38 weeks: prodromal labor

Our OB estimates that Eloise is probably about 6.5 lbs right now, but we won't know for sure how much she weighs or how big she is until she is born. Her head is about the same circumference as her abdomen now. She's just putting on weight at this point, as she has been.

I just keep getting bigger and bigger as Eloise gets bigger and bigger. It's definitely crowded in there! I can't imagine what it would be like to have twins. I've gained about 35 lbs at this point. It's hard to maneuver around. Even just rolling over in bed is a feat. I'll never take it for granted again.

We've had another exciting week. Tuesday morning in the wee hours I had some contractions but they weren't very close together so I didn't time them. By the afternoon they had faded away. At our prenatal appointment the next day we learned I was dilated to 2 cm. My OB called it prodromal labor. Yet another term I'd never heard before. Apparently it's when you start labor, have uterine contractions that result in cervical dilation and thinning, and then it stops. It usually means that active labor is imminent, however, it can be hours or days or even weeks. Thursday I lost my mucus plug, yet another sign that labor is coming. By the way, don't search that term on Google Images. You'll be sorry. I have experienced prodromal labor two more times since Tuesday, and the last time my contractions were 4 minutes apart for a couple hours before fizzling out. After that time I was a physical and emotional wreck. It's exhausting and mentally defeating. How do you life your life like this? So I decided today to start my maternity leave tomorrow instead of in two weeks. There's no way I could sit with patients while having contractions every few minutes for hours. Especially not knowing if this time it's the real deal or if it'll fizzle out again. So I called HR and got the paperwork going today. It's a relief to know I can just hang out and wait now, and if I have contractions, no big deal whether they continue or fizzle out.

I had my weekly non-stress test and amniotic fluid index measurement today. Eloise is still doing well and there is plenty of amniotic fluid. The nurse said, "Well, you had a few contractions. Did you feel them?" Yes. And I'm not going to get my hopes up anymore! Tomorrow we have a routine prenatal appointment so we'll see if I'm any further dilated, effaced, or engaged. And even if I am, it doesn't predict when Eloise will be born. This has sure been a test of tolerating ambiguity!

I'd like to end this post with a quick shout out to Evan the wonder husband. He has really picked up the slack around here taking over grocery shopping, yard work, heavy lifting, and most everything that requires a lot of physical exertion. Thank goodness for him!

37 weeks: full term!!!

Today is an exciting day to celebrate -- we made it full term!!! Yippee!!!! Eloise can come on out whenever she's ready. Or maybe it's that my uterus will kick her out. Either way, she's fully developed, healthy, and good to go! That shirt no longer covers my belly. If you look closely you can see the maternity panel from my jean shorts sticking out below it. 

We're up to twice weekly appointments now. On Wednesday we had a visit with the OB and I got tested for Group B Strep, which I learned just the week before is done with two swabs: one vaginal, one rectal. It wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated, just a quick howdy doody on the outside. If the test comes back positive then I'll have IV antibiotics when I get to the hospital in labor to protect Eloise. About 25% of pregnant women carry the bacteria and don't know it, it's not a big deal for adults but it can cause serious infection in newborns. I imagine I'll find out the results of that test at my next OB appointment this Wednesday. Last Wednesday my OB also performed an internal exam to check my cervix and we found out I was 80% effaced, Eloise was at -1 station, and I was not dilated. All of that really means nothing in terms of when I'll go into labor, but it does mean significant progress has been made. I think it's helpful to look at these things in pictures.

Effacement is thinning of the cervix. It's like Eloise is putting on a turtleneck. Last week we were 80% effaced, and at 100% effaced her head will be about to pop out of the turtleneck:

Station refers to the position of the baby in the pelvis and ranges from -5 (floating) to +5 (crowning/being born). It's also referred to as engagement. Last week Eloise was at -1 station, so just one station away from being in position to push:

And finally, dilation refers to the opening of the cervix. In most first time moms, effacement and engagement start before dilation. Last week I was not dilated at all. Pushing begins at 10 cm dilation. Here's a handy visual aid of what that looks like (PS - yikes!):

Today we had a non-stress test (NST) and ultrasound to measure the amniotic fluid index (AFI). It lasted about 45 minutes in total. We started with the ultrasound and looked at the amniotic fluid levels in four quadrants of my uterus to make sure there's enough, and thankfully there is. We also saw her sucking on her hand. And her head completely smashed against my cervix to the point that her chin is in her chest. It didn't look comfortable for her! But the nurse said that position is a good one. For the NST I had two monitors strapped to my belly for 25 minutes: one measured baby's heartbeat, the other measured my contractions and baby's movements. The hope is to see baby's heart rate increase with movement, and the decrease with rest. It did. We also saw (and I felt) a couple contractions. The nurse goes, "Those are the real deal." But, they're not regular yet like they would be if I were in labor. At this point they feel like mild menstrual cramps low in my abdomen and last about 40 seconds. The guideline for going to the hospital is the 5-1-1 rule: five minutes apart, lasting a minute each, and continuing in this pattern for at least an hour. 

Anyway, I'm eagerly anticipating her arrival and it's about all I think about these days. Baby, baby, baby. In addition to today's NST/AFI appointment, Wednesday we'll have another OB visit and cervical check, our preparation for childbirth class, and Friday a visit with our doula. With so much going on, it's hard not to be all baby all the time! Evan and I have both been hitting the Hypnobirthing book and practicing all the relaxation, breathing, and visualization techniques. Plan A is to have a medication-free birth and that is how I'm preparing. Of course, we have no idea how labor and delivery will go, so I'm also trying to keep an open mind and accept whatever happens. No matter what, this baby is coming out, and the birth will be a temporary experience that we will both recover from. And then we have our beautiful baby, Eloise!

36 weeks: nesting and shower photos

I think watermelon must be the produce reference from here on out. Nothing new happening with Eloise's development this week, she's continuing to gain weight at the rate of about an ounce a day. At the end of this week we'll be considered full term and she'll be perfectly safe to come out into the world.  Full term is considered anytime in the range of 37-42 weeks. I'd prefer she make her entrance on the front end.

I feel huge and uncomfortable 24/7. Contractions are more frequent every day but mostly not painful nor regular. Eloise seems to be pretty crowded in there as well. She's so big and powerful now with her movements that sometimes it feels like she's beating me up from the inside. The weight and low position of baby makes it hard to walk and it is more painful on my separated symphysis pubis now. My 10+ hour workdays are pure torture. I'm leaking fluids from several body parts. I haven't slept through the night in weeks. I just. Can't. Get. Comfortable. I cry almost daily like a lunatic. I guess this is the part of pregnancy that makes you ready for labor and delivery. Oh, I'm ready. I'd like to push the fast forward button and get to the part when Eloise is ready, too. Evan has a guess of a delivery date of June 28. I don't have a guess. I do, however, have a strong wish for June 18. Exactly 37 weeks.

Aside from the temporary discomforts of pregnancy, Evan and I are giddy with excitement to bring Eloise into the world and into our little family. I mean absolutely, over-the-top, kids on Christmas Eve excited. Evan is more involved with my belly than ever feeling Eloise's movements with awe, talking to her, singing to her. We're trying to freshen up on children's songs. Is it twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are or where you are? I imagine her little fingers wrapping around mine with her brand new fingernails, her little face making expressions I have never seen, her little legs kicking, her eyes taking it all in, getting to hear her voice for the very first time. And here's my daily cry kicking in. I can't fathom the possibility of loving her any more than I already do. She is so loved and so wanted.

In the last week or two I think my nesting instinct has kicked into overdrive. According to the Mayo Clinic, nesting is a primal instinct to clean and organize that can happen months before your due date but is usually strongest just before delivery. I feel like I just kicked into overdrive with preparations. I've done probably a dozen loads of laundry washing every stitch of baby clothing, bedding, boppy covers, changing pad covers, blankets, you name it. Basically anything that might touch baby has been washed, folded, and put away. Evan and I made a list of projects to complete around the house and almost all have been checked off - cleaning out the freezer, replacing the bathroom fan, unclogging a slow drain, buying a pressure washer and washing all the walkways and patio, installing power door locks, etc. I made a spendy trip to Babies 'R Us to stock up on the rest of the things we think we'll use immediately. I bought some toiletries and snacks from Target today to put in the hospital bag. We want to be ready for Eloise's arrival!

And finally, here's a handful of photos from the baby shower a week ago. First, here's me with my dear friend, Kellee. I bought and saved that dress just for the shower and loved it!

Erica and Terri put together quite the spread with a couple kinds of finger sandwiches, these AMAZING chopped chicken salad in pasta shells, sweet potato salad, veggies and spinach dip, a cake, and lots of tasty drink options. And, these adorable little bottle-shaped rice krispie treats!

 This picture shows some of the onesies we decorated hung by clothespins behind me. Love them!

35 weeks: class, doula, shower, and nursery!

Baby probably weighs about 5 lbs now and she's estimated to be about 7.5 lbs at birth. We'll see! According to fitpregnancy.com she's about the size of a small roasting chicken. That's a weird image. She's not able to do somersaults anymore but definitely moves around. I imagine she's in there spinning on her head bgirl style. She responds to noises and sensations, too. When the doctor puts the doppler up to my belly to hear her heartbeat, she starts moving in response to the swish-swish-swish noise. The doctor said it probably sounds like a truck going by to her. When I let the water hit my belly in the shower, it never fails that she starts moving. I don't know if it's good, bad or neutral for her.


We went to our first of five weekly Preparation for Childbirth classes last Wednesday. There were eight couples in the class divided between three tables. In a surprising coincidence, everyone at our table happened to have the same due date. We spent the two hours doing an icebreaker activity splitting the dads and moms and brainstorming the joys and challenges of pregnancy from both perspectives. Then we reviewed the stages of labor, and ended the evening watching a video of a few women's births. Positive calm ones, not terrifying screaming ones. We both enjoyed it a lot and are looking forward to the rest of the series.

Then on Friday we met with a doula. I'm hoping to get through this birth without medication or a c-section and having a birth doula has shown to increase the likelihood of both goals. A doula is a "trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth" (DONA International). I'm hoping she can help me labor at home longer, coach Evan and I on getting through contractions, encourage us, and help us be less fearful during the birth process. And, be familiar with the natural childbirth method we're studying  and plan to follow: Hypnobirthing. The doula we met with had a very calm and confident demeanor. I can see being comfortable and reassured with her in the room. I'd like to interview one or two more before making a decision this week. 

On Saturday my dear friends Erica and Terri threw a baby shower for baby and me! They did an amazing job and were so thoughtful. The food was delicious, the decorations were adorable and used the nursery colors, and they set up a onesie decorating activity and I got to take home all the onesies for baby. What a special treat. There were 10 of us including my mother-in-law who drove up from Salem and brought my favorite flowers from her garden - peonies. Erica served double duty as photographer too, I'll post photos later.

And finally, using some supplies from the shower, I finished the nursery! And I love it. Other than washing everything and packing the hospital bag, we're ready for the big day. Hopefully we have at least a couple more weeks to get those last tasks done. Here's a collage of photos of the nursery:

It may be hard to see the flash cards on the top book ledge - it says ELOISE! Just yesterday we finalized the first name. Now onto the middle name...