38(ish) week update

Nothing too exciting to report. I went to the doctor yesterday for my 38 week pre-natal exam (even though I am not 38 weeks until tomorrow!). Since I had just been there four days before - last Thursday, I was not surprised that nothing has really changed. The nurse even asked if I wanted the doctor to do a cervical check. I said yes, just to see if any of the minor cramping/tightening that I was experiencing over the weekend did anything. Of course, that was not the case. I saw Dr. Culver and he said that there was no change - still 50% effaced, no dilation and the baby's head is still "way up high". Nothing surprising, but I was hoping for a little bit of a change.

My numbers yesterday were:

• Weight: up another lb for a total of 21 lbs
• BP: 119/40 (a little high, but the nurse said it was because I was talking while she was measuring it)
• Fundal Height: 36 cm
• Baby's Heartbeat: 135

I keep going back and forth in my mind about whether I want this baby to come soon or wait a little while. This past weekend, when I got the infant carrier out of the bag that it had been in for the past two years while in the crawl space, the fabric that surrounds it and the belts were all moldy! YUCK! Thankfully I was able to take it all apart and wash all the different pieces and now they are all clean and nice-smelling again! As I was putting it all back together again last night, I envisioned a little baby inside the carrier and it made me want to see him soon! Then again, this morning when Jacob was up at 6:40am and, while half asleep, I had to change him and his bed sheets because he had peed the bed during the night, I was thinking it is nice to not have a newborn to worry about just yet. Of course, only God knows when he is going to make his arrival and I am trying to enjoy having him safe inside me while knowing that I will not be pregnant forever!

One other thing is that Jacob starts preschool next Thursday, August 16th. I am hoping that either this baby comes before then (this week presumably) or he waits and arrives after the 16th. I am just a little worried that I am going to be in the hospital and miss this important event. I know that Keith or Mimi will do a great job of getting him to school and back, but I really want to be there! The preschool he is attending is at the church that we go to and the classrooms are the same as he uses for Sunday School so I am hoping that he doesn't have a hard time transitioning. But, he still sometimes cries when we leave him on Sundays so I am sure it is not going to be as easy as I would like. Also, I am pretty sure that I will be crying too! He will only be away from 9am-noon, but that is a long time for him to be in a somewhat strange place. Thankfully, there will be at least four other kiddos that he knows in his class so they can all do it together! :)

My next OB appt is next Monday, August 13th. Hopefully by then, something will have changed. We shall see....

Weeks 35 & 37 Updates

So, I am way behind on blogging regarding my last two pre-natal appointments. I had my 35 week appointment on Tuesday, July 17th. Katie was able to watch Jacob since I was scheduled to have my GBS (Group B Strep) test and a cervical exam that day and it is just easier to not have to worry about him being there while the doctor is doing those things. The appointment was pretty cut and dry. I saw Dr. Arnold and he said everything was looking great. My numbers were:

• Weight: up 1 lb for a total of 19 lbs
• BP: 124/80
• Fundal Height: 35 cm
• Baby's Heartbeat: "in the 140s"

The doctor did do the GBS test and a cervical exam. He said that my cervix was completely closed and not thinned out at all. He was sure that the baby was not coming any time soon! (I didn't tell him that I was super happy about that since we were heading to Corolla for our annual family vacation the next week!) It did make me feel a little better about being five hours away at 36 weeks pregnant though. Thankfully, nothing exciting happened baby-wise while we were away!

Last week, on August 2nd, I had my 37 week appointment. I was actually 37 weeks and 1 day that specific day and I was reminiscing in my head about how Jacob was actually born at this point (my water broke at 36 weeks 6 days and two days later, he was born via c-section). Scary to think about because, honestly, I want this baby to stay in just a little bit longer!

Even though I knew the doctor was going to do a cervical exam at this appointment, I took Jacob with me because I didn't have anyone to watch him. He did really well and did ask why I was taking my pants and underwear off, but when I told him that the doctor needed to check to see how the baby was doing, he didn't ask any other questions. He was happy to sit in the office chair and play Thomas puzzles on the iPad. I saw Dr. Arnold again and he was very talkative with Jacob. They spent a few minutes discussing the different Thomas the Tank Engine trains. It was actually quite cute and it made Jacob happy.

Dr. Arnold told me that my Group B Strep test came back normal. That was good news and just something that I don't need to worry about now (no antibiotics during labor if I am able to have a vaginal birth). After he did the cervical exam, he said that I was 50% effaced but still not dilated at all. That means that I am moving in the right direction and my body is starting the process, albeit very slowly! I was not surprised at what he said though. I am honestly wondering, after how things went with Jacob's birth, if my body will indeed dilate on its own. I do believe that Jacob being transverse (sideways) had something to do with me not dilating that time, so who knows what is really going to happen. Right now, we will just have to wait and see.

My numbers for this appointment were:

• Weight: up 1 lb for a total of 20 lbs
• BP: 124/84 (exactly same as last appointment)
• Fundal Height: 36 cm
• Baby's Heartbeat: Dr. Arnold didn't say what the actual bpm were. He just said "that sounds good".

Here are two pictures that I took last Thursday before we left for my appointment. I am not big on posting pregnancy pictures because I haven't really been "showing" as much as most women, but I wanted to document what I look like at this point in this journey.

Full body shot

The view I see when I look down!

Right now, I am still feeling OK. Things are getting very snug inside my belly and simple things like getting up off the couch, rolling over in bed, breathing while bending over, or sitting on the floor to play with Jacob are becoming increasingly harder to do. I am also dealing with a few other annoying things -- my hands, especially my right one, go numb numerous times during the day and night; heartburn is still occurring multiple times during the day and is waking me up at night; and I am just not sleeping well due to having to get up to pee at least two times per night and the other two annoying things I already mentioned! I am also having a little bit of swelling in my hands and feet. I can't get my engagement or wedding ring on so I have stopped wearing them. The swelling is nowhere near as bad as it was with my first pregnancy though so I am thankful!

The baby continues to move a lot and poke and prod me whenever he can. I am definitely having tightening and cramping every day, although not anything that seems like real labor at all! It is painful at times, but nothing that is too hard to handle at this point. I am hoping that all of this is at least helping me to dilate and get the process moving, but we shall see. My next appointment is tomorrow, Aug 6th. I will post after I see what the doctor has to say.