Update
It's been a while so I thought I'd update real quick.
I am 34 weeks tomorrow.
I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes at about 31 weeks. After a bit of a freak out, I met with a dietitian who helped me map out an eating plan. My doctor said as long as I was able to control my blood sugar levels with diet, it wouldn't affect the baby at all. So far, so good. I made it through Thanksgiving without any problems...although I didn't get to have any pie. My sister said she'd bring me a pumpkin pie after I have this little monkey, though.
At our last appointment, I was measuring about 36 weeks, so we did an ultrasound to check her size. She is measuring about 4 1/2 lbs right now, which is right on target, I guess. But, we discovered she is breech. I thought it was her bottom I could feel right up against my ribs on the right side, but apparently it's her head. So we are currently trying to encourage her to turn. My dr suggested a few things. Rubbing my stomach starting at her head and circling around to the bottom. Putting an ice pack where her head is and a heat pack where her bum is to try to get her to want to move her head down where it's warmer. She HATES this one and always starts kicking the heck out of me. It got her to move her head over to the left, but later she moved right back. My dr also suggested seeing a chiropractor since I've had some hip pain. There could be something out of alignment with my hips that makes it harder for her to get into position. I went yesterday and he said my SI joint is bound up (whatever that means). They had me lay on a hydro-table for about 15 minutes to relax all of the muscles in my back, then he adjusted my hips. He wants me to come back on Monday to do some other things. Our insurance covers it, so I guess it's worth a try. But my hips ached worse during the night last night than they have in quite a while.
It seems like everything is conspiring to lead me to a c-section. My biggest anxiety with that is not getting the bonding time right away that I would get with a vaginal birth. We took a childbirth class at the hospital where I'll deliver. With a vaginal birth, they place the baby on the mom's chest right away. They encourage you to nurse within the first 20 minutes and will leave the baby that way for up to an hour before they take them weigh and clean up. They evaluate the baby right there in your arms. I really want that. After everything it's taken to get her here, I just want to hold and cuddle her right away.
With a c-section, they let you have a quick cuddle, then take the baby to clean, evaluate, etc in the nursery while the mom gets stitched up and such. They said then you'll meet the baby back in your room within the hour. The reasons they gave were that it's so cold in the OR that it's best for the baby not to spend time in there, because they have trouble regulating their temperature at first. My sisters keep telling me that if I do have to have a c-section, to just talk to my doctor and she'll probably make sure I get to hold her right away. Especially if the c-section is planned and not an emergency.
I guess we'll see how it plays out, but I'm praying she'll turn and things will go smoothly for a vaginal birth.
Sometimes I still can't believe we're only 6 weeks away (at most) from actually having a daughter. One that we get to bring home and keep forever.
At my baby shower a few weeks ago, I was talking about how my husband told me the baby was mine until they were 2 cause that's when they get interesting and how I think newborns and the first year are such fun times. Someone said, "Yeah, they're fun as long as you get to send them home." All I could say was, "No, that's the best part. I don't have to send this one home." For years, I've held, cared for, played with, taught babies and children. And always, when they get hurt or scared or sad, I have to give them back to someone else.
A few weeks ago, Matt and I were working on that damn room in the basement that still needs to be finished. I was holding a board for him so he could nail gun it in place. When he shot the nail, the baby jumped. It was the first time she'd reacted to sound, which was a relief - I was starting to get a bit worried about that. But then she wouldn't calm down. She was moving around and freaking out so much that my tummy was getting really hard and starting to hurt. I finally went to sit down and rocked back and forth while I hummed a song. She calmed almost immediately. It was such an amazing, special moment. I'm the one who can already comfort my scared baby. When she's hurt, scared, sad...it's me she'll run to, it's me she'll want. It made me cry to realize that I'm actually going to be a mom, in every sense of the word.
I am 34 weeks tomorrow.
I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes at about 31 weeks. After a bit of a freak out, I met with a dietitian who helped me map out an eating plan. My doctor said as long as I was able to control my blood sugar levels with diet, it wouldn't affect the baby at all. So far, so good. I made it through Thanksgiving without any problems...although I didn't get to have any pie. My sister said she'd bring me a pumpkin pie after I have this little monkey, though.
At our last appointment, I was measuring about 36 weeks, so we did an ultrasound to check her size. She is measuring about 4 1/2 lbs right now, which is right on target, I guess. But, we discovered she is breech. I thought it was her bottom I could feel right up against my ribs on the right side, but apparently it's her head. So we are currently trying to encourage her to turn. My dr suggested a few things. Rubbing my stomach starting at her head and circling around to the bottom. Putting an ice pack where her head is and a heat pack where her bum is to try to get her to want to move her head down where it's warmer. She HATES this one and always starts kicking the heck out of me. It got her to move her head over to the left, but later she moved right back. My dr also suggested seeing a chiropractor since I've had some hip pain. There could be something out of alignment with my hips that makes it harder for her to get into position. I went yesterday and he said my SI joint is bound up (whatever that means). They had me lay on a hydro-table for about 15 minutes to relax all of the muscles in my back, then he adjusted my hips. He wants me to come back on Monday to do some other things. Our insurance covers it, so I guess it's worth a try. But my hips ached worse during the night last night than they have in quite a while.
It seems like everything is conspiring to lead me to a c-section. My biggest anxiety with that is not getting the bonding time right away that I would get with a vaginal birth. We took a childbirth class at the hospital where I'll deliver. With a vaginal birth, they place the baby on the mom's chest right away. They encourage you to nurse within the first 20 minutes and will leave the baby that way for up to an hour before they take them weigh and clean up. They evaluate the baby right there in your arms. I really want that. After everything it's taken to get her here, I just want to hold and cuddle her right away.
With a c-section, they let you have a quick cuddle, then take the baby to clean, evaluate, etc in the nursery while the mom gets stitched up and such. They said then you'll meet the baby back in your room within the hour. The reasons they gave were that it's so cold in the OR that it's best for the baby not to spend time in there, because they have trouble regulating their temperature at first. My sisters keep telling me that if I do have to have a c-section, to just talk to my doctor and she'll probably make sure I get to hold her right away. Especially if the c-section is planned and not an emergency.
I guess we'll see how it plays out, but I'm praying she'll turn and things will go smoothly for a vaginal birth.
Sometimes I still can't believe we're only 6 weeks away (at most) from actually having a daughter. One that we get to bring home and keep forever.
At my baby shower a few weeks ago, I was talking about how my husband told me the baby was mine until they were 2 cause that's when they get interesting and how I think newborns and the first year are such fun times. Someone said, "Yeah, they're fun as long as you get to send them home." All I could say was, "No, that's the best part. I don't have to send this one home." For years, I've held, cared for, played with, taught babies and children. And always, when they get hurt or scared or sad, I have to give them back to someone else.
A few weeks ago, Matt and I were working on that damn room in the basement that still needs to be finished. I was holding a board for him so he could nail gun it in place. When he shot the nail, the baby jumped. It was the first time she'd reacted to sound, which was a relief - I was starting to get a bit worried about that. But then she wouldn't calm down. She was moving around and freaking out so much that my tummy was getting really hard and starting to hurt. I finally went to sit down and rocked back and forth while I hummed a song. She calmed almost immediately. It was such an amazing, special moment. I'm the one who can already comfort my scared baby. When she's hurt, scared, sad...it's me she'll run to, it's me she'll want. It made me cry to realize that I'm actually going to be a mom, in every sense of the word.
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