Part Deux Update

At 36 weeks 4 days:

Blood pressure:  110/60 (better)
Fundal height:  38
Weight gain:  +0, +25 overall

Heartbeat found right away. Still head down.  PD kicking like a mad man and measuring big.

Group B culture from last week was positive.  (How'd you know Lesley?)  Anibiotics at delivery, but I imagine only if a vaginal delivery.  Didn't think to ask that.

I asked for any recommendations for the swelling in my hands and wrists and now elbows.  He said he'd rather I not take anything and just suck it up for the next couple of weeks.  Sigh.

He offered an internal check.  No, thanks.  Maybe next week, he added.  No, thanks.

Next appointments:  June 14th, 8.30am and June 21, 8.45 am. 

36 weeks (and 1 day)

Compared to last time around I think it's pretty much equally sized, and reading posts from my pregnancy with Freddie, apparently I was feeling pretty rough, but I honestly don't remember it being this difficult.  I mean that smile in the 36 weeks post in 2009 looks pretty genuine.  Today's smile?  Not so much.

A little of what's going on:

• When I lie down my limbs go numb.  My arms and hands are affected more than my legs.  It is very painful upon waking up, and although it does get better as I move them around, I never fully regain complete strength in my hands.  I have difficulty lifting things and opening bottles and jars.  My grasp is generally weak.
• If it weren't for the painful hands thing I would very much like to lie down 24 hours a day.  Doing anything makes me winded and light headed.  
• I'm not exercising, and that upsets me.  Exercise does a lot for my positive mental attitude.  I just cannot seem to make it happen.  If it is going to happen at all it needs to be as soon as I wake up.  By the time I get everything set for Freddie and I to leave the house in the morning I am ready rest again.
• As much as I try to remind myself how much I'll miss feeling a baby move inside my belly, I wish this kid would quit kicking.  I swear he doesn't sleep.  I know Freddie didn't move this much.  I thought by this point in the game he'd be wedged in there so tight there'd be no movement.  He's constantly causing bulges in my belly, often on both sides at the same time.  
• Charlie's really great.  I know he is gritting his teeth and smiling as I whine, and he looks so cute doing it.  Just the other day he smiled, and raised his eyebrows, as he read over my list of things to do before the baby arrives.  
• Charlie got out my bag to be packed for the hospital.  I am having a hard time remembering what really needs to be in it.
• I did get a nightshirt to wear in the hospital.  I wanted one last time but stayed in my hospital gown the entire stay.  Man, I wish I would have put on something else and a little lip gloss.  Someone change my clothes for me this go round.  Or remind me that my roommate can see my rear end when I walk to the bathroom in the hospital gown.
• Yes, you read that correctly.  I will be having a ROOMMATE in the hospital.  Private postpartum rooms are not standard in New York City.  While they are available for an extra fee, I could have a 3 day spa trip for half the price.
• Where is all of this stuff going to go?  I am slowly purging and reorganizing, but not having any storage space is really a drag.  We looked into renting a storage closet in the basement, but $1000 yearly for a tiny closet?  Ugh.

Part Deux Update

At 32 weeks 1 day:

Blood pressure:  117/78 (a bit high for me, but overall ok)
Fundal height:  32
Weight gain:  +0 for the week, +22 overall

Heartbeat was a bit tricky to find so Dr. H listened to it a while and compared it to my pulse to make sure everything was ok.

No weight gain, thank goodness, since I was just there to see Dr. H last week.  I wonder what three weeks in NOLA will do to that number.

We talked a little about activity since I told him my knees have really been bothering me, something I didn't experience last pregnancy.  And of course he recommended avoiding the activities which cause the most stress to the knee, i.e. squatting down to tend to Freddie.  He thought my treadmill time was fine as long as I didn't feel pain, but thought cutting down to 3-4 miles rather than 5 would be helpful. 

We put a date for the cesarean on the books:  June 22nd.  I opted to go in a few days before I'm due, but if it works out that he is on call the following weekend, I may switch it to the weekend.  We'll revisit this next visit when the June schedule is out for Labor and Delivery. 

Next appointment:  May 24th, 8am.

32 Weeks

Oh my, I'm big.  I do get some comfort in reading that I felt big last time around, although I think I'm a little on the heftier side this pregnancy.  I am definitely feeling more tired.  Getting dressed and then getting Freddie dressed requires a break before we can leave the house.  Lots of things require a break midway through...unloading the dishwasher, folding clothes, climbing a flight of stairs.

Freddie and I are headed to NOLA on Tuesday and I'm actually a little concerned I won't be able to do most of what I would like because everything feels physically challenging these days.

Part Deux is moving lots and lots.  Sometimes he moves so drastically it's a bit painful.  Freddie is taking great care of the baby, raising my shirt so he can listen to stories or see the television or get cozy cuddles.  I will miss that when PD is on the outside, but please, please, please let Freddie not think there is still a baby in there once PD is here. 

I see Dr. H tomorrow.  Nothing pressing to discuss, just a last check in before heading out of town for 3 weeks.

Part Deux Update

At 28 weeks 1 day:

Blood pressure:  100/70
Fundal height:  28
Weight gain:  +4 for the month, +19 overall

Glucose results from last appointment:  118 with anything below 130 being a pass

Everything looks good.  Heartbeat was appropriate, baby is moving, weight gain is fine, glucose was normal.  Charlie says this was Dr. H's way of saying stop complaining.  Smile.  I was feeling faint this morning and Charlie gets more than just a little worried when I have an ailment other than "I'm tired."

We spent some time talking about delivery.  60-70% chance success rate for VBACs.  He said he is very supportive and encouraging of VBACs but also read my hesitation.  He thought it important to consider the reason for previous sections when deciding, so we talked a little about Freddie's birth.  He also listened to my concerns about recovery.  He thought it best to go ahead and get a date on the books for the section and then make a "game day" decision as the date approached.  If my water breaks or laboring begins prior to that date, we'll check my progress and I can make a decision then if I want to try the VBAC.  If my cervix appears long and closed as it was with Freddie and it looks like it may be a long haul then I can always call it at any time and opt for the section.  Hearing that made me feel better.

He didn't recommend scheduling a section for much earlier than my due date.  He though a few days before the due date is a safe bet, but we had a little flexibility in that as well.  He pretty much told me not to even think about trying to take the baby early.  No arguments from me. We left it as we'd talk about it again on our next visit, and he also said as I mull it over to call him and we can always chat about it over the phone if that'd help me come to some sort of resolution.  I actually feel much better about the whole situation.  Having control and not feeling pressure to make a firm decision now really helps.

We're on a every two weeks appointment schedule now.  That means we're close! 

Next appointments:  April 22nd, 8.30 am & May 2nd 1.15pm

28 Weeks

Hello, Third Trimester!

PD is moving around so much more than I remember Freddie moving in utero.  Perhaps he did and, sadly, it is just that easy to forget.  We're at that stage where I can lie down and watch the waves move across my belly has he wiggles about.

This weekend I managed to get my last box of baby supplies shipped from NOLA unpacked and situated, so now's there more room in the hall to stack the rest of the boxes which will arrive in May.  I went through a big box of onesies and "gender neutral" clothes I had shipped before we knew PD was a he.  Everything seems so tiny and it was as though Freddie was just wearing them.

I'll be in NOLA for most of May so I plan on trying to get everything all set before leaving because I know those final few weeks in June will fly by.  I don't feel like there's much to do though.  I'll wash the crib bedding, set up the cosleeper, and maybe do one final reorganization of the closet.  I honestly don't know where we'll put everything but we'll figure it out.

I finally ordered the stroller.  I'm pretty excited about it and will post pictures as soon as it arrives.  It was a big investment but being that is my mode of transportation in the city, it was necessary.

The only other thing going on as we enter the third trimester is my indecision about whether or not I should attempt a VBAC.  I had felt 99.9% certain that I just wanted a repeat section, but lately I've been worried about what the few weeks after we come home will look like and having a potentially shorter recovery time may be absolutely necessary.

Delivering vaginally didn't exactly go as planned last time.  My water broke in the early morning and I still wasn't having contractions by late morning.  Pitocin didn't get me anywhere and I only progressed to about 5 cm.  After spiking a fever 24 hours after my water had broken I was wheeled off to have a section.  BUT...I did have an early epidural and it was my first delivery, and I've read that combination, coupled with pitocin, can yield a higher rate of cesareans.

However, I don't want to go through 24 hours of labor again only to end up having a cesarean and being exponentially exhausted.  There's something nice about planning, having a date and time of arrival, now that I have Freddie's care to plan for.  But the flip side it I don't want to "induce" labor in any way.  I want him to cook as long as needed.

I'm hoping Dr. H has some guidance when I see him tomorrow.  As well as a little third trimester pep talk!