Last Doctor's Appointment

Yesterday was my last doctor's appointment. I am a full 2 cm dilated and we made the choice to go ahead with the induction. We are being induced Wednesday morning at 6am. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I'll go into labor on my own, but we're down to just a bit over 24 hours, so I'm not sure how realistic that is at this point. Anything is possible, I guess.

I also started my maternity leave yesterday by running tons of errands, but I got a lot accomplished and hopefully I can do the same for today. We spent last evening taking maternity photos with our baby photographer, Kristi Hibbetts. She is actually a former high school classmate of Ryan's and I can't wait to share the photos with everyone.

Wish us luck for Wednesday!

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:

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:

33 Weeks

Baby has graduated to a new fruit this month! I'm also down to 49 days until his due date. Yikes! In the 8th month, he's now the size of a honeydew melon:

"Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month."

Since I just updated a few days ago, not much has changed. I'm still taking my medicine and I'm trying to get more rest when I'm home in the evenings this week. Any kind of remote activity, even something as simple as browsing Target, still gives me contractions. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, though!

My baby shower was this past Saturday and I'll upload some photos as soon as Jessica emails them to me. It was a very nice shower and everyone was so generous! We've also done a lot of work on the nursery, so I need to take some photos and get those uploaded as well.

I took a new photo of the belly this morning and I think Baby's really grown between week 30 and today:

32 weeks with an Irritable Uterus

Our home laptop finally died, so I haven't had a chance to update in a while. I'm nearly 33 weeks now. At my regular 32 week appointment last week, I talked to my doctor about all of the Braxton Hicks contractions I was experiencing. It turns out that some of them weren't just Braxton Hicks, I was having real contractions that caused my cervix to dilate and efface. Not great news at 32 weeks. Immediately following my appointment, my doctor sent me to the hospital to be monitored for a few hours. I was honestly freaked out. Ryan hadn't been coming to my appointments lately since they had been rather uneventful, so he could tell that I was scared when I called him to come and sit with me in the hospital (again!). Luckily, Baby was moving just fine and I had only had a few small contractions on the monitors, so Dr. D released me to go back to work and told me that she wanted to start seeing me weekly. I'm on instructions to make sure I drink enough water everyday and to rest and relax when I can.

I had my 33 week appointment yesterday and luckily I haven't had any further progress with the preterm labor, but I was still having loads of contractions daily. She put me on a generic of Procardia, a blood pressure medicine that is often prescribed to control preterm labor contractions. She also diagnosed me with an irritable uterus. Hopefully the meds will control the contractions, otherwise, the next option is bed rest. If all goes well, I'll be on the medication until 36 weeks and then he's welcome to join the world anytime after that! I go back to see Dr. D next Monday, so please keep us in your prayers.

Good news is that baby is doing fine and he seems to be head down. He's measuring right on track and still moving a lot every day. He just needs to stay in for at least a few more weeks!

31 Weeks

Roughly 9 more to go! That's exciting and scary at the same time!

Not much has changed since last week. I'm starting to get more and more Braxton-Hicks contractions. They don't hurt, but they're not exactly comfortable either. They're totally normal according to my childbirth class instructor. On the other hand, Baby is definitely getting stronger. His movements can be painful at times, especially when he has an arm or a leg jabbing into my ribcage.

We took a tour of the hospital on Monday and I was pretty impressed. It's a newer hospital, but it seems like it will be very nice for our stay in a few short months! The labor and delivery rooms are huge and the postpartum rooms seem to be pretty adequate as well.

We tried to unpack the crib and get it put together last weekend since we are having guests soon (not that the nursery is ready for it with my armoire project taking up the entire room, but I digress). When Ryan pulled out the first few pieces of the crib, he realized they were damaged. We had to box it all back up and take it back to JCPenney. I'm hoping to get the replacement soon and my fingers are crossed that it arrives in pristine condition!

We're headed to Chicago this weekend for a little getaway to visit friends. Oh, and my birthday was 2 days ago. Happy Birthday to me! :)

30 Weeks

30 weeks feels like a huge milestone. I have way too many things to do over the next 10 weeks!

Everything has been going well and not much to report. I started going to the doctor every 2 weeks, but right now, they're just quick short appointments. I think I'm finally experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. They're not painful, but just uncomfortable. And, I feel like I'm back in my first trimester with the exhaustion!

The belly at 30 weeks:

29 Weeks and a Nursery Sneak Peek!

From Weeks 29-32, Baby Holt is the size of a squash. At least it's a cute-looking squash!



"Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments."

I found out last week that I passed my 3 hour glucose test with flying colors! In fact, my last result was below the normal range, but all is well. Baby is moving around like crazy. We did have another little scare last week. I had some abdominal cramping all afternoon at work and it was painful. After a few hours, I finally called the doctor's office. Since they couldn't get me in to see my doctor that day, they sent me to the hospital to labor & delivery. I spent 3 hours hooked up to a fetal monitor. They recorded a few minor contractions, but nothing major, so they sent me home.

The baby furniture arrived this week and we picked it up on Saturday evening. Thanks again Mom & Dad! Since I'm still working on refinishing the armoire, there isn't enough room in the nursery to set up the crib yet. But, Ryan surprised me on Sunday by assembling the dresser/changing table. It's not the greatest picture since I took it with my Blackberry, but here you go:

3 Hour Glucose Test

I went in bright and early to the lab at my hospital to take the 3 hour glucose test after fasting the night before. I had nothing to eat or drink after 8:30pm. They drew my blood initially and made me drink 12 oz of a drink that tasted like they just melted several popsicles (super sweet!). I then got my blood drawn once per hour for the next three hours. I felt progressively worse (tired and nauseated) with every blood draw and I have struggled all day. At least it's over and now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that I passed!

I had a bit of a scare on Friday night. Baby Holt is over 28 weeks old now and I'm supposed to feel regular movements and keep track of them a few times a day. He's usually pretty active in the evenings, especially when I am relaxed. After laying on the couch and watching some tv on Friday night (yes, my life is that exciting!), I noticed that I didn't feel him moving. Whenever that happens, I'm supposed to drink something sweet, like orange juice and then go lie down and rest and start counting his movements.

He's usually a pretty active baby, so I felt 10 movements in about a half hour, but they weren't regular movements for me. I was completely freaked out and ready to head to the hospital. My heart was beating fast and I could hardly catch my breath because I was so worried. Eventually as I relaxed and Ryan turned on the tv, baby started moving regularly again...thank goodness! Ryan was so sweet through the entire thing. He cleaned up the kitchen and asked me repeatedly if I wanted to go to the hospital. I'm glad I waited, but I will definitely be talking to the doctor about it at my next visit.

28 Weeks with Good and Bad News

I'm 28 Weeks today. Baby is still the size of an eggplant, or so they say. What it does mean is that Baby Holt should be making his debut in 12 weeks (give or take a few). That also means that I have a to-do list a mile long, but I still have time to get it done!

Good news first...We ordered the furniture for Baby Holt today courtesy of my parents. Thanks so much guys! We are just overwhelmed and so grateful for their generosity. Now, I just can't wait for it to arrive and get set up in Baby's room. It should be here in about a week! Ryan and I are planning to order the crib mattress and bedding sometime in early March, so his room will quickly start to look like a place where he can actually sleep.

The bad news...I found out yesterday afternoon that failed my 1 hour glucose test. My blood sugar was supposed to be 140 or below and it was 152. I have to go in asap to take the 3 hour fasting glucose test. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I pass. Not that having Gestational Diabetes would be the end of the world, but I'm hoping to stay healthy.

27 Weeks

Baby Holt is still growing and I'm officially in the 3rd Trimester! I had my 28 week appointment on Monday (yes, I'm a little behind in the 27 week update!) and everything is looking good. The doctor got a better look at the last ultrasound detailed report and it doesn't appear that we will need to have another ultrasound yet. They evidently got the photos they needed of the cord insertion and all else looks good with baby!

We started our childbirth classes a few weeks ago and they're not as bad as Ryan expected them to be. We've learned a lot about the stages of labor and when to know if it's really time to go to the hospital. All I can say is that I'm pretty sure I will be getting an epidural at some point! Ryan wants me to get one as soon as possible so he doesn't have to listen to me whine about the pain. We'll see.

For all of those that have been asking, we don't have a name for this baby yet. In fact, we're not even close. Choosing a name is much harder than I thought it would be and not as fun either! I am serious when I say that we will have to decide on a name when they are forcing me out of the hospital. Even in the off chance that we do decide on a name prior to Baby Holt's arrival, you're all going to have to wait until he is here to find out what we decide.

My belly at 27 weeks: