Induction Scheduled

Annah is a happy girl, playing in the den today.

I feel pretty icky and blechy today.  I forgot I was going to have to get up early today, and I stayed up until 11:00 last night.  So, even though I slept okay, I woke up tired.  I had several BH contractions just on my way to the doctor's office this morning.

     

My appointment with the doctor turned out kind of how I expected, but was hoping it wouldn't.  I was so glad Jeremy was there with me.  He didn't really need to be, but it made me feel better having him there, and it allowed us to discuss things together.

     

After my exam, Dr. W asked if I still did not want to be induced.   I told her, "If you think it's okay."  She said she couldn't tell me she thinks it's okay.  She said after 38 weeks, nothing good happens, and she feels it is better to induce at that point as long as the cervix is inducible.  She talked for a while about several reasons she felt very strongly that we should go ahead with an induction as soon as possible.  

     

She asked if I had to have forceps or anything for Annah, and I told her no.  She said my tailbone is tipped way down, and that would greatly increase my chances of having a C-section if the baby is too big.  And, I know my cervix is tipped really far back, which adds to that same problem.  These two things really concern me, because I really do not want to have a C-section!  

     

Dr. W said that Jeremy and I should talk while we waited for me to be put on the monitor and decide what we wanted to do about being induced or not.   We discussed it and decided that we would schedule an induction for Thursday or Friday.  

     

I was hooked up to the monitor (for non-stress testing) for about 20 minutes.  The baby's heartrate was between 120's and low 140's except for when it moved--then it was in the 160's.  They said things looked fine, and that I could go home.  We told the nurse that we decided to go ahead and schedule the induction, so she did it for us.  Dr. W said she thinks we're smart for doing so.

     

So, if we don't go in on our own beforehand, we're scheduled to go to the hospital just after midnight on Wednesday (actually Thursday) to be induced.  I guess that means Baby L will be born on March 6.  It's very strange knowing that...although I feel icky enough, I think I could labor on my own before then.  

past the duedate

Apparently, Baby Lopshire wasn't as excited about being born on 03/03/03 as Mommy & Daddy.  Unless we go into labor RIGHT NOW and have a really fast labor, it just ain't hap'nin' today.

     

We did have an ultrasound this afternoon.  The technician said that the baby appears to be about 8 pounds (between 7 lbs. 12 oz. and 8 lbs. 9 oz.) right now.  She also said that the placenta is pretty well calcified.  That concerns me more than the baby's weight.  8 pounds doesn't seem too big to me--Annah was 8 lbs. 12.8 oz.  Oh, and the baby's heartrate was 132 today.

     

So, we'll see what Dr. W says tomorrow morning...  My prediction is that she will be concerned about the calcification of the placenta and will want to induce me on Thursday or Friday.  And, if she truly is concerned, then I will be okay with whatever she advises.  I do not want to risk putting any unnecessary stress on the baby!

     

My mom just called a bit ago, and they are expecting a winter snow storm tomorrow evening and

Annah playing dress-up

Wednesday morning.  So, she is just going to come on over tomorrow afternoon!  Yay!  I'm excited for her to be here (So is Annah; she can't wait!!), and it will be nice not to have to worry about getting Annah dropped off anywhere when we go into labor.  (That is assuming we don't go into labor tonight, of course. ;)

    

     We realized today that we really have a lot of friends and family who are expecting babies this year.  It's so exciting!  Here's the current list:

March
Wes & Kim - #1, a girl
Niki & Russ - #1, a girl
June
Amy & Brock - #1, a girl
July
Marci & Adam - #1, a boy
Eric & Marti - #3
August
Wendy & Jim - #2
Joe & Brandy -  #1
September
Tanya & Mike - #1 together
Suzanne & Matt - #1

When are you due?

"A baby will make love stronger, days longer, nights shorter, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for."    ~ Author Unknown
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It's funny how people look at me now and say, "When is your baby due?" as if I look like I am due today!  Some try to hide their surprise when I say I still have 2 months to go, some then say, "Wow, I bet you're ready for that time to go by quickly!" and others blatantly act amazed that I could possibly have that much longer to go--as big as I look!

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My appointment with the doctor today was super-quick.  The nurse weighed me (I gained 3 pounds in the past 2 weeks, so I guess that puts me somewhere around 30 total.), and checked my specimen (oh yay).  

     

Then the doctor came in and found the heartbeat right away.   It was really loud and strong!  She showed me the monitor (or whatever you call the little checker thing she uses to find the heartrate), and it was going between 140 and 144.  So, a little higher this time, and right smack in the middle of "boy/girl" ranges. 

     

I asked Dr. W if she could tell without a sonogram if the baby was head up or down, and she said she usually can.  So, after she found the heartbeat, she checked.  She said the baby is head down right now (hallelujah!), and is way up high.  She said it will probably turn again, but I feel much better knowing that it is in the right position for now!  I thought maybe it had turned, because the kicking has been more at the top for the past few days, but I wasn't sure.  I would not have guessed that the baby is up high though, because I feel like I am carrying much lower than I did with Annah.  I guess that's how I feel I look.  

     Back in two more weeks!

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"A baby is God's opinion that life should go on."    ~ Carl Sandburg
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Ultrasound

     We have an ultrasound today!  I'm looking forward to it.   In a way, of course, I am tempted to find out the sex of the baby.  But, we really plan not to.  I didn't have an ultrasound after I was this far along with Annah, so I think it will be really cool to see how developed the baby is.

     Jeremy got me Dobson's new devotional book for parents for Christmas.  I started reading it this morning, and was absolutely bawling through the introduction!  (He was talking about when his youngest child left for college--empty nest.  It seems so far away, but as fast as Annah has grown already, I know it's "just around the corner.")   Anyway, I am so emotional these days!  I cry so easily...though, I suppose this really is not far from how I always am--pregnant or not.

     Christmas was wonderful.  Everyone kept saying to us, "Just think; next year there will be four of you!"  It is still so hard to imagine what it is going to be like!  Every time Jeremy and I talk about it, we always discuss how it is going to affect Annah.  We wonder if it will be difficult to share the love and attention equally between two children.  Last night, Jeremy said he wants to start taking Annah on dates.  I think that is a great idea.

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     The ultrasound we had today was really neat!  

The first thing we saw was that the baby already has lots of hair!  Annah had a full head of inch-long black hair when she was born, and I had just been wondering this morning about whether or not this one would.  It was really cool that we could see the hair; it was sticking up all over the baby's head!

     The technician doing the ultrasound was very good, and she pointed out lots of things, including kidneys, heart--which we could see beating--(always so cool to see!), the femur, arms and legs, feet and toes, the fact that the stomach and bladder were both full...  The baby was moving quite a bit, and we saw it moving its hands around, putting fingers in its mouth, and grabbing its toes.  It was very cool to see all of that!

     We also saw the placenta.  I asked the technician where it was in relation to the baby, and she said it is above it, just under my stomach.  I didn't realize this before, but she also explained that the placenta can be in a different place for each pregnancy.  It could be below the baby, or next to it...  It just depends where in the uterus the fertilization takes place.  I thought that was amazing!  I had no idea!

     The baby's heartrate at the time was 123.  Again, I'm thinking that sounds like it could be a boy.  (Jeremy, however, says he doesn't feel like judging by the heartrate is a reliable source.)  When we were asked before the exam started if we wanted to know the baby's sex, we said we didn't--and we stuck with that.  In fact, when it was all over, Jeremy asked her if she had seen if it was a boy or girl.  She said she wasn't really looking, but the baby had its legs kind of crossed, so she didn't try to see since we said we didn't want to know.

     We got lots of pictures today.  When the technician left the room to update my chart for the doctor, I noticed that one of the fields on the computer screen showed the estimated delivery date to be February 26.  I asked her about it when she came back in, and she said that is just by the measurements she took today, and doesn't change the original ultrasound due date of 3/3/03.  But, Jeremy now thinks we aren't going to make it past the middle of February.  He thinks this baby's coming early!

     We did also find out that the baby currently weighs 3 pounds, 8 ounces, which is right on target for 31 weeks.  (I gained 1 1/2 pounds myself in the past 2 weeks and 2 days.  However, I would estimated that the boots I was wearing today weigh at least 3/4 pound more than the tennis shoes I was wearing last time! ;) 

     We met with the doctor briefly.  She told us that the baby is currently upside down--breech.  That causes me a little worry, because the thought of a C-Section scares me to death!  But, Dr. W said there's plenty of time for the baby to turn, and that there's no cause for concern until 36 weeks.  Something else I need to be praying about!

     I asked the doctor if it's okay for me to make a birthing plan.   She said that's fine, and that's she's very laid back about everything.  We asked her for some information on childbirth classes.  (I think we're going to do one that just meets one time and is "review" class for those who have already been through a class and/or labor and delivery.) 

Dr. also told (or maybe I'd already been told?) us that we will have to have the baby at Bro-Menn hospital because of the insurance we have.  That is where we planned to go, since that's where the doctor's and also pediatrician's offices are, so that's fine.

     We really need to get cracking on picking out names!  I think we pretty much have a girl name picked, but are still having trouble with a boy one...better get going!

Glucose

     I had the standard 1-hour glucose test today.  Whoopee!   After I drank that yummy sugary drink and went and sat down for a while, I felt so exhausted I could barely move when I got up to walk a ways.  Of course, I totally forgot I was having this test today, and ate four cookies for breakfast.  Real good move there, Taryn!  I didn't have to be fasting, but that probably wasn't the wisest thing to eat--glucose test or not.  I bet I'll probably get to go do another of those lovely 3-hour tests.  Ugh.

     I didn't think I was going to see the doctor today, but I did.   It was the first time in quite a while, actually.  

The baby's heartrate was between 127-132.  Just makes me think BOY!  We'll have to wait and see though...

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  Yep, it's strep!  Jeremy actually went to the doctor on Sunday night, because he was feeling so terrible.  He was pretty sure it was strep throat, and he was right.  He is on antibiotics now, which are helping immensely, and he went back to work today. Annah and I are staying as far away from the germs as possible!

Heartbeats

     Today I had a very interesting appointment at my doctor's office.   My doctor was on vacation, but I met with the Nurse-Midwife.  She had a difficult time finding the baby's heartbeat, but the baby was kicking a lot, so we knew it was in there!  However, once she did find the heartbeat, we were listening, and all of a sudden it slowed way down and stopped for  a few seconds.  Then it started going again.  It seemed slower sounding to me than it usually had too, and the nurse said it was around 110.  She said she wanted to put me on a monitor because of how we had heard the heartbeat stop.  My own heart felt like it stopped beating when she said that.  I was scared. 

     When she got the monitor on me, she had trouble finding the heartbeat again, and I had to hold the thing pressed into my tummy the entire time.   I ended up being on the monitor for about 45 minutes or so because the baby kept moving around so the monitor couldn't pick up the heartbeat.  It was okay for about the first 10 minutes.  Then a nurse came in and tried to find the heartbeat again.   She found it faintly in another spot, but after she left, I didn't hear it again consistently for about another 10-15 minutes until she came back.  She pulled the print-out paper out and said, "This baby is just moving all over!  It doesn't want us to hear it!"  So, she had me lay down further and she found the heartbeat again.  She turned the monitor toward me so I could see the little flashing heart and the heartrate and tell whether it was picking it up or not.  That made me feel a little better.  I watched the numbers go up and down sporadically from about 118 to 144 for the next 10-15 minutes.  Finally, the nurse took the print-out to the nurse-midwife, and came back in a few minutes to say that everything looked fine.   That was a relief.

     I still wonder exactly why the baby's heartbeat stopped though.   The nurse-midwife did say that the baby could have moved so that it was lying on the umbilical cord for a moment, and it took a while to get going again.  I guess I will just assume that is what happened.

     I also wonder why the heartrate was so low.  I don't know much at all about medical things, but it just seemed really low to me.  Now, I am back to thinking it's a boy too.  Annah's heartrate was never below something in the 140's.

    Oh, and I asked how much weight I gained last month since I forgot to last time.  I gained 3 1/2 pounds last month, and 5 this past one.  No wonder I feel so big lately.  Although, when I figured it all up, it seems I've only gained 9 1/2 pounds so far.  Now, this is partially because I lost 7 right before/at the beginning of the pregnancy.  And, it could also be that my math skills are just bad!

     Back in 2 weeks for another glucose test, then back in 2 more for an ultrasound.