Kathryn, this week you are "full term", but you still have growing to do. You are 6.3 to 6.5 pounds this week, and have most likely finished your growing lengthwise. Your lungs are mature enough, or almost enough, to function on their own outside of me. You continue to practice blinking, sucking, breathing and turning from side to side. Your head is down, and I can feel your hiccups in my left hip--that's still where your back is. So, I get a lot of kicks/pushing against my right side. We love you very much.
I'm having a lot of Braxton Hicks, which are annoying but not painful. And getting comfortable is tricky. Good sleep is hard to come by, too. But, I don't have bad swelling, trouble breathing, high blood pressure, or any other clinical issues that would make me high-risk. And I've gained 27 pounds. A healthy weight gain for a whole pregnancy is 25-35 pounds, so I'm good with that. I feel blessed that this pregnancy has been such a "non-event", after losing Angel. I'm a mother to two, now--one in my womb, one in my heart.
Jared and I aren't accepting pelvic checks for effacement or dilation--all it tells us is that we're making progress, which we know is happening anyway. Some women stay dilated at 3 centimeters for three weeks. Others are completely closed one day and fully dilated the next. We'd rather not have the possibility of bacteria/infection, or for someone to strip my membranes without my consent or knowledge. We know Kathryn will come when she's ready, and she'll let us know when that is!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Appointment and Fun Facts
Good news at our appointment today! Kathryn's head is in the right place now. Her back is now laying in my left hip, instead of her head. Maybe she's just sliding down there a little at a time? There was finally someone available to do the ultrasound and confirm it, so I feel much more at ease now.
My iron level was good, Kathryn's heart rate was good, and I should hear back about some blood work and the GBS test by the end of the week. I have gained 27 lbs here at week 36--average weight gain is 25-30 pounds right now, so I have finally caught up with everyone. It was nice while it lasted!
Some fun facts:
If Kathryn's born in June, her birthstone will be the pearl and birth flowers are the rose and honeysuckle.
If she's born in July, her birthstone will be the ruby and birth flowers are the larkspur and water lily.
Regardless of month, she will most likely be a Cancer in the zodiac, and her Chinese zodiac animal is the Black Water Snake.
She'll be old enough to drive a car in 2029, finish high school in 2031, and graduate college in 2035.
On her due date, in history:
Helen Keller was born in 1880
Bell Laboratories announced the successful transmission of television signals in 1929
Moscow opened the world's first atomic power station in 1954
The first seat belt legislation was passed in Illinois in 1955
My iron level was good, Kathryn's heart rate was good, and I should hear back about some blood work and the GBS test by the end of the week. I have gained 27 lbs here at week 36--average weight gain is 25-30 pounds right now, so I have finally caught up with everyone. It was nice while it lasted!
Some fun facts:
If Kathryn's born in June, her birthstone will be the pearl and birth flowers are the rose and honeysuckle.
If she's born in July, her birthstone will be the ruby and birth flowers are the larkspur and water lily.
Regardless of month, she will most likely be a Cancer in the zodiac, and her Chinese zodiac animal is the Black Water Snake.
She'll be old enough to drive a car in 2029, finish high school in 2031, and graduate college in 2035.
On her due date, in history:
Helen Keller was born in 1880
Bell Laboratories announced the successful transmission of television signals in 1929
Moscow opened the world's first atomic power station in 1954
The first seat belt legislation was passed in Illinois in 1955
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Starting Week Thirty-Six
We are 35 full weeks, one more week until Kathryn is considered full-term. We are starting month nine...Jared and I are very ready, and yet don't feel ready. There are still some items to buy, food to prepare, and Jared has some reading to do. Kathryn, this week you may be about 6 pounds and 20-20.5 inches long. Most of your systems are well-equipped for life now. Your brain is developing a lot this week and you practice your blinking. You're shedding your downy coat of hair and the waxy vernix that has covered you. We love you very much.
This week, you may drop lower into my pelvis, preparing for birth. I can only hope that you're head down, now. I've been to the chiropractor twice and have been doing exercises to encourage you to get in the right position, but won't know if you've complied until our ultrasound next Tuesday.
I have a constant achiness and pressure in my pelvis, and it is very difficult to get truly comfortable. I am fatigued really easily, and that still kind of bothers me--I feel like I should be able to accomplish more each day. Kathryn squirms and turns, but there are very few kicks or jabs these days. Braxton Hicks contractions are pretty frequent, but easy to ignore. That's really about it--no drama or big complaints here! I'll try and update again on Tuesday regarding our next appointment.
This week, you may drop lower into my pelvis, preparing for birth. I can only hope that you're head down, now. I've been to the chiropractor twice and have been doing exercises to encourage you to get in the right position, but won't know if you've complied until our ultrasound next Tuesday.
I have a constant achiness and pressure in my pelvis, and it is very difficult to get truly comfortable. I am fatigued really easily, and that still kind of bothers me--I feel like I should be able to accomplish more each day. Kathryn squirms and turns, but there are very few kicks or jabs these days. Braxton Hicks contractions are pretty frequent, but easy to ignore. That's really about it--no drama or big complaints here! I'll try and update again on Tuesday regarding our next appointment.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Starting week 35!
This is the last week of Month Eight....time has gone so slowly lately! Kathryn, at the end of this week you will probably be 19-20 inches long and 5.5 pounds--about the weight of a honeydew melon. You may have topped out on your height by now, but you'll continue to gain about a half a pound every week from now on. Your brain and lungs continue to develop at a quick pace. We love you very much.
We had an appointment today and I was so disappointed to find out that the baby is in an oblique breech position. This is when the baby's head is pointing toward mom's hip, instead of down toward the cervix:
I was advised to sit on our birthing ball (an exercise ball) as much as possible from here on out, to get her to turn. One of my biggest fears at this point is that Kathryn remains breech and I'm forced to get a C-section. My uterus is measuring fine and I've gained 22 pounds--the average women have gained 24-29 by now.
We did run up against some opposition to our birth plan today. In it, we share that we don't want to receive Pitocin to help deliver the placenta after the birth. The midwife I saw today is the one our Bradley Method birth instructor called out specifically as a strong advocate to this "active management of the third stage of labor". She read that part of our birth plan, and immediately wanted to argue with us about it, saying she hoped that we would abandon that idea and trust her and her experience of being at 3,000 births thus far. There was a little fear-mongering, too--I was surprised but very glad that our birth instructor had already taught us about this and warned us about this exact situation!
As for me: I tire easily, and I have a lot of achiness and painful pressure in my pelvis. Sometimes when I get up, it feels like my pelvic bones will break. I still have occasional acid reflux, and I don't sleep well. Honestly, not very much to complain about, considering all the symptoms considered normal!
Jared's co-workers threw us a shower this past week--I'm glad that Jared is thought of so highly that they wanted to do that for us! It was very special. We have another shower--our fourth and last--this coming Sunday with our church's connect group and other church friends. Looking forward to spending time with everyone together!
We had an appointment today and I was so disappointed to find out that the baby is in an oblique breech position. This is when the baby's head is pointing toward mom's hip, instead of down toward the cervix:
I was advised to sit on our birthing ball (an exercise ball) as much as possible from here on out, to get her to turn. One of my biggest fears at this point is that Kathryn remains breech and I'm forced to get a C-section. My uterus is measuring fine and I've gained 22 pounds--the average women have gained 24-29 by now.
We did run up against some opposition to our birth plan today. In it, we share that we don't want to receive Pitocin to help deliver the placenta after the birth. The midwife I saw today is the one our Bradley Method birth instructor called out specifically as a strong advocate to this "active management of the third stage of labor". She read that part of our birth plan, and immediately wanted to argue with us about it, saying she hoped that we would abandon that idea and trust her and her experience of being at 3,000 births thus far. There was a little fear-mongering, too--I was surprised but very glad that our birth instructor had already taught us about this and warned us about this exact situation!
As for me: I tire easily, and I have a lot of achiness and painful pressure in my pelvis. Sometimes when I get up, it feels like my pelvic bones will break. I still have occasional acid reflux, and I don't sleep well. Honestly, not very much to complain about, considering all the symptoms considered normal!
Jared's co-workers threw us a shower this past week--I'm glad that Jared is thought of so highly that they wanted to do that for us! It was very special. We have another shower--our fourth and last--this coming Sunday with our church's connect group and other church friends. Looking forward to spending time with everyone together!
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Week 34 starts today!
Kathryn, we start week 34 today! It'll most likely be another 6-8 weeks before you arrive, which is fine. At the end of this week, you'll be 4.75 to 5 pounds (an average cantaloupe), and 18-20 inches long. All your organs are almost mature, except your lungs, and your skin (now pink instead of red) keeps smoothing out. You are hopefully settling head down, which we'll check on next week at our appointment. We love you very much.
I still feel very blessed with how this pregnancy is going. Maybe it's easier because I have a longer torso, maybe it's because I've always been a "solidly built" woman, or maybe I just have a different perspective since losing my first child to miscarriage. But for the most part, I feel fine. "Typical" symptoms" at this point should include nasal stuffiness, constipation, hemorrhoids, backaches, hair growth in the wrong places (chin, neck, back), shortness of breath and breast leaks. I'm not experiencing any of those!
What I do have is trouble sleeping (I wake up to turn over occasionally), mild swelling, stretch marks, and some leg cramping. Not a big deal, really.
Our couples' shower last weekend was so nice. Many friends came, the food was delicious, the cake was beautiful, the decorations were lovely. The weather was....ok. At least it wasn't colder or raining! We have about 30% of our registry fulfilled at this time, and we still have two showers! I found out yesterday that Jared's company plans on throwing us a little shower next week--we feel so loved! This will make four showers....amazing.
Next birth center appointment is next Thursday! We'll have an ultrasound to check on Kathryn's position, size, and to double-check that she is a girl.
I still feel very blessed with how this pregnancy is going. Maybe it's easier because I have a longer torso, maybe it's because I've always been a "solidly built" woman, or maybe I just have a different perspective since losing my first child to miscarriage. But for the most part, I feel fine. "Typical" symptoms" at this point should include nasal stuffiness, constipation, hemorrhoids, backaches, hair growth in the wrong places (chin, neck, back), shortness of breath and breast leaks. I'm not experiencing any of those!
What I do have is trouble sleeping (I wake up to turn over occasionally), mild swelling, stretch marks, and some leg cramping. Not a big deal, really.
Our couples' shower last weekend was so nice. Many friends came, the food was delicious, the cake was beautiful, the decorations were lovely. The weather was....ok. At least it wasn't colder or raining! We have about 30% of our registry fulfilled at this time, and we still have two showers! I found out yesterday that Jared's company plans on throwing us a little shower next week--we feel so loved! This will make four showers....amazing.
Next birth center appointment is next Thursday! We'll have an ultrasound to check on Kathryn's position, size, and to double-check that she is a girl.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
32 Full Weeks, Starting Week 33
Kathryn, this is the start of a few "growing" weeks for you. This week you will grow to weigh a little more than 4 pounds (a good sized pineapple) and might top out at 19 inches for length. You are almost finished growing length-wise--then you will really start to fill out width-wise! The amniotic fluid has maxed out, meaning there is more of you than there is of fluid. On one hand, that'll mean your kicks are more sharp (less cushioning), but you may do less of them because there is less room for you. Also this week, I am passing along a lot of antibodies as you build up your own immune system. At this point, you can only protect yourself from the mildest bacteria and germs. We love you very much.
I have gained 21 pounds as of a week ago (it's probably 22 by now). That's good--the average is 22-28 by now. More good news: I am still sashaying as opposed to waddling. I'm not having to deal with headaches, hemorrhoids, protruding navel, shortness of breath, or "leakiness" from my breasts. My blood pressure still looks great and I don't have gestational diabetes or dangerous swelling.
However....my acid reflux continues to try and kill me. My ears can sometimes feel blocked and I have increasing trouble with sleeping. I have a smattering of stretch marks, spider veins and varicose veins, and a lot of achiness and pelvic pressure. I'm wearing my new support band and applying the vitamins (see last week's post) most of the time, and it does seem to help a little.
I never imagined that I could stay so busy without having a job to go to! It's crazy how much there is to be done in the house, in the yard, or with running errands or scheduling appointments for various things. I manage to stay busy all day, every day. Kathryn's second wall decal FINALLY arrived yesterday (after five weeks of waiting and opening a case on Etsy against the shop owner), so maybe we can get back to decorating and arranging the room.
Our next shower is Saturday, hosted by our moms, and then we'll have one last shower two weeks after that, hosted by our church connect group. Next birth center appointment is in two weeks exactly!
I have gained 21 pounds as of a week ago (it's probably 22 by now). That's good--the average is 22-28 by now. More good news: I am still sashaying as opposed to waddling. I'm not having to deal with headaches, hemorrhoids, protruding navel, shortness of breath, or "leakiness" from my breasts. My blood pressure still looks great and I don't have gestational diabetes or dangerous swelling.
However....my acid reflux continues to try and kill me. My ears can sometimes feel blocked and I have increasing trouble with sleeping. I have a smattering of stretch marks, spider veins and varicose veins, and a lot of achiness and pelvic pressure. I'm wearing my new support band and applying the vitamins (see last week's post) most of the time, and it does seem to help a little.
I never imagined that I could stay so busy without having a job to go to! It's crazy how much there is to be done in the house, in the yard, or with running errands or scheduling appointments for various things. I manage to stay busy all day, every day. Kathryn's second wall decal FINALLY arrived yesterday (after five weeks of waiting and opening a case on Etsy against the shop owner), so maybe we can get back to decorating and arranging the room.
Our next shower is Saturday, hosted by our moms, and then we'll have one last shower two weeks after that, hosted by our church connect group. Next birth center appointment is in two weeks exactly!
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