37w+6d: OB and NST

Had my last OB appointment today... and last official NST. My stats:

Weight: +19 lbs
Blood Pressure: 128/82

The appointment went well. Baby boy looks good, not stressed at all. But he also doesn't seem to have dropped! I'm still having a hard time breathing and I'm getting kicked in the ribs. Not to mention the acid reflux.

I talked to the OB about what's going to happen with induction. I guess it can take 2-4 days just for the induction to work! Yikes, I wasn't prepared for that long in the hospital. She said it's because you're trying to make your body do something in a few days that it would normally do in 2 weeks. We won't really know how things will go down until they start the process and see how my body reacts. They'll do cervical ripening first & then pitocin after my cervix starts to move along. They won't suggest a C-Section unless the baby (or me) is in distress. Which is nice, but sounds like it can take awhile.

I have my son covered for childcare at least. In also checked out a few e-books and audiobooks to get me through things. Will bring my laptop too.

I also talked to the OB about some crazy scary articles I've been reading (showing up on my FB feed) about deaths during childbirth. Ugh. She tried to reassure me that those types of deaths normally happen under certain circumstances and that I don't really fall into those risk categories. So not to worry! Lol easier said than done.

I am worried about L&D... but trying not to crazily obsess about it or anything. Things will happen as they happen...

My little brother arrived into town last night. He'll be watching my dog while I'm in her hospital and then will watch my son if I'm still in the hospital on Tuesday. My son will stay with his God Mother for the weekend.

So... here I am on the eve of induction and it still doesn't feel real! I was meaning to write a whole thing, maybe I will while I'm waiting for my body to react to the induction Meds! Will see. Either way, baby boy will be making his appearance very very soon!

37w+3d: Graduation from MFM

I had my very last appointment with my MFM... it's so weird to think that I won't be going back into her office any time soon! My MFM has been such a big part of my pregnancy, almost all my monitoring was done over there and I saw her more than I saw my OB. I wish she delivered babies, because it would've been nice to have her deliver my baby boy.

My stats:

• Weight: +19 lbs 
• Blood Pressure: 110/80

The nurse was a little worried about my blood pressure, since they were so close together. I have to admit, I don't really understand blood pressure readings. I just always ask, "is that ok?" My MFM wasn't concerned at all though. 

Only one change in meds, increasing night time Humulin N to 70iu. 

I hugged my MFM and thanked her for all her help throughout my pregnancy. I'm not sure I would've made it through without all of her support and monitoring diligence. There were a lot of scary things going on in my pregnancy and although I was scared as hell a majority of the time -- I knew that I was getting the best care possible and the monitoring that I needed to make sure my baby boy was ok. 

Saying goodbye to my MFM was almost as hard as saying goodbye to my RE! :(  It's strange how you grow so attached to these providers and it becomes normal to see them so often, then it's time to just stop going there as they've done all they could do for their speciality. 

Bitter sweet for sure.  I didn't even think about it being my "last" appointment and I totally didn't bring anything as a thank you! Ugh. I'm definitely going to make a trip to their office after the baby is born to meet my baby and maybe bring them some fruit or something. Still need to do the rounds at the RE office as well. It'll be nice to stop by there, wonder if the staff and nurses will be the same! 

Can't believe I'm this close to giving birth... it's so surreal. 

37 Weeks Pregnant - 7 more days to go!

How far along: 37 weeks and 1 week to go for induction at 38 weeks. That means 7 days left!!!!

How big is baby: Romaine Lettuce. Ovia app: 

Weight Gain:  +16 lbs 

Stretch Marks: Nothing new to report. 

Symptoms: Being sick is horrible - just horrible. Between a sore throat, insomnia, and mucus -- I am getting zero rest. 

Sleeping: No restful sleep. 

Food cravings: Anything sweet will do! 

Food aversions: None. 

Maternity Clothes: Nothing new. 

Movement: He doesn't move as much as he used to. I'm guessing it's because he's running out of room in there. When he does move, it can hurt or feel highly uncomfortable. 

What I did / Got for Baby: I had maternity pictures taken this week :) 

What I miss: being able to breathe... just taking a good deep breath sounds like heaven right now. 

Workouts: --- Ugh. 

What I'm looking forward to: My last week of pregnancy. 

Best moment of the week: Taking some maternity pictures to capture my pregnancy. 

Rants/Raves:  Rant - I hate, just hate being sick. Being sick and pregnant this close to delivery is just sucky. 

Appointments Next Week:  

1. 5/23: MFM and BPP
2. 5/26: OB and NST 

36 Weeks: MFM BPP + OB NST

My 36 Week appointment recaps.

36w+3d: MFM and BPP

My Stats:

• Weight: + 16 lbs 
• Blood Pressure: 104/60 

The appointment went well. They were a little concerned that my amniotic fluid was low. But it wasn't "low-low" to be concerned about, it was just low for where mine usually is. No changes to meds this week. 

My A1C for third trimester was really good at 5.4% -- which is excellent! 

36w+6d: OB and NST 

My States:

• Weight: +16 lbs
• Blood Pressure: 102/72

The NST went well, baby boy looked good. I did share that I had a sore throat and had a lot of mucus, couldn't sleep. I tested negative on the rapid strep test... but my OB put me on antibiotics, just in case -- to try to clear me up. 

They also made me use one of those masks since I wasn't feeling well. Those things are so hard to breathe in! 

My GBS test came back negative. 

36 Weeks Pregnant - entering my 9th month and only 2 weeks to go!

It's so weird to think I'm entering my 9th month of pregnancy. Is it still strange that it still doesn't feel "real" to me? I'll be meeting my baby boy in 2 weeks. I've been getting all teary eyed at the idea of seeing him for the first time and hearing him for the first time. But the things that I'm looking forward to the most: 1) The "magic" hour after birth where we get to do skin-to-skin and it'll just be him and me getting to know each other and 2) My boys meeting for the first time. Every time my son sees a small baby, he asks me "Can I pet the baby?" LOL.

I haven't thought much about labor and delivery... I guess because I don't want to get my hopes up in one particular direction and have things go the completely other way. I don't have any misconceptions that it's going to be "easy" in any way! But it'd be nice if things progressed smoothly no matter which direction things went.

How far along: 36 weeks and 2 weeks to go for induction at 38 weeks. That means 14 days left!!!!

How big is baby: Papaya. Ovia app: 

Weight Gain:  +16 lbs 

Stretch Marks: Even though I don't *think* my breasts have grown, I have noticed that I'm getting some stretch marks on the sides by my armpits. 

Symptoms: Nothing terribly new. Same stuff, different day. I am highly emotional though, crying at a bunch of silly things. Baby commercials are the worse!!!! 

Sleeping:  Nothing new. Reflex still kicking my bottom and insomnia winning. 

Food cravings: BBQ and ICE CREAM... oh why do I have to crave ice cream and why does it taste so good that I can't limit it to one bite? 

Food aversions: None. 

Maternity Clothes: I'm mostly thinking about nursing clothing now. I'm so tempted to buy more tops. I really need some nursing tank tops -- badly! I have a bunch of regular tank tops that I can possibly use (pull down from the top), but I want to be able to unhook the strap. I'm back and forth if I should get these now or wait until after baby boy has arrived. 

Movement: Things are squishy in there for him, so I definitely feel it when he has big movements. It shakes my entire body sometimes. Although he moves a ton, I still can't manage to get it on video. 

What I did / Got for Baby: Didn't really do much specifically for baby. It was one of "those weeks" again, but hoping that things are going to calm down over the next few weeks and I can start focusing on finishing everything I need to finish before he arrives. 

What I miss: being able to get up like a normal person. Sitting down goes ok, it's the having to get up where it gets tricky! 

Workouts:  -- with two weeks left, probably not going to happen. 

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing my Baby-To-Do List!! Which I guess I have to finalize what is on the list first :) 

Best moment of the week: Seeing baby boy on the growth ultrasound. I just love seeing him and matching his movements to what I'm feeling. 

Rants/Raves:  

Rant - my son has his third case of strep throat this year! My poor baby... 

Rant - I don't like my son's daycare and I'm going to be moving him. More on this later. 

Rave - had a small work celebration for baby. Was nice to celebrate, even when they don't know me that well (been at the company a year). 

Rave - I have my official last day of work scheduled to be 5/19! So only 5 more working days for me. Can't wait!!!! 

Appointments Next Week:  

1. 5/16: MFM and BPP
2. 5/19: OB and NST 

35w+6d: Weekly OB Visit + NST

Had my weekly OB visit today. My status:

• Weight: +16 lbs 
• Blood Pressure: 122/70 

My son is home sick from preschool (double ear infection and strep through --> AGAIN!), so I brought him with me to my appointment. Amazingly enough, this is only the 5th appointment EVER that I've had to bring him with me. 

He did relatively OK during the appointment. It helped that they had toys in there. It also helped that I brought his Leap Pad and headphones! He also ended up watching Netflix on my phone for a bit. But it all helped him be distracted enough not to press the buttons on the NST machine...! Because that's the first place he went for when he walked into the room. LOL. 

The NST went well. No issues. Baby seems fine. I had my A1C blood drown again today. I also had the Group B Strep (GBS) test done today. I should get both results next week. Luckily the GBS test was just a quick swab of the vagina and anus, so no speculum (thank goodness). 

I wanted to talk about induction methods... but my OB said it really varies per person, so she couldn't say what they would suggest the day of. Oh well. 

Overall, easy appointment. Although it took longer because of the extra tests. 

Next Steps: 5/19 Weekly OB and NST visit. 

35w+3d: MFM + Last Growth Ultrasound

I had my weekly visit with my MFM today and had my LAST growth ultrasound. I have to say that it was the quickest growth ultrasound I've had. Normally they take up to an hour (or more). But today it took 30 minutes! Maybe because there's no room for him to move around and hide?

Baby boy looks good:

• Overall: 44th Percentile 
• Head: 94th Percentile 
• Abdominal Circumference: 23.6 percentile 
• Estimated Weight: 5 lbs, 12 oz 

They had a hard time getting the abdominal circumference because of the angle. Last time we were in the 80th percentile. So, who knows how accurate these things are. 

But good news: No need for a scheduled C-Section! Woohoo! He's actually looking pretty average in size. They're guessing he'll be about 7-ish lbs for delivery. 

I'm very happy to hear that despite all the scares over this pregnancy, the worry over my blood sugar levels, the worry about having to go with a C-Section -- that baby boy is doing just fine and is an average size. 

I realize that things may progress where I may need an unplanned C-Section... but I'm happy that I'll get a shot at induction first and see how things go. 

My stats:

• Weight: +15 lbs
• Blood Pressure: 112/60 

MFM did mention to me that I should be prepared for what happens post-delivery. They'll be closely monitoring my blood sugar levels during labor. After baby boy is born, they may need to bring him to the NICU to monitor his blood sugar levels if they fluctuate too much. I'm really hoping that things will go smoothly and he won't have to go to the NICU and it makes me sad thinking that he'll be separated from me shortly after being born... But I'm glad she mentioned it so I can prepare mentally at the possibility and not be caught off guard if that happens. 

No changes to my insulin levels. Yay for that. 

Next Steps: Weekly monitoring next Tuesday, Diabetes consult/review and BPP 

35 Weeks Pregnant

How far along: 35 weeks and THREE WEEKS to go until Induction Day on 5/27! That's 21 days...!!

How big is baby: A pineapple. Ovia app: 

Weight Gain:  +15-16 lbs 

Stretch Marks: Nothing new-ish. 

Symptoms: The fatigue is kicking my butt. I'm so tired of saying, "I'm tired." It's also weird because when I think I can't possible feel more exhausted, I have a day where I'm just completely done. It's been really busy at work and busy in my personal life, and I can totally feel how depleted my body is. Especially when you take into consideration my insomnia. 

Sleeping:  Acid reflux is not your friend. Neither is insomnia. Neither is having to pee every 1-2 hours. Combine the three and you have one grumpy sleep deprived Mama. I've been sleeping on the couch in an upright position to try and counter the reflux, this in turn gives me a horrible pain in my neck! When the reflux seems to subside, I try to go back into my bed... once I get comfy, I have to pee. It's all a vicious cycle at this point. Doesn't the universe realize that I'm going to have another little human to take care of in a few weeks and won't have a chance to sleep? It'd be nice to feel "rested" before L&D and before baby boy makes his appearance. 

Food cravings: Chocolate is THE thing and cereal. 

Food aversions:  N/A

Maternity Clothes:  Nothing new. 

Movement: Baby boy has some really strong movements. Probably because he has no where to go these days. But sometimes I feel him kicking or pushing on my ribs and it gets a bit uncomfortable. Other times he gets in an odd position and it's just uncomfortable. Other times his movements are so strong that they startle me! But I LOVE it when I feel him move because I know that he's OK in there. There are periods where he doesn't move as much and I get worried, so I poke at him trying to get him to give me some movement so I know he's ok. 

What I did / Got for Baby: I bought a bed rest/backrest pillow for my bed, in hopes it'll help with nighttime breastfeeding. I also joined a few Facebook breastfeeding support groups in hope to glean some knowledge and have a place to ask questions if I need it. I've been looking into Mommy groups, but can't find any that interest me. 

What I miss:  Being able to go #2 regularly. Constipation is not your friend in pregnancy. Some women get hemorrhoids during pregnancy. I haven't (yet!), but the constipation sometimes makes me want to cry! 

Workouts: caring for a 3 year old count? I'm sure it does. 

What I'm looking forward to: my growth ultrasound 

Best moment of the week: Getting my induction day! 

Rants/Raves: Nothing this week. Shocker I know. 

Appointments Next Week: 

1. 5/9 MFM + growth ultrasound
2. 5/12 OB + NST

34 weeks: MFM BPP + OB NST, Induction Day Scheduled!

I'm a bit behind on my entries, so will combine my 34 week appointments into one entry!

34w+3d: MFM Diabetes Consult + BPP

My stats: 

• Weight: +16 lbs 
• Blood pressure: 100/60 

The BPP went really well. They were able to get everything they needed relatively quickly. Baby boy practices breathing a lot, which is always fun to watch on the monitor. It's also fun watching him move while feeling him move, especially the big movements. Now I kinda know what he's doing in there. The big movements are mostly him adjusting where he is. He goes from facing my back, to facing my side, or facing up. Not much room in there. 

I did have to adjust my insulin levels: 

• Morning: Humulin N 42 iu, Humulin R 18 iu
• Evening: Humulin R 20 iu or 22 iu 
• Evening: Humulin N 68 iu

I think my glucose levels have been varying so much because I've been so busy and a bit stressed at work. Not to mention some other anxiety-ridden stuff going on with my son and his daycare. Just a lot of "stuff" happening at once. 

Next Steps: Growth Ultrasound next week

34w+6d: OB + NST 

My stats: 

• Weight: +17 lbs 
• Blood pressure: 122/82 

It's funny, there's only one nurse at the OB's office that can get the monitors to stay in the right spot during the NST. The other nurses can't get it to stay on the baby and take 10-15 minutes to "try" before bringing in the other nurse that gets it done in less than 5 minutes. LOL. NST looked good! 

I received my FMLA paperwork back. They already submitted it to my company. I called my company to confirm they have everything and to make sure they didn't need anything else from me. They don't -- so yay for that being done. 

Next Steps: Weekly NST next week 

Induction Scheduled for 5/27 @ 7:30am!

I was also able to FINALLY schedule my induction day!!! I'll be induced on Saturday, 5/27 at 7:30am. I'll be exactly 38 weeks that day! 

This is good, I wanted to wait as long as I could and that's the latest the MFM wanted me to go. I need to talk to the OB more about what their typical induction looks like, which I'm going to ask at my next appointment. 

So crazy to think that I have a DATE for baby boy to come. Very exciting!!! I can't wait to meet him :) 

My baby will be here THIS month!!!!!!

It just hit me. I looked at the calendar and it says MAY 1st and I just got very emotional and started to cry!

I can't believe it... baby boy will be here THIS month. He's going to be born, I'm going to get to hear him cry, I'm going to get to see his face -- THIS month.

It's still so hard to believe that after all this time... after all the IUI's, after the IVF cycles, after my FET's, after my crazy pregnancy bleedings / worries, after all the high risk pregnancy related complications... my baby will be born THIS month.

This is really happening.

I know in my mind that he's coming and my body is a constant reminder that I'm actually pregnant... But there's still a part of me that is just awe struck at all of this and I still can't believe that he's going to be here THIS month. I'm going to get to hold him and smell him and snuggle him and give him kisses.

My emotions are just crazy right now. I've spent so much of my pregnancy time worrying and stressed and scared of something happening to my baby boy. To be THIS close is surreal... and amazing... and unbelievable... and just so heart warming.

My new son will be born THIS month. This child that I've dreamed about, prayed for, hoped for -- will finally be welcomed into the world and into my family.

It's an amazing feeling just thinking about it. He's going to be here so very soon, my little miracle boy. My heart feels so full right now.