A tale of two births

I suppose it might be time to tell you about James's birth. But perhaps I should do things in order and tell you Caleb's birth story first. The two stories are so different that a comparison would be interesting. Let's start from the point labor began....

Caleb: Monday night

I was four days overdue and on bedrest. I had walked, I had my ankles massaged, and I was even going to the chiropractor to try a little "alignment." Jon and I finally decided on one of the (ahem) more common techniques to start labor...and it seemed to work! That night, my contractions started. I stayed awake with a digital watch, timing and recording my contractions. Contractions were only minutes apart, but not painful at all.

James: Saturday night

I was just over 38 weeks pregnant. Following my doctor's recommendation, I had been using a breast pump when I could in order to get my dilation and effacement going before labor began. Pumping usually caused contractions, and this evening was no exception. I didn't worry about timing, and I went to bed. Contractions were very far apart, one every couple of hours.

Caleb: Tuesday

My mom showed up (she got pulled over for speeding and actually got to use the "my daughter is in labor" excuse) and walked me silly! We went everywhere! As long as I was walking, my contractions were regular, but any time I stopped, they stopped. I was so tired!

James: Sunday

Contractions continued to come slow and steady, one every couple of hours.

Caleb: Wednesday

Contractions had slowed, though I had stayed awake through the night with them. A sonogram revealed that my amniotic fluid was not replenishing itself, and I was instructed to head to the hospital for induction. I was scared: it was the first time I'd ever been admitted to a hospital! And it was odd walking in to Labor and Delivery with absolutely no signs of being in labor. Even my belly wasn't the typical, overdue, about-to-pop belly the nurses would have expected. Despite our instructions to get to the hospital by 3pm, we weren't actually checked until until well after that, and didn't start the induction process until 8pm. We started with Cervadil, which caused Caleb's heart rate to become very erratic. So that was pulled, but I continued with natural contractions for the rest of the night. Thus began the constant worry over Caleb's heart rate, and another sleepless night.

James: Monday

Contractions continued at a steady pace, and picked up slowly. One hour apart in the morning, a half-hour apart by lunch, and ten minutes apart by mid-afternoon. I still did not track them or write them down, and took a nap instead! I remember how tired I'd been the first time, and didn't want to repeat that mistake. When Jon got home from a lunch meeting, his eyes bugged out when I told him how close the contractions were coming. He had already sneakily had my mom call that morning so I could tell her to come, but I had told her that things were going slowly and not to worry about it. This time, though, we decided it was time to let my mom know to come on. Contractions continued every 10 minutes. I headed to my ladies' Bunko group that night just like normal, and told my friend Debbie (who was to watch Caleb when we went to the hospital) that it would be a quiet night, and I'd probably see her the next day.

Caleb: Thursday (Thanksgiving Day!)

After a night of contractions, I was devastated to find out that we had made no progress. I cried. I was so tired. The nurses started the pitocin. The whole family was there for Thanksgiving (though we'd pushed the big meal to Friday), and Karen D became my super-great birthing coach. Everyone kind of went in shifts, but she talked me through the worst of the contractions. They started coming in wave after wave. I couldn't refocus after one contraction to prepare for the next. And yet, despite the pain, I was drifting into sleep at any break. Finally I decided on the epidural. My choice going into the hospital had been to have an all-natural birth unless it became so painful that I wasn't aware of what was going on. That moment had come, and I was never so happy to see a dr. as when I saw that anesthesiologist. At that point I was dilated to 6cm. Throughout the whole day there was constant worry about Caleb's heart rate. I was given an oxygen mask.

At 9:15 it was time to push. My Dr. showed up (she was the on-call dr for the holiday, and came and went all through the day) and away we went. I was surprised that the dr. laid me pretty flat on my back--something I'd read was a big no-no, but there really was no other option when my legs had no feeling in them. I started pushing, but I didn't feel like I was pushing hard enough. Everyone had their eyes on the monitor as we watched the rise and fall of contractions. For some reason I could feel a slight pressure at each contraction, so I at least had an idea of when they were coming. Then I heard a nurse say, "We've got mec." Meconium was coming out with the amniotic fluid, a sign that the baby was in distress. Things ratcheted into high gear, I was given the epesiotomy of all epesiotomies, and Dr. K used a vacuum to get Caleb out. 9:32pm and he was born!

He was whisked away to the "french fry warmer" where a neonatal specialist was there to check him out. We had concerns that he would have a cleft palate, so my first thought was not to count his fingers and toes, but to look at his mouth. The room was packed with the normal drs and nurses, but also the NICU drs and nurses. Caleb was declared healthy, and I said aloud, "Oh Jon, he IS cute!" because honestly--well, Jon and I are so different from each other, that some combinations of our features could come out pretty wonky.

By the time the nurses had done everything, the dr has sewn me back up, and Jon and I had our quiet alone time with our firstborn, my mom was knocking on the door: "Um, it's 11:00 at night, and some of us would like to see the baby and go to bed." Will do! The whole family piled in, we took pictures galore, and thus ended Thursday. That night would be another sleepless night as we learned our little newborn.

James: Tuesday

I didn't sleep much that night, and about 3am I sat up in bed. I'd been having contractions for awhile now. I really didn't want to go to the hospital early like last time. And yet...there was such security in having someone else take over. As I sat there in the quiet, I wished my water would break so I'd have a real reason to go to the hospital. Jon asked me about my contractions, and I told him calmly that they were about 5 minutes apart now. Which, technically, was when the dr. had wanted us to check into the hospital, but the contractions were so painless that there was no way I was ready to go to the hospital. We talked it over for a bit and decided that we would start getting ready to go, but we'd take our time and see how things went. We both took showers and finished putting things in bags. My mom woke up and figured something was up, so she started getting ready without our even talking to her. I texted Debbie to let her know that it was time.

When Debbie arrived around 4am, all our things were ready to go to the hospital. Our bags were packed, and most of it was in the van already. But...it just didn't seem like it was time. I was desperately trying to avoid what had happened with Caleb's birth, and I didn't want to get to the hospital only dilated to a 2. I wanted to avoid Pitocin if at all possible, and getting there early could cause the dr to get impatient and opt for Pitocin. So we waited. I kept an eye on the clock. A little before 5, I was finally hit with a contraction that took my breath away. Without a word of discussion, we all gathered the final things and headed to the van. By 5:15 we were in Labor and Delivery. When I walked into the hospital room, tears sprang to my eyes. Tears of relief. I had felt the burden of "going it alone" and was glad to hand the monitoring and expertise over to the nurses and dr. By 6am I was checked in and found out I was dilated to 7cm. SEVEN. Then the tears flowed for real. I'd done it! I stayed home until I really needed to come. I couldn't believe it. And I couldn't believe how (relatively) painless the contractions were. They came every 5 to 10 minutes, which gave me plenty of time to recover, even if they were painful. Jon was my strong man, letting me hang on to him as I made it through each contraction.

I started walking. And walking. And walking. I was thankful for no IVs or poles to carry around. I'd go back to the room to rest and get hooked up to the monitor to see how James's heart rate was doing. Every time I rested, my contractions slowed, so I'd pull myself up again and we'd walk some more.  Slowly I dilated. When I got to 9cm, I decided I couldn't do it any more. I wanted to lay down, let my contractions settle a bit, take a nap, and then I'd be ready. The nurse said that it was when a mother feels like she can't do it any more is when it's getting close to time. When the doctor heard my grand idea, she smiled and said, "You can do that, but that baby will still be in there. Or you can have this baby now." Fine...the nurse hooked me up to a wireless monitor so she could watch my contractions while I walked. The monitor base was set up in a different room than mine, so we could no longer watch the endless trail of humps across the page. The nurse said I could not go to the bathroom any more, and to let her know immediately when I had the urge to push. The doctor couldn't believe that I was still talking and smiling between contractions. I couldn't either, really. Compared to the first time I did this, it was hard to believe I was so far along!

As I was leaning on Jon through a contraction, he suggested I squat a little...to assume the position, so to speak. When I did that, I had the oddest feeling of needing to go to the bathroom. I stood up quickly and we called for the nurse. She checked me out, and I was almost to a 10. She suggested I lay down on the bed and give a very small push to see if she could clear the last bit away. A group of student nurses and a med student file into the room (I'd asked if they wanted to join us for the big moment). The head nurse explained that this was an unusual occurrence. This woman, she said with dramatic effect, is doing it all natural. No drugs. Then she turned to me.

One. small. push.

Oh my gosh. Holy cow. I have to push. Right now. I mean really push. PUSH. PUSH!!!

The nurse started talking quickly. "Don't push any more. Let's call the dr and get her in here first. Stop pushing now.  Let's wait for the doctor."

The nursing students gathered around, entreating me to do the impossible, to stop pushing this being out into the world that had occupied my body for 9 months.

I heard my mom at my side, "Push honey! Mothers have been having babies without doctors for years! Push!" I pushed.

I can't begin to describe to you the power that was behind those pushes. I yelled like an Amazon woman. And I really wanted the dr to show up. The nurses had me flat on my back, and I knew I didn't want to be there.

Suddenly I saw the eyes of my dr looking at me steadily. She calmly directed the nurses to resituate the bed so I was closer to a sitting position. She explained how I was to push. Between contractions I said, "What am I doing wrong? I just know I'm going to have black eyes from this crazy pushing!" She smiled and said, "Sorry honey, that's just part of it! You're doing fine."

Between contractions, all eyes were on me. With the monitor in another room, the nurses could only rely on me to know when contractions were coming and going.

The doctor said that there was too much pressure at the top of the cervix, and that I was about to have a nasty tear, so she gave me a small epesiotomy with a local anesthetic. And not too much longer after that--only 15 minutes or so of pushing--little James was born at 11:15am. Our tiny baby James who would change our lives just as Caleb had done.

Comparing the two birth stories, the second was by far the easier birth. I know there were several contributing factors, but I do believe that the natural birth was what helped the most. With no Pitocin, the contractions were much more manageable, which allowed me to go without the epidural, which allowed me to be in a more upright position and push harder than I thought possible. And okay, maybe the fact that James was only 5lbs 12oz helped, too. :) I don't regret my choices with the first birth--I can't change the fact that I had low amniotic fluid and needed to be induced--but I do hate the sick feeling I got just thinking about the whole event. I'm thankful that this second time around has left me with a much better taste in my mouth.

The rest of the story of Caleb's life is all through this blog. And James's stories will be added as time goes on!

From 38 Weeks to a Family of Four!

Wow, how do I catch this blog up?

Four days after my last post, at 38 1/2 weeks, little James Elliot was born! I knew (and hoped) that James was coming soon, but didn't realize it would be that soon!

We've had all kinds of family and friends here to help, and now life has finally settled back to normal...though it's definitely a new normal! We'll be figuring out exactly what "normal" looks like for a family of four in the days to come!

My time on the computer has been reduced to snippets between feeding a newborn and dealing with a toddler, so here are the basics, and hopefully I can flesh it out more a little bit later!

James Elliot Norvell
Born August 31, 2010 at 11:15am
5lbs, 12oz
19 inches long

I went into labor on Monday and still managed to go to Bunko that night! My mom made it to the house by 10pm, our friend Debbie showed up at 4am to watch Caleb, and we headed to the hospital at 5am on Tuesday morning. Labor was WAY different than the first time. I knew it would be different, but I didn't realize HOW different. Contractions were completely manageable all the way to the point of pushing. And then pushing? Wow, that was a trip. Doing it naturally is insane. Not because of the pain, but because of the power. I had no idea I could push so hard, and it's now no wonder to me that Caleb needed vacuum extraction, because there's no way I was pushing that hard when he was born.

Anyway, after a whole 15 minutes of pushing, our little five-pounder was born!

It wasn't too many minutes later that we knew something was different about James. His features were different, and we now have a confirmed diagnosis of Down Syndrome. Thankfully (and perhaps miraculously), he was born perfectly healthy, with none of the heart or lung problems common to Down babies. We were able to go home within only 24 hours of James' birth!

A common question these days: How is Caleb doing?

Well...I think he's doing okay. I attributed any unusual activity to the terrible twos, but this past weekend Jon and I have realized that Caleb is definitely dealing with the arrival of his new brother. So far, he has not directed any animosity towards James, and only shows constant love and affection for him, showering him with kisses and hugs and offerings of milk from Caleb's sippy cup or perhaps a Cheerio. However, in other parts of Caleb's life (mainly naptimes), there has been a change. In the attempt to be in control of something, Caleb has mutinied naps and in the last couple of days become quite irrational and frustrated during the times he should be taking a nap. It turns out he's also been coming down with a cold or sinus infection of some sort, which hasn't helped matters. But all in all, Caleb is doing well and I think he will adjust in time.

So that's the quick update...haha! I just can't do anything quickly, can I? Here are the pics of the first couple of days...more to come later!

Dr. Appt: 37 Weeks

Stats:
Weight gain: .5 pound (33.5 total)
BP: 124/80
James's heart rate: good
Uterus measurement: 35 cm

The uterus has gone from 36 to 34 to 35 in the last three weeks, so Dr. W says he's just sort of floating up and down a little, but his head is firmly engaged where it should be, so that's good!

Questions we discussed:

• Sleep aids: High protein snack before bed, sleepytime tea, warm bath, heating pad on back. If at some point the early stages of labor begin but go very slowly (like they did with Caleb--two days of contractions for nothing), she'll prescribe Ambien, which she assures me will give me good sleep when I need it, but I will be awake and ready to go by the time contractions get serious.
• Nursing mechanics: I had some difficulty nursing Caleb for the first few months, so we discussed some ways to avoid that, but it sounds like it just might happen again. Dr. W said that wearing "shells" and other devices before the baby is born really doesn't help change anything, and using the shields during nursing are really my best bet.
• Tearing vs. epesiotomy: We brought this up again because when Dr. W asked me last time, I didn't really ask her opinion about it, and I wanted to know. She said that in fact the two heal just about the same way, so she didn't have a preference. There was one type of tearing that could cause some problems, but she said she could foresee if that was to happen and could avoid it with a small epesiotomy.
• Any recommendations for preparing for the Big Day? Dr. W didn't have any prep ideas, but she did say to bring a robe, slippers, and my own sanitary napkins, as most women don't like the huge ones the hospital provides.

We also talked about a couple of random things:

• Baby's equilibrium: The baby does not get dizzy in the womb because he doesn't have any muscle tone. Without muscle tone, he doesn't have the feeling of falling or being up or down.
• Placenta history: Dr. Apgar (the lady who developed the Apgar score) felt that there was too much intermingling of blood between the mother and baby, so she was the one who started cutting the cord immediately upon birth, instead of waiting until the placenta had been delivered. Doctors no longer believe Apgar's reasoning, but the tradition still remains. Dr. W will most likely allow me to hold the baby on my chest for the final stage of labor. Once the placenta is delivered, she'll let Jon cut the cord if he wants to.

Does anyone else think that "placenta" is just a grossie word? Couldn't they have named it something else? Or perhaps the object itself would mar any name. It is weird, though, how that whole part of labor is pretty much ignored by everyone...even the nuts and granola home birth people pan away at that point in the video.

In other news, James is officially full-term! If he were born today, his lungs would be developed enough to make it in the world. We made it! Whew!

We have been very blessed by two baby showers--one at our church and one by mail--so we've gotten our final baby needs put together. Our carseat is being shipped (yep, that's what you do when you live in the sticks) and should get here this next week. I've packed a bag for myself and James. Now I just need to get a "labor bag" together, though hopefully I can do most of my laboring at home this time!

There are a few more things on my "need to do" list, but if they don't happen, it's okay. Jon and I are getting more excited about holding our new tiny baby boy. We aren't as nervous as we were last time. We have a better idea of how stinking hard it is in the beginning, but we also have a very real reminder every day of how wonderful being a parent is, and we can't wait for James to join the family!

36 Weeks: Dr. Appt. and more!

Whew, these appointments are coming so close it's hard to keep up with them! Let's see if I can get you the highlights:


The stats:
Weight gain: 2.5 lbs
BP: 110/80
Baby's Heart Rate: "Just perfect"
Uterus: 34 cm

The uterus had measured in at 36 cm last week (so Dr. W tells me; I didn't get the measurement last week), which means the baby has dropped 2 cm! Hooray! I could tell something had changed based on my frequent trips to the bathroom, and sure enough, James is settled right on top of my bladder. His head is pretty set in the pelvis, so that's good! Hopefully he will stay there! Dr. W is estimating that he'll be about the same size as Caleb at birth, so around 7 lbs or so.

Questions we discussed:

• Further clarification on the "natural methods of induction." It turns out that these methods (mentioned in a previous post) will start contractions, but will most likely not start labor. The contractions will serve to start the effacement/dilation process, something that didn't happen 'til late in the game last time. So when labor does begin, we'd be ready!
• Birthing positions: It's common knowledge by now that trying to birth a baby flat on your back is not ideal. However, it's still pretty common practice. So when I asked Dr. W about different birthing positions, I was happy when she responded, "I'll use any position BUT flat on the back." She suggested a squatting position or even on all fours (I've read about it, but still not sure how that works). Something to note, though, is that an epidural effectively takes away the use of your legs, which means that an on-your-back position is almost required.
• Video and photography is allowed throughout the entire process...if I really want it....
• I found out that Dr. W will be attending the birth whether she's the doctor on call or not. This gave me a good bit of relief because I think she will be a big help, and by her admission, the other doctors in the group will probably only show up to catch the baby. She, on the other hand, will come around every 2 hours or so, day or night. She said the only time she won't come in is at the really tough part right before it's time to push (called the "transition phase"). While it seems a little odd, the reasoning is that at that moment, I will be begging her to do whatever she can to get. that. baby. out. Because I know she can. But if she's not hanging around (though she assures us she'll be close by at the nurse's station), I'm likely to be more patient and make it through that stage on my own. Interesting bit of psychology, eh?
• Dr. W said that the nurses are very open to natural deliveries and will be just as willing--if the time comes--to act quickly for an epidural or whatever is needed.

All in all I thought it was an exciting visit. Not only does James seem like he's getting ready to go, I'm looking forward to working with Dr. W...and getting to hold our tiny baby in just four short weeks!

On from there, Jon and I headed to the hospital to pre-register and get a little tour of the Women's Center. The pre-registration was long, boring and expensive. Nothing to report. I was thankful my mom was in town and keeping Caleb at home!

The labor and delivery room is huge! When Dr. W told us we could have as many people in there as we wanted, I think it's actually true! We could fit a tight 30 people in there, I'm sure.

I asked about food and the nurse said, "You mean for him (Jon)? Because you're only allowed ice chips." I left that alone. Dr. W had said, "I'll deal with the nurses" regarding that issue, so I'll let her deal with it. The nurse said they provide a birthing ball, but they only have 2, and both were in use while we were there, so if we really wanted one, to bring our own. Good to know, because I LOVED having mine last time.

And then I confirmed that I could carry James out in my arms, which I can. Some hospitals require the baby to be strapped into a baby carrier, which we're not planning on having. And that was the basic hospital visit.

Overall I'm still feeling good. I have slight swelling in my ankles if I've been on my feet all day, but it goes down with rest. Yesterday we went to an indoor/outdoor museum that wore me out. I've definitely slowed down, but I don't feel bad. I'm sleeping much worse lately (Jon says I'm snoring up a storm, which I did with the first pregnancy, as well!). I've been waking up every couple of hours with my mind buzzing about baby stuff, then I go to sleep and dream about baby stuff. I don't feel any less comfortable than I have in the last few weeks, so I think the change in my sleep patterns is more psychological than physiological. However, I might try the couch tonight and see if that helps anything. At least it'll help Jon get a better night's sleep!

Dr. Appt: 35 Weeks

Today was another doctor's appointment. I'll start going every week from here on out! It's getting exciting!

Here are the stats:
Weight gain: None this week. Holding steady at 30 pounds.
Blood pressure: 120/74
Baby's heart rate: 140 (The dr. checked it this time, so she actually gave me a number)
Uterus: Didn't take a measurement today

Though the Dr. didn't measure my uterus, she did check it out and confirm that James is in the head-down position! Hooray! She said it's very unlikely that he will move from that position, so that's good news! Babycenter says that James is about 18 inches long and 5.25 pounds. From here on out he'll just be packin' on the weight with not much more growth lengthwise.

I had a Strep test today, which is just a simple swab test of the vaginal area. If the test comes back positive, that means that James could contract strep as he passes through the birth canal, so they would put me on an antibiotic before delivery to avoid that.

My eczema is doing okay. The steroid cream is keeping the inflammation down for the most part, and the itching has become fairly minimal. My skin is starting to peel on the palms of my hands, but it's still minor right now, and hopefully it will stay that way! Dr. W said that if the eczema sticks around longer than 6 weeks after James is born, she'll send me to a dermatologist to make sure there's nothing more we can do.

We discussed labor options again today. I recently watched a documentary about hospital births vs. home births. It was very one-sided (leaning toward midwifery), but it showed me something I hadn't realized before: the Pitocin used to induce my labor with Caleb was probably what put him in distress, which resulted in a very harried (and hurried) delivery. Pitocin causes contractions to be stronger and longer, which is very hard on the baby. For some reason I hadn't put those two things together. So anyway, at today's appointment, I reiterated my desire to not be induced, and to avoid Pitocin if at all possible (many drs will prescribe pitocin to women whose labor began naturally but isn't progressing "fast enough" or whose contractions are erratic to regulate them a little more). Dr. W asked if that included using it after delivery (it's used to help the uterus contract back down and stop the flow of blood), and I said I thought that would be fine, since James would already be out.

Dr. W also asked me about the episiotomy, if I would rather the cut or to tear naturally. I had to pause about this one, because it sounds so much more in control to have a surgical cut. However, I know of several cases (including my own) where a cut has led to further tearing, excessive blood loss, or other complications. And recent studies seem to be indicating that a tear is actually faster to heal. So, I told her I'd rather the tear. Yikes! I'll have to do a little more research on the topic and make sure I'm certain about that decision.

My desire is the same as it was when I was pregnant with Caleb: I would like to stay at home as long as possible, and have as natural a birth as possible. That, of course, did not happen with Caleb, since we were induced and I checked into the hospital with barely a contraction in my belly. And it really seems that it was necessary to be induced (though I just spoke with a friend who self-induced with castor oil for all three of her kids, which worked like a charm and still allowed a natural delivery...wonder if I should have tried that). But Dr. W seems very fine with the fact that I want a natural delivery, and just emphasized that I need to be very clear about it to the hospital staff.

Perhaps because of our discussion about induction and Caleb's late arrival, Dr. W gave me a handout about "natural methods for induction" and suggested I start them at 37 weeks...starting slow and ramping up to 40 weeks. The handout included things like intercourse and using a breast pump. Well I gotta tell ya, I hadn't expected that! So I probably won't be keeping you apprised of that kind of stuff, but I thought it was interesting/funny that my dr. would pass on that helpful bit of information.

I won't get cervical exams until starting at 38 weeks, which somehow seems like a long way away! Not that I'm expecting anything, but it would be nice to know if there was any progress, and now I have to wait 3 weeks to find out. Oh, well! It'll all happen soon enough, I know!

Photos!!

What everyone has been waiting for! Here are the photos pulled from my camera. Thank you to everyone who picked up the camera and took a few shots! Jon and I set the photos up on a slideshow and watched them during dinner one evening, and it was fun to see what everyone took pics of. These photos start right before we headed to the hospital to check in, and the last photo was taken today at lunch. Hot off the press! There's a ton of them, so hopefully they'll keep you guys busy for awhile!

Today is day 7. Caleb is officially a week and one hour old! Everyone must have been thinking of us, because the phone rang off the hook today! We tried to call everyone back, but if we didn't make it to you, we're doing fine! It's been a week of adjustment for sure, but I'm feeling better, Caleb is doing great, and Jon has been amazing taking care of the two of us!

Thanksgiving is postponed!

After another night of contractions, Jon and I headed to our 8:30 dr. appointment, this time to see Dr. K again, who is back in town. We were happy to report all my contractions since Monday, and the loss of my mucous plug yesterday afternoon (look it up if you really want to know), which to us were good signs of progress. However, upon examination, there was no progress. Pooh. I thought for sure something would have happened!

Because we're now about 41 weeks along, we had a very quick sonogram to check the amniotic fluid around the baby. Low amniotic fluid indicates that the placenta (which, as it turns out, has a shelf life) is no longer working 100%, and can cause distress to the baby, so they keep a close watch on it for past-term mamas. When the image came up on the screen, Jon and I immediately saw that things were different. The large black areas that had indicated pockets of amniotic fluid were gone! The last time we had a sonogram, the fluid measured at 13, and this time it measured at 3. Since I had not noticed any gushing or leaking, the only other explanation is that the placenta is no longer 100%. So...off to the monitor we went.

The monitor has two discs that are strapped onto my belly: one measures the baby's heart rate and the other measures contractions. We were supposed to be monitored for 20 minutes, but it was busy, and I think they forgot us. By the time someone came back to check on us, we were a little frazzled. Dr. K looked over the monitor readings and said the baby looked perfect. However, she was still concerned about the low amniotic fluid and felt it was best for us to go ahead and induce.

Today.

She sent us home with "get your bags together and eat whatever you want for lunch. Come back between 3 and 4." So that's what we're doing! When we go back, I get a medicine called Cervadil to help with effacement, then after a certain period of time (8 hours?) they'll start me on Pitocin. And Caleb should be born tomorrow!

So Thanksgiving is officially postponed until Friday evening. Jon and I (and Caleb) may get to be there for it or not, but at least the family won't be worrying about the casserole in the oven when I'm about to pop out a baby.

I'm nervous because I've never been in the hospital before. And I feel like I'm about to run the gauntlet of motherhood. Nine months of planning and reading, but nothing is like the real thing. And there are so many unknowns! How will I handle the pain? Will I need a C-section? Will things go smoothly or be a rush from one decision to the next? I know God is in control, and I know that you guys will be thinking about us and praying for us!

We'll try to keep you informed, and see you on the other side!

Update

Well, no baby yet. :) We've walked the neighborhood, Target and Michaels. When I stop, my contractions stop. When I go, they're about 6 minutes apart. Now my feet hurt!

My mom fed us yummy yummy gumbo tonight, and Jon's putting together a shelf for Caleb's room. We're just waiting! Everyone have a good night, and hopefully more news tomorrow!

Still here

We're still at home, and the contractions are still coming, though much slower than before. I stayed up until about 12:45 timing them and doing laundry. They were starting to hurt at that point, so laying down didn't feel good at all. I sat on my Pilates ball, and I would recommend! Quite comfy during contractions!

At 12:45 I was finally tired enough to lay down, I guess. Then I just checked my watch every once in awhile, but no more official timing. I was surprised when it was already 2am...and then 4:30...and then 6:15. I don't know if I slept through contractions, or they got really slow, but I do feel I got some rest. I stayed on the couch where I could move around or sit up if the contractions got bad. Jon stayed in bed, but would come out intermittently and get me more water and check on me. Early on, he was dreaming, and I heard him say, "I think I see something!" Then a long "ohh...." groan like he wished he hadn't seen what he just saw, and he needed to sit down. Haha! It made me laugh. He's going to do great in the delivery, I just know it!

He's taken off work today, my mom's on the road and I'm expecting her here pretty soon, and Jon and I are about to go for a walk to see if we can't start these contractions back up for real!

I've set up my phone so I can send updates from it if we head to the hospital...I'll try to keep you informed! Sadly, it's a work phone that won't let me send pictures (even though I can take them), but I can at least send text. Someone else may be the first to post a pic of our little Caleb. If so, I'll let you know where to go find it!

Contractions!

Well, contractions started at about 10:15 tonight! Crazy, huh??

I thought at first it was just Caleb stretching, because it didn't really hurt, but I felt a small dull pain at the very base of the uterus, which I can only assume is the cervix moving into position, which the doctor said only happens with contractions.

So, once I figured, "hey, this might be a contraction," I had Jon start timing. In about thirty minutes, we had contractions every 5 minutes or so, lasting 45 seconds. Wow! The doctor said to come in when they're 5 minutes apart for an hour, but surely she can't mean these contractions! They don't even hurt!

So, next on my list is to drink lots of water to see if that stops them. I did, and I've had two contractions since then...I haven't timed them, though, because I figure I won't really need to until they start to hurt. And now I'm about to go to bed, because I also figure I better get some sleep while I can, if these are really real!

I called my mom, who did not answer the phone, I might just say.... My dad eventually woke up and called me back. He wins the grandparent award for that one! :) Anyway, my mom is already planning on coming tomorrow, so she's doing the same as we are: going back to bed to see if she can get some sleep before things start to happen. After all, this may just be a false alarm (I mean seriously, aren't contractions supposed to hurt??), and then we'll all be nice and rested for whatever tomorrow brings us.

Ooh, now I'm excited! Let's see how much sleep I really get! I'll keep you posted if I can!

Dr. Appointment

Another day, another appointment!

Here are the stats:
Weight: Still gained 0 lbs. Staying steady with a total of 26lbs
Uterus: 37cms
Blood pressure: 118/70
Caleb's heart rate: 130s bpm

And the big news: dilated to one centimeter and effaced 60%! Our first sign of progress!

My blood pressure is back to normal, which may indicate that work stress was truly the cause, or it may just be the result of being a complete bum for several days!

The doctor really doesn't like people to go beyond 41 weeks (which is Thanksgiving day), so she's scheduled an induction for Friday night. I'd go in that night for a medicine that will finish the effacement, and the next morning start on pitocin, which causes contractions. Then, I should have a baby by Saturday night! Induction is certainly not my first preference, and pitocin causes pretty rough contractions, so my hopes of going natural would probably not happen. So, if this baby could get a move on before then, that would be great! :)

And that's the report! My normal doctor is back in the office on Wendnesday, and we're scheduled to see her bright on Wednesday morning to check in and talk over the induction with her. Pray for more progress from now to then!

Forty Weeks!

Well, I've got quite a bit to update this week. First things first: no baby yet!

Let's see...after Monday's appointment and prescription for bed rest, I spent Tuesday frantically getting last-minute things together for work. I packed up my laptop and Jon shipped it off for me that evening. Let me tell you, I smiled as I erased my marker board of "to dos before baby." I put away all my work papers that cluttered my desk, and I could feel my blood pressure lower as I said goodbye to work for the next 6 weeks (at least). Jon asked me if I was sad to say goodbye, and I said, "Nope! I'm so relieved to be done!" And at this point, as far as we know, I'm going back to work after my maternity leave, so it's not like I'm saying goodbye for forever.

On Wednesday...well, let's just say I stink at bed rest! I was on the couch or the computer, I did a little bit of laundry (really, I just switched out one load), and generally realized by the end of the day that I was worrying Jon more than helping by not wanting to appear helpless. It turns out that the everyone but me is a champion bed rester around here.
Well, Jon was taking a much-deserved break from studying, but the cats...champion bed resters!

Thursday, KarenN was gracious enough to drive down to come to the dr. appointment with me, since Jon had to work. I was so glad she came! My blood pressure was still high, but not as high as it had been, and considering my one day of attempted bed rest, I figured that was okay. Then I went in to get my sonogram, and that took quite awhile. The sonographer was trying to determine if Caleb has a cleft lip or cleft palate, or if everything is fine. The problem was that Caleb has his nose pretty firmly smooshed into the placenta, so it looks asymmetrical, but we can't be definitive on whether that's the smoosh or a cleft. There was one shot that she took that seemed pretty good, that nothing was wrong. But then there were 5 more shots that indicated there might be a small cleft palate issue. So, at the end of the sonogram still had nothing definitive. However, if there is a cleft, it's probably minor. And we can't do anything about it until Caleb's born, anyway, so no reason to worry about it! But I will say I'll be checking his mouth before I count his toes!

After the dr. appointment, Karen and I ate lunch, then she made my Amish Friendship Bread for me, since I was supposed to be on bedrest. And flowers were delivered to my door!

It turns out Caleb already has a connection with his Grandma! After Karen left, I really did rest, and took a nice long nap. So I did much better!

Friday morning, Jon and I went to a chiropractor, which was a new experience for both of us. We went because I was concerned that now that I have high blood pressure, there would be more likelihood that the dr. would induce, and since Caleb has shown no signs of progression, the only way out for him is by C-section (induction would be fruitless). I asked a friend to check with her midwife about what to do, and her midwife suggested I check with a chiropractor to see if perhaps I was unaligned, not allowing the baby to drop as he should. Well, it just so happens that Holly has been going to a chiropractor recently, and not only had good success with it, but also had a voucher for half off! So I made an appointment, and off we went on Friday morning. The chiropractor could be a blog in and of itself, but in the end the dr. said my tailbone was pretty unaligned, and he got it back to about 98% correct (my legs had been different lengths by an inch, and after the adjustment they were back to normal!). So, though he didn't guarantee it would help the baby drop, he did say it might make a difference since I'd been so unaligned. I go back on Monday for a second adjustment, and I think it will be our last.

After our appointment, Leanna came to hang out for the day. Hooray! She made cake! With all these people coming over and making things for us, this is pretty great! We watched movies and did our best to stay rested. :) She also tried the acupressure points to start labor. Nothing happened, but we did it anyway.

This morning, I slept 'til 11:00!! I couldn't believe it! But then my stomach was upset and I was nauseated...which I hate, but is a sign that labor could be coming! So we got in gear and I folded laundry and Jon ran to Wal-Mart for some final things. Then he worked on his paper and I worked on photography...and nothing happened. After that bit in the morning, I felt better today than I have in a week, really! Which could also be a sign of impending labor...usually it comes out as energy for nesting, but maybe mine was redirected to photography because it needed to be done. We went for a small walk, just a couple times around the block, because I thought that when I started to walk around the house, I'd feel a little cramping, so maybe a walk would kick things in gear. But we didn't try too hard because really, the baby is coming soon, so no need to rush things! And nothing happened.

All in all, yesterday I felt there was no way this baby was coming until Thanksgiving, but today I feel like it could happen tonight. So maybe the chiropractor and the acupressure is actually working, or maybe it's just time...or maybe he won't be here 'til Thanksgiving! It's exciting however it happens!

BabyCenter estimates Caleb to be 7.5 pounds and 20 inches long...we shall see soon!

Dr. Appointment

Today Jon and I got to meet Dr. P. She's very nice...a little awkward, but still informative and patient. She answered all our questions and took her time, which was good.

The appointment started out with the regular checks, so here they are:
Weight: Gained 0 lbs. Staying steady with a total of 26lbs!
Uterus: 33cms
Blood pressure: 137/93
Caleb's heart rate: 133bpm

Were you paying attention? Have you been learning from my oh-so-informative baby blog? If so, you would have noticed that once again, my blood pressure is high. Once again, I was left to lay on my side for 20 minutes or so, but this time, it didn't have the same effect. My blood pressure did go down, but only to 120/90. 120 is fine, but 90 is not. And since this is the second week in a row, the doctor has officially put me on bedrest.

First, we had another sonogram to make sure Caleb was doing okay. The sonographer had to look for heart rate, breathing, a certain number of body movements, and amniotic fluid. All of those were fine, though Caleb wasn't too cooperative with moving. I promised her he'd had the hiccups and had been rolling around just before the appointment (and is as I write this, as a matter of fact), but she had to witness it. We finally caught his foot twitch a little, his hand move, and we could see his lips moving as if he were sucking on a paci. It was pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

So Caleb passed, and we went back to the room to wait. I'd like to mention here that I was not wearing pants at this point, but the thin blue sheet they give me at the beginning of each appointment. So yes, I was waltzing down the hallway wrapped in a sheet. I think OBGYNs live to humiliate women, but that's just my opinion. :)

Back in the room, Dr. P discussed the sonogram and said it looked good and Caleb seemed to be doing fine. She said the sonographer did have some concern about the formation of Caleb's palate, that it might have a bit of a cleft to it, but from the images, it looked like his nose was just jabberwocky because it was smooshed against the placenta. However, to make sure, we're getting another sonogram next time, and probably in 4D! The dr. was really not concerned, so we won't be either. But good grief, isn't it amazing the random things that come up!

Dr. P talked about the high blood pressure a little more. Basically, the only "cure" for it is to have the baby, but our baby is clearly still not ready to come out (that's right, still no dilation or effacement). Because of that, any medical induction methods we could try would not work. So that's why we have to do our best to keep the blood pressure low to wait for Caleb to get ready to come. If the BP gets a lot higher with still no signs of progression from Caleb, I'll have to have a C-section. However, this doctor, like Dr. K, said that anything could happen, so we'll just wait and see.

I have to go in on Thursday for my blood pressure check and sonogram, and I think I'll be going in twice a week for BP checks until Caleb comes. Dr P felt the same as Dr. K, that we probably wouldn't be seeing this baby until the week of Thanksgiving.

So bed rest for me! I'm going to do enough work tomorrow to pass off the things I've been working on, and then I'm done! As you know, work has been quite stressful lately, so while I'm not happy that it's apparently affected my pregnancy, I will be glad to say goodbye to it a little earlier than expected, and get a chance to be rested and relaxed before Caleb comes.

Today

Today I woke up with my hips hurting. They haven't done that in several months, and I'm pretty sure it's a sign that they're widening. Which means something is actually happening!!

Which, given the weekend I put in, makes a lot of sense! On Saturday, Jon and I roamed around the park with Sophie, our 2 1/2 year-old neighbor who LOVED the slide that required a whole obstacle course to get to, so I was up and down, up and down, helping Sophie up the ramp, through the chain bridge, and up the steps to the slide. Jon would catch her at the bottom and we would do it all over again. We had a blast, but my arms are sore today as if I'd been doing pushups!

After that, I had a maternity photo shoot with Leslie (who took my maternity shots) and her husband Sam, which was tons of fun, and we walked all over the Botanic Gardens. I came home that afternoon and told my mom (who was here for the weekend) that if this baby hadn't dropped yet, he never would! She studied my belly and said, "You know...I think he has dropped!" Hm...maybe wishful thinking, maybe not. I really can't tell!

But just in case, I spent another couple of hours yesterday doing a photo shoot in another park, this time with my favorite nephew, Ian! We had a blast, and Ian had the most fun on the swings! By the time my brother and his family left, I was pooped. I slept until dinner (which Holly brought over--you're the best neighbor ever!!), then worked on editing photos yesterday evening.

All in all, a busy but very fun weekend! And my mom helped me get my hospital bags packed, and we got up most of the family photos on the orange door in the nursery. I guess I need to take pictures of the nursery now, since it's all pretty much done!

And it was crazy to see my mom and my brother and family, and my grandparents this past week and say to all of them as they left, "Next time we see you, it'll be pretty exciting!!" And last night I talked to Leanna and went over how to get to the hospital (yes, I realize I need to send maps and info to family), phone numbers, and other stuff. It's like it's really happening!

Jon asked me if I was ready for the labor/delivery part. I'm really not thinking about it too much. Mostly I'm focusing on the after part, the part where I get to hold Caleb in my arms. :) Hopefully that will get me through the labor/delivery part!

This afternoon we meet Dr. P and find out if there's been any progress! More updates after that!

Thirty-Nine Weeks

Well I knew this day would come. One day it would have to. But I thought it might be more gradual. I didn't expect it to be so sudden.

I'm ready for this baby to be born!

One day I'm bee-bopping around, getting things done, moving a little awkwardly, but still pretty normally. Then the next day...bam! Every movement is slow, it hurts to roll over, it hurts to sit at my computer, I can't make it to the phone in less than three rings, and I'm worn out!

I feel like I dream all night long. I dream about nursing, about labor, about money, about my job. When the alarm goes off I'm grateful for the break! Last night I tried to clear my mind before bed with a bath. I thought it worked until my head hit the pillow, which triggered "Bekah suggested I bring lots of pillows to the hospital...I wonder if two is lots, or do I need four?"* And so it went for the rest of the night.

However, one thing I did NOT think about was the holidays! Thankfully, my mom and the rest of the family are planning those events, and this little newbie family just has to show up! So that's a nice relief. Maybe if I spent a good effort tonight packing my hospital bag, I would quit dreaming about that, too.

*Regarding pillows at the hospital, the hospital pillows are notoriously horrible, so every class we've been to has suggested we bring our own pillows, in colored pillowcases to differentiate them from the white hospital pillows. Because Jon will be sleeping on a pull-out couch not meant for a 6'4" guy, my friend Bekah suggested I bring more pillows to accommodate. However, a guy in our Lamaze class said that there's a chair in the room that's the same height as the couch, so that can be used to extend the length a little.

So these are the thoughts of a 39-week prego. Despite the things I haven't done, yet, I'm still ready. I'm ready to be done with work, I'm ready to focus on one thing for a bit, and I'm ready to meet our son! Do you think he'll be a laid back little boy? Will he be fussy? Do you think he'll come out red and hairy like Esau? Do you think he'll be an animal lover? That Bonnie and Clyde will love our baby? Do you think Caleb will love the stars? Keep his nose in a book? Fight imaginary dragons? Take up photography or the study of military history like his parents? I'm excited to find these things out, and in all of it, I pray that Caleb will love the Lord and follow after Him courageously through his life.

So how is Caleb this week? BabyCenter says he's about 20 inches long and a little over 7 lbs. Based on Monday's sonogram, I'd say that was pretty close. He still wiggles around and stretches his legs. Occasionally he gets the hiccups, but not that often any more. He still seems pretty content to stay where he is, and I suppose for the most part I'm okay with that! I have plenty to keep me busy at work and with photography, and though I've complained about work quite a bit lately, it's certainly been a good distraction for these final weeks!

Dr. Appointment

Another week, another appointment!

Today's was more eventful than most, though, so more to report. Woohoo!

First, we had a sonogram to check on Caleb's growth. He's growing just fine, but slower than the average baby. In the past two weeks, and average baby would have grown 1 pound (8 ounces a week), but Caleb has only grown 11 ounces. They're estimating he's 6lbs 14oz right now. His amniotic fluid is very good (they don't want it to get too low), and the placenta is also in very good shape (did you know the placenta actually gets old and starts to break down? that's one reason doctors don't like overdue babies.). So overall, nothing to worry about at all. Again, he's still kicking and rocking, which is a very good indicator.

One funny note is that the sonographer noted that yep, we were still having a boy. She said that last time, but Jon missed seeing it before she moved on to something else. So this time I said, "Wait, make sure Jon gets a chance to see!" I was just joking mostly, but not only did she hold that spot for awhile, she zoomed in and printed a picture! So now we have a nice pic of our little boy. And no, I think I'll keep that one off the blog.

After the sono, it was back to the waiting room for us. A nurse friend of mine had suggested we go visit the nurses in Labor & Delivery. The doctor's office is in the hospital, just down the hall from L/D, so Jon and I decided to use our wait time to do just that. I felt a little funny walking in there, but I'm so glad we went. As we walked up, a nurse immediately asked if she could help us. I realize now that a pregnant lady walking into L/D is usually a sign that they're about to check in a new patient, but at the time I thought it was great service! Anyway, we ended up talking with her for a bit.

We had our birth plan with us (to go over with Dr. K), so she asked to see it and we went over it with her. She seemed very open to most of our requests, with a few flags being a hep lock (where they put in an IV port in case it's needed, but don't actually hook an IV up), food consumption, and nipple stimulation. She said a hep lock can sometimes close up, so she'd recommend the full IV, and food was okay if I'd had a natural delivery before and knew I could do it, but otherwise, in case I got an epidural, she wouldn't allow it. Nipple stimulation is a natural way to speed up labor (and avoid pitocin), and I really wouldn't mention it except for our conversation with Dr. K later (keep reading). The nurse said it was fine, as long as we let the nurses know first. She was also very firm about only two people being there at the delivery. We'll see if we can warm her up on that one with some homemade bread or something. :)

She said the shift changes every twelve hours at 7 o'clock (handy to know so we don't show up right at shift change), and there are lots of different nurses on rotation, so we'll likely see all different people than the ladies we saw there this afternoon. She gave us the phone number to the nurse's station and suggested we give them a call when we're on the way, so they can keep a nurse on that might have gone home because it was a slow day or something. So that was neat. All in all, she seemed very nice and accomodating, and I hope the other nurses are similar.

Back to the waiting room.....

Finally our name is called, and here are the stats:
Weight: Gained 1lb. Total of 26lbs.
Uterus: 35cms
Blood pressure: 131/93
Caleb's heart rate: 133bpm

If you're paying attention, you'll notice that my blood pressure is high! For the first time, I failed! Well, the nurse had me lay on my left side for 10-15 minutes, and she retook it, and it was back to normal: 117/82. So that whole left side thing really works! As for why it was high, I don't really know. I hadn't had much water today, I had caffeine, and we didn't wait in the waiting room so long that I had fallen asleep. Any of those could be factors, I suppose.

Dr. K did the pelvis check, and there's still no development in regards to dilation and effacement. She'll be gone next week, so we're meeting with Dr. P. I asked if Dr. P would make any decisions, such as to go ahead and induce or something. She said, no probably not, though she might set a future date for induction. She checked her calendar quickly and said maybe somewhere around December 1st. But she said that really, we didn't need to have that conversation until we saw her (Dr. K) on the 26th. She understands our desire for a natural delivery and for things happening on their own, so she actually never used the word "induction," but only said, "We'll have to talk about doing something." So maybe that week before would be a good time to get a pedicure and foot massage to trigger those points that supposedly start labor!

We went over our birth plan with Dr. K. Again, I was amazed and thankful that we have such a great doctor. I know I don't have anything to compare to, but I really didn't expect her to go over each piece with us, offer her own advice and explanation, and even give us some tips on how to talk to the nurses, who can tend to be anti-natural. She specifically brought up the hep lock/IV choice, and said there are many nurses who walk into your room right after you've checked in with an IV bag and pole, ready to hook you up. She said that's unecessary, and the best thing to do is to say, "Dr. K requested that we not have an IV until we're ready for pain medication." That way, they get the satisfaction of knowing we'll get it eventually (if I don't make it natural), and it holds them off "for a little while," Dr. K says. The worst thing to do is tell them straight up that you don't want an IV, because it just starts things off on the wrong foot, and you really want your nurse to like you.

She also mentioned the food issue, and basically said not to eat something that you wouldn't mind seeing later, because around 3 of 4 centimeters dilated, lots of women tend to throw up. I told her I figured I'd only eat things I would eat if I had the stomach flu (clear liquids, bland foods), and she said that would probably be fine. Now regarding nipple stimulation (I told you it would come up again), she said that it was fine as long as I'm on the monitor at the time, and to under no circumstances tell the nurses! She said the monitor was important because it could actually cause the baby's heartbeat to change, and if it did, and the nurse comes running in, just say, "I don't know what happened! I was just scratching an itch, and all of the sudden THIS happened!" Ah....labor humor...I love it.

But I thought it was especially interesting how the nurse brought up these three issues--IV, food, and natural labor stimulation--and Dr. K also (without our prodding) brought up the same issues. She said there's one nurse named Joyce who is the most encouraging nurse when it comes to natural labor/delivery, and will do everything she can to help you meet your goal. So if y'all want to pray for Joyce to be on duty, that would be fine with me!

Dr. K said she would be in and out of the room periodically while I'm in labor, assuming she's around when I'm delivering. I was a little surprised, because I just expected her to show up at the end. She said she used to hang around a lot more, but she values her sleep more these days. I guess I can respect that. :)

I asked about an Arbonne cream I'm trying as an experiment to lessen the swelling in my ankles. She gave her usual response, "As long as you don't drink it or inject it, it's fine." So we'll see how it goes. If it works, I'll report!

And that, my friends, was the appointment! Very informative, for sure! Everyone, from the sonographer to the nurse to the doctor, was a fountain of information today. And I've just passed it on to you and you didn't even have to pay a copay. How's that for service!

Dr. Appointment

Yesterday we went to another doctor appointment. They're coming around quickly these days!

Here are the stats:
Weight: Gained 1lb. Total of 25lbs.
Uterus: 33-34cms
Blood pressure: 119/82
Caleb's heart rate: 130bpm

You might notice that the uterus measurement is actually smaller than last week's, and that we certainly aren't keeping up with the cm/week average. (It should be measuring at 37-38cms this week.) That could be for two reasons. First, a 4th-year med student did the measuring this week, so maybe she just picked the wrong spot. Or second, maybe Caleb isn't growing like he should be, though everything else seems fine, and he's still kicking and moving around, which is a good sign. To check on things, Dr. K scheduled yet another sonogram for next week! I agree with Leanna that Caleb's going to have quite a photo album going before he's even born! Though last time they didn't give us any pictures. Hmph. Dr. K is not really concerned, and said she would only become so if I stopped feeling Caleb move around. So I'll keep a watch on that this week, but I don't see him slowing down any time soon!

I have had a cold for about a week, and the cold medicine I've been taking (approved Tylenol brand) seems to have caused my heart to do something weird--race, work harder, I don't know exactly how to describe it. So, I stopped taking it. Dr. K said I was correct that it was probably my cold medicine, but that I could still continue taking it if I needed it, that it wouldn't hurt me or Caleb. So that's good. The better news is that I'm feeling much better today, so I probably won't take it anyway. She also said I could use pretty much any cough medicine but Nyquil, which I thought was interesting. And my trusty Vicks was also fine for use.

Something I forgot to mention last week is that I had a test for Group B Strep. If it was present (and it is in 30% of women), then I would have to be on an IV antibiotic during labor/delivery so as not to pass it to Caleb. The test results came back negative this week, so we're good to go!

Dr. K checked again for dilation and effacement, and again, no change! She said he's just waiting for her to get back in town before he comes! However, she did think he'd dropped a little, because this week she could feel him a little, whereas last week she didn't feel him at all. And yeah, a little odd that my doctor can feel a baby inside of me. I know there is one, but still...weird when you think about it!

Because it looks like Caleb's going to take his time, and I'd really like to avoid medical induction, I asked Dr. K about maternity/labor acupressure that naturally induces labor. She said it was fine to try--she didn't know of a whole lot of people who have done it, so she couldn't attest to its effectiveness, but that it certainly wouldn't hurt. She did say someone used hypnosis: it didn't work very well with her first baby, but worked like a charm with her second. So you never know! I figure I should probably get out and start walking to encourage Caleb to drop a little more, and then--at the point when the doctor would recommend medical induction--I'll try the acupressure. The main thing for me is to stop thinking about the convenience of a certain date, or the inconvenience of a baby born on Thanksgiving, or whatever, and realize that Caleb will come when he comes! There's no reason for me to try to plan it.

We set up a few more appointments. Dr. K will be gone on the 17th, so we'll be meeting with Dr. P, which is good, because she might just be the on-call dr. when Caleb comes, so it'll be good to meet her. Then we set up an appointment for when Dr. K gets back--Nov. 26, the day before Thanksgiving--to check in with her if this baby still hasn't come. If he comes sooner, we'll cancel that appointment.

And we'll be parents!!

Praying

I've had two bits of advice recently, both to pray for my nurses.

One bit was during a conversation about natural childbirth. I was expressing my concern over having to fight the system in order to have a natural delivery, and my friend suggested I start praying for a nurse who would be understanding, encouraging, and knowledgeable in the ways of natural labor and delivery.

The second bit was a conversation with a nurse, who stated how there are times when, inexplicably, she will go above and beyond for a particular patient, and she wondered if it was because of people praying for her care of that patient.

So I thought that was interesting and I would pass it on. The nurse, after all, spends more time with the mom-to-be than the doctor does, and that relationship can make or break the whole experience. So I will pray for my nurse, that she will be kind and gentle and understanding, that she will be having a good day and will be rested. I'm also praying that my actions and the actions of my family will reflect Christ to that nurse, and that we can bless her in some way.

Thirty-Six Weeks

I'm officially 9 months pregnant! With only four weeks to go! Eek!

I'm so excited. I'm ready for Caleb to come in every way except for work. My boss and I agreed yesterday that I was now in "finish up" mode, with no more projects added to my plate. We'll see if he sticks to that. Right now, we're adding two new products--both of which require all new marketing pieces, a booklet with lots of little pieces, our quarterly newsletter is due, as well as two ads for magazines that I still have to present a budget to the president for. Yeah, it's going to be a great month. If I drop off the face of the planet for the next few weeks, I hope you understand.

So, how's our little boy doing this week? Caleb is probably about 6 pounds and over 18.5 inches long. He's gaining about an ounce a day. I can tell, because I've been hungry! He still moves a lot. Sometimes his little baby bum pokes up into my rib cage, causing me to jump and get as ramrod straight as I can. I rub on that spot until he settles into a more comfortable position. He occasionally gets his foot (or something...a knee? elbow?) all the way on my side, forming a little knob. If I poke on it, it tingles, like there's a nerve between him and me. So I usually leave that alone, and he moves pretty soon. The dr. said he would pretty much stay in head-down position now, which is how I know the bump poking into my rib cage is his bum. He still moves from side to side; sometimes the right side of my belly is hard, sometimes the left. It's all very fascinating to me, as you can probably tell from the amount of time I've spent describing it!

My ankles are swelling. Woe is me. I'm trying to drink lots of water to make it go down. No luck so far, so I'm just avoiding looking at my ankles. My hands might be starting to swell a little, too, since the larger ring I've been wearing on my left ring finger is starting to get a bit tighter. Not too tight, but it's really been too big, and it's fitting nicely now.

I've had a bit of pampering this week! Yesterday, Jon used some of his "mad money" to get me a massage! What a great husband!! I haven't had a massage in several years, and it was really nice and relaxing. I'd been told by a friend that prenatal massages are on a table with a hole cut out for my belly to fit into. I was kind of excited about that, because I've really missed laying on my stomach, and was looking forward to that. Well, no such luck. We started with me on my back (with pillows under my knees and my back), and I realized there was no hole. Then I thought, maybe a piece of the table comes out to make the hole. But no. It ended up that I turned on my side with a body pillow for support, and she rubbed my back that way--first one side, then I flipped and she did the other. So no stomach goodness, but all in all a very nice massage!

During pregnancy, you're not supposed to rub your ankles, because of pressure points there that could induce labor. I asked about that, and the lady said she'd actually had several women come in specifically for that purpose, and it had worked every time! Crazy, huh? So I guess if I'm way overdue, I could always try that.

And, as one more pampering treat, I'm getting maternity photos today!! As you know, I take maternity photos, so it was inevitable that I would want some of my own. However, I quickly found out that I cannot afford anyone else's rates. Many people charged $200 for the sitting fee alone! I had a few ideas of how to get photos, including offering myself as a model for aspiring photographers (Jon was very against that), and using a mirror and trying to do it myself. Enter Leslie! Leslie is a newbie to the area: just married, just moved, and just pregnant...with twins! She's also a photographer like me! So, we arranged a little switcharoo. She's doing my photos this month, and I'm doing hers next month (as long as Caleb cooperates!). We're going to swap files and call it even (though she's offered to edit my files, which would be awesome). Leslie is my first local photog friend, so I'm really excited to get to know her better, and I can't wait to return the favor of photos next month.

Jon, on the other hand, is not nearly as excited about photos as I am. He knows I can be more of the artsy type, so he fears we're going to be doing nude shots together or something. Well, no fears there. I have no expectations of pulling a Demi Moore pose. I do want to show my belly, so Leslie and I have arranged to do some photos of just me indoors, and then we'll go to the park with Jon. The park will give Jon confidence that we'll be fully clothed the whole time! It's going to be a great day!

Labor Story

It turns out that I'm a complete flake when it comes to people in labor. Realizing I might also flake out when my own labor comes, I thought I'd make a checklist...and sort of a story of how I'd like to see things go. A birth plan, if you will, but one that includes much more than just the actual birth.

Let's start when contractions start.....

1. Contractions start.
2. Drink 40 ounces of water, change activity, walk, etc. to see if the contractions stop. If they do, it's false labor, and that's the end of that. If they don't....
3. Call Group 1 (Family, Friends)
4. Get final things together. Make sandwiches for Jon to have once we get to the hospital.
5. Shower
   
6. Eat something! Substantial, but not overfilling.
7. Walk, get on birthing ball, etc. to alleviate pain.
8. Keep drinking water.
   
9. Give extra food/water to the cats.
10. Check into hospital when contractions are 4 minutes apart.
11. Call Group 2 (Church, work....)
12. Communicate basic birth plan to nurse.
13. Have family in room if possible (if I'm feeling social): Games, TV, music...
14. Wait til Labor Down before pushing.
15. Everyone out of the room except Jon, my mom, and Karen
16. Hopefully be epidural-free so I can use different birthing positions.
    
17. Have the baby!
18. Everyone out but Jon (and Caleb and I, of course)
    
19. Feed the baby
20. Everyone back in to look at/hold the baby!
21. Call Group 3 (Church, work....)