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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

37/38 weeks & 5 days


It doesn't feel like today is the day. Despite the fact that my baby has noticeably dropped and my crotch now feels like it is going to completely fall off (even while sitting), I just feel like I'm already out for the day. Thinking "today doesn't feel like the day".

A part of me honestly doesn't mind all that much. I enjoy her slow movements of her bum going from left to right and her little heels trailing along my belly. Her excitment when I listen to worship music or when I meditate listening to Kelly Howell make me love her even more than I've ever thought possible. Such peace. This makes me want to hold her even more and gush so much love over her. I really can't wait to meet my baby girl.

I don't mind being pregnant for one more day. It seems as though for the past 5 days while laying in bed right before I drift off to sleep (it hasn't been very hard lately as I am so incredibly exhausted come 8 pm) I think to myself "well, at least I get one more night of peaceful sleep, one more day of just Hayden and I to spend together) and I'm truly okay with still being pregnant-but oh so excited to add this bundle of joy to our lives.

And as I type this, I experience another contraction. Starting in my back and wrapping around my front. Feeling pain with this pregnancy gets me all excited. I didn't feel pain with Hayden...just the water breaking. I'm kinda really excited to feel the labor part. I'm sure I sound like a nut saying that and when I'm actually in it, I'm positive my response will change to "yep, painful. Let's get that big ass needle in me now. I've experienced pain and I'm good now." LOL!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Recognizing Impending Labor Symptoms

36/37 weeks and 4 days...!!


Found on EarlySource.com - Early Signs of Labor

Early signs of labor - Recognize labor symptoms and signs early.
Early signs of labor - Recognize labor symptoms and signs early to keep you from making a pregnant trip to the hospital or call to the doctor that results in being told to 'just wait'. By the end of nine months of pregnancy, every woman is ready for labor and delivery. Each tiny hopeful sign will send some women in a rush to get their bags ready to go and their husbands warming the car, but labor doesn't always come when we'd like. Many women have overshot their due dates  of pregnancy with not one sign of labor! Listed below are the most universal signs of imminent labor to help you determine if you are truly in labor. [I had no signs with Hayden, my water broke two days late]

Emotional signs of labor:
Nesting is an instinct that mothers of nearly every species experience. Though humans won't actually be burrowing or gathering leaves, (I hope), you will often start to go into a cleaning and organizing frenzy. Some women go through their baby layettes over and over, organizing the baby's room or section of the parents' room. Others will clean the house from top to bottom, empty every drawer, and dust in places they never knew existed before. This is completely normal! You are not becoming obsessive compulsive, nesting is just nature's way of letting the mother know the baby is coming soon.[I have been nesting like crazy for about 5 days now, on and off. The urge to "nest" today is insane]

Diarrhea and bowel disturbance:
Nearing labor your body will produce prostaglandins, a chemical which will cause loose bowel movements. A very unpleasant sign of impending labor, but one which does let you know the baby is coming soon. If you have been suffering from constipation, this may be a bit of a relief. Gas, which is so common throughout pregnancy, will also become more of an issue. All of this will pass soon enough and the diarrhea serves two purposes. One is to empty the bowels in preparation for pushing the baby out of the womb.[Within the last 24 hours I have had 3 large bm's and have been extremely gassy-painful might I add <- both unusual for me]

Engagement:
Also known as the baby 'dropping, engagement is when the baby lowers deep into the pelvis and nestles into position for birth. You may feel a lightening sensation and gain the ability to eat slightly larger portions without discomfort or heartburn. Many women find this a welcome sign of labor since the baby is no longer pushing against the stomach and may even sleep more comfortably. In first pregnancies engagement can occur days before actual labor, though in women who have had several children the baby may not drop into position until right before labor. Engagement is not a reliable sign of labor occurring quickly in all women. [I haven't had much of an issue with this since she's been low the whole time]

Pelvic floor pressure:
Once the baby has dropped into position or engagement has occurred, you may feel pressure on the pelvic floor. The head of the baby is pressing very snugly against the cervix now and will continue to do so until birth. You may feel as if you need to move your bowels, the pressing down of the head causes a feeling of fullness and pressure very similar to that. Some women who have had several children might experience some pain. [I've been experiencing pain for quite some time now] Many women might have trouble walking or feel as if their hips are not working properly. [That's me since yesterday!!!!] A hard feeling to describe even to doctors, if you are experiencing this odd and painful experience you might feel at the end of your rope trying to find an answer.

Vaginal discharge in early labor:
Some women may experience more discharge in the days leading up to labor. Normally thick and whitish, if the discharge changes to thin and watery a visit to the doctor may be in order. This could indicate a leak in the bag of waters surrounding the baby. This only poses a danger to the baby if labor is not immediately indicated, as an infection or introduction of bacteria to the womb and baby could occur. If the discharge is thick and white or thick and colorless, you should not worry. This is normal discharge.[A good amount of discharge is present]

Softening of the cervix, mucus plug, or bloody show:
In addition to the normal discharge you are experiencing, near labor you may find red streaks and a thick mucous 'blob'. This is the mucus plug that has been in the cervix since after conception to prevent access to the womb for bacteria or other pathogens. You may never see this bloody show, because as the cervix has softened or ripened, it could have slipped out and fell into the toilet to be flushed away. The cervix has thinned and softened so that it is prepared to dilate enough to allow passage of the baby into and through the birth canal. In your final visits to the obstetrician he or she will check your cervix often to check for softening and dilation.[NA}

Early Contractions:
Early contractions can be completely painless and go unnoticed. Occasionally women experience sharp pains with early contractions. If the contractions are not regular and only come infrequently with no real pattern they are referring to as False or Braxton-Hicks contractions. Their main purpose is practice for the uterus. Early contractions usually do not progress labor readily and may stop at any time. False contractions have sent many women to the hospital in hopes of labor only to be sent home to wait out real labor. [Currently on BH #3 this morning]

Regular, rhythmic contractions:
When true labor begins, those contractions which have come at odd times suddenly begin to come in a regular pattern and occurring closer together. At first, the contractions may be felt as a hardening of the stomach, though many women have described them as very strong menstrual cramps. Women who are experiencing their first labor and delivery may have contractions for a day or so that start out an hour or more apart, then finally reach the recommended eight to five minutes apart before leaving for the hospital. Some very lucky women have only a few strong contractions before the birth of their child. Breathing exercises and focusing methods can help decrease the pain felt during contractions. Some women have found water births to be very relaxing and helpful in relieving contraction cramps. [NA at this point in time]


This could also be linked with the frequent bowel movements within the last 24 hours, but since last weighing myself yesterday morning, I have lost a whopping 3 lbs. I have read this that happens 24-72 hours before labor. 

Fingers crossed that this pregnancy is over very soon!!! I'm ready to meet my baby girl!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Solutions, meditation & OB appointment

Since my last post, I decided that I need to be proactive in finding a solution to my personality flaw. Step #1 was to remove all the things that make me go through this awful thought process of caring what other people think.

The biggest  most obvious problem in my life regarding my situation...Facebook. Horrible. I know. But I deactivated my personal Facebook. It was probably the best thing I could have done. I feel so much better already. Happier.

Why? I have no clue. But I do know that I have so much more time on my hands since saying "tata for now" to the social network.  I have absolutely all my attention on Hayden and Garit. It feels amazing. I love this change I've made and honestly, I'm not sure I'll ever go back to the infamous Facebook.

I have also devoted my free time, while Hayden naps of course, to meditation. I love it, except for the part where I am really able to let go...Baby A really seems to get a kick out of it and goes crazy!  Like, literally. I worry about her. And then of course, it breaks my zen and I get frustrated and feel sick from all of the crazy movement of a 6 lb baby making waves in my belly. So, I may be backing off from meditating for a while. Sad day.

---

I have an OB appointment today. Yippee! Last week I started losing my mucous plug {yummy, right?} so I'm hoping that I am at least starting to dilate and show some sort of promise that this baby will be joining us in this world sooner than later {crosses fingers}. Hopefully Hayden will behave as well as she did at the last appointment...this one is scheduled during her nap time, so really, it can go either way. Say a little prayer for me, please!

Since I seemed to have mommy brain 24/7, I didn't post my picture from last week. 
Here I am 35 weeks pregnant.
Here is this weeks photo. I'm not exactly sure why the belly looks smaller? I'm sure it has to do with her position in the belly.
36 weeks

ETA: So you are probably wondering, does she live in sweats and tank tops? Sure do. Pretty much everyday-but I do dress up when I leave the house ;) 

Thursday, July 7, 2011

#personalityflaw

Honestly, it's an amazing morning. I have an extremely happy and loving toddler running around the house and I was even able to get out and grab a "Trenta" shaken passion iced tea with raspberry (not sure if that's how you properly say it) and a lemon pound cake. Amazing. Except now I have unbelievably horrible heartburn. Can you say tums? Life saver.

Hayden woke up around 8 this morning and played for about 30 minutes while I laid in bed in deep thought.

I had a revelation, similar to one I had a few weeks ago...I care way to much about what people think. Not just about my appearance, but about my actions or what even what I say before I post a status on Facebook. Stupid. I know.

I don't put in nearly half the effort that I should into my ambitions because I'm worried about what others will think about it and if I put my all into something and fail, what will others think?

I was worried about what the lady at Nordstrom was going to think of me when I went to return a few outfits that I didn't use at my maternity shoot.

I wasn't sure what I wanted at Starbucks, but I had to decide what I wanted before I got there because I didn't want to piss someone off for being so indecisive.

Why do I care so much? I don't want to be this way and I definitely don't want to raise Hayden to feel this way. I want her to be a leader, not a follower.

I heard that saying so much from my parents while growing up. I always thought I was a leader, but I guess I thought wrong...

I don't know how to change this, but it needs to be changed.This is a huge personality flaw and I can't believe I'm letting the blogging community know about it. See? Me caring what others will think. again.

Any suggestions in how I can improve would be greatly appreciated.
Comment or email me please bmwatson19@yahoo.com (please DO NOT sell my email)

Friday, July 1, 2011

34 weeks-the count down begins!

I would say the countdown actually began around 6 weeks pregnant. Yep.

So, I'm thinking the belly has dropped some. I have 6 more weeks to go but if I remember correctly, this is when the time flies. This week? FLYING.

34 weeks:



Here is a picture of when I was 37 weeks with Hayden...compare:
HAHA!


I am getting more and more uncomfortable as the days go on. I dread changing Hay's diapers as it can actually be painful to try to sit on the floor and wrangler her at the same time. Let's not mention that it's probably hilarious from the outside to watch me try an get up. Thank goodness I'm in my own home doing this :0)

My pelvic bones seem to be separating with constant shooting pains.

And the waddle...oh the waddle...I have taken on the look of a duck. or a penguin. I can't decide.

6 more weeks. More or less. Let's pray for a tad less, please?
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