the monitor. The nurse insisted she didn't know what that meant. There were a couple of rounded "hills" she said were definitely contractions. I felt some pressure down low with those, but because you were moving whenever my number would go up, it was hard for me to tell if I was feeling a contraction or if you were pressing on a nerve. More than anything, I just felt like I had to pee and a sharp pain in my cervix when it happened. I found that if I layed on my side I would hardly feel anything, so I think the way I was sitting was causing you to press on a nerve and I was really feeling a ton of Braxton Hicks. I don't think the nurse agreed with me.

We were at the hospital for about two hours. It was late and Daddy was having trouble staying awake. I started getting hungry again. We tried to come up with a name for you and were unsuccessful -- although we have a couple of names we can agree on now.

My blood pressure was all over the place. I think at one point it spiked to 151/something. When I lay down on my left side it was as low as 95/something. They say laying on your left side is best when pregnant and I believe it now. The higher number was while I was reclining back, so I'm sure the baby was pressing on nerves and blood vessels.

My blood work came back fine, so I was sent home with orders for bed rest. I was relieved that I wouldn't have to be induced, but on the way home I realized that, even though I'm feeling great and several hours earlier I had the mentality that you could take all the time you want in coming, as long as it's by April 5, that I would rather have you sooner rather than later. Bed rest isn't fun, but now I'm more concerned that waiting is going to put you in danger. I guess I can try and get some of my fears put to rest when I go back to the doctor in a few days.

Here's the weekly update. I didn't do this last week because I didn't go to the doctors (they were on vacation).

Weight gain: 32

Dilated/Effaced: The midwife said my cervix is softening and is in the correct position. But I'm not effaced and I'm not dilated. (I keep telling myself it doesn't matter, because it doesn't, but part of me wishes I was a little bit effaced or dilated.)

New symptoms: my nausea has come back. I also have a lower back ache that comes and goes. My itchiness is spreading.

Your position: you're still head down, but still not quite facing the right direction. Hopefully all this side lying will help put you in place.

Your heart rate: The doctor said it was good. It varied from 140 and 166 at the hospital.

This week's cravings: chocolate chip cookies and root beer.

New maternity or baby purchases: I bought a few more cloth diapers. And an Easter onesie, because it sounds like you'll be here by, if not on, Easter at the latest.

Things to look forward to: YOU! After last night's fiasco I can't wait for you to arrive.

This week's pregnancy cheat: coffee again. And walking around the condo when I need something to eat or drink. I'm not supposed to, but Daddy still has to work. I think Grannie will be coming over tomorrow so she can fetch things for me when I need them.

Tired/sick/sleepy? Tired and uncomfortable now that I have to lay on my side all day.

I definitely can't wait to meet you now, Little Guy! I'm hoping I get to see you sooner rather than later. And hopefully you'll decide to come on your own terms and not the doctor's. I can't wait to see what you look like, name you, cuddle you, and to find out just how big you really are!

Love,
Mommy