by Jessica on January 13, 2012
How far along? 32 weeks and 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: Holding steady at about 28 pounds… my shot nurse told me a lot of her patients don’t gain as much weight because of the P17 injections, and that’s totally proving to be true for me! Brody is gaining weight, but I’m staying the same- I like it!
Maternity clothes? Yes. Also have been stealing Trevor’s t-shirts because they are so much more comfy than “real” clothes!
Sleep: I had a few rough nights thanks to the corticosteroid injections earlier this week, but now I am back to normal, thank goodness!
Best moment this week: The fact that Brody is still in there is looking like good news to me! Also looking forward to Knox’s birthday party tomorrow.
Movement: Uh, yeah. This kid is WILD! I am slightly concerned that he may be more active than Knox… oh well, I guess I’ll lose my baby weight fast keeping up with these two!
Food cravings: Brownies and, YUM, chocolate milk! I could drink it all. day. long.
Gender: Boy
Labor Signs: Far too many for my liking!! I went in yesterday and saw my normal doctor (finally!) and I am officially 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. At this point with Knox, I was 1 cm and 50% effaced. I am on moderate bed rest and Procardia for contractions, and PLEASE let it work to keep him in for another four weeks (at minimum!). My fetal fibronectin test was negative this week, which should mean that he’ll stay put for at least another week without incident. I will say that Procardia doesn’t work nearly as well as Terbutaline for me in relaxing my uterus, but hopefully it will keep things from progressing any more. I have also been moved to weekly doctor’s appointments, which I think is awesome.
Belly Button in or out? Far out.
Stretch marks? Let’s not talk about it, okay?
What I miss: No contractions and not worrying about pre-term labor!!
What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery finished, Knox’s birthday party, getting rid of the biggest freaking hemorrhoid on Earth (sorry, but seriously, you try sitting down on top of this thing all day!) and REACHING FULL-TERM!!
Weekly Wisdom: Drink water until you can’t anymore… then drink some more.
Milestones: Bed rest… crappy milestone, but that’s all I’ve got!
by Jessica on December 17, 2009
Because I am dilating and effacing and writing this post from the hospital. I ended up calling the doctor’s office and setting up an appointment for an NST this afternoon. The contractions were still coming at around 6 or 7 an hour and were lasting for several minutes each time. I went in at four and got hooked up to the monitor. The nurse came back after 20 minutes and said “Well, you’re definitely contracting.” I had about seven contractions in the 20 minutes I was on the monitor. Guess they believed me at that point.
She told me the doctor would check my cervix to determine whether these were BH contractions or real ones. They did an fFN test first thing (still haven’t heard those results) and then she checked me. She asked “So you’ve never been dilated?” I told her no. “Not dilated at all?” I guessed at this point what was going on. I was dilated 1 cm and was 50% effaced. She said she was admitting me to the hospital overnight, trying to stop the contractions, and if they can, I can go home tomorrow.
Obviously, the second she left the room, I cried. I called Trevor immediately and he left work right then. They had me get an ultrasound of my cervical length, I think it was around 2.5 cm. Then, they sent me across the parking lot to the hospital. When I got to the hospital, they started an IV on me (not bad at all) and got me on fluids and an antibiotic. Then, they gave me a shot of steroids for Knox’s lungs into my thigh (again, not bad, I barely felt it) and started me on Procardia for the contractions. It’s in pill form and I have to say… not impressed. I am still having a lot of contractions at this point. I know they were starting off with something mild and will increase the med strength if needed.
I am here for tonight, and the doctor is supposed to come by and check me in the morning. Please say a prayer that Knox stays put for at least a few more weeks! I want to meet him, but not quite yet. This is definitely a very scary situation, but I am trying my best not to freak out and remain positive. I am hoping that my cervix has not changed at all tomorrow and they can figure out how to stop these contractions, which are obviously not BH. I am so, so glad that I was pushy and kept calling back. I knew something didn’t feel right, and I will always trust my instincts from this point forward. Stay put, Knox!!
by Jessica on December 15, 2009
I was asked for the first time today “How much longer do you have?” It kind of threw me off because I am so used to being asked “How far along are you?” It took me a second to say “He’s due in 8 weeks.” I guess people are starting to think I’m huge. Well, it’s really not just starting, it’s been going on for a while now. If I hear one more time “You’re never going to make it until February” or “you’re bigger than you were yesterday!” I just may stab someone with my scissors.
Since when is it acceptable to tell a pregnant chick how large she is? I think the only appropriate comment to a pregnant lady is “You look great!” Am I wrong here? I think not. Oh, and, yes, I am aware that my belly button sticks out. Thanks for staring at it to remind me. My boss said to me “your belly button is getting huge! [obviously appalled by this discovery] What is the reasoning for that?!” I informed him that there is not room for it, so it pops out. What I really wanted to inform him of is not appropriate for writing.
Speaking of a massive belly, the makers of maternity shirts need to get their act together. WHY is it so hard to make a shirt that covers up the entire stomach area? Just because I wear a size small does not mean my stomach is smaller than everyone else’s. It’s so stupid. I think they need to make shirts sized by trimester. Like Small 1, Small 2 and Small 3 and so on and so forth. Doesn’t that make so much more sense? In the beginning, you’re drowning in your shirts, and by the end, you are like a pregnant Britney Spears with your belly button hanging out. Okay, so it’s not that bad yet, but I do not have any more room to grow in these darn shirts!
AND. It is absolutely insane to me that Knox is going to be full term in FIVE weeks! Isn’t that bizarre? Although I have to say… BRING IT ON! I am so tired of being worried every second of the day that the thought of labor doesn’t phase me in the least. I am actually really looking forward to pushing this baby out, and I think about it everyday. What it will be like to look down and see him emerging and have him put on my chest all wet and goopy. It’s so exciting. I’m sure I’ll be freaking out when it’s actually happening, but for now, I’m cool with it.
My massive belly and apparently grotesque belly button and linea negra for your viewing pleasure:
