As of Saturday, I am 37 weeks.
Wow. Still unbelievable.
Little Miss Baby is doing well. She measured in at 6 pounds, 5 ounces at her growth scan on Wednesday, which I believe is around the 50th %ile. She passed her biophysical profile, no sweat. She aced two additional non-stress tests. She is almost as good of a test taker as her mama! She remains head down, facing to the right (right occiput anterior position). Perfect position to be born.
So Magpie is doing great.
I, however, am unbelievably tired.
Bone tired.
A tired that sleeping doesn't seem to solve (I should know. I slept over 12 hours Saturday night and then napped another two hours Sunday.)
I am starting to be fairly uncomfortable physically. When Magpie moves, I can feel it between my legs, which is a strange, strange sensation. It is difficult to get up now from a reclining position. And I look super goofy getting out of the bathtub or off of the floor. I have gained 18 pounds, so not so much, but my goodness, I have more and more in common with a beached marine mammal as the days tick by.
This is it. The full monty of late pregnancy.
I am so, so lucky to be here. Can't believe I am here. Can't believe still that we are about to be parents. Can't believe I will ever be comfortable again. Can't believe how fortunate we are. Truly. My gosh.
In addition to grateful and tired, I am swamped, thoroughly swamped, both at home and at work.
At work I still have a few patients I am trying to get safely and conscientiously transferred. I had expected this to be taken care of by now...but the wheels are turning slower than I would like. I give my last presentation next Friday and am annoyed I got roped into yet another public speaking event this close to my delivery. It should be fine, but I could do without the stress. I am busy training two junior people to take over some of my clinical and research workload. I am also still trying to get three writing projects done and out the door (two chapters and a peer-reviewed article) and get all my charting finished and my office clean as a whistle. Not to mention emails telling my colleagues where everything is and what stage everything is in so that when I need to bow out, they can pick up the pieces.
The homefront is edging closer to ready but is not there yet. Will and I have gone through and pared down dramatically almost everything we own to try to make space for the baby. Space is so tight here - 1,000 square feet fills up so fast! It is like we are moving, except that we haven't actually gone anywhere. We have gone through everything and gotten rid of or given away a massive amount, and it's amazing how much we've accumulated in the 6 years we have lived in this apartment.
Nursery-wise, we finally have a crib and changing table. Some wonderful friends have sent hand-me-downs so that Magpie won't be naked. We have received a few gifts as well, that are all so adorable. I have gotten out a bag that will be my hospital bag, but I haven't packed it. Someone is coming to complete painting Magpie's room tomorrow (I hope).
I don't expect to finish everything at work or at home before her arrival...but I will do my best.
My insulin needs keep creeping up. I am now on 10 units NPH at night, but expect them to increase the dosage again this week as my fasting levels remain higher than they want (higher than 90). I see the OB weekly now, in addition to geting one biophysical profile and two non-stress tests. It's a lot, but I am glad both baby and I are being carefully monitored. The OB is now saying she wants Ms. Magpie to arrive between 39 and 40 weeks because of combo of the insulin-dependent diabetes and the thrombophilia issues...which seems awfully soon, and sounds like it will likely mean an induction...something I had really hoped to avoid. She told me we will pick a date soon to hasten her arrival if she isn't here yet, but I am dragging my feet. I would so prefer to do this the natural way if Magpie and I can safely do so.
The OB this week did a cervical check and said that I am 50% effaced. (Maybe this is why I can feel Magpie between my legs now when she moves?) No dilation yet. Miss Magpie is at a -3 station...so she has a long way to go to move down into my pelvis.
So just moving along. But moving ever more slowly at this stage in the pregnancy! Trying to get done all that needs to get done.
Sorry for the silence. I've been a bit overwhelmed. But I'm so glad you all are out there. It means a lot. We are almost there!
Mo
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I read somewhere once, that someone said pregnancy was like a great book, with one too many chapters! I certainly felt that way with three weeks to go... Good luck to all of you for a safe and timely journey!
ReplyDeleteOmg I cannot believe you are at 37 weeks - from someone reading along on the other side of the world, the time sure has gone by quickly! Good luck for the remainder of your pregnancy :)
ReplyDeleteHOLY COW!!! FULL TERM!!! And if I were you I'd pack that bag....I was sent for an induction at 37+1 with no real notice because my bp went up and I had protein in my urine....I was not prepared, but I had seriously just packed the thing the weekend before, just in case....
ReplyDeleteHoping things continue the great way they have been...I'm so excited for you to be so close!!!
HOLY COW!!! FULL TERM!!! And if I were you I'd pack that bag....I was sent for an induction at 37+1 with no real notice because my bp went up and I had protein in my urine....I was not prepared, but I had seriously just packed the thing the weekend before, just in case....
ReplyDeleteHoping things continue the great way they have been...I'm so excited for you to be so close!!!
WOW! Can't believe you are already 37 weeks! I am so incredibly excited for you and Will (and Magpie)! I remember feeling the baby's fists in my groin -such a strange sensation indeed. Enjoy the next few weeks and hopefully you will go into labor naturally right on time!
ReplyDeleteYou never know, it could be any day now. Congrats on 37 weeks!!!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy you made it! I hope that you do not end up being induced. I was induced at 39w3d due to gestational diabetes, and I wish I'd fought not to. It wasn't easy, but I do have a happy healthy three year old now.
ReplyDeleteI am so so so happy for you. And really they are just being safe. They induced me because of the diabetes at 39 weeks. I ended up with a c-section because my daughter got into trouble with the cord around her neck. I know you understand the important thing is coming home with a healthy magpie---- not how she gets here!! Don't put yourself under pressure for that. It doesnt really matter, I don't think. (said the woman who had 2 C-sections) Its getting the baby here safely. I am so excited for you. But I remember that last month, turning over in bed was an event!! LOL
ReplyDeleteHugs
thinking of you all as you head down the home stretch. so wonderful to know that just days from now you will be squeezing that baby bundle from the outside. wishing you all well as you get close to The Big Day!
ReplyDeleteand, um, sleep while you can now, you know.
hey, thanks for checking in! things sound as if they are going great-
ReplyDeletei just want to put it out there that if you need to get induced, its not so bad! its what you need for the baby... i mean, you can't forget about all you have gone thru, all the small percentages that you and will have fallen into... the doctor wants the baby out for a reason- the best outcome for her and you. so, sure, rainbows and unicorns say that its nice to go into labor on your own, but reality says that you need to be induced for medical causes to keep magpie safe and secure in your arms... and soon!
so excited for you! so glad to know you are out there somewhere, waddling around in your complete-ness of pregnancy. this is what we have all been waiting for... the beginning of something so wonderful!
Full term! Yay for you and Will and baby! It won't be long now, especially if your doctor wants her out. It sounds like you are more prepared than you feel you are. I think you should pack that bag, though. :-) I know you can't wait to meet her. And neither can we. :-)
ReplyDeleteFull term! Yay!!
ReplyDeleteFWIW, both my OB and RE gave me the same line about high risk PG and optimum delivery in that 39-40 window. My first OB (who delivered LG) didn't want me to go past 38, and yeah, that meant too early induction followed by the inevitable c-section. I have very mixed feelings about that, even now, but I have no doubt that my OB recommended what she thought best for me and LG...
Woohoo for full term!
ReplyDeleteI was induced, and it wasn't the best part of pregnancy, but it wasn't the worst thing either. I knew I was in good hands, and really, getting Hen here--I didn't honestly care all that much how it happened, just that it DID happen. I can't wait for you to meet little Miss Magpie face to face.
Oh, and for what it's worth, I felt like my body would NEVER be back to normal. And really, it didn't take long at all for all the assorted discomforts-bordering-on-agony to completely disappear. Which was almost as much of a relief as having a happy baby in my arms (ok, not really, but it was a wonderful feeling to feel like myself again!) You've gained so little weight that I predict you'll be back to Mo-normal very soon, despite how it feels right about now.
Day by day. 37 weeks was actually the hardest time for me, just because of the physical discomfort & the eager anticipation--I was miserable physically, and it was suddenly 'ok' to WANT HIM HERE RIGHT NOW! Really, it all gets better from here!
So happy for you, (still sitting on this giant box o' goodies. I swear I'll get to the PO this week!) And So looking forward to witnessing ths next step in your life. So happy for you, just so very happy!
YAY FULL TERM!!! From that huge list of to do items, *I'm* exhausted - no wonder you are.
ReplyDeleteTake it from someone who packed two huge bags and a cooler for the hospital... leave all that sh*t at home. Bring your toiletries and camera, phone and camera chargers, and a book to read when you're waiting. You will go home in maternity clothes so just wear something clean to the hospital and you can go home in it too. Install the carseat and call it a day.
I'm so excited for you. The end of pregnancy is tough but I know you're glad to be there. I'd love to get there again. And, every extra day that she cooks means a slightly better eater, which means a slightly better sleeper :)
It's so close, hooray!
Anoth YAY for full term! It seems the wght you gained is all baby (and the adjacent paraphernalia :-)). Don't stress too much about how she will get here, you have really no control. And you don't know how you labour and give birth until you do, so try to give yourself a break. I so know the bloody croth pain - it goes away after she's born.
ReplyDeleteHang on. Not long now. Can hardly wait to hear how it all went down. :-)
Pick the date - it will probably motivate Magpie to show up early just to demonstrate that there's very little you're going to be in control of for the next 18 years. :-)
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, I wouldn't start to stress about an induction just yet. Miss A picked her birthdate - she showed up at exactly 38w0d. I wasn't as effaced as you, and until my water broke, that day I wasn't feeling anything different than I had been in the several days prior. Given that you're 50% effaced and feeling her move between your legs, I'd be kind of surprised if you made it to 39 weeks.
And not to stress you out, but one other thing to consider adding to your list if you haven't already: One last date with just you and Will. And I'd do it sooner rather than later. The night R and I were planning to do it, we had a baby instead. (Like I said, very little control for the next 18 years... :-) ) R took Miss A over to his parents for a few hours yesterday, and on our way to pick her up, we stopped and had dinner at an actual, honest-to-goodness sit-down restaurant. We realized that was the first time we'd been out to dinner with just the two of us since she's been born, and she'll be 7 months next week! But we've been having so much fun with her, and we had 16 years of alone time before her, so we don't care if it's another 7 months before that happens again.
Your blog brings me hope, happiness, and comfort. I don't know what I would do at this point in my life without it.
ReplyDeleteI could not be more happy or excited for you and your husband. I am anxiously awaiting the day where three of you will be together, on the outside, and you'll finally get to hold her in your arms.
Thank you for being brave enough to post all your trials. They have saved me.
So happy for you to be full term! What a blessing!! Praying for a healthy delivery and healthy Magpie. Love that this is happening for you!!
ReplyDeleteSo thrilled you've made it to term. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, I found that when I got to 90% effaced, my cervix started dilating quite happily (pre-labour).
I was scheduled for an induction for my daughter, so I read up a lot on 'natural' induction methods. I wanted to get my body as ready as possible to increase the likelihood of a successful induction. For the record, it worked, because my induction was delayed and I went into labour myself while waiting for a bed to come free.
So the results of my research: all those labour-triggering techniques tend to use one of three methods:
1) Encouraging the baby to move downwards (e.g. walking, bouncing on a ball)
2) Irritating the bowels (e.g. cod liver oil, spicy foods)
3) Oxytocin release (e.g. nipple stimulation, orgasm)
Two others of note: one of the reasons sex works is because semen contains prostaglandin which softens the cervix. Put bluntly, you could apply the white stuff manually if you don't feel like actual sex.
You've probably heard about eating pineapple core to assist with implantation. The same enzyme, bromelain, also softens the cervix. (Just to avoid confusion, it's for oral not topical use!)
But just breathe and focus on the other side of the birth. Trying to induce labour doesn't work for everybody, so keep the expectations realistic.
I love that those realistic expectations involve you taking home a happy, healthy baby within a month! Congratulations!
Wow! So close! So glad everything is going well.
ReplyDeleteGood luck getting everything done. It's hard to be in the 'I may not be here tomorrow because I might be having a baby' limbo.
However, I submitted a paper on my due date, and it was the only paper of my career (thus far, but probably forever) that was accepted without revisions! So perhaps due date submissions are lucky?
Yay!!! As far as I can tell, and I thought this long before enduring it, the purpose of the 9th month of pregnancy is to persuade mama that anything (even labor!) would be better than this. I was so very uncomfortable those last few weeks, even as grateful as I was I got to experience them (and I was, and am). Hang in there, and here's to smooth transitions (for patients) and exits (for your various roles at work for now) and so on, but also, I know you know that even if everything doesn't go exactly according to schedule and hopes, the less important stuff can fall away and/or be shuttled off to allow the more important stuff (Magpie! You!) to take priority. You know that, right? Here's to the two of you (and Will, of course, but I am thinking of the physical aspects of late pregnancy, labor, and birth, which are of course yours and Magpie's in a way that they are not his).
ReplyDeleteYipeee!! Full term, wow, you will meet your little Magpie in just a few short weeks! As for the work stuff, try not to get too stressed out, they will never say it but no one exspect you to get it all done in time. So very very excited for you and Will!
ReplyDeleteFor the home stuff, babies can sleep anywhere, and I don't know how you'll do things, but for the first few months with both my kids, they slept in a little sleeper within the bed that had 'walls' so that my husband didn't roll over and squish the baby. You've got time, and work will figure it out, one way or another. I will also let you know that with my first, I had a list of to-dos and when I crossed the very last one off, I went home, went to sleep and went into labor. You'll be fine, and we're all so excited for you! (Once the nursery is painted will you share pictures?) So very happy that you're at this point, and I echo what so many others have said- the physical discomforts (swollen legs, heartburn for me) all evaporated within 2 days of giving birth, maybe even sooner. You're so close!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for you. For some reason, I think we all kinda knew this was going all the way. Lots of hugs.
ReplyDeleteHooray for full term!!! I am so happy for you and Will and cannot wait for you to experience having Magpie and motherhood. It is funny because we all feel that we will know how much we love our baby when it is born, but that really isn't true. Once she is here, your love for her will exceed your expectations! It is the greatest feeling ever!!! With that being said, nothing else will matter as much. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't WAIT Mo!!! 37 weeks is a HUGE milestone...
ReplyDeleteSo happy and excited for you! Something I kept telling myself before the babies were born and I was trying to get everything done at work was "health and family first." That made it OK for me to have to leave in the middle of everything a tad earlier than expected.
ReplyDeleteHurray! You're sooooo close to meeting Magpie, but these will be the longest 2 or 3 weeks of the entire pregnancy (if my last few weeks were any indication of how you're feeling). Hang in there, and nap a LOT.
ReplyDeleteI was induced with #2 at 40w5d because of my age and GD. The least interventionist induction I could think of was AROM, and I think it would have worked if not for Maggie's entanglement in the cord, which prevented her from dropping at all. I prefer the natural labor and birth I experienced with my first, but it's really true that the baby in your arms will be worth whatever it takes to get her there.
Best of luck with these last couple of weeks! Soon, soon soon!
Yay! Almost there!
ReplyDeleteIf you have to be induced you might as well just go ahead and get the epidural right away. I was induced because I lost all my fluid and it was just too risky to keep the little guy in there any longer. I thought that since I had a natural birth with my first child I could handle the pain but it was so different with the drugs.
It probably would have been fine if I hadn't gone into it with the expectation that I could have a "semi-natural" birth. people kept telling me "Oh, it's not that much worse with pitocin. Labor is labor, you'll be fine if you breathe, meditate, etc." Umm... no. Get the drip!
So excited for you!
I keep checking back...and know that one day VERY soon you are going to be making the announcement that this little miracle has arrived!!!! I have been following you for a long time and I am so very thrilled for you and Will.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it. This feels like the quickest pregnancy ever :)
ReplyDelete(I know not for you)
I also can't wait for you to meet Magpie!
Enjoy these last days of taking it easy although it doesn't sound like you're doing that at all.
PS how do you find doing talks at this stage? My last talk was 11 weeks and already then I was so out of breath speaking for extended periods of time (45 minutes!)
Full term is cause for celebration! Congrats Mo, Will and Magpie. You are almost there.
ReplyDeleteWishing you well in the days and weeks ahead. I'm so looking forward to that post saying that she has arrived. What a glorious day that will be.
I am shedding tears Mo. I have followed you and Will since before I got lucky, four years ago. I have cried at your losses and rejoiced at any little bit of sunshine that came along, cheering you guys on from the sidelines. I am over the moon. FULL TERM. You did it. You guys did it. And I know it's hard right now, but as everyone will tell you (and it's sooo true!) it's ALL WORTH IT. Cherish these last couple of weeks. There is nothing like it. Pack your bag, because it could happen at any moment. Install that car seat, because you just never know. Take pictures. Because each second is precious and Magpie will want to know what Mommy and Daddy looked like while she was inside. And yes, those sleepless nights now really ARE practice for what is to come! (But you knew that, didn't you?) Sending love and hugs. I cannot wait to read your good news when it happens. My heart is exploding with joy and love for you both as you prepare to welcome little Magpie to the world. What a lucky little girl she is.
ReplyDeleteTo add to Sarah's comment... HAVE the sex. It might be the last time for quite a while :)
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog today...congrats on baby girl! We had our IVF miracle baby 2 years ago and just this week got our BFN on our IVF to try for a sibling. What a crazy, f-Ed up roller coaster to get back onto! Wishing you a happy and healthy delivery...home stretch!!
ReplyDeletewww.yo-yo-mama.com