February 2014 Due Dates

[animekoneko17]

I have only washed a few things, just in case. U/S showed girl, but I only washed the outfit I want to bring her home in and the gender neutral stuff I have. My sister in law is throwing me a baby shower next week, and I'm almost too tired because it is 40 minutes from my home. but it was scheduled to avoid the holidays.

 

[animekoneko17]

Ok ladies, time for an update! Please let me know how you are doing? I'm ok-ish. I'm to the point of begging the doctor to induce, but I still have three weeks till EDD. TMI warning:

Spoiler

As of Friday I was 1 cm, 50-60 % effaced and soft. Whatever that means...

I have been having contractions, just not as regularly as I would like. They come and go and can be quite uncomfortable. They are more intense than the Braxton Hicks that I have had in the past, but I don't know if they are BH or real because they go away after a while (It doesn't matter what I do). They need to stay so I can hold my princess...

 

[Batman909]

They don't check us here till we r in labour so have no idea what's going on down there. I'm getting fed up to had a wee cry the other day because I was just so hot and uncomfy, it's summer here. My mum is guessing the 31st so we will c just hope I'm not 2 weeks over like my last ill go crazy!

 

[animekoneko17]

I forgot to tell you, she turned. She is in the correct position, now if only she would just stop the painful, false contractions and allow the real ones to start. IMPATIENT!!!

 

[Batman909]

I forgot to tell you, she turned. She is in the correct position, now if only she would just stop the painful, false contractions and allow the real ones to start. IMPATIENT!!!

Oh yay that's great news! Yip I'm fed up to baby was mashing my bladder all day today I was so uncomfy.

 

[animekoneko17]

I went to the midwife yesterday and she recommended red raspberry leaf tea for easing labor and evening primrose oil for speeding up when labor will start. I have already had a glass of the tea and it is wonderful- I've missed my herbal teas! I'm treading gently on the idea of the EPO though. Have you ever taken it?

 

[akblaze]

I really need to get on here more often!

anime, that is GREAT that she has turned!!!! Also, 1cm and 50-60% effaced is great progress!! I took RRL last pregnancy and had a quick labor and got DD out in 3 pushes, however she was 5lbs so that could have been why. I haven't been drinking it as much this pregnancy, I should be though! I just started EPO this week since I haven't had any progress lately. I've been 2cm and 70% effaced for weeks. Which is good that we've made it this far!!!

This is the LONGEST I've ever been pregnant!!!! YAY!!!

So since I will be 37 weeks in a couple days I feel comfortable starting EPO and finally getting off pelvic rest. My fundal height has measured 2 weeks ahead consistently and by feeling my belly the midwife guessed he was 6lbs at 35 weeks.. so I really want him to come by 38 weeks!!!

If you don't feel comfortable taking it vaginally then I have heard just taking it orally helps too. I have been taking it orally and vaginally, but since I just got over a yeast infection (sorry, tmi!) I have been breaking them and actually rubbing the oil straight on my cervix. This weekend I may try inserting the actual pills, kind of nervous!

Batman, I really hope for your sake you don't go overdue!!!! Since I have been measuring two weeks ahead I am HUGE and everyone just says how I look so miserable Kind of sad that people see it that way, I mean yes I am very uncomfortable but not "miserable" since baby is still cooking and I am not full term yet. But I definitely don't want to go overdue and will be begging for a sweep at 38/39 weeks!!! haha.

Oh and CONGRATS to you both for making it to full term!!!!!

My appointment was supposed to be tomorrow but because we are getting freezing rain today and it is supposed to continue into tonight and tomorrow morning I decided to reschedule it for monday. I will be 37 weeks on saturday though!!! yay!!!

 

[Batman909]

I had my 37 week app midwife said baby is big and solid about 7-8lbs omgosh not surprising as my last was 9lb 10oz. He is also 3/5th engaged which is good because I never engaged until 39 weeks with my others. Went shopping with my sister today had a few painful bHs. Feel so tired today.

 

[akblaze]

Woohoo!!! Maybe he will come a little sooner than your last then!!
I am so scared for a baby over 8lbs so I am really hoping this little man comes by 38 weeks! With my luck, I'm going to have to be induced this time!!!
DD was up and down until I was in labor. when I was 8cm I felt her slide into the birth canal (felt like a big pop, scared the crap out of me!) This little guy has been doing the same thing. Some days I feel him extremely low and can feel him bulging in my cervix (yes, I check! lol), other days he's very high up again. My babies must be little tricksters!

 

[animekoneko17]

akblaze: welcome back!! I've been begging my doctor to induce this week (between 38.5 and 39 weeks) because I'm hurting so much from any movement. I have been drinking the tea 2x daily (small glasses). EPO I did finally take orally, though I am thinking about trying the other way. Tomorrow was supposed to be my next dr. appointment but I live in southern Louisiana and the weather is about to get weird. School is closed for the next two-three days due to wintery-mix/snow and has been cancelled. I am a little disappointed that it is though, I was hoping to be further along... I will call the doctor to reschedule asap though. LO does the same thing you are describing up/down/up/down, etc.

Batman909: The u/s calculated that her weight was spot-on average at 36 weeks, so I'm guessing we'll have an eight lb baby. As for BHs, my midwife said that the contractions that I feel are the real ones because they start in the back and move in a wave down my abdomen. She said my body is getting practice, but they go away (much to my dismay).

Congrats to you both on making it to full term!!!

 

[akblaze]

anime, oh bless you! you have courage!!! I am soooo scared to be medically induced with pitocin.. are you going to try and go natural or epidural? I had DD naturally and plan to go that route again so pitocin is terrifying to me since all I hear is how much more painful the contractions are! But I definitely understand why you want to! 38.5-39weeks is a fantastic date to make it to as well I really hope your midwife listens to your concerns and works with you!! I would ask if you've talked about a sweep but i don't think they are that effective. Everyone I know that has had one, it didn't work, and so far for me it hasn't worked either.
Stay safe down there as well!!!! I am up in Alaska so winter is the norm for us, haha. However it's been abnormally warm lately and you guys have been getting our cold and snow! So weird!!!!

Well I had my 37 week appt with my midwife on monday. Baby boy is measuring 39 weeks, I am 3cm dilated and 70% effaced. She said she doesn't normally, ever, offer sweeps before 38 weeks but because he's measuring so big she offered and I gladly accepted. I read about them already and knew if she was going to offer I was going to accept. I was nervous because most people say they are soooo painful, but I must not have a sensitive cervix because it wasn't bad at all, I almost thought she changed her mind and didn't do it! lol. Well since then I have been super achey down there, instead of feeling like I sat on one baseball bat I feel like I sat on 5 baseball bats! I am also on day 3 of losing my mucus plug, seriously there can't be more can there!? I am losing HUGE chunks of it! Yet there is always more! lol. Oh the beautiful parts of pregnancy! So far none of it is blood tinged though, so it wouldn't be my "bloody show" would it? just normal ol' mucus plug which I know means nothing as far as labor goes. *sigh* I am so SO ready!!! This child is HUGE!!!! I am getting so scared for delivery because I am pretty small.. 5'1 and 115lb pre pregnancy (put on 24 lbs so far this pregnancy) and this baby is stretching everything! I don't want him to get too big so he needs to quit being lazy and scoot!

I tried EPO orally and within 30 min had a raging headache. I'm normally super sensitive when it comes to vitamins and stuff like that. Even when I was taking fenugreek while breastfeeding i got super bad headaches. So I am just going to take it vaginally. I was able to find some tubes that they use for like the yeast infection creams, i figured if i don't feel comfortable sticking a whole pill up there then i can cut them open, squirt the liquid into the tube and just squirt it up there. But I will try the pill first, seems easier.

I hope everything is going smooth for you ladies! Sending lots of labor vibes everyone's way!!!!!!!

 

[animekoneko17]

I've read up on the pitocin making the labor pains worse, but since I have no idea what they're going to be like anyway, what does that matter. I also intend on steeping a cup of the raspberry leaf tea for thirty minutes and drinking it quickly while it is hot on the way to the hospital. This is supposed to make labor short and more bearable.
I'm the same way with meds and vitamins so I take everything right before I go to sleep.

 

[animekoneko17]

I forgot that I have a question for you two. You have both had children before, so you should be the ones to ask. I'm almost in constant pain from my ribs to my knees. I knew there would be some discomfort, but not this much. I can't move easily from the pain, eating is painful too (depending on LOs position), and sleeping isn't happening. Is this normal for the last two weeks? I have dr appt tomorrow and hope that I will be able to talk her into inducing after, and I intend to ask her this too.

 

[animekoneko17]

Me again, mw said all was norm but she agreed to induce! began last night. been having contractions, but just a little over a cm... lo taking her time

 

[Batman909]

Yay goodluck!

 

[animekoneko17]

After many hours, Savannah is here!!! My MW said she wished that I could teach other women how to handle pain and how to push. LOL. Oh, and my DH nearly passed out at the sight of my blood.

WHOLE STORY!!!

Spoiler

You already know I was induced. Around 2:30 pm on Friday, the MW asked me how my pain was because my contractions were less than 2 min apart. I replied 6-7, not too bad but I would like to have some pain relief because it was back to back. They checked me and I was only 2 cm, but they let me have the epidural anyway. They changed the kind of monitor for the contractions to monitor intensity instead of just frequency. The MW said that my 6-7 would have put most women on the ground because they were really strong. Savannah and I both had an adverse reaction to it (her heart rate increased and my blood pressure plummeted), and with about 10 various medical personnel in the the room, (they prepped me for an emergency c-section but) was stabilized but watched closely. At 4 pm, I was checked again, running fever, still had a low bp, and was only 4 cm. At 6 pm, the doctor had an emergency surgery that she had to attend to, so the MW didn't want to check my progress because baby was stable. Doctor still not back at 8, and I was feeling pain again. My MW came in and checked me, she said that I was only 5cm and she was worried about my narrow hips. She said maybe a golf ball could fit through the opening, but she was going to use some pitocin to try to change that and check again in two hours. She said it was more likely that I would have a section. I had already had been prepped for it, and I was ok. So all the nurses and anesthetist prepared again. They had the room ready, paperwork done, changed my epidural meds, etc. Everyone thought it would be a section. My MW came and checked and the opening was wider and I was 7 cm. She let me keep going. I really started to feel 6-7 pain again at around 11, they were going to check around midnight, and I was 9cm. This was good. They said maybe before midnight. I begged to be checked again (even though I had been given a lot of epidural meds) at 11:25 pm. I was 10 cm. The MW came and got everything ready. I began pushing in about 6-10 minutes, and it hurt more than I thought it should with an epidural. Savannah was born at 12:03am. I had torn, but I could feel the suture needle, even with the epidural. She had to use a local, that I could still feel through, to stitch me up.

Overall, it wasn't as bad as most women make it out to be.

 

[Batman909]

Congrats on ur little girl sounds like u did amazing.

 

[akblaze]

Anime, oh gosh!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I love being told during labor/delivery that I'm handling contractions so well! Happened both times now!!! Sounds like you did amazing!!! Great job!! How are things going?

AFM: John David Eric arrived this morning at 2:29am!
My water broke in bed at 12:30am and he made a QUICK arrival after that! So quick that a nurse had to watch DD while DH stayed with me while I pushed him out! I'm thrilled the hospital was able to do that so he didn't miss it but my "back up" people to watch DD didn't answer and my FIL was coming from 90 miles away to watch her. We didn't expect me to go so quick!! We got to the hospital at 1:20am and an hour later he was born! 100% natural once again!!!!

He is a whopping 8lb 6oz and 21" long! WAY bigger than his sister!!!

We are working on breastfeeding but I'm pretty sure he has a tongue tie (runs in the family on DH's side and DDs was tied) so that's going to be evaluated soon to make nursing easier! Anyways, I will post a proper "that was it" post when we are home and settled!!!

 

[Batman909]

Aww congrats you are so lucky! By gosh am I getting fed up seems to be taking forever.

 

[akblaze]

Aww congrats you are so lucky! By gosh am I getting fed up seems to be taking forever.

My midwife recommended using my breast pump to stimulate contractions!!! I think that and sex reall helped!! I was 80% and 3.5cm Monday.. Pumped Monday and Tuesday as well as had sex and my water broke 12:30 Wednesday morning!!!