In the 30's

Our countdown has reached the 30's although, I really think it's a matter of days. The closer we get to that due date though the better for baby. We are 18 days from being full term (37 weeks) and 39 until our due date. Only time will tell!!! I know a certain daddy who's almost overnight become very anxious and made the comment, your mother's held you long enough, it's my turn! Soon dad, very soon!

34 Appt Labor and Delivery Round 2

So I had my appt Friday and we began with our normal weight check, stayed the exact same. Surprise surprise! Moved into the exam room and was hooked up to the Non stress test machine to moniter baby's heartbeat and contractions. Showed the results to the dr and yep still contracting and baby looks great while doing so. Blood pressure was great. They measured my belly and it is now measuring 36 but that's probably because of the contracting. So they decided to check me, mostly to ease my own anxiety due to our distance from the hospital. She assured us we would be the same and typically she doesn't like to go fishing for trouble but she would anyway. Well much to her surprise, I am 4 cm dilated and almost completely effaced. They immediately went and got Dr. Curtain who was very shocked and we created a new plan of leaving the hospital going to dinner and returning in two hours to be checked at L&D. So that is what we did. We returned and I'm still at 4. So this early labor (stage 1) is taking it's time but on the other hand when we get to active labor, things should move very quickly. I've made it nearly halfway pain free. I know women who have had epidurals at 4 cms. Heck we're still sitting at home! As for me I am not in any pain just very uncomfortable. Going through the house and making sure everything is in order, making arrangements for things that still need done and so on. More as we know it and will update accordingly. We have an appt on Tuesday if nothing were to happen before then. Once last thing, as we were leaving L&D Dr. Ambrose came in and said are we really sending this lady home, to which my other dr replied yes. He said very sternly, do not mess around coming back, things could change very rapidly, so keep on your toes and be ready. Yikes, we may have a baby soon! Anyway, they are very pleased with me getting to 34 weeks if you remember back to 16 weeks, that was Dr. Curtain's goal and he was 70% sure he could get me there. They are very confident in the baby and that he/she will do well and not very worried. So that is all great news!

Labor and Delivery Round 1

We thought it may be time as on Wednesday we made a trip to L&D for contractions. I have been having contractions since Saturday off and on but Wednesday woke with much more intense contractions at 5:30 AM. I also had/and still have a lower backache. Around 9 AM I went to the bathroom and discovered that I had lost my mucous plug. So I made the call, they of course said to come in. Upon arriving they checked me and we have begun to dilate and efface. Yay cervical changes! However, after laying there for several hours, I didn't have any changes but I was still contracting. So they sent us home with a line of it could be tonight or 4 weeks. Well it wasn't that night or even last night for that matter. We are a bit early yet in the pregnancy, however the drs do not stop labor after 34 weeks and with gestational diabetes we have a bigger baby so they are just letting us ride it out. We go today for an appt and to see if I progressed any. I don't think I have. Although I am feeling more pressure. Updates later!!

*Some research I found online.... as you read on you see that I could be dilated for weeks!

Is Cervix Dilation an Early Sign of Labor?

Ultimately, cervix dilation is necessary for labor to progress. If the cervix doesn't open, then the baby can't be born vaginally. But is cervical dilation necessarily an early sign of labor?

Not necessarily. A woman can remain 4cm dilated for weeks before true labor begins or can go from no dilation to natural childbirth within a few short hours. The degree of cervical dilation prior to the onset of labor is not a reliable indicator of when true labor will begin. Women can dilate several centimeters weeks early, contemplating the arrival of a preterm baby, and then remain at that same degree of dilation for weeks or go from zero dilation to having a baby in mere minutes.


The following cervical dilation chart illustrates the diameter of the cervix as it opens from 1 to 10cms. 1cm roughly equates with a Cheerio, 3 cm with a slice of banana, 4cm with a Ritz Cracker, 7cm with the top of a soda can, and 10cm with a bagel.

As cervix dilation itself is not a reliable predictor of when labor will begin, knowing the degree of cervical dilation in advance of active labor is of little benefit. It also carries unnecessary risks, the first of which is introducing infection. It also increases the risk of starting preterm labor.

33 Week Appt

We had a drs. appt on Friday and an ultrasound. The ultrasound was at 9 and the appt at 9:30. We spent until 12:30 at the drs. It was a bit of a fiasco. We sign in at 8:40 and to start out our wait we sat next to this couple who talked so bad about everyone in the waiting room. They were awful. I mean once someone's name was called this couple was going to town. Evidently, they are so perfect and have the right to belittle every single person in the waiting area......yeah right! Anyway, we go back for our ultrasound and we had a new technician. She did our scan, calculated measurements, and called Dr. Curtain in. Baby is measuring 5 pounds which is 64th percentile and my fluid has NOT increased. REPEAT MY AMNIOTIC FLUID HAS NOT INCREASED from December 5 when it was measured. It's still an 8. Dr. Curtain, who is Director of Chairman Maternal Fetal Medicine says everything looks great have a nice appt. We go over to my appt. I gained 1 pound Yeah! My blood pressure is good and a med student goes to measure my belly. She gets 30. I said wait a second. I haven't measured 30 in weeks are you sure that's right. So the Dr. (someone neither Keith or I couldn't understand nor have met before) measures again and gets 37. It scares me that if I wouldn't have said anything it would be documented that way. In any event, he moves on to talk about my fluid levels. He wants me to have a non stress test twice a week then come in 1 time a week for an appt. I am a bit upset about this because I feel it's unwarranted. There has been no increase/change I don't see the cause for it. It would result in needing a sitter for Brock 3 times a week. It just isn't possible. Plus the hour drive one way. I do however agree to do the test while I am there and low and behold baby didn't move enough so I failed. They now take me for a second ultrasound called a biophysical profile and after waiting 45 min for the test, baby passed in the first 5 min. Dr. Curtain comes in once again and says everything is fine have a nice day. My drs office is now infuriated with me because I have chose to decline the medical treatment, but based on 1 dr and tests that we know the results too, I don't see why it's medically necessary. Needless to say, when we left we were frustrated, tired, and hungry. We go back in a week and I'm sure we will go to the other end of the spectrum as that is what seems to happen from week to week. I am very unhappy and I wish we could just see 1 dr.

Baby Shower

On Sunday I was fortunate enough to be blessed with a baby shower thrown by my sister, Maddie! I've never had a baby shower before and I must say it was fun. We had such a good time with everyone and received a ton of gifts! I have everything washed and went out on Monday to pick up some final things we may need. So we are ready! Pictures to come when I get them! Thank you to everyone who was apart of this special day for us!

32 Week Appt

47 1/2 inches around!

We had a Drs appt yesterday and it went okay. We started with our normal weight check which I was down 2 pounds. I met with yet again a new Dr. Dr. Pauli who I loved. She was very calm and reassuring that I'm not nuts at this point and a lot of mommies begin to lose it about this time! She measured my belly and listened to baby's heartrate and said we will return in 1 week. We are also going to have an ultrasound at this date because my belly is measuring 36 weeks, which is nearly full term! So the ultrasound will determine if it's fluid or just a big baby. More news then.

Here are my stats:

Belly: I am 32 weeks and belly is measuring 36 weeks. Either baby is huge or I have a ton of amniotic fluid.

Belly Button: Surprisingly still in!

Strech Marks: Same few, no worries though.

Weight Gain: -2 pound totaling 7 pounds so far. :( I'm really upset by this, I've started the new diet the dietician recommended and I feel so much better. I am trying so hard to gain and it just isn't happening.

Boy/Girl: Still unknown!

Feeling: Anxious and confused. If I am measuring 36 weeks does that mean baby is coming soon? Also, pain, my hips and pelvis are literally burning and throbbing.

Cravings: NONE

Sleep: Egh, somewhat okay, if I sleep on the couch.

Morning Sickness: Better, but after last weeks trip to L & D for fluids who wouldn't feel better!

Baby: I don't have an accurate measurement for baby right now. I am not the norm so it wouldn't make a difference what normal rates!

Like I said above, we return in a week for an ultrasound and another appt and will no more then on baby's arrival if it he/she is coming early or staying put for awhile!



Check out the countdown

IN THE 50's!!!!

Dietician Update

On Friday 12/30 I met with the Dietician at the Med Center. While I was extremely hesistant on meeting with her, she turned out to be incredibly helpful. My consult with her was titled low weight gain/gestational diabetes. She said she is treating me for nausea. My hyperemesis/constant nausea is the cause of my low weight gain and also causing my gestational diabetes to worsen. She said I have been eating 1 maybe 2 meals for so long that with constant nausea that now my body does not recognize hunger, when it does get hungry it automatically begins to feel nausea. The reason for the increase here in the last few weeks is because the baby is bigger and I am feeling hungrier. She stated I am very similar to someone with anorexia only I am involuntarily this way. Her solution is to eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day regardless......sounds hard right? I thought it would be. She explained to me, she is not worried about my weight gain, gestational diabetes, or anything of the sorts, she is only concerned with making my nausea go away. Since I have not been eating
much what fills me up is much less than what would fill someone else up. She wants to retrain my body to feel hunger. So a typical day for someone who doesn't want to eat could go something like this. Breakfast 2 slices of toast, am snack 1 saltine, lunch 1/2 a grilled cheese, pm snack a few almonds or nuts, dinner starch and veggie, before bed snack a fiber bar. Again this is the minimum. So far I have had more food than this, but her point is to kick in hunger and stomp out nausea therefore making me a happy girl. Mornings are rough, and I don't typically start eating until 11-12 so therefore, I feel like I spend the rest of the day doing nothing but eating. But I haven't been nauseated at all. I did get sick twice this morning, but that was because Keith and I slept in and he didn't give me my pill. I feel so much better even with only doing 3 days of this eating schedule. She said I am so depleted of everything because the baby is a leech and is literally taking all of my nutrients. I have slept less, have more energy, and I really think I look better. I've had a few comments the last few days on how tired I look. So I am very pleased with her work and can't wait to report back to her on January 12th! No appts until then as well, so we will update medically then!