why does blogger hate me? it gives me such grief. it seems to be fixed now, but it took most of my patience yesterday to get things not double posting and / or posting at all.
I'm still pregnant. I think I'm getting cranky.
ok, it's a bad sign when you post about blogger sucking, and it gives you an error. shows up in my list of posts, but not on the site! my computer is making me very angry today, I'm not sure why it wants to do that.
Thursday, March 31
more whining
I went to visit my personlized preggo sites, and they're all like 'congratulations on your baby!'. Nowhere to choose 'did you have a baby yet, yes or no?' and continue on that way. Nope. Same for the emails. Congratulations! Yeah, thanks. Newsflash guys, almost nobody delivers on their due date.
I am taking comfort in knowing that I'll most likely have a baby by the end of next week. It's also a little scary though. I'm still holding out some hope for tomorrow, or before Tuesday. I don't know if she'll rupture my membranes right in the office or if I'll have to go to the hospital, and if I'll be able to go home, or what. I'm sure she'll be able to answer those things for me before poking me with the giant crochet hook. Yipes!
I am taking comfort in knowing that I'll most likely have a baby by the end of next week. It's also a little scary though. I'm still holding out some hope for tomorrow, or before Tuesday. I don't know if she'll rupture my membranes right in the office or if I'll have to go to the hospital, and if I'll be able to go home, or what. I'm sure she'll be able to answer those things for me before poking me with the giant crochet hook. Yipes!
Wednesday, March 30
40 weeks. my counter is sad now.
no more "only x days to go!", just the sad declaration that I have, in fact, reached my due date. That's not sad really, but it loses something without the fun countdown. Also, I was out on the town today (WalMart, Shoppers, Pets Unlimited, and Dollarama, wooh!), and every single one of the cashiers asked me if I was due...soon? It was fun to say yes actually, today! They were all like, yipes...
My appointment was pretty good, I actually got to see Dr. Mills, my doctor, and will see her again next week if Jr. decides to hang in much longer. She stripped my membranes again, which wasn't very fun, but I'm 'a good 2cm dilated', up, ooh, half a centimetre from when I was in the hospital and from last week. *sigh*. She also noted that my membranes are bulging, which is a good sign, they could go any time, and that the baby is at a -3 station, on a scale of -5 (you have no hope in hell of delivering the baby) to +5 (the baby is actually being born). So that's all relatively good news. I asked about the giantness of the baby, and she said it's not a concern at this point, but that they won't let me go forever. I also asked about the placenta calcification thing, and she said that's absolutely nothing to worry about, the baby still feels and sounds great, and is active, so everything is hunky dory. It has to be quite calicified apparently, for it to cause concern. I did ask what would prompt them to do an induction, and she said we'd discuss it at my appointment next week, and that she would likely rupture my membranes after that appointment if things still weren't moving along. She said she had a lady in who wanted to be induced because she thinks she's having a 10lb baby. She said the lady probably is having a 10lb baby, but as long as everything is going well health wise for mom and baby, inducing just for size is generally not a good choice, as it leads to a much higher c-section rate.
So, hang in there I will. I ate a bunch of fresh pineapple last night because my sister found some things that said it helps to induce labour, but all it did for me was make my tongue burn. It was a fairly acidic pineapple, apparently. I've tried everything else, and am still here, so I guess I'll just keep doing everything and hope Jr. gets the idea. I can't see how he's not ready, but I guess I have to go with the fact that he's not. I'm thinking April 1st, which is Friday, because it's April Fool's, and that'd be fitting. Jokester baby.
My appointment was pretty good, I actually got to see Dr. Mills, my doctor, and will see her again next week if Jr. decides to hang in much longer. She stripped my membranes again, which wasn't very fun, but I'm 'a good 2cm dilated', up, ooh, half a centimetre from when I was in the hospital and from last week. *sigh*. She also noted that my membranes are bulging, which is a good sign, they could go any time, and that the baby is at a -3 station, on a scale of -5 (you have no hope in hell of delivering the baby) to +5 (the baby is actually being born). So that's all relatively good news. I asked about the giantness of the baby, and she said it's not a concern at this point, but that they won't let me go forever. I also asked about the placenta calcification thing, and she said that's absolutely nothing to worry about, the baby still feels and sounds great, and is active, so everything is hunky dory. It has to be quite calicified apparently, for it to cause concern. I did ask what would prompt them to do an induction, and she said we'd discuss it at my appointment next week, and that she would likely rupture my membranes after that appointment if things still weren't moving along. She said she had a lady in who wanted to be induced because she thinks she's having a 10lb baby. She said the lady probably is having a 10lb baby, but as long as everything is going well health wise for mom and baby, inducing just for size is generally not a good choice, as it leads to a much higher c-section rate.
So, hang in there I will. I ate a bunch of fresh pineapple last night because my sister found some things that said it helps to induce labour, but all it did for me was make my tongue burn. It was a fairly acidic pineapple, apparently. I've tried everything else, and am still here, so I guess I'll just keep doing everything and hope Jr. gets the idea. I can't see how he's not ready, but I guess I have to go with the fact that he's not. I'm thinking April 1st, which is Friday, because it's April Fool's, and that'd be fitting. Jokester baby.
Tuesday, March 29
blah-dee blah-dee blah
still here. Have another appointment tomorrow. I'm going to ask my Dr. if they're going to start monitoring me and the baby, since I'll be overdue in a couple of days. That sounds like I'm a library book or something. Whatever. Anyway, the baby's been big the whole time, and my placenta had started to calcify when I was in Moncton at the hospital, but nobody was concerned about anything because I was going to go into labour any minute. Guess what! My baby's a jokester, and seems to be in this for the long haul. The membrane sweep didn't really seem to do anything, I'm not sure if it was related to the mucous plug or not, but either way, has done nothing to get things going any time soon. Anyway, I just want to make sure that everything is still ok with the baby, that he can stay in there safely until he decides to make his grand entrance. I'm concerned because the reason they usually induce at 42 weeks is because the baby is getting so large, and your uterus and placenta aren't able to provide everything the baby needs as effectively, because he's supposed to be the heck out of there. I'm worried with the way things have been going that I may be at that point sooner than 42 weeks. We shall see. I really don't want a medical induction, so I keep walking and using my balance ball and hoping something will happen soon. He's still moving around a fair bit in there, I'm keeping a close eye on that.
I'll update again after tomorrow's appointment.
I'll update again after tomorrow's appointment.
Saturday, March 26
Thursday, March 24
fun
I'm following another pregnancy blog, the woman is just slightly ahead of where I am, and is also quite surprised to find herself still pregnant, since her doctors were concerned she might go early. She does not have a giant baby, but has had the opposite worry of having a tiny baby. Anyway, we're both feeling sorry for ourselves, so I did a search and Google turned up this article, which made me smile and actually laugh out loud a couple of times. I've bolded my favourites.
25 Great Things about Being Pregnant
Copyright © 2001 Heather Moors Johnson
1 You're guaranteed to stop traffic whenever you cross the street.
2 People look at your stomach and can't help smiling, as if the mere thought of your being pregnant has actually made their day a little bit brighter.
3 You can eat a whole pint of chocolate-chunk ice cream and not feel guilty. Every night.
4 You can -- no, you must! --take naps. Lots of them.
5 Getting to name another human being.
6 Watching your husband turn into a father when he kisses your belly good night, reads to the baby in utero, or stays up until 3:00 a.m. putting the crib together -- just in case the baby decides to come eight weeks early.
7 Sex: For once in your life, you're neither worried about getting pregnant nor trying to get pregnant. You can have sex just for the pure fun of it.
8 Buying a bathing suit. It's not about hiding your flaws; it's about flaunting your belly.
9 Those wild, intense, amazing pregnancy dreams in which every remote person from your past makes some sort of appearance. None of these dreams can even begin to be analyzed or understood.
10 The amazing anticipation. It's like all your previous birthdays and holidays rolled into one.
11 Imagining the possibilities.
12 More personal space! And you have no qualms about claiming it.
13 You eat healthier, drink more water, and carefully read ingredient labels. Suddenly, it matters more to you what you put in your body.
14 In the middle of a boring meeting at work or a meaningless argument, you feel your baby squirming inside you and the sensation takes you away. It's your own secret communication.
15 Getting to hear the swish swish swish of your baby's heartbeat on the Doppler.
16 Playing "Guess the part sticking out," usually at bedtime, when your baby starts moving furniture around or whatever it is he does in there.
17 The extra attention you get from everyone -- your husband gives you more foot rubs, and your friends call to check in more often. Neighbors offer to help; coworkers volunteer to get lunch for you; little presents (a bottle of water, an afternoon snack) mysteriously show up on your desk.
18 The pregnancy beauty package: thick, silky hair; long, strong nails; beautiful skin; big boobs.
19 Getting to skip to the front of the line in public rest rooms.
20 Shopping for a person you haven't met yet: tiny clothes, all-new furniture, and adorable room decorations.
21 Dreaming about the first time someone calls you "Mommy" and the first time you hear someone call your husband "Daddy."
22 Baby showers! They remind you how special your friends and family think you are.
23 A continuous sense of accomplishment. You can answer "What did you do today?" with cool things like "I made ears" or simply "I'm making a person. What did you do?"
24 Spending immeasurable amounts of time trying to remember all those nursery rhymes, children's songs, and lullabies.
25 Knowing that all the bad stuff -- the heartburn, swollen ankles, backaches, and the rest -- doesn't last forever. And that in the end, it's all worth it.
25 Great Things about Being Pregnant
Copyright © 2001 Heather Moors Johnson
1 You're guaranteed to stop traffic whenever you cross the street.
2 People look at your stomach and can't help smiling, as if the mere thought of your being pregnant has actually made their day a little bit brighter.
3 You can eat a whole pint of chocolate-chunk ice cream and not feel guilty. Every night.
4 You can -- no, you must! --take naps. Lots of them.
5 Getting to name another human being.
6 Watching your husband turn into a father when he kisses your belly good night, reads to the baby in utero, or stays up until 3:00 a.m. putting the crib together -- just in case the baby decides to come eight weeks early.
7 Sex: For once in your life, you're neither worried about getting pregnant nor trying to get pregnant. You can have sex just for the pure fun of it.
8 Buying a bathing suit. It's not about hiding your flaws; it's about flaunting your belly.
9 Those wild, intense, amazing pregnancy dreams in which every remote person from your past makes some sort of appearance. None of these dreams can even begin to be analyzed or understood.
10 The amazing anticipation. It's like all your previous birthdays and holidays rolled into one.
11 Imagining the possibilities.
12 More personal space! And you have no qualms about claiming it.
13 You eat healthier, drink more water, and carefully read ingredient labels. Suddenly, it matters more to you what you put in your body.
14 In the middle of a boring meeting at work or a meaningless argument, you feel your baby squirming inside you and the sensation takes you away. It's your own secret communication.
15 Getting to hear the swish swish swish of your baby's heartbeat on the Doppler.
16 Playing "Guess the part sticking out," usually at bedtime, when your baby starts moving furniture around or whatever it is he does in there.
17 The extra attention you get from everyone -- your husband gives you more foot rubs, and your friends call to check in more often. Neighbors offer to help; coworkers volunteer to get lunch for you; little presents (a bottle of water, an afternoon snack) mysteriously show up on your desk.
18 The pregnancy beauty package: thick, silky hair; long, strong nails; beautiful skin; big boobs.
19 Getting to skip to the front of the line in public rest rooms.
20 Shopping for a person you haven't met yet: tiny clothes, all-new furniture, and adorable room decorations.
21 Dreaming about the first time someone calls you "Mommy" and the first time you hear someone call your husband "Daddy."
22 Baby showers! They remind you how special your friends and family think you are.
23 A continuous sense of accomplishment. You can answer "What did you do today?" with cool things like "I made ears" or simply "I'm making a person. What did you do?"
24 Spending immeasurable amounts of time trying to remember all those nursery rhymes, children's songs, and lullabies.
25 Knowing that all the bad stuff -- the heartburn, swollen ankles, backaches, and the rest -- doesn't last forever. And that in the end, it's all worth it.
spring cleaning
sweep your membranes!
haha, gross.
anyway, so that's done; it wasn't something I'd like to have done a lot, but wasn't any worse than the other pokes and prods we women get to endure in that general area. The Dr. seemed pretty confident that it would get things going, but I couldn't get him to put it in writing. He said that things look and feel good, baby's heart sounds good, he could actually feel the baby's head when he was doing the internal, which was cool but also sort of strange. He was a nice guy, this 'another one who's not my doctor' doctor, he assured me that the baby would be born eventually, and most likely soon-ish, because really, he has to come out sometime! No woman has ever been pregnant forever, and if I were to become the first one, at least I'd get famous and be in the Guiness book and whatnot. ha. He also said my membranes were bulging, which sounds pretty gross, but he said it like it's a good thing.
I got the funniest series of messages from my friend Jenn when I came home from my appointment, I have the playboy bunny as my display picture on messenger, and she was like, "So, I have an interview and OH MY GOD WHY IS THE EASTER BUNNY ON YOUR BELLYBUTTON??" I hadn't thought of that, so now I've decided the baby is definitely coming this weekend. the wait continues!
haha, gross.
anyway, so that's done; it wasn't something I'd like to have done a lot, but wasn't any worse than the other pokes and prods we women get to endure in that general area. The Dr. seemed pretty confident that it would get things going, but I couldn't get him to put it in writing. He said that things look and feel good, baby's heart sounds good, he could actually feel the baby's head when he was doing the internal, which was cool but also sort of strange. He was a nice guy, this 'another one who's not my doctor' doctor, he assured me that the baby would be born eventually, and most likely soon-ish, because really, he has to come out sometime! No woman has ever been pregnant forever, and if I were to become the first one, at least I'd get famous and be in the Guiness book and whatnot. ha. He also said my membranes were bulging, which sounds pretty gross, but he said it like it's a good thing.
I got the funniest series of messages from my friend Jenn when I came home from my appointment, I have the playboy bunny as my display picture on messenger, and she was like, "So, I have an interview and OH MY GOD WHY IS THE EASTER BUNNY ON YOUR BELLYBUTTON??" I hadn't thought of that, so now I've decided the baby is definitely coming this weekend. the wait continues!
I'm such the sexy pregnant woman...
that the playboy bunny has actually appeared on my bellybutton. I kid you not. Witness my beautiful and yes, unretouched, photo.
You can also see one of my scars, that one's from having my gallbladder out, and used to be on the inside of my bellybutton. It has a twin matching scar on the lower part of what used to be my innie, and is now an outie. At least I'll have something fun to show for the rest of my stretchmarks! Who knew you would even *get* stretched on your bellybutton? It's apparently because of my piercing, but I took the ring out long before there was any danger of stretching anything. File that under "things they should tell girls before they make that final decision to scar their bodies for life".
Also, they changed my super fun appointment today to 11:10 from 3:30, so I have to actually get ready now and eat something. Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it goes; I'm hoping I'm one of the women who it sends into like, immediate labour. I figure, I've been in the minority for everything else, why not this too?
You can also see one of my scars, that one's from having my gallbladder out, and used to be on the inside of my bellybutton. It has a twin matching scar on the lower part of what used to be my innie, and is now an outie. At least I'll have something fun to show for the rest of my stretchmarks! Who knew you would even *get* stretched on your bellybutton? It's apparently because of my piercing, but I took the ring out long before there was any danger of stretching anything. File that under "things they should tell girls before they make that final decision to scar their bodies for life".
Also, they changed my super fun appointment today to 11:10 from 3:30, so I have to actually get ready now and eat something. Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it goes; I'm hoping I'm one of the women who it sends into like, immediate labour. I figure, I've been in the minority for everything else, why not this too?
Wednesday, March 23
still pregnant
Yeah. So hence the lack of updates, there's just nothing new going on! Still pregnant, still growing every day ... my poor, poooor belly. The baby still has very active times, so he must have room to spare still.
Tomorrow I go for my big appointment, my mom is convinced I'm going into labour right afterward. If I do, Grant is right next door, so I'll just give him a call. I've moved my bags so that I'm not staring at them every time I wake up; they were taunting me.
If I go by my ultrasound dates, I'm due today I think, so hopefully that will kick in sometime. I think if not, this will be a beer / sex filled weekend. Probably not really, because neither of those things are particularly appealing at this point, but may serve as a means to an end. (Obviously I'm not going to go on a drinking binge, so don't even bother wasting your angry comments on that one, mmmkay?)
Tomorrow I go for my big appointment, my mom is convinced I'm going into labour right afterward. If I do, Grant is right next door, so I'll just give him a call. I've moved my bags so that I'm not staring at them every time I wake up; they were taunting me.
If I go by my ultrasound dates, I'm due today I think, so hopefully that will kick in sometime. I think if not, this will be a beer / sex filled weekend. Probably not really, because neither of those things are particularly appealing at this point, but may serve as a means to an end. (Obviously I'm not going to go on a drinking binge, so don't even bother wasting your angry comments on that one, mmmkay?)
Friday, March 18
good news and ... hmmm... news
ok. I'm measuring 42 weeks, the baby is good, there's still extra fluid. His growth of nearly 2lbs in the 2 weeks between my last 2 u/s scans is normal. I tested positive for Group B Strep, and so will be given antibiotics when I go into labour.
Here are my questions and the answers I got:
Am I having a giant baby?
Laughter. He's big, but not enormous, just bigger than average. The scan weights are accurate to a pound either way, so he could have been anywhere from 6lbs2oz to 8lbs2oz. (which means he could now be 8lbs2oz or 10lbz2oz. Sweet jebus.)
Why is he trying to claw his way out of my cervix? That hurts.
That's probably not him, but the pain is likely caused by the separation of the cartilige in your pelvis, and is normal.
How many people can I have in the labour / delivery room?
2, and people can't be coming and going.
Do I labour and deliver in the same room?
Yes, unless we need to take you to the OR.
Can I deliver on my side or sitting up?
Yes, we don't put women flat on their backs, they're at about this (demonstrates about a 45 degree angle) level. The only thing we don't really encourage is standing up or squatting, because that makes it very difficult for the doctor to control the baby's head coming out.
I heard this silly rumour that people with lower back tattoos can't always get epidurals. That's bunk, right?
No, that's true. Do you have one? Let me see where it is. Ok, now where are your hipbones? Ok...hmmm...it's quite possible that they won't be able to give you an epidural, but you'll have to see the anesthesiologist to be sure.
But, I googled it, and didn't find anything! dammit!
Ok. Also, I don't even know that I want an epidural. Do I really need to decide that now? I want to sort of see what happens before I decide.
No, of course not. You shouldn't know yet. It's a great attitude to have that you'll just take things as they come, and if you need one, you can get one.
I also heard you give a shot of something right after the baby is born to deliver the placenta, what's that about?
It's a shot of oxytocin, and it's been shown to speed up the 3rd stage of labour greatly. It also helps to slow the bleeding. (it's the same hormone your body produces naturally when you start to breastfeed)
Will it cause me to have contractions for hours afterward?
No, not at all. Especially being a first time mom, you probably won't have much after-labour pain at all.
What happens with the baby right after he's born?
We put him right up on your belly, unless you've had a c-section, then he'll go right to the warmer. We give you about an hour to bond etc in the delivery room, and then move you to your post-natal recovery room.
That's it. I felt really good leaving the appointment, even though I'd had to wait an hour and 45 minutes to get in. Looks like the epidural debate may have been resolved with no effort from me. I get to go for a tour of the maternity ward on Tuesday at lunch time. Next week when I go in for my appointment, IF I go in, she'll do an internal and sweep / strip my membranes. That's where they separate your membranes from your uterus (just with a finger while they're checking dilation, not with some evil tool), and it generally gets things moving along. Good to know.
Here are my questions and the answers I got:
Am I having a giant baby?
Laughter. He's big, but not enormous, just bigger than average. The scan weights are accurate to a pound either way, so he could have been anywhere from 6lbs2oz to 8lbs2oz. (which means he could now be 8lbs2oz or 10lbz2oz. Sweet jebus.)
Why is he trying to claw his way out of my cervix? That hurts.
That's probably not him, but the pain is likely caused by the separation of the cartilige in your pelvis, and is normal.
How many people can I have in the labour / delivery room?
2, and people can't be coming and going.
Do I labour and deliver in the same room?
Yes, unless we need to take you to the OR.
Can I deliver on my side or sitting up?
Yes, we don't put women flat on their backs, they're at about this (demonstrates about a 45 degree angle) level. The only thing we don't really encourage is standing up or squatting, because that makes it very difficult for the doctor to control the baby's head coming out.
I heard this silly rumour that people with lower back tattoos can't always get epidurals. That's bunk, right?
No, that's true. Do you have one? Let me see where it is. Ok, now where are your hipbones? Ok...hmmm...it's quite possible that they won't be able to give you an epidural, but you'll have to see the anesthesiologist to be sure.
But, I googled it, and didn't find anything! dammit!
Ok. Also, I don't even know that I want an epidural. Do I really need to decide that now? I want to sort of see what happens before I decide.
No, of course not. You shouldn't know yet. It's a great attitude to have that you'll just take things as they come, and if you need one, you can get one.
I also heard you give a shot of something right after the baby is born to deliver the placenta, what's that about?
It's a shot of oxytocin, and it's been shown to speed up the 3rd stage of labour greatly. It also helps to slow the bleeding. (it's the same hormone your body produces naturally when you start to breastfeed)
Will it cause me to have contractions for hours afterward?
No, not at all. Especially being a first time mom, you probably won't have much after-labour pain at all.
What happens with the baby right after he's born?
We put him right up on your belly, unless you've had a c-section, then he'll go right to the warmer. We give you about an hour to bond etc in the delivery room, and then move you to your post-natal recovery room.
That's it. I felt really good leaving the appointment, even though I'd had to wait an hour and 45 minutes to get in. Looks like the epidural debate may have been resolved with no effort from me. I get to go for a tour of the maternity ward on Tuesday at lunch time. Next week when I go in for my appointment, IF I go in, she'll do an internal and sweep / strip my membranes. That's where they separate your membranes from your uterus (just with a finger while they're checking dilation, not with some evil tool), and it generally gets things moving along. Good to know.
last appointment?
here's hoping! I have my 38 week checkup today, and a few questions to ask. I'm going to ask if, given the enormous amount the baby grew in the 2 weeks between my last 2 ultrasounds, I should expect that he's growing 1lb per week, and be suitably horrified. To go with that, will I be monitored any further, and is it possible that this baby will get to big to be delivered au naturel? This is all horrifying, I have to say. I don't want to be induced, because it makes for harder labour. I'm going to ask about the epidural, because apparently there's like, the one guy in the hospital who does them, and you have to give them lots of notice if you want one. Well, I don't know if I do yet, and I don't really feel I can make a decision right now. Maybe I could just say yes I do, and then tell him to go away when he arrives? Who knows. They also apparently give you a shot of something to *increase* your contractions immediately after the baby is born, to help deliver the placenta. Now, my understanding is that this particular part of labour is not in any way difficult for 95% of women. This drug causes you to have contractions for 2-3 hours, which, since you're done with the whole delivery part, sounds really awful. I'm going to find out about that and how to not get it. Doesn't seem right that they can just administer drugs without your fully informed consent anyway, really. I took bioethics, I know about patient rights. They also have a habit of just doing an episiotomy without asking. I'm more than a little apprehensive about delivering here, and all this new news is not helping. This is a strange place we've wandered in to.
Sunday, March 13
time keeps ticking, ticking, ticking (whine to follow)
The carpet has been steam cleaned, the curtains are made and hung. The baby is doing something that's causing me considerable, though only occasional, shooting pain in my cervix (TMI? I don't care) and still no signs of anything else. My parents were up this weekend, as they were heading home Dad was joking that I'll be calling tonight from the hospital. I'm thinking, I hope so! I know I complain, and I think if I were a normal size, it'd be better, but nothing even fits anymore. I have literally 2 things I can wear - a giant pair of Gap maternity panel pants and my overalls. Nothing else is comfortable or will stay up to cover me, and the shirts are all too short. I put on a pair of jeans that I wore a few days ago, and had to change halfway through the day because they were cutting into me when I sat down. The baby has moved down quite a bit, so it makes things just not quite fit right. The underside of my belly is a mess of stretch marks, most of which occurred in the hospital for some reason, and I'm still getting new ones. I'm not too worried about them, they fade, but just that they are indicators of the fact that I'm still growing. I'm at about probably 2 hours of sleep a night all told, and the rest of it just spent lying on one side, trying to find a way to stop my hips from aching. If one more person tells me it's 'preparing me for what's to come!' I'm going to slap them. Seriously. I know I won't be sleeping through the nights with a newborn, but I think I'd be much better prepared to do that if I were able to get some good sleep before he comes! It could be much worse, I have managed to avoid some of the more unpleasant symptoms of pregnancy, and I'm thankful for that. I just reached the 'overwhelmingly large and uncomfortable' stage quicker than I should have, and it's wearing on me.
edit: also, I just found out today, after having checked every other day up to last friday and being told no, that I do in fact have to file reports while on sick leave (thankfully only another 2 weeks, then they start my mat leave) in order to receive money. So I've been waiting.....for nothing. I filed a month's worth today though, so hopefully I'll get something soon!
I think I'm done now.
edit: also, I just found out today, after having checked every other day up to last friday and being told no, that I do in fact have to file reports while on sick leave (thankfully only another 2 weeks, then they start my mat leave) in order to receive money. So I've been waiting.....for nothing. I filed a month's worth today though, so hopefully I'll get something soon!
I think I'm done now.
Friday, March 11
good news!
just kidding!
Talking to my sister. She gives me the cheerful advice, read in one of my mom's apparently numerous pregnancy books, that I should be wearing a pad and sleeping on a gd plastic sheet for the last few weeks. I said that I had read that only 10-15% of women's waters broke before labour started, so it seemed unnecessary, and who the hell wants to sleep on a plastic sheet? This whole 'end of pregnancy' thing has left me with little dignity, do I really need to revert to the days of possible bed-wetting? I don't have a plastic sheet. I could use one of Jr's changing pads, lol. Do you suppose that would do?
Nobody tells you about this shit before you're pregnant!
On a possibly hopeful note, I felt the baby genuinely trying to escape yesterday, I had to stop walking and made a horrible face, Grant's mom was worried. lol. Also have been having lots of bh contractions, but nothing regular, and my body just likes to mess with my head I think. Had a Dr. appt yesterday and the doc said that he (my girl dr. is away this week) could feel the baby's head quite low and couldn't move it, which is a sign he's moving into position. This also can happen weeks before labour, but I'm hoping that all my crazy symptoms will get together and start to work their magic soon. I have diapers that are only good to 10lbs! And newborn clothes! Not a lot of the latter, but still, I want to use all my stuff!
Talking to my sister. She gives me the cheerful advice, read in one of my mom's apparently numerous pregnancy books, that I should be wearing a pad and sleeping on a gd plastic sheet for the last few weeks. I said that I had read that only 10-15% of women's waters broke before labour started, so it seemed unnecessary, and who the hell wants to sleep on a plastic sheet? This whole 'end of pregnancy' thing has left me with little dignity, do I really need to revert to the days of possible bed-wetting? I don't have a plastic sheet. I could use one of Jr's changing pads, lol. Do you suppose that would do?
Nobody tells you about this shit before you're pregnant!
On a possibly hopeful note, I felt the baby genuinely trying to escape yesterday, I had to stop walking and made a horrible face, Grant's mom was worried. lol. Also have been having lots of bh contractions, but nothing regular, and my body just likes to mess with my head I think. Had a Dr. appt yesterday and the doc said that he (my girl dr. is away this week) could feel the baby's head quite low and couldn't move it, which is a sign he's moving into position. This also can happen weeks before labour, but I'm hoping that all my crazy symptoms will get together and start to work their magic soon. I have diapers that are only good to 10lbs! And newborn clothes! Not a lot of the latter, but still, I want to use all my stuff!
Wednesday, March 9
painted!
super cute giraffe lamp, no?
we're letting the stuffed animals keep the crib safe and warm until el bambino arrives.
Not too bad eh? I think it turned out really well. The colours aren't showing up quite right on here, but they are, just so you know, a pale yellow on the walls, and lavender, periwinkle, blue danube, apple green, pineapple yellow, and empire gold squares, done in toll paints. Anyway, I'm really pleased. The sponges I used were weird, they weren't just bubbly looking on the bottom, they sort of had stripes, so that's how the paint came off on the walls, but I alternated the horizontal and vertical stripes, so it looks like I planned to use that kind of sponge. It feels good to plan something all by yourself and then have it work out, let me tell you. Now all I have to do is make the curtains. I bought fabric yesterday, but only enough for one window. There are 2, so that's a bit of a problem. If the roads clear up a bit I'll head out tonight just so I have it and can get it washed and dried. If not, I have to go out tomorrow morning anyway for my 37 week checkup, so I'll swing by WM then.
I've changed my guess in the expectnet pool to March 21st, because I think the first day of spring would be a lovely day to be born. I've already lost my own pool twice, so what's the difference. I'll be locking it, if I remember, at the end of today, just to let you slackers get your guesses in if you want to. I mentioned in the comments for the last post (which actually ended up being almost a post in itself) that we've chosen a name, which is pretty great. It was one that we had thought of in the very beginning, but Grant didn't like it for some reason. His reason turned out to be bunk, so we're going with it, and I'm happy. I'm not telling you all what it is, you can wait, and hopefully it won't be too much longer!
Tuesday, March 8
well look at that
after all that fuss of needing to be on bedrest, looks like jr. wasn't ready to meet the world early after all. Tomorrow, I'll be 37 weeks. That's 'officially' full term, for those of you new to the baby-making game. Apparently the rule is if the baby makes it to 37 weeks and is over 5lbs (check and check), then you've made it. I had a feeling that would happen. I also had a feeling that just for fun, I'd go over my due date. I'm sincerely hoping that doesn't happen. That'd be up to 5 more weeks, and I don't think you all want to hear me bitch and moan for that long, do you? Once I have the baby, I'll have all new aches and things to complain about. Wooh! Hey, at least it'll be different material.
Today I have a few things to do, but nothing terribly exciting. I'm going to try to do the border around the baby's room, and see if we can find a more interesting shade for the ceiling light. They didn't have them at Canadian Tire or WalMart, so I'm going to try to find an actual lighting store here, and see if they can help. I know we had fun shades in our rooms when we were little. Oh, also going to look for fabric for curtains. We found some cute stuff yesterday at WM, it's black background and has really cute (but not cutesy) little animals printed all over it. We left that to go to Fabricville, and they had really nothing at all that I'd want to put in my baby boy's room. Lots of cute pink things for girls, but that's not really good. Random people are still asking me "When are you due??". That's great, I love it.
Today I have a few things to do, but nothing terribly exciting. I'm going to try to do the border around the baby's room, and see if we can find a more interesting shade for the ceiling light. They didn't have them at Canadian Tire or WalMart, so I'm going to try to find an actual lighting store here, and see if they can help. I know we had fun shades in our rooms when we were little. Oh, also going to look for fabric for curtains. We found some cute stuff yesterday at WM, it's black background and has really cute (but not cutesy) little animals printed all over it. We left that to go to Fabricville, and they had really nothing at all that I'd want to put in my baby boy's room. Lots of cute pink things for girls, but that's not really good. Random people are still asking me "When are you due??". That's great, I love it.
Thursday, March 3
my baby has hair. and naughty bits.
Which were really cool, and pretty funny respectively, to see on the monitor at my ultarsound. Things are very different here from Moncton, I have to say. It's all very 'take a number, go sit down and wait' here. Also, they say that someone can come with you into the ultrasound room, but they fail to mention that they can't come in during the actual ultrasound when they're doing the measuring and so on. I didn't even get to see the monitor while she was doing all her scanning and measuring. They do all that, then go get the father (or whoever) and then you both get a sort of show where the tech just scans the baby and points out fun things like an open mouth or an ear, or in our case hair. Also the naughty bits, she's like, 'we can't actually come out and tell you what it is, but if you can't see that, you're blind.' So it all ended up fine, and I was able to drop off my pre-registration form. I didn't get a tour, but I'm not really worried about it, it doesn't really matter since I have limited (no) other options as to where to deliver this baby. Anyway, the most fun news of all today was that the baby already weighs 7lbs 2oz. I'm assuming there's some margin of error for the measurement, but I asked about it and the tech was like, 'oh, no, it's very accurate.' Super. They gain about 1/2lb a week now, so I'm saying seriously, any day now is great.
That's about it, my bags are packed, the baby's room is being painted as I type, everything is washed and ready to go. The tech said her best guess is 2-3 weeks, but very unlikely 4. I was like, and maybe one? She laughed and said that you never know, it's really impossible to know for sure, but more likely sooner than later, given the size of the baby and the extra fluid still floating around in there. She also said that she's never seen a baby so active at this stage, usually they're all curled up and you just get the occasional hand or foot movement. This guy's not doing any head-over-feet flips (he's still head down, and likely to stay that way, which is good), but he's still rolling side to side and moving his arms and legs all over the place. He's making full use of his expanded living area. So, that's all my news for now. Keep sending your 'go into labour' vibes my way, please. hehe.
That's about it, my bags are packed, the baby's room is being painted as I type, everything is washed and ready to go. The tech said her best guess is 2-3 weeks, but very unlikely 4. I was like, and maybe one? She laughed and said that you never know, it's really impossible to know for sure, but more likely sooner than later, given the size of the baby and the extra fluid still floating around in there. She also said that she's never seen a baby so active at this stage, usually they're all curled up and you just get the occasional hand or foot movement. This guy's not doing any head-over-feet flips (he's still head down, and likely to stay that way, which is good), but he's still rolling side to side and moving his arms and legs all over the place. He's making full use of his expanded living area. So, that's all my news for now. Keep sending your 'go into labour' vibes my way, please. hehe.
Wednesday, March 2
one more appointment, down
hopefully one of the last ones! I do like my new doctor, and even her receptionist seems nice, so she must have just been having one bitch of a day when I called that first time. Dr Mills wrote me a note so I can finally activate my damn EI sick leave claim, which is good. The woman at the HRDC office actually recognised my name when I went in to drop off my paperwork today, which is kind of funny. They had just gotten my file from Moncton, because they thought I was continuing my claim from last summer. No, that expires in June, thanks. So she's got it all straightened out for me, they have all the paperwork they need, and hopefully I can start getting my maternity pittance soon.
The appointment was uneventful, as usual. A little quicker than last time, but still an hour by the time I got in and out. My giant belly is measuring 39.5 (weeks, I assume), which is "generous", by Dr. Mills's description. She's too polite to say effin 'uge. She said everything looks and sounds good though, and the baby still seems to be head down, which is very good, and we'll find out for sure tomorrow at my ultrasound. I've gained a total of 21lbs, which doesn't seem like very much, but she said it's normal. I've actually gone down a pound from last week, which is normal at this stage. Should make it easier to get back to pre-preggo me though. Not that pre-preggo me was any great shakes, but it was decent.
The appointment was uneventful, as usual. A little quicker than last time, but still an hour by the time I got in and out. My giant belly is measuring 39.5 (weeks, I assume), which is "generous", by Dr. Mills's description. She's too polite to say effin 'uge. She said everything looks and sounds good though, and the baby still seems to be head down, which is very good, and we'll find out for sure tomorrow at my ultrasound. I've gained a total of 21lbs, which doesn't seem like very much, but she said it's normal. I've actually gone down a pound from last week, which is normal at this stage. Should make it easier to get back to pre-preggo me though. Not that pre-preggo me was any great shakes, but it was decent.
Tuesday, March 1
I'm like a cat
I guess. Except that I want to kill my cats almost every night. See, I can't sleep in bed. I can, but only for a few hours in the morning, not at night. I can nap a bit on the couch, but it's just getting uncomfortable to be me, in any position. Standing up isn't too bad, but it's not really all that restful. So I've basically become nocturnal, and..dayurnal, because I'm not really sleeping any time. It's super fun. Being awake at night is really annoying when you have cats. I hear every trip to the litter box, every jump on and off the bed, every (generally short-lived) chase up and down the hallway. I'm sure they've been doing all this every night since we got them, but I haven't been awake to hear it all.
I think the baby might have dropped a bit, when I'm standing up I seem to actually have room between my boobs and my stomach, which is nice for breathing. When I sit down it doesn't seem to matter, there's no room for the baby to go anywhere but...everywhere, like my lungs and bladder. Frigging giant baby. I haven't heard from the hospital about when my ultrasound is going to be (this week, supposedly), and I haven't gotten word that my doctor in Moncton has written me a note saying that yes, I've been on sick leave. It's really hard to open an EI sick leave claim without that letter, let me tell you. I'm going to ask my new dr tomorrow if she can write me a note, and if not, I'll just go down to the HRDC office and give them the rest of my paperwork, and see if they'll just start me on my mat leave now. It's less than a month til I'm due, and I can't go more than the 2 weeks I've gone now without getting some money. Mat leave pay is sad enough, I need to at least get it.
edit: my new, fantastic Moncton doctor is now on vacation. That's going to make it *really* hard to get a letter from him saying I'm on sick leave. Jackass. I will try my doctor here, and if not, go with plan B.
I think the rest of today will be spent trying to organise this mess we're trying to call an office. It's tricky, because it only has these weird little shelves, and a giant, built-in desk attached to the wall with one drawer. Not a lot of place to store things. Ideally, I'd like to put my artsy / crafty stuff in here, I should be able to fit it on one corner of the desk, just so it's out of the way and somewhat organised. Currently everything is either piled on the desk, including the cpu for the computer, because there is no hole through the desk to thread cables...or still in boxes on the floor and futon. Good times. It's not a tonne of stuff, but it's a small room, which makes it seem a bit overwhelming. I'll let you know how it works out, and if putting stuff away induces labour. Here's hoping!
I think the baby might have dropped a bit, when I'm standing up I seem to actually have room between my boobs and my stomach, which is nice for breathing. When I sit down it doesn't seem to matter, there's no room for the baby to go anywhere but...everywhere, like my lungs and bladder. Frigging giant baby. I haven't heard from the hospital about when my ultrasound is going to be (this week, supposedly), and I haven't gotten word that my doctor in Moncton has written me a note saying that yes, I've been on sick leave. It's really hard to open an EI sick leave claim without that letter, let me tell you. I'm going to ask my new dr tomorrow if she can write me a note, and if not, I'll just go down to the HRDC office and give them the rest of my paperwork, and see if they'll just start me on my mat leave now. It's less than a month til I'm due, and I can't go more than the 2 weeks I've gone now without getting some money. Mat leave pay is sad enough, I need to at least get it.
edit: my new, fantastic Moncton doctor is now on vacation. That's going to make it *really* hard to get a letter from him saying I'm on sick leave. Jackass. I will try my doctor here, and if not, go with plan B.
I think the rest of today will be spent trying to organise this mess we're trying to call an office. It's tricky, because it only has these weird little shelves, and a giant, built-in desk attached to the wall with one drawer. Not a lot of place to store things. Ideally, I'd like to put my artsy / crafty stuff in here, I should be able to fit it on one corner of the desk, just so it's out of the way and somewhat organised. Currently everything is either piled on the desk, including the cpu for the computer, because there is no hole through the desk to thread cables...or still in boxes on the floor and futon. Good times. It's not a tonne of stuff, but it's a small room, which makes it seem a bit overwhelming. I'll let you know how it works out, and if putting stuff away induces labour. Here's hoping!