Pregnancy has crawled by and flown by. The first trimester lasted an eternity, and now the due date is only a little over a month away and that seems awfully soon. All of the sudden the fact that I will be giving birth in the near future has become quite real. Some of the signs of the end have started to appear:
1. The doctor told me on Monday that if I go into labor at week 35 they will not try to stop it and I will just have the baby. I replied, "But that's next week!" He nodded. I went into mild shock.
2. Sometime between that doctor visit and the next morning I believe the baby "dropped" or at least began to descend. My tummy has changed shape, and I can no longer see my hybrid navel (half innie, half outie) without looking in the mirror. They say this happens in first pregnancy about 2-4 weeks before the beginning of labor, but I may prove exceptional in this regard, too, and stretch it out longer or manage to wind up in labor sooner.
3. About the same time, I started having shooting pains in my right hip, along with the conviction that at the slightest provocation my hip would pop right off of my pelvis. Okay, so that's unlikely, but it sure feels like it when I stand up to discover that it is hip fun time.
4. I have this very urgent desire to do several things before the baby comes, such as going to a movie in a theater (which we did on Monday) and going to a baseball game for a local team (which we have yet to do). In short, I am wanting to do the things I think won't come easily in a month or so, and while I am afraid to buy tickets to anything in advance, if I feel up to a trip out to do anything fun, I've become quite spontaneous about doing it.
5. I've started nesting. I think I have done about 5 loads of laundry and a load of dishes today. I even rearranged some things downstairs to make room for the pack-n-play. This is unusual for pregnant me. Seriously.
6. I have started watching birth-related TV shows like there is no tomorrow. I then cry at every birth and watch another one a few minutes later. *sigh*
7. I'm still following the rules quite faithfully, but I am getting really tired of my gestational diabetes lifestyle and am counting down to the due date with all of the insane fervor of the ice-cream-deprived pregnant woman I am. I don't crave pickles and ice cream, but the ice cream alone would be such a marvelous indulgence... it makes me weepy to think about it!
8. I've graduated to OB visits every week.
In short, I'm fine... if a little worried that the hip issue will make me less mobile in a hurry and a tiny bit concerned about the prospect of preterm labor. I'm looking forward to my next OB appointment, since they will be checking my cervix. I have begun to wonder if I have any other physical signs of preparation for labor, and that will likely tell me about one of the most critical. My blood pressure is also creeping back up a little, so I will be keeping a close eye on that. I'm not feeling too anxious for it all to be over yet since it's really too early for the little guy to make his appearance and that knowledge tempers my enthusiasm, but I am looking forward to the next step in the journey and can see how I will probably ramp up my expectations as the days and weeks pass.
Baby seems to be fine, too. His heartrate is around 130 and he's measuring 1 cm large, which is exactly what he has been since they started measuring. That's a good sign, and that he's not growing any bigger than that may be part of the payoff for my lifestyle discipline. He seems to be a bit more cramped in there, but he can still manage to beat up my insides pretty well.
Yeah... we're looking forward to meeting him... but we can wait a few weeks! :)
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6 comments:
Glad to hear your discipline is paying off. I wonder if I would have had your discipline. Remember that I stopped at the ice cream shop after my doctor visits. I think you must have come along on at least one of my escapades. After all, walking that block from the doctor to the shop was good exercise!
Can't wait to meet my grandson and see you and Dan!
Hi, Nikki.
If you haven't already, you might want to consider seeing a chiropractor who specializes in helping pregnant women.
Sometimes labor is late, stalls, doesn't progress fast enough, or just plain hurts way more than it should if your body is out of whack. I know Katie J. had bad hip pain and went into labor after getting adjusted.
I think misalignment is partly why I had so much pain and didn't progress with Katherine's birth. This time I learned my lesson and am seeing a chiropractor every other week during pregnancy.
You might look here for to find a family chiropractor: http://www.icpa4kids.com/locator/index.htm
Oh, are you using a doula for labor support?
Hi Jen,
Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't seen a chiropractor (or even really thought about it, even though it sounds obvious once you mention it). :) I also haven't enlisted the help of a doula, although I looked pretty carefully into that possibility. The decision not to hire one came down to finances, since I love the idea -- especially for a first birth. I would probably *really* benefit from a calm and reassuring coaching presence.
I think our insurance might cover chiropractic since it is a PPO and covers just about everything to some extent. I'll have to look into that. I have a tricky lower back anyway, so the hip issue is just adding insult to my existing back pinches and pains.
Wow... I feel like I'm doing more than my share of whining right about now!
...
Mom,
We'll look forward to seeing you, too. When are you planning to come out? Are you waiting for a specific physical sign of labor or a birth announcement or...? I was just talking to Erin yesterday about how quickly her active labor was completed. I can only hope to take after her that way, but if I do, it's not like you are likely to be able to hop on a plane in time. :)
You're already in the Mom club.. but birth makes it official. :) There is a hormone that relaxes the pelvic floor for birth. Unfortunately it also works on all other joints, especially hips. Jen has a good lead on that.
Give thanks to God that you have a PPO. Bob picked up another insurance while he had that bus job and it's a HMO with high co-pays. I've gotta shell out $400 minimum to have one dubiously-placed high pressure screw removed from my bum knee on Wednesday, outpatient surgery! Desired result: some pain relief.
Rachel arrived safely in California yesterday to see Thomas and friends for about a month (to 7/27). Sounds like I should pray for her safe return and your successful delivery, IN THAT ORDER. :D :D :D
PS. If Ian holds on for another two weeks, you may be saying to your doctor: "You went to a delivery and I wasn't invited!!"
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