March 19, 2012

39 Weeks & Update on Baby's Progression



Well, can you believe Baby Owen decided to stay inside this long? I'm shocked, but am so so happy! So basically, that whole irritable uterus thing meant NOTHING, and all it did was cause lots of worry and concern.  But that's what women who have had an irritable uterus have said-that it's the most nerve-wracking thing ever b/c you have no idea whether you're going to go into preterm labor or if your baby will hang on for the long haul.  I'm so so thankful that I was able to carry Owen full term. God is so good!

And as for some exciting news, it looks like we MAY be meeting baby Owen within the next few days.  I say maybe with a grain of salt b/c you can NEVER really predict when your body is going to go into labor.  But I had a midwife appointment today and I was 3.5-4 cm/80% effaced, and she said that my water sac was bulging and she could feel Owen's head.  She asked if I wanted her to strip my membranes, which would speed up the onset of labor, but I was in so much pain from her checking me that I declined.  She also gave me a cocktail recipe that would make me go into labor if I wanted it to happen right now: a glass of champagne + 4 Tbsp. almond butter + 4 Tbsp. castor oil.  I won't be trying that either.  My body seems very well prepared to go into labor on its own time, which will probably be soon.  My midwife said she would be shocked if I didn't go into labor within the next 48 hours.  While I'm very excited about that possibility, again I'm not letting my mind go there completely, b/c like I said, nobody can predict exactly when your body will go into labor, and I don't want to get too excited for nothing.  Owen could stay inside another week for all we know, but I'm so glad that I'm progressing so much!  Hopefully this means that my labor will go a little quicker since all of this has already happened.  And we all know that my uterus sure does know how to contract! haha  Maybe all this irritable uterus stuff happened in the past so that my labor and delivery would go smoother?  I sure hope so! :)  The average length of labor for first time moms is 12-18 hours-really hoping mine isn't THAT long, but if it is, it will be okay b/c I'll get to meet my son at the end! Wow, that sounds crazy..."my son." I love it!  Well, right now I'm having contractions approximately 8-10 minutes apart, but they're not painful or intense or anything like that.  I had contractions all day this past Saturday that were 8 minutes apart, but they never turned into anything.  I've been told that I will KNOW when I'm in labor-the contractions will get more and more intense to the point where I'll have a hard time doing anything but breath through them.  Oh boy!  So there's the update on Baby Owen's progress.  Looks like I could be holding my baby boy this week! We will just have to wait and see!

March 4, 2012

37 Weeks & Nursery Pics

So thankful!
How far along: 37 weeks (Full Term :)
Size of baby: Watermelon
Movement: Loving my active baby boy. I can tell he's getting stronger b/c his bottom pushes out farther and his little feet kick a lot harder. Oh, how I love his movements!
Sleep: Thursday and Friday night I barely slept at all, but since I turned 37 weeks on Saturday and preterm labor is not a scare anymore, Eric and I went for a walk yesterday, which I think helped me to sleep better last night. SO GRATEFUL for decent sleep. Of course I still took multiple bathroom trips in the middle of the night, but at least I didn't struggle with insomnia last night.
Cravings: Nothing unusual.
Queasy or sick:  None.
Symptoms: Lots of Braxton Hicks (BH) and pelvic pressure if I'm up walking a lot but no labor yet. Lost the plug on Tuesday morning, so just waiting for Owen's big debut. Some ppl say they go into labor within 24 hours after losing the plug and for some women, it can be weeks. Obviously, there is no way in telling when he will come, but I have a feeling it will be within the next week. We'll see!
Maternity Clothes:  Yes, but the shirt in the picture above isn't maternity.  
Belly Button In or Out? Outie.
Wedding Ring On or Off? Off, because my fingers are swollen when I wake up in the morning, but luckily go down by the end of the day. My face is a little swollen in the mornings as well. 
Miss Anything? Walking without waddling? :)
High of the week: Owen and I made it to full term, and I am so so thankful! Praising God that Owen stayed in this long. I honestly feel so free now. Before, I felt like I was always trying to stay down on the couch anytime I wasn't at work, so he would stay inside, and I was always on edge about Owen being premature. Now that I'm full term, I feel this huge sense of relief! I walk around as much as I want now, and it doesn't matter if I'm on my feet too much, etc. SUCH A GREAT FEELING!
Low of the week: Last Sunday night & Tuesday night, I thought I was in labor b/c I was having very strong contractions, and lots of pain, but after multiple hot baths, I got them to calm down. I wasn't ready for him to come then b/c I was still 36 weeks.
Gender: BOY!
Looking Forward to: Meeting our precious baby boy anytime now!! I have another appointment on Tuesday, so unless Owen comes before, then I'll know if I've made more progress or not. I'm starting to get so excited!

Owen's Nursery Pictures








There will be a verse on the wall over the changing table