38 and 39 weeks

"Are you at the point where people are picking up the phone saying “Is the baby coming?!” when you call?

 

It’s right around this time that there’s a slooow shift from you being perceived as a glowing woman that is creating life, into a fat husk that’s hoarding that adorable baby they all want to see.

 

Some people can actually start getting a little testy as if you’re not going into labour on purpose.

 

Very few women go into labour on their due date (fewer than 5%) so try not to do what I did and count down the days to your due date figuring that’s when the baby would get here because it rarely happens.

 

How do you know if you’re in labour though?

 

Passing your mucus plug. Ah yes, the mucus plug. Once again medical professions have outdone themselves with the most disgusting terminology they could come up with.

 

Essentially you’ve lost the seal that kept your cervix closed for the pass nine months. It may come out as a lump or as increased discharge over a few days. The mucus may be tinted with red or brown, which is referred to as “bloody show”. Yep, bloody show.

 

I think we should refer to it as a baby cork and womb sealant.

 

No need to worry because it just means that the lid is off – labour could start in a couple of hours or even a couple of weeks. Just mention it to your medical practitioner when you see them next. Unless there’s blood, like real bright red bleeding, which could indicate issues with your placenta so shuffle off to hospital stat if you spot that.

 

Contractions are a good hint but Braxton Hicks contractions are always lurking to make you feel like a dummy for hitting the “show time” button. Try walking around if you have them though. Braxton Hicks contractions usually fade if you’re up and moving around versus sitting. Contractions also tend to get more intense with walking so that’s a good clue. If they start coming at regular intervals and increase in frequency, you’re probably ready to rock and roll. What you’re waiting for is 1-5-1, which is having contractions that are 1 minute long, every 5 minutes, for 1 hour. If you’re high risk your practitioner will probably want you in sooner.

 

Water breaking. You know how in movies a woman is always standing at a party while she delivers her “Oh my God, my water just broke” line accompanied by a gush of water? Well, this doesn’t happen to many women. In fact, most women are well into labour before their water breaks.

 

It is more likely to be a leak rather than a gush although those are sometimes hard to distinguish from sneaky urine and vaginal discharge, which are two other delightful side effects when you’re this pregnant. Easiest way to tell if you’re leaking amniotic fluid is to lie down. The fluid will pool in your vagina and come out when you stand up – pee and discharge won’t do that.

 

If you find you are leaking, pack yourself up and assume that you’ll be giving birth shortly. Once your water breaks you’ll either go into labour in the next 24 hours or your practitioner will start it for you.

 

Oh, if the fluid is green or brown call your doctor or midwife right away because that’s a sign that your baby may have pooped in utero and you don’t want the little monkey ingesting that.

 

Until that time though, I suggest you change your answering machine to “Hello, we can’t take your call right now, no, I’m not in labour, just not able to come to the phone. Leave a message and we’ll call you back later when I’m still not in labour.” Beep.

Or send them to haveyouhadthatbabyyet.com" - Pregnant Chicken

Size/Info: 20 in and 7.3 lbs is the current guess! Baby Hammitt is the size of a small watermelon, short hair cat, or box of Krispy Kreme donuts.  Her lungs are fully mature now and while she isn't growing in overall size so much she is still putting on weight and growing hair. Her brain size has increased by 30% over the last 4 weeks.  

What is new this week? (Last 2 weeks): I have still been seeing my midwife once a week and twice weekly NSTs and once weekly BPPs. Everything has been on track. My midwife has checked me a few times and at first she said that I was fingertip dilated but then said I was completely closed. Damn. Janet and Dr. B have been talking and decided they wanted to induce me at 39 weeks but as my cervix hasn't been opening - my midwife thinks we should wait. She consulted the notes from Maternal Fetal Medicine and they said I could go until 40 weeks. Then I got a phone call from my midwife and she said that her and Dr. B want to induce me on Monday at 39 weeks 4 days. Their reasoning is that it is a compromise between what Dr. B wants and what MFM wants and both of them are on call. I am really torn as I want no medical interventions BUT Dr. B's concern is still birth with my advanced maternal age. I am not sure how one decides when still birth is thrown out there and the ultimate goal is a healthy baby but I do worry that medical interventions will lead to a c-section. For now the plan is to get checked on Monday at 39 weeks 4 days and make a decision then.

Baby come out hike

We finished putting together the baby plan so now we are all set to have a baby and everything will go as planned, right?!?

Symptoms: The baby has dropped and I can BREATHE!! I have felt so much better over the last 2 weeks. I worked up through Jan 11. and since I have stopped working the swelling has all but gone away in my feet. Yay!! My acid reflux is still horrendous and my joints are killing me - my knees hurt with all this extra weight and squatting down hurts them so bad! Hands are still swelling and I feel like a walrus on dry land when rolling over in bed.

Food Aversions:  Just feed me and tell me I'm pretty.

Food Cravings: Cold beverages! If I had smaller ice I might even chew on it!

Fitness: Can I remove this already?

Bump: I think because she has dropped I look smaller at 39 weeks! My face is definitely not as swollen.

Medications: The Heparin is the WORST!!! I am SO SORE.

7:30am: 750 units of Heparin

9am: 1 Prenatal and 2 DHA

7:30pm: 750 units of Heparin

Baby Preparations: Car seat is installed. Baby changing pad made. Diaper pail liner made. I have been sewing like crazy! Yay for nesting. I replaced the batteries for the baby monitor. Jason installed the cloth diaper sprayer - what a pain in the as with our weird toilet - on a side note he fixed the flushing mechanism on the toilet and I am so happy (it's the little things!). He also built a shelf for me downstairs to help better organize our crowded space. He's so handy. We got a go-pro from a friend so we are ready to video the birth!! Now we just need baby to come out!