November 29th Due Date - I need a buddy!

[BumpHope123]

Thanks girls.

As if I need anything else to freak out about....at today's dr's appt, I measured 4 weeks ahead! I knew my belly looked huge! And yet, only 11lbs total weight gain. The doctor was not concerned in the least even though I'm pretty sure my eye balls popped out of my head when she told me. She said things tend to even out towards the end and perhaps baby went through a growth spurt and that she's not concerned and we'll just see how baby is doing at my 36 week ultrasound.

 

[Allie84]

Ah BumpHope, . One thing I'm trying hard to learn this pregnancy.....if doctors aren't concerned, I try not to be concerned either. I'm always 2nd guessing my doctor and I need to learn to stop and trust them. It sounds like it's pretty common to be off with fundal height. My OB doesn't even consider measuring 2 weeks either way to be 'off' at all, so that probably means 4 weeks is only slightly off (if 2 weeks would be considered normal). Plus, fundal height is really innaccurate....in that case, their ony concern would be if your amniotic fluid was too high but you know yours isn't because you just had it checked (today actually, right?). So I wouldn't worry! When was the last time your bump was measured?

11 lbs, so jealous! I'm now up 25 lbs...quickly approaching 200 lbs (!) which my goals was never ever reach in my life....I was hoping to top out at 20 lbs the whole pregnancy but I guess baby has other plans. Oh, well, as long as he's healthy I don't care. I don't even begrudge my stretch marks.

 

[BumpHope123]

Yeah, I'm just going to have to let some things go. I don't have the energy right now to worry about my fundal height! The last time I was measured was two weeks ago at my last dr's appointment. She told me today that at that appointment I measured 3 weeks ahead! I was so busy chatting last time about labor and whatnot that I didn't ask her about the measurement then and she didn't mention it so afterwards I just assumed it was on target. I guess she obviously wasn't concerned then either. Oh well, only two more weeks until my formal ultrasound where they'll measure baby up and down so that'll be a more accurate test....though I'm still going to take it with a grain of salt since those can be wrong too. And since I pretty much do not trust any ultrasound techs at this point!

Aw Allie, 25lbs is totally normal! Honestly, I don't know what is up with my body or how I've managed to keep my weight gain down...especially when my bump is clearly growing. My body feels like a science experiment right now...the stretch marks I have gotten used to, but now my skin is so blotchy too (and it was looking so nice until the past month and a half) and I have these random brown dots on my arm. WTH?!

 

[BumpHope123]

Had my NST today and the baby is still a boy. :wink: The shock and disbelief has started to wear off and i have definitely gotten more used to the idea of baby being a boy. We will be on a returning spree this weekend. Luckily, the two stores I made my biggest clothing purchases from said they would take the stuff back even without the tags on.

 

[Allie84]

That's great news about the clothes!!! I bet you'll get a lot of sympathy when you tell the stores your story...so hopefully no hassles with returning.

Glad he's still a boy haha. You don't need any more confusion!!

I meant to ask, do your NSTs take a long time? I'm not getting them, just BPP, but the docs keep saying they can take hours and I'm wondering if that's the case?

I've had labor on my mind the past few days...has anyone made a birth plan or thought about labor and delivery at all? Also, at what points are you going to start trying to get things moving or are you just going to wait and see? I ask because according to our tickers 37 weeks is full term but I read an article today saying baby doesn't stop developing until 39 weeks? I was planning on starting to do things to bring on labor naturally around 37 and a half weeks to aim for a birth during the 38 week mark (to hopefully avoid induction due to GD)...but now I'm not sure after reading baby should stay put until 39 weeks. DH and I were going to start having lots of sex, spicy food, walks, etc hoping to get things going naturally. I also have some mother to be tea I'm going to start drinking that has raspberry leaf in it...I think I'll start with one cup a day for now to help tone the uterus.

 

[BumpHope123]

Hi Allie - No the NST's do not take a long time. They are checking to see babies heart rate (and consequently breathing I think). They need to get two "highs" in heart rate above the babies base-line rate. A high would be considered anything at least 15 bpm above your base-line. These two highs need to last 15-20 seconds at least. If baby doesn't do it in the first 20 minutes, they'll go for another 20 minutes. And they'll try to wake the baby up with this buzzer thing. Last time, the buzzer didn't work...baby would wake up and go right back to sleep. But today, boy oh boy was baby mad at being woken up. He had a kicking spree on my belly. But both times, it didn't take me more than 30 minutes and just a few minutes for the ultrasound. Not sure why they would tell you that it can take hours...? Perhaps if baby is not cooperating?? But even when I was in L&D and they did a NST, it didn't take long (again maybe 30 minutes they kept me hooked up even though he passed before that time without any buzzers to wake him) and that day baby was barely moving around which is why I went in to L&D in the first place.

I have jotted down all my birth plan wishes but I haven't written up a formal one. I need to get on that...maybe towards the end of next week. I can't believe we only have 3 more weeks until November!! I'm not going to do anything to try to get labor going. The closer to the delivery date the better if you ask me. Especially with GD, babies lungs don't stop developing until 38.5 weeks I believe. Plus, I know that my due date is based on my LMP which makes the due date about 5 days ahead of when baby should be due based on conception date. Who knows though, once I have my formal ultrasound, they may decide to induce....?

 

[Allie84]

Thanks for the info on NSTs....I guess they must have meant if baby is not cooperating. It's about 10-30 minutes for the biophysical profiles (if baby hasn't done all four things in 30 minutes then they stop the BPP and 'score' him accordingly)

I know my due date is pretty much spot on because I went by conception date and not LMP (because I ovulated around day 20...but I knew my conception date from charting), but yes, I'm starting to lean towards wanting him closer to the due date rather than 38 weeks the more that I read. I didn't know that about GD and 38.5 weeks. I guess I'm just worried about him being too big to fit through my pelvis, and I'm also worried about going overdue, which I know can be worse than a few weeks before due date because of placental deteriation (worse with GD I think), increased chance of baby getting distressed and passing meconium, etc. I guess if I could pick I would choose 39 weeks but I know that's not how these things work. Another reason I'm worried about going over due is that I am not even having BH yet....I feel like my body is content on keeping little man in there for a long time...which I'm hoping is not overdue! My doctor isn't commenting on induction or c-section yet, seeing what size he is at my next growth scan at 37 weeks. I guess those natural induction methods like I mentioned before won't work unless the baby is ready anyways, so I suppose they won't hurt. I would NEVER try anything dangerous like castor oil....

I would be interested in reading others' birth plans once we all get them written! I'm still debating over how strongly to word my preference for no epidural....because I want to go natural, but at the same time I don't want it to seem like an epidural is off the table as I'm going to be pretty open to how I feel at the time. Of course, if I end up getting induced I bet I'll go for an epi just because of what I've heard induction is like for contrations. So many decisions!! I have to say I wish we had gas and air over here.

 

[BumpHope123]

My dr said they won't let me go past my due date so at the very latest they would induce on 11/25 if all is fine with my 36 week scan and I don't go into labor on my own by the due date. Dr said that even if baby looks large on the scan, they have to be careful not to induce too early because of the slower lung development. In my online readings I think I read the thing about 38.5 weeks. But u know how it goes getting info online! Did your doctor say they would let you go beyond your due date? I'm worried too about baby being too big to fit through my pelvis...ouch!

 

[desiwannabmom]

OMG..I guess I have been away a little too long. Bumphope - are you serious? I cannot beleive what we spoke of earlier has happened. I am glad you know about it now and not in the hospital staring at him the very first time! Now I am not so sure about my u/s. Too bad I don't get another one to confirm. I made so much girly stuff, flowers, pink..it better be a her. I spend hours and hours on making stuff!!

Regd. birth plan - I am not going to a lengthy one. I heard from someone to make stick to the MAIN things like epidural, do you want the baby to be put on you before cleaning/after it is cleaned, pacifiers,formula etc. I think I will do a bullet point style plan and print it in color on a paper, stick it on some card stock so it is handy to hand it to the nurse/dr. I have already started discussing what I want done/don't want done with my dr. She said she would update my chart in case she is not the one delivering my baby.

Allie - I discussed the epidural part with my dr. I told her that I am going to try and go as far as I can withOUT the epidural and then ask for it when the pain become unbearable for me. She said that was fine and I can decide at any point during labor. She said for the nurse to come and administer the epidural, it may take anywhere from 15-30 min and that I should keep that in mind when I do ask for one. I also asked her about handing me the baby immediately as long as it is breathing fine. I will talk to her in detail to see if they can clean off the baby and suction the nose/mouth etc when she is on my chest as opposed to away from me. I also thought I would make a small note to place/stick on the baby's cradle thingy that says "I only love my Mommy's milk and I also do not like Pacifiers" just in case a nurse decides to randomly feed the baby formula/give her a paci since I don't want to introduce those in the hospital.

 

[luckyalready]

Allie.. I think it would be okay if you started the sex, spicy food and walking at 37 weeks.. that just gets things moving.. its doesnt mean it will make you have a baby! I did every trick in the book (other than caster oil, i didnt want to risk that) with my first and nothing worked.. lol. But some things do work for some people, IF you body is ready.. but it all depends on that. I had an appt today and my doc set an induction date! November 21st! He said we could always cancel it.. but if Im ready to be done, I can be. I just had told him of my severe crotch pressure and groin pain and he suggested getting induced a little early. I was induced with my first 4 days after her due date because she was big and they didnt want her to get too big for me to deliver vaginally. She was 8lbs 12oz.. had I waited until things happened on their own, I might have ended up having a c-section.. so for me, induction is a good thing. Plus, another reason I scheduled it is because my doctor will be gone from the 23rd-29th.. and the soonest I could get induced if I dont go on my own would be Nov 30th, and thats my step daughters birthday. ALSO, lol, I really would rather have her before the possibility of her bday landing on Thanksgiving some years... so lots of reasons. Last time I did opt for an epidural..but I ended up having to get THREE!! Once one was put it, it would wear off completely, almost like a switch that turned completely pain free, to the most insane pain you could ever imagine.. (because my body didnt build endorfins on its own) .. so yeah 3.. and right as I was on my last pushes, PAIN. No relief.. it was so intense! And my doc had to use forceps.. oh talk about tough. Im not trying to scare any new moms.. because obviously, here I am doing it again.. any birth is worth it ) Im just letting you know that not all birth plans go as written.. just be prepared for anything. Nov 21st is 39 days away. holy crap. Im freaking out!

 

[Allie84]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts ladies...it helps me with mine!

BumpHope, no word has been said on whether they will let me go past my due date. I'm scared to ask, as I'm thinking as long as Alistair is measuring normally like he is now, they will probably let me go past even though that scares me! I should probably ask so I know what to expect....but I'm being treated like a normal pregnancy (even with my extra scans).

I like your idea for sharing your birth plan Desi. I may do something just like it so I know it gets seen and it's easy to read. I think I have to wait awhile for the anesthesiologist to put in the epidual as well...if it's the middle of the night, for instance, there won't even be one at the hospital and he'll have to be called in. Our hospital does immediate skin to skin normally so I don't have to put that in my birth plan, but I think I want to mention for them not to rub the vernix off, or for them to rub it in instead. I know the baby needs to be wiped so they don't get cold but I've read that the vernix itself is good for them. Our hospital also waits to clamp the cord for a few minutes (until it's stopped pulsing) which is good, because I was thinking about delayed cord clamping but their policy seems pretty good to me. I don't think your hosp would feed with a bottle w/ out your permission, or at least I would hope not, but it's good to be up on that as well! My hosp does finger feeding if they can't breast feed right away, for example. I haven't decided about pacifiers...ahh, so much to think about!!

I did go out and buy some breast feeding supplies today ,though, which felt so surreal! I got a few nursing bras (including one w/out underwire which is so ugly and squishes my boobs down but is sooooo comfy...I'm wearing it now Poor hubby....good bye sexy bras), some nursing pads, lanolin cream....now we just need to decide on a pump! I'm thinking a hand pump since I'll be a stay at home mom/working from home?

Lucky, thanks for sharing your experience. I have heard that...that baby won't come no matter what you do unless they want to, haha. NICE that you got an induction date set. I bet it's nice to have some sort of idea of when it will happen by. Sorry about your crazy crotch and groin pain, though. Mine has seemed to have lessened...it was SO BAD a few weeks ago. I'm thinking the baby has moved up as he's now well into my rib cage and not as low. But I have heard that pain is always worse for 2nd pregnancies.

Your epidural experience is one reason I wish/hope I can go without it. Yikes!!! I guess it works most of the time, but I'm so freaked out certain things about it: risk of paralysis, it numbing me too high up and affecting my breathing, lowering my b/p too much, not working correctly, spinal headache, stalling labor, etc. But at the same time I learned in my childbirth class that if you go natural it can also stall labor as you're so stressed.....

 

[desiwannabmom]

Allie,
I talked to my doc regd. cord clamping/cutting. She said she does "middle of the road" stuff for it. She said there is research both ways in medical journals. 50% say its better to do it immediately, 50% say to wait. I don't think it was that important for us so I didn't really ask her the "time" on how long she would wait etc. I think we will all be be exhausted/excited to even care at that point ! I don't know but that is how I feel. I went to a breastfeeding class last week and the lactation consultant said that if I want to be successful in breasfeeding she said not to introduce the paci until at least 4 weeks which is how long she said it takes to establish a breastfeeding routine but everyone has an opinion on that topic (as with everything else )

 

[Sarah12]

Hi girls.

I'm been awake for stupidly ages this morning getting horrible cramps from these iron tablets and feel sick

Allie- my anti natal teacher gave similar advice to Lucky. She said you can start drinking raspberry leaf tea at 34 weeks +. this doesn't bring on labour but helps shorten the second stage a d ease contractions. I started on it this week- managed 1/2 a cup and nearly vomited! It's gross! But I hate herbal teas! So I've ordered some tablets!

All other self induction techniques take a while to kick in and you will only go into labour if body ready. We've been told baby is ready from 38 weeks. Apparently in France full term is considered 42weeks! Ergh!!!!

I really don't want to go over due as it's my birthday 7 days later!!

Sx

 

[Sarah12]

Oh Allie- one mote thing... My friend with GD was really scared of labor as was told she had a large baby. She was given an induction sate as her due date but ended up going into labour that day naturally. Baby was only 7lbs so not big at all. She had natural labour with gas & air. So they get sizes wrong!!

 

[luckyalready]

Hi Girls! How is everyone doing? Oh my word.. around 30-40 days left for us!!??? WHAT! AHHH!!! Im so excited, but I am not wishing this pregnancy away.. I did that with my first and I waited and waited for her to come, it felt like eternity and I thought Id be pregnant forever.. it made the end of my pregnancy awful. This time I am relaxing, Im not doing the tricks like I did last time.. although I think I should start walking here soon as I am SOOOO out of shape.. anyway, just wondering how everyone else is taking the "home stretch-waiting game" ?

 

[Allie84]

Thank you for the information Sarah! I appreciate it...If I remember I'm going to start on the RLT tonight!

I bit the bullet and asked about induction/possible induction today at my appointment. It appears I *can* go to 41 weeks before induction but with the GD she'd probably want to induce at 40. I'm still measuring about one week ahead (fundally...haven't had growth scan in a few weeks). My amniotic fluid is creeping up a bit but still within normal ranges but it appears that's also something to do with GD...so it appears baby will be here around November 24th at the latest! AHHH!

BumpHope, I asked today about lung development not being complete until 38.5 in GD patients and she said that would only be in poorly controlled diabetes as it would be high blood sugar affecting it...if sugars are normal, lungs will develope normally. So that's good news! Although I still think I'd like baby to state put until as close to 38.5 as possible!

Lucky, I like the relaxing idea! I'm trying to think of some fun things to do in these next few weeks...maybe a nice night in a hotel in the country or something. I also kind of want to go bowling but don't want to get injured haha. I guess I could use the 6lb balls! I'm trying to play board and video games with DH more than normal and we've been seeing our friends and having them over for dinner more than usual as well. It helps pass the time to fill up the days!

As for things left to do,I still haven't packed my hospital bag and I'm having a wee panic over it! I also want to get our carseat installation checked at one of those safety check things as well...

How is everyone doing? How is everyone feeling?

 

[BumpHope123]

Hi girls! :wave: I spent the weekend returning everything in sight. Luckily everywhere we went for returns took the stuff back, even the tagless stuff or stuff past the date of the return policy. Thank goodness! Picked up a bunch of boy stuff and tried to de-girlify the nursery wall decals as much as possible. On top of that, I have been on a major organizing and cleaning frenzy. DH thinks I'm nesting but I think I'm panicking!! There just feels like there is so much to do...not just baby stuff, but things we've been wanting to do around the house too.

Allie - that is good to know about the lung development. I agree with you though, I'd much prefer baby stay put until closer to 39 weeks. Hope he comes on his own though and doesn't have to be induced. What are your amniotic fluid levels? I haven't really been paying too much attention to them TBH since I have been so preoccupied with the gender checks! This week, I was busy trying to get a look at his face and whether or not he has hair. But the nurses keep saying my fluid levels look good so I haven't asked about the actual numbers.

 

[Allie84]

Hi girls! :wave: I spent the weekend returning everything in sight. Luckily everywhere we went for returns took the stuff back, even the tagless stuff or stuff past the date of the return policy. Thank goodness! Picked up a bunch of boy stuff and tried to de-girlify the nursery wall decals as much as possible. On top of that, I have been on a major organizing and cleaning frenzy. DH thinks I'm nesting but I think I'm panicking!! There just feels like there is so much to do...not just baby stuff, but things we've been wanting to do around the house too.

Allie - that is good to know about the lung development. I agree with you though, I'd much prefer baby stay put until closer to 39 weeks. Hope he comes on his own though and doesn't have to be induced. What are your amniotic fluid levels? I haven't really been paying too much attention to them TBH since I have been so preoccupied with the gender checks! This week, I was busy trying to get a look at his face and whether or not he has hair. But the nurses keep saying my fluid levels look good so I haven't asked about the actual numbers.

Ahh, so glad everything was returnable!!!! That was very lucky. Did you have to tell everyone your story to get them to return everything? I meant to mention at our BPP today DH had them double check our baby is a boy, specifically in light of your story! We saw his testicles very clearly so we are certain he's a boy.

I've been in organizing/cleaning mode as well. Baby arriving feels so soon!

My amniotic fluid index was 17 last week, 20 today (normal values 5-25...although wikipedia says 20 which freaks me out but most websites say 25 including the American Pregnancy Association). I'd kind of prefer it stay more in the middle instead of 20 but since it's still 'normal' I won't worry and will ask again next week!

 

[luckyalready]

I just packed the diaper bag tonight.. I had to put in a couple different sizes of sleepers and of course her going home outfit.. blankets, hats, socks.. I do not like the hospital stuff they have.. I bring all my own clothes for the baby. BUT, Allie, I havent packed anything else for me... I need to get that done. I just feel like, what if I need that stuff before I end up going to the hospital!? lol. I also need to pack for my 2 1/2 year old.. in the event I have to go in before induction day I need to make sure she has clothes to spend the time at my dads.. Oh my, lots to do! So exciting!

 

[Allie84]

I know what you mean! I feel like anything I pack now I will need before then unless I buy special toiletries, etc, just for the hospital.

DH also said he's packing a hospital bag. I told him he was allowed to come hom and shower, etc (after baby is born) but I guess he sitll wants to pack one!