Friday, 38+1
It's a very early start to the morning for me as I just can't seem to sleep right now. I don't seem to be comfortable whatever position I'm in. Yesterday we went for a scan and check up and I came away with mixed feelings over it. I was hoping that the pregnancy would be progressing quicker and that I may have her soon, but seems unlikely. Everything is absolutely fine with the baby though so that is the important thing. It appears as though she is 2/5 engaged, 3/5 palpable which means she is getting quite deep into my pelvis now, but a baby needs to be 5/5 engaged before making their way out into the world so still a little way to go yet.
The scan was very thorough and very good. The placenta is in good health and there is good blood flow through the umbilical cord and to the brain. Her estimated weight at the moment is 8lb 1oz so looks like we're set for quite a sizeable baby. Initially the doctor said not to worry as weights can be out by half a pound or more, but upon closer examination he said he takes that back because she's chubby! To be honest I'm not surprised. I always thought I'd have a larger sized baby. He measured the amniotic fluid levels and the AFI score was 17 so still within the realms of normal. There is quite a large pool of amniotic fluid by her head still but the doctor doesn't think this will affect her ability to engage fully. Part of the umbilical cord is still up by her face but he said the chances of a cord prolapse would be a very minimal risk. If the cord was above her head then that would be a different story, but as the head is closer to the exit then that should drop into place first if the waters went so the cord couldn't come out. He's advised us to go straight to the hospital for examination if my waters go anyway, just to get checked out. Even if I'm not in established labour as he said you can never be too safe with these issues. I'm happy with that, even if they send me on my way home again until labour progresses further as we live very local to the hospital.
I had a scan of the cervix done and an internal examination and was told that it has started to soften but labour is not imminent. He thinks I will go closer to my due date, if not beyond it. I felt a little deflated at that point but I suppose everything happpens in good time. We still have an agreement that I will go back and see him if I get to 1 week overdue and he will write me a referal letter for an induction. So looking on the bright side I guess that means I should only have 3 weeks absolute maximum before we get to meet her, although I'm secretly hoping for a bit sooner!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Week 37 To 38
Thursday, 37+0
Today I have finally reached "full term" and I'm feeling very happy about it! What a landmark to reach, especially when it all seemed so far away in the early days. This means our little one could be putting in an appearance any time soon. To be honest I feel ready to meet her now so anytime she wants to come out, she would be more than welcome! We seem to be all sorted in the other aspects of our lives. We're finally picking the car up from the garage this afternoon (it's only been there two weeks!), we have found our new apartment to move into, all the last of the baby items have been bought and the hospital bags are packed and ready. So little lady, we're ready when you are!
Last night I had the worst case of indigestion ever. It made me feel so miserable and I didn't know what to do with myself. The pain was horrendous and nothing would shift it or ease it. I took my stomach ulcer medication as that usually does the trick but it didn't seem to touch the sides. The pain went on for about three hours getting stronger in waves. I think poor Chris was worried that it might be more than just indigestion and there was a time when I was wondering that too! I kept thinking to myself, how am I going to cope with labour when I can't even cope with this?! I managed to lay down at 2.30am and get some sleep but I can still feel it rumbling around in the background this morning so I guess I better watch what I eat today.
I think it was maybe brought on by the baby moving position. I'm not sure if she's starting to engage now as two days ago I started getting shooting pains in my cervix and feeling like I needed to wee every 10 minutes. It also felt like my bladder was being head butted! I noticed yesterday that I also had increasing lower back pain around the coccyx area and it felt like the baby was pushing her bottom up in between my ribs. I'm hoping all this pain was for the greater good and when I go and see the doctor next week she'll be engaged and ready to go. She's still wriggling around like anything this morning!
Sunday, 37+3
I've been getting quite a bit of pressure in my cervix and shooting pains on and off for the last couple of days. They've been accompanied by mild contractions and lower backache around the coccyx area too. A few of the contractions have been stronger and I've had to stop what I'm doing and breathe through them. I'm seriously hoping that things are starting to warm up for me now and while I don't think I'm about to go into labour anytime soon I at least hope that this is a sign of the baby engaging.
Anyway, here are a couple of bump pictures taken this evening. We thought we better do them now just in case things start to happen and we don't get another chance! I feel huge!
Today I have finally reached "full term" and I'm feeling very happy about it! What a landmark to reach, especially when it all seemed so far away in the early days. This means our little one could be putting in an appearance any time soon. To be honest I feel ready to meet her now so anytime she wants to come out, she would be more than welcome! We seem to be all sorted in the other aspects of our lives. We're finally picking the car up from the garage this afternoon (it's only been there two weeks!), we have found our new apartment to move into, all the last of the baby items have been bought and the hospital bags are packed and ready. So little lady, we're ready when you are!
Last night I had the worst case of indigestion ever. It made me feel so miserable and I didn't know what to do with myself. The pain was horrendous and nothing would shift it or ease it. I took my stomach ulcer medication as that usually does the trick but it didn't seem to touch the sides. The pain went on for about three hours getting stronger in waves. I think poor Chris was worried that it might be more than just indigestion and there was a time when I was wondering that too! I kept thinking to myself, how am I going to cope with labour when I can't even cope with this?! I managed to lay down at 2.30am and get some sleep but I can still feel it rumbling around in the background this morning so I guess I better watch what I eat today.
I think it was maybe brought on by the baby moving position. I'm not sure if she's starting to engage now as two days ago I started getting shooting pains in my cervix and feeling like I needed to wee every 10 minutes. It also felt like my bladder was being head butted! I noticed yesterday that I also had increasing lower back pain around the coccyx area and it felt like the baby was pushing her bottom up in between my ribs. I'm hoping all this pain was for the greater good and when I go and see the doctor next week she'll be engaged and ready to go. She's still wriggling around like anything this morning!
Sunday, 37+3
I've been getting quite a bit of pressure in my cervix and shooting pains on and off for the last couple of days. They've been accompanied by mild contractions and lower backache around the coccyx area too. A few of the contractions have been stronger and I've had to stop what I'm doing and breathe through them. I'm seriously hoping that things are starting to warm up for me now and while I don't think I'm about to go into labour anytime soon I at least hope that this is a sign of the baby engaging.
Anyway, here are a couple of bump pictures taken this evening. We thought we better do them now just in case things start to happen and we don't get another chance! I feel huge!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Week 36 To 37
Thursday, 36+0
I can't believe that at the end of this week I will be classed as full-term! Rather scary to think that our little lady could be putting in an appearance any time onwards from then. We really do have so much to sort out before she arrives. Tomorrow we're going to take a trip to Gibraltar to get the last of the things we need for the hospital bag and odds and ends of baby bits. Our car is still in the garage and it looks like we're facing a rather large repair bill. We have to find a new apartment between now and the next couple of weeks also, as we've out grown this one. So much to do, so little time.
Anyway, I had some good news today from the doctor. I got the results of my Group B Strep test back and thankfully it was negative. I am so relieved as if it was positive then we were looking at a bit of a problem. They administer antibiotics in labour to help protect the baby from Strep B as it passes through the birth canal, but I'm allergic to the main three groups they use to treat it. This meant they were going to have to send a culture off to the lab and try and cross match it with something safe for me to take. If not, they were talking about a c-section as it would have been the safest way to get the baby out without causing any risk of the infection. Strep B is particularly dangerous to newborns, so to say I'm relieved I don't have it is an understatement!
I have made one more appointment with my doctor when I reach 38 weeks to check and see if the baby is engaged. He initially said to wait until 39 weeks but I've been stressing a little about this since my appointment last week. Because I'm carrying towards the upper level of fluid there is always a risk that the baby can't engage properly and if the waters then go before engagement there is always a risk of cord prolapse, particularly if the waters go in a gush rather than a trickle. So, we're going to have a check in two weeks and if still no engagement then we'll discuss what to do next.
I can't believe that at the end of this week I will be classed as full-term! Rather scary to think that our little lady could be putting in an appearance any time onwards from then. We really do have so much to sort out before she arrives. Tomorrow we're going to take a trip to Gibraltar to get the last of the things we need for the hospital bag and odds and ends of baby bits. Our car is still in the garage and it looks like we're facing a rather large repair bill. We have to find a new apartment between now and the next couple of weeks also, as we've out grown this one. So much to do, so little time.
Anyway, I had some good news today from the doctor. I got the results of my Group B Strep test back and thankfully it was negative. I am so relieved as if it was positive then we were looking at a bit of a problem. They administer antibiotics in labour to help protect the baby from Strep B as it passes through the birth canal, but I'm allergic to the main three groups they use to treat it. This meant they were going to have to send a culture off to the lab and try and cross match it with something safe for me to take. If not, they were talking about a c-section as it would have been the safest way to get the baby out without causing any risk of the infection. Strep B is particularly dangerous to newborns, so to say I'm relieved I don't have it is an understatement!
I have made one more appointment with my doctor when I reach 38 weeks to check and see if the baby is engaged. He initially said to wait until 39 weeks but I've been stressing a little about this since my appointment last week. Because I'm carrying towards the upper level of fluid there is always a risk that the baby can't engage properly and if the waters then go before engagement there is always a risk of cord prolapse, particularly if the waters go in a gush rather than a trickle. So, we're going to have a check in two weeks and if still no engagement then we'll discuss what to do next.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Week 35 To 36
Thursday, 35+0
I'm just back from the final ob/gynae appointment before I am signed over to the hospital. We had a full scan of the baby to check her growth, blood flow through the brain, umbilical cord and placental function. She is growing really well and on schedule for her due date. She is currently weighing in at an estimated 6lbs 2oz which if she continues on this growth trend would be an estimated birth weight between 8 and 8.5lbs. She appears to be really healthy with adequate blood flow to the brain and through the umbilical cord. The doctor said the placenta is in very good condition and looks like a 20 week placenta still, so no problems there.
We had a really good look at her face and she is so beautiful. Even the doctor commented on what a pretty face she has. He checked the lie of the umbilical cord and it is clear of her neck so he doesn't envisage any problems for delivery. Also her head is clear of the placenta so it all looks straightforward for a normal vaginal birth. I have a good level of amniotic fluid still so haven't been losing any. The AFI score is about 18 which is towards the upper end of the scale but still within the normal range. Anything above 22 is cause for concern. The doctor was amazed that she had her hands clasped together with her fingers interlocking like she was praying. He said in all the scans he's done, he's only ever seen this about two other times as it's not a standard function for a fetus to perform. He joked that we maybe have a religious leader in the making - she must get that from the Murphy side of the family!
Upon initial examination the doctor thought that she was 3/5 engaged as her head is very deep in my pelvis but when he manually checked the cervix he said she wasn't engaged at all yet, just getting in position ready. Apparently my cervix is still unripened so not looking like an early delivery. I had a swab sample taken for Group B Strep and will get the results in a few days. Also I had a shot of anti-d to counteract the rhesus -ve factor. My blood pressure was within the normal range of 134/81 and I've only gained 1.4kgs. We've decided that I will go back to see the doctor at 39 weeks just to check the baby is engaged. In the meantime I will get my blood pressure checked weekly in the local pharmacy. The doctor was very happy with my health, the pregnancy so far and the health of the baby, so right now it's all looking good!
I'm just back from the final ob/gynae appointment before I am signed over to the hospital. We had a full scan of the baby to check her growth, blood flow through the brain, umbilical cord and placental function. She is growing really well and on schedule for her due date. She is currently weighing in at an estimated 6lbs 2oz which if she continues on this growth trend would be an estimated birth weight between 8 and 8.5lbs. She appears to be really healthy with adequate blood flow to the brain and through the umbilical cord. The doctor said the placenta is in very good condition and looks like a 20 week placenta still, so no problems there.
We had a really good look at her face and she is so beautiful. Even the doctor commented on what a pretty face she has. He checked the lie of the umbilical cord and it is clear of her neck so he doesn't envisage any problems for delivery. Also her head is clear of the placenta so it all looks straightforward for a normal vaginal birth. I have a good level of amniotic fluid still so haven't been losing any. The AFI score is about 18 which is towards the upper end of the scale but still within the normal range. Anything above 22 is cause for concern. The doctor was amazed that she had her hands clasped together with her fingers interlocking like she was praying. He said in all the scans he's done, he's only ever seen this about two other times as it's not a standard function for a fetus to perform. He joked that we maybe have a religious leader in the making - she must get that from the Murphy side of the family!
Upon initial examination the doctor thought that she was 3/5 engaged as her head is very deep in my pelvis but when he manually checked the cervix he said she wasn't engaged at all yet, just getting in position ready. Apparently my cervix is still unripened so not looking like an early delivery. I had a swab sample taken for Group B Strep and will get the results in a few days. Also I had a shot of anti-d to counteract the rhesus -ve factor. My blood pressure was within the normal range of 134/81 and I've only gained 1.4kgs. We've decided that I will go back to see the doctor at 39 weeks just to check the baby is engaged. In the meantime I will get my blood pressure checked weekly in the local pharmacy. The doctor was very happy with my health, the pregnancy so far and the health of the baby, so right now it's all looking good!
Her religious experience!
Monday, 35+4
Yesterday Chris and I attended an active birthing workshop with two other couples from our antenatal classes. It was a three hour workshop where we covered all the helpful positions from early labour, through the second stage, to delivery. It was full of useful information about how your partner can support you physically and mentally, massage techniques etc. It was a great course run by a very good friend of ours who is also going to be present throughout labour and at the birth too. She made it sound so easy and basic - if only! I'm finding I have far more confidence now in the run up to the birth as I feel I'm as prepared as I'm ever going to be. Must finish packing that hospital bag though! I think between her with her knowledge and earth mother approach and Chris' laid back attitude, I will hopefully be headed for a calm, natural experience. If only it didn't have to take place in the hospital I'd be even happier, but I guess there is something a little exciting about going and "checking-in"!
Yesterday Chris and I attended an active birthing workshop with two other couples from our antenatal classes. It was a three hour workshop where we covered all the helpful positions from early labour, through the second stage, to delivery. It was full of useful information about how your partner can support you physically and mentally, massage techniques etc. It was a great course run by a very good friend of ours who is also going to be present throughout labour and at the birth too. She made it sound so easy and basic - if only! I'm finding I have far more confidence now in the run up to the birth as I feel I'm as prepared as I'm ever going to be. Must finish packing that hospital bag though! I think between her with her knowledge and earth mother approach and Chris' laid back attitude, I will hopefully be headed for a calm, natural experience. If only it didn't have to take place in the hospital I'd be even happier, but I guess there is something a little exciting about going and "checking-in"!
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