Saturday, March 1, 2014

41 Weeks

Nope, no baby yet. I started out the week in a good place physically and mentally, perfectly content to wait until the baby was ready, and ended the week quite a bit more uncomfortable physically and more anxious about getting this baby out in time to avoid a hospital induction.

I had an ultrasound last week, which was the first time I had seen the baby since 20 weeks! What a change from the monthly ultrasounds I had with Josie. But of course, new baby was so squished that I basically just saw leg bones, its abdomen (with organs), and the outline of its head. No cute pictures to take home from that visit. But new baby was breathing and moving well, which is what they were checking for, and measured right on target size-wise, although I really don't believe the 9lb 4oz weight they're estimating. I just don't think this baby is that big, although I guess I could be proven wrong soon enough. I have another ultrasound scheduled for Monday, and then I'll continue getting them every other day next week until the baby comes to keep a close eye on it since it's now postdates.

I also had an appointment with the midwives following the ultrasound, and everything looked good at that visit too. My belly was measuring 39cm again, heartbeat was fine, my blood pressure was fine. I asked them to do a stretch and sweep, so I started at 2cm dilated and they were able to get me up another centimeter. We were hoping that would help kickstart labor, and while I was woken up that night with contractions every 3-5 minutes for about an hour, they apparently fizzled out since I fell back asleep and haven't had the baby yet. :-\

I decided to call it quits with yoga after this past week. It's just too hard to focus and relax when the baby is moving in such distinctly uncomfortable ways, and I'm now having some nerve issues. That is, shooting pains in my back, hips, and legs, usually in the evenings. It's pretty awful. So far, the only things that make it not hurt as bad are sitting on the physio ball, brisk walking (if I can work through the nerve pain at first), and sleeping. The edema is also getting a bit worse, at least in my right leg, which starts the day swollen and just gets more elephantine from there.
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[Lopsided belly]

Trying to focus on the positive side, though, we are even more ready now for this baby than we were a week ago, the baby looks great, and I am not falling apart too terribly yet. I should be able to make it another week, if needed :)
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[Quite excited about my last full day in the office]

And while I'm now working from home until the baby comes, I did go into the office on Monday and at least got to entertain our legal counsel with the baby's movements and even hiccups, which were clearly visible from the outside for the first time that I've seen :)
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