Whoa, I have been neglecting this blog BIG TIME! I have just been so incredibly busy with work and preparations, I have totally forgotten that I even have a blog. Things have been relatively boring too so I haven't been obsessing about anything in particular. When something is on my mind constantly, that's when blogging helps me tremendously. So here I am - not to say anything is worrying me. I am now 39w5d and am 2 DAYS away from my due date! So I figured I should post an update. I can't believe that she will be here in a matter of days and not weeks or months anymore!
So what has happened since I posted last...? Like I said, things have been pretty boring. My placenta resolved itself back in December, SCH is gone, no other issues or worries with the baby. But at my 37 week check, my doctor found out that she was breech so that was annoying. We discussed it and decided to do an external version to try to move her to head down position. She said it might be painful and it might not work but thought I still had a good chance since I had plenty of fluid and this was my 2nd baby - both of which increases the success rates with these versions. It was either try the version or hope she flips. If she didn't, I'd have to have a c-section at 38-39 weeks. So I said lets go for it. They scheduled the appointment for 37w5d and told me not to eat or drink anything after midnight just in case the baby got upset and had to have an emergency c-section. They told me to expect to be there about 4 hours. The actual procedure would take 5 minutes but they needed to monitor me for awhile afterwards to make sure the baby was still ok.
So I get there as scheduled, then poked me for the IV lock and started monitoring the baby to get a baseline for her. The doctor came in to go over the procedure again and do a last minute ultrasound. Low and behold, baby girl had flipped to be head down in a matter of 2 days. My doctor exclaimed "Well that's the easiest version I've ever done!!". She said that they'd monitor me for another couple minutes and then would release me. She also said that it was unlikely that the baby would flip again to go back to breech - but it wasn't unheard of, so she would keep an eye on it at my next couple weekly checks with her. So yea, they monitored me and then let me go home and that was my experience with the external version. LOL! So far, she has remained head down.
Other than that, it's been just basic visits - weekly now - to get checked. She has had me do nonstress tests first and then I see her afterwards to go over the test and do a cervical check. The NSTs are just because I am over 35 and because I have complained about how she has frequent quiet days. But on her active days, she is seriously crazy and my whole belly shakes and rolls. It's pretty funny. Anyway, the NSTs are just a precaution and an extra check that just using the Doppler can't match. Every time I've had an NST though, it's looked great. They are really pummeling me with doing daily - if not, twice daily - kick counts though. So I have started to do that. The goal is 10 movements in 2 hours. I usually get to 10 by the 30 minute mark. So that's really good. I have lost my mucus plug (or part of it) 3 times now starting at 37w6d, 38w6d, and again today at 39w5d. I don't know how far I'm dilated right now but at my last couple checks I've held steady at only 1 cm dilated. So I must just be regenerating my plug over and over again....annoying! For many women, loosing their plug or even part of their plug is the last sign before contractions start. When I lost it at 37w6d, we got really excited and started making preparations for go time within a matter of hours or days. But nooooo!! Nothing ever happened.
So things are sorta stagnant if you will but time has still been flying by - so it's not too bad. I do have some mild Braxton Hicks contractions occasionally but other than that, nada. My belly feels like it's dragging on the ground but it's felt that way for awhile now. I'm thankful that the pelvic pain I experienced with Kellen has not happened this time around. That was really awful! I still do have that pain though but it's at a much smaller intensity. My doctor keeps suggesting that I have sex as a way to "ripen my cervix" and maybe get things moving. But even the cervical checks with just 1 finger give me blinding pain...I cannot imagine how much sex would hurt right now!! Much less - how exactly does a beached whale fornicate anyway...? So I have not taken up that recommendation and have no intention of changing my mind...lol! Anyway, at my last check on Wednesday, I asked for an induction if I hit 40 weeks and nothing has happened yet. My doctor is on board and she set me up for an induction next Tuesday night for a birth sometime on Wednesday. YAY!!! It is so relieving and exciting to have a "not-to-go-past" date! There is still a good chance that things will start on their own or my water will break before then. But if not, we've got that to fall back on. Plus I don't want her to "over cook" and on her quiet days, I just get so nervous and wish she could be out here so I could make sure she's ok. Cord accidents have really been freaking me out with this pregnancy. But I have to remember that I have no control over that at all - so I just have to let go and let God do His thing to keep her safe.
We are definitely ready from a practical standpoint though. Emotionally though and how to manage 2 kids will be an ongoing learning experience I'm sure. Her nursery is ready, we have all the supplies in place, have picked out her name: Harper Elizabeth:), car seat installed, I have work pretty much wrapped up. So yea, once she decides to come out or once Tuesday night gets here, we'll be ready!
That's about it for now. Hopefully I'll have 1 more belly pic to post when I hit 40 weeks (have failed on those too) and then next post after that will be about how Harper entered the world!
