Induction?

At my regular doctor's appointment yesterday, I found out that I have made no further progress. Still at 80% effaced and 1.5 cm dilated. I am still having cramping and irregular contractions, which are all good signs. I told Dr. D this information and she offered to induce me next Wednesday, May 6 if Baby does not arrive on his own before then. She did say that I need to make some more progress before she will schedule me.

What a tough call. Ryan says go for it, my coworkers (that are already Moms) say go for it, but I'm struggling with the decision, but I've made a list of pros and cons. So far, the pros seem to outnumber the cons, but I can't help but think is scheduling my child's birth like scheduling a haircut? Am I rushing him when he's not ready? Am I setting myself up for a failed induction ending in a c-section? Or, will we feel better about the process knowing when it will happen, when I will start my maternity leave (Monday) and that the guessing game of what labor symptom is this will stop.

The good news is that everything looks good. No high blood pressure, no protein in my urine, baby movement is good, I'm full-term and he's growing right on track now.

Dr. D is already of the mindset that she does not allow her patients to go much past 40 weeks in their pregnancy. It's a risk to the mom, baby and the placenta, so she will induce me by 41 weeks at the absolute latest.

We'll let you know what we decide next Monday.

37 Weeks!

We are at full-term! Baby Holt is now the size of a watermelon. Somehow that makes me sad to know there is something the size of a watermelon growing in my uterus.



"At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life."

My body is making some progress getting ready for this little guy to make his arrival and Dr. D seems to think I could go into labor at any time. I am 80% effaced and 1.5 cm dilated. She even joked to me at my appointment on Monday that she would see me next Monday, if not before then. She also let me know that she's on call this weekend, just in case. Well, it's already Friday and no such luck yet.

Ryan officially installed the car seat this week and I took it yesterday to get it inspected at the police department. We are ready to bring him home from the hospital! I also started packing my bag and except for a few things I use daily, it's ready to go.

The belly at 37 weeks:

The Nursery Unveiled

Our new computer still has yet to arrive, so please bear with me on the quality of these photos. They were taken with my Blackberry.

Baby Holt's nursery is near completion with just a few things left to do...touch up the armoire, a simple light blue rug arrives tomorrow, a new light fixture, a tabletop fan (it's supposed to reduce the risk of SIDS) and once he's named, we'll put his name or monogram on the wall above the crib. I'm very pleased with how it turned out and Ryan did an amazing job!

Drumroll please!

The bedding is from Pottery Barn Kids, the bookshelf from Target, the mobile from Babies R Us and the crib is from JCPenney.

I bought plain white curtains and glued the blue ribbon on them. The glider and ottoman are from Shermag, the little table is from Ikea and the lamp is from Target.

Changing table/dresser from JCPenney and baby's Boppy pillow.

I bought these prints from Etsy.com and framed them myself using simple white mats I bought at Michael's and black frames from Wal-Mart.

The armoire was free from my boss, but I gave it a fresh coat of black matte paint. The little coat tree in the corner was a gift from my best friend, Jade. Her stepfather made it!

Some closer photos of the crib:




What a relief to have it finished! :)

36 Weeks

I made it to 36 weeks! I took my last dose of the Procardia last night and now Baby Holt is free to make his appearance at any time. I'm not technically considered full term until next week, but if I go into labor on my own today or in the next 4-5 weeks, my doctor won't stop it. The good thing is that I can go back to some sort of physical exercise (just a little bit of walking) without having to worry that I will go into labor too soon. It's a beautiful day and I'm excited to get outside, even if it's just for a little bit!

I'm doing pretty well. Baby is definitely growing and Dr. D thinks that if I make it all the way to my due date that he'll be around 8 lbs. Just a guess, but it's better than nothing! My swelling has been terrible, especially in my feet and ankles. I'm hoping that it will get at least a little better now that I am off the medication.

Mother Nature is definitely preparing both of us for Baby Holt's arrival. Neither of us are sleeping very well anymore. I wake up several times during the night because I'm hot or cold or uncomfortable or I have to use the restroom. Ryan has always been a light sleeper so any movement or noise out of me (apparently my snoring and loud breathing are worse than ever) wakes him up. Just a little taste of what's in store for both of us!

We interviewed a pediatrician yesterday and I liked him. He answered all of our questions. Ryan and I briefly discussed interviewing another one just for the sake of comparison, but the more I think about it, the more I'm ready to check this decision off of the list!

35 Weeks and 35 days to go!

Wow. This baby will be here in 6 weeks at the very most (my doctor will only let me go 1 week past my due date before she will induce). My next doctor's appointment is Monday and Dr. D will be taking me off of the Procardia in a week. If I go into labor on my own anytime after 36 weeks, they will not stop it. I think the medication has really helped my contractions subside, especially as the weeks have passed. I just wonder what will happen when I'm not longer taking them...

I'm feeling okay, just really tired and my body is constantly sore. My back, hips and feet hurt the most, so I'm just trying to relax as much as possible at home. I am starting to rethink my plan to work until I go into labor, so I have to keep reminding myself that I want the time after Baby arrives, not now.

We are about 90% ready for Baby Holt's arrival. His room is nearly ready and the glider arrived yesterday! I have a few finishing touches and a final clean left to do, but if he came home in a week we would be fine. All of his bedding, burp cloths, bibs and newborn and 0-3 month size clothing is washed and ready for him to wear. I put together his swing and bouncy seat and installed batteries. Everything is working the way it should! Hopefully Ryan will have a chance to put together the pack n' play this weekend and that's the last of the necessary gear we will need for the first few weeks.

I am planning on packing my hospital bag this weekend just in case and we are meeting with a potential pediatrician next week. We practiced with the car seat last weekend and I need to make an appointment to get it inspected sometime in the next week.

We're getting close! Here is my 35 week belly: