At Home Induction

I have never been so uncomfortable in my entire life. BD is really sick of my bitching and moaning. But I'm going to vent to you. Because I know you care. I dread sleep every night. Sleeping seems like it would be a nice release, but it makes the pain worse. I toss and turn between my left and right side and sleep with a pillow between my knees to try to be comfy, but it just makes my hips, pelvis, and back ache. But I can't lay on my back or tummy.
She keeps being a tease. I'll get really bad menstrual-like cramps, sharp pains in my pelvic/cervical area, and spasms that feel like contractions (but are not regular and I assume it's her moving around), but nothing sticks. They say that if you walk, and the pain goes away, it's just false labor. Well, I'm having plenty of that. I'm ready for the real thing!
So, even though we're moving into our apartment this weekend (we'd better, or I swear someone's gonna get punched in the face), and it would be much better to wait, I'm sick of being pregnant. So, I've been researching old wives' tales to see if any of the techniques will work for me.

Things I've tried:
Pineapple- I'm so sick of it! I eat it every day!
Walking- I'm on my feet as much as my back will allow.
Squatting- I'm starting to be able to do it for longer, but it's still no longer than 7-10 minutes at a time.
Going up stairs- I've tried this. Even two at a time.
Sitting on a birthing/exercise ball- yep. Much comfier than other options, but doesn't feel like it would do anything.
Lunges- My thighs are starting to get into shape, but no baby.
Spicy food- delicious, but ineffective.
Acupressure- apparently, there are spots that induce labor in the webbing between your thumb and index finger, and 4 finger-widths above your ankle. They didn't work.

So, basically, I'm desperate. Any other ideas? I've mostly been trying to use gravity to my advantage to get the baby's head to open my cervix up. I'm already 80% effaced, so softening isn't necessary.

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37 weeks. (FULL TERM!)

My high school bestie and college roommate, Kallie, took some belly/maternity pictures of the BD and I on Sunday. We had fun, and I can't wait to see the rest. Here's a sneak peek:



How far along? 37 weeks, 3 days.

Total Weight Gain: No idea. Somewhere around 25 lbs. I refused to look when I was weighed this morning.

Belly button: Innie. It's not gonna pop.

Stretch marks: They feel pretty gross. And look pretty gross. They had better go away after the baby, or I will constantly remind her of the beating my skin took for her everyday for the rest of her life.

Maternity clothes: Nothing is comfortable. I like loose clothing. I want to wear my normal clothes, and feel comfortable. I don't remember what that feels like.

Gender: GIRL.

Movement: She has pretty much stopped moving. I don't think she has any room left to do anything. When she moves now, it takes me by surprise. It's pretty much just after I eat, and before I go to bed.

Symptoms: My hips, lower back, and pelvis hurt constantly. It feels like everything is being ripped apart. Climbing stairs, putting on shoes and socks, and stepping into a pair of pants are all painful.

Food aversions: Nothing that I'm strongly against. I prefer to go with lighter foods rather than the heavier meat and potatoes way.

Food cravings: Yummy things. :) Lots of yogurt, fruit, cereal, orange juice. Seems like breakfast foods. Speaking of which, I want pancakes. I decided it would be a good idea to give up pop, junk food, and candy for lent. It's going well so far, and hopefully I can keep it up.

What I miss: Drinking. St. Patrick's Day is coming up on Thursday, and I REALLY wish I could have some green beer.

What I am looking forward to: We FINALLY got a date for move-in. NEXT Thursday or Friday... as they always seem to tell us. But this time we got it in writing! yay! I'm excited to move in.

Milestones: At my doctor's appointment on Friday, March 4th, I was 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I spent the week mostly on my feet... cleaning, walking, cooking, squatting... trying to move things along. Today at my appointment, I was still 2 cm dilated, but 80% effaced!!! My guess is that she'll be here before next weekend. I HOPE. Even though we don't move into our apartment until the end of the week, but I wouldn't mind if she decided to come before then... like TODAY :) BD would rather she wait.


Names we're thinking recently: Probably Rowan, Clara, or Zoey. I've recently liked Vera or Veda.

Oh! And if you enjoyed my belly pic, this post, or my blog in general, PLEASE vote for me! kthanks! :)

Oh. Hello.

It has been over a week since my last post. Ridiculous, but being in Holland makes it difficult to blog.
I ha a doctor's appointment last Friday (the 4th) and she informed me that I was 2 cm dialated and 50% effaced. Pretty nifty, eh? All of that standing/walking/squatting is paying off. On another fabulous note, I hit 37 weeks! The bean is now FULL TERM!!!! and I cannot wait to meet her.
On Sunday, my old roommate from college/bestie from high school, Kallie, took maternity pictures of BD and I. I can't wait to see how they turn out! She has also spent some time in India, and gave me 2 sari-like wraps and an instruction manual on baby-wearing. Hopefully, it's not too difficult for me to figure out.
We made some headway on the apartment, and we got (in-writing) confirmation that we will be moving in next Thursday or Friday. (Over 5 weeks from when they told us we could move in originally). Ridiculous. And it's cutting it too close for comfort to my due date. I don't like it. At all. However, we will be getting the remainder of March free because of our patience, but I would rather just have a place to live.
Lee and I were out and about the other night, and I went to the bathroom. This would be an otherwise uneventful bathroom trip, but my water broke! Or at least I thought it did. Big difference. The next section is a bit TMI, so feel free to stop reading here, if you want...
But I know you're curious. :) After peeing for over a minute, I remember thinking to myself "Wow, that's a lot of pee." Now, I've heard and been told that your water breaking can feel like a big gush, but also that it can feel like you're peeing... but you can't stop the flow of urine with your pelvic floor muscles. So... I tried to stop "peeing" and it didn't work. At this point, I started to panic a bit. Fluid kept coming out for another 4 minutes or so... and after it seemed finished, I went back to the table and told BD, "I think my water broke... but I'm gonna call the Dr.". BIG look of shock on his face. So I went in the other room and called the on-call doctor, explaining to her what had happened. I told her I was at least expecting some sort of "gush" and contraction... or at least some kind of pain... but NOTHING!
The doctor says it can happen the way I experienced it, and that it was important for me to get to the hospital quickly in case my contractions did not start on their own. I went and told BD. He became very pale and I thought he was gonna have a panic attack, or pass out or something. I was very calm throughout this whole process, and we decided it would be better if I drove. I guess I wasn't convinced that I was in labor. So to the hospital we went. I truely thought BD was gonna pass out.
I changed into a gown once we got there, and after a series of questions, they hooked me up to some monitors. They did a test which involved sticking a swab up near my cervix (TMI, I know) and testing the fluid to see if it was amniotic fluid. Which, of course, would tell us if my water had truely broken. Some contractions were showing up on the monitor, but nothing major. I was still not convinced. BD paced a bit, and we watched some TV while waiting for the results. They came in after about 30 minutes and my water had NOT broken! Yay! (*As much as I want her out... it was not a good situation. I didn't feel right about anything that was happening, so I'm happy she wasn't coming for real.) But WHAT had happened? I was stumped. I asked the nurse and she said that if the baby is pushing down hard on my bladder, there's nothing I can do to stop it from coming out once I initially relax my pelvic floor. Weird, right? So at that point, I felt real stupid for making my extra-long peeing session into such a big deal. BD teased me about it, and then sternly told the bean not to make her mama pee like that ever again because it was scary for the both of us.
The end. :)

I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be even more dialated, and I can get this baby out sometime this week. YAY! :)

Oh yeah, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE vote for my blog! It's only 2 clicks!!!! Thanks. :)

36 weeks. (That's 9 months!)

I took another legit belly pic today. :D PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE vote for my blog!

How far along? 36 weeks, 2 days.

Total Weight Gain: No idea. Somewhere around 25 lbs.

Belly button: Innie.

Stretch marks: Some days they look better, some days they look worse. When BD sees my belly, he says "my poor baby". I'm not sure if he's talking about me or the baby, but regardless, it's pretty gross. I feel like a tiger. eww.

Maternity clothes: Everything is tight now and leaves marks on my skin (mostly pants right under my belly, even sweatpants) :(

Gender: GIRL. She had better be a girl. Unless it's a boy, and he wants to wear pink. (I've already taken tags off and washed everything.) I wouldn't mind, but I know BD would. That's why everything I bought is gender-neutral.

Movement: Lots of hiccups as usual. I think she flipped because I'm feeling hiccups by my ribs, instead of down low near the underside of my belly. LAME. That means she's head-up. No good. You had better turn, little one!

Symptoms: The pain is better! Something I would never thought would happen when I hit 9 months. Which is another reason why I think she's flipped. The back pain only comes if I'm on my feet a lot, walking around and such. My inner thighs/groin area hurt a lot last week, which is why I thought she dropped into my pelvis, but it doesn't hurt as much anymore. I would rather have her head-down and deal with the pain, though. I really don't want to have a c-section. :/

Food aversions: Ehh. Not much.

Food cravings: Sugar. Mostly. This morning I made DELICIOUS pancakes. I often crave ice cream and candy. It's like being back in the second trimester. But I'm not craving it too much. I often have to remind myself to put food in my system.

What I miss: Drinking. :/ Sad, I know. I watched BD have a lot of good beer this past weekend, and I was severely jealous.

What I am looking forward to: Moving in with BD. Which will be happening THIS FRIDAY!!!! Get excited! I'm so ready to nest and make up this nursery! I think that after I spend a few days unpacking and decorating, she'll make her appearance. She's just waiting for us to feel ready. :)
I start my new job next week! I'm working with my sorority sister (she's my manager) so it will be nice to be under someone who knows my situation. I'm starting training next week, and will work until the bean comes. After she's born, I'll have my maternity leave and work as an assistant manager. :) I'm not sure what we'll do for childcare (I really don't like it at all) but we'll figure something out.

Milestones: Kind of TMI, but I lost my mucus plug. Which could mean that labor is on it's way, or that I have another month to wait. It's like a fake labor-sign. Like the groundhog seeing his shadow.

Names we're thinking recently: Unsure. I like Rowan and Elsie most. BD likes Clara and Zoey. I'm kind of hoping that when she's born, he'll get all emotional, and proud of me, and just let me pick her name. :)

Oh! And if you enjoyed my belly pic, this post, or my blog in general, PLEASE vote for me! kthanks! :)

34 weeks. (37 DAYS to go. What?!)

Well, almost 35 weeks. But I finally took a pretty legit belly picture today. Better than past ones, especially since I didn't post one at all last week. :) If you can't tell, the bean has DROPPED!

How far along? 34 weeks, 5 days.

Total Weight Gain: No idea. I refuse to check anymore.

Belly button: Innie. I STILL don't think it's gonna pop...

Stretch marks: No more than last week. I have a crazy, hopeful theory that some of them are starting to fade, thanks to my very strict, very intense skin care routine.

Maternity clothes: I've given up on being comfortable. Even my sweatpants don't fit correctly anymore. :(

Gender: GIRL.

Movement: Hiccups at least 3 or 4 times a day. She's like a little alien that morphs my tummy. It's very strange to see. It's kind of like watching a snake digest it's meal. HA.

Symptoms: PAIN. And lots of it. Back pain. ligament pain. rib pain. belly pain. breathing pain. sitting, standing, and laying pain. No position is comfortable for more than 5 minutes, but it's too much of an effort to move... so I just stay in continued discomfort. It's pretty sad, actually.

Food aversions: Anything I have to actually make.

Food cravings: Not eating! Yeah! I know! My appetite has gone down sufficiently, and I've barely had any cravings. SO WEIRD. I've heard that means baby is on her way. I have been drinking a lot of fluids... and eating lots of fruit. And I guess I want salad. Sometimes sweet things. But not too bad.

What I miss: Doing anything without my back hurting. About 4-6 times a day, I am unable to put weight on my right leg. I limp. It hurts too much.

What I am looking forward to: Moving in with BD. Finally have a date: 2 weeks from today. It seems so long. Especially since we've been on a housing hunt for 5 MONTHS now. I'm just tired of commuting. I want this over now.
I have TWO baby showers this weekend! Yes, more. Ridiculous, I know. What can I say, this little baby is loved. :) Dad's side on Saturday, Mom's side on Sunday. AND I get to see my birth mama and her husband for the FIRST TIME since coming home from Hawaii! Yay!

Milestones: I finally called my first OB and told her that I won't be coming to her anymore. I LOVE my new OB in Holland. I have an appointment on Monday, and one every week after that until the bean is born! Yay!

Names we're thinking recently: Unsure. I'm still thinking Rowan, of course. BD has moved on to Zoey. Zoey Eliza to be exact. I'm trying to like it (I am the one who suggested Zoey in the first place) but I don't love it. It's nice for other people's kids... just not mine. :) Feel free to give any suggestions!

Oh! And if you enjoyed my belly pic, this post, or my blog in general, PLEASE vote for me! kthanks! :)

33 weeks is harder than I thought.

No picture right now. I'm too grumpy.

How far along? 33 weeks, 4 days.

Total Weight Gain: 23 lbs. I've lost a couple of pounds. Not sure why, but maybe I'm burning more calories because I'm carrying around so much weight. Maybe.

Belly button: Innie. I don't think it's gonna pop...

Stretch marks: MORE! Damn it! BD said something about it this morning. :( I just hope they GO AWAY!

Maternity clothes: Continued comfort. Kinda. I mean the clothes are fine, but I'm going to be uncomfortable no matter what. I don't fit into my work pants anymore. I have to, which is annoying. Can you tell the shift in attitude? :)

Gender: GIRL! still. hopefully.

Movement: Hiccups at least twice a day. She moves my belly around sometimes. Like shakes it completely. She doesn't somersault at all anymore. I mostly get just jabs. And her hitting my ribs/organs/cervix when I have a contraction.

Symptoms: Bebe has moved down. She is somehow putting pressure on my nerves... possibly my sciatic nerve. I can't sit or walk comfortably because I can't put any pressure on my left leg. If I do, I get shooting pains up my leg and in my hip joint. I tried yoga, but it didn't go over well. At all. Too much pain. I did listen to lots of hypnobabies today, to make up for the past few days that I didn't. It ended up with a wonderful nap, which caused me to sleep through 2 alarms. But they weren't important alarms... so I'm ok with it.
She's really hurting my ribs, and I'm not really comfortable in any position. I'm in a bitching mood if you can't tell. I'm very tired of being pregnant.

Food aversions: Not much. I'll eat anything at this point. I don't eat as regularly anymore. That needs to change.

Food cravings: Spicy food, lots of yogurt, ice cream.

What I miss: Everything. BD told me yesterday that he doesn't remember me not pregnant. I'm ready to be comfortable again. Sleep through the night. Pee on a normal basis.

What I am looking forward to: Moving in with BD, as soon as this weekend! Starting my NEW job. BD's family baby shower. etc.

Milestones: Being 33 weeks preggo. New OB, I had an appointment today. I have another one in two weeks and then I go every week until she's born. We're really almost there.

Names we're thinking recently: Completely lost. I'm trying to open it up to more names. sigh.

Some sleep would be nice...

How far along? 32 weeks, 2 days.

Total Weight Gain: 25 lbs. eww.

Belly button: Still an innie.

Stretch marks: No new ones. Some seem to be fading. :)

Maternity clothes: Got some new jeans and shirts. :) yay for comfy-ness!

Gender: GIRL!

Movement: It's getting tighter in there! It's becoming more difficult for her to move around. She's getting hiccups about twice a day now. She likes to ram her head into my cervix after pushing off my ribs/liver/stomach.

Symptoms: I barely sleep anymore. I'm averaging 4-5 hours a night, and I wake up 2 or 3 times within that time frame. I've also had incredible anxiety. It's difficult to be at ease because baby-daddy and I still have yet to find a place and move in. Something that has to be done before the little bean arrives. So, my doctor put me on anti-anxiety meds. She thinks it's the only way I'll make it to 37 weeks.

Food aversions: Meat. Especially lunch meat, which is fine because I'm not supposed to have it anyway.

Food cravings: Fruit, juice, pizza, burgers, spicy food.


What I miss: Sleeping on my belly. Being able to touch my toes or do my nails. Shaving my legs. Standing up easily.

What I am looking forward to: Moving in with the baby daddy, 3 more bebe showers, giving birth, NOT being pregnant, cuddling with my little girl. :)

Milestones: Being 32 weeks. That's 8 months. Holy crap. We're almost there. :) If she can just stay in there for another 4-5 weeks, she can come anytime.


Names we're thinking recently: ROWAN. I will convince him. I will.

I want cheesecake.

Granola-belly. :)


How far along? 31 weeks, 1 day.

Total Weight Gain: 24 lbs. still. I hope.

Belly button: Still an innie.

Stretch marks: No new ones. Lee very nicely pointed some out yesterday, though. He used to tell me that I was crazy, that there were no stretch marks. He's seen them for himself. He believes me now.

Maternity clothes: My weekend has consisted of sweatpants and t-shirts. I feel best in my undies because my yoga pants are even starting to put pressure under the belly. This does not feel good.

Gender: GIRL!

Movement: She makes me think I'm having contractions sometimes, because the top of my belly gets really hard and uncomfortable, and my back hurts simultaneously. Found out that she's pushing off against the back and pushing her butt up against my belly. You can even feel her lil butt cheeks. I have to admit, it's a very weird sensation. Lee is freaked out. He asked that I not make him feel it again... for the 10th time last night. :)

Symptoms: I'm sleeping like crap!
I was supposed to be relaxing this weekend... i.e. not doing dishes, cooking or standing for long periods of time. Especially picking up heavy things... like my nephew. He's so cute though, I couldn't resist. I did all of those things. I had some painful contractions yesterday, but they were very random. I wasn't too worried. I just have this general blahh feeling. It kind of feels like being hungover... which isn't something I've felt in a while.

Food aversions: Meat. Dips. Cheese.

Food cravings: Yogurt. Pizza. Fruit. Cheesecake. BAD.

What I miss: Sleeping on my belly. Smoking... sadly. I know, I know it's horrible for me. And I'm so glad I quit when I found out that I was pregnant, and I have every intention of staying a quitter. But sometimes when I'm really stressed, I could use a cigarette. Or a beer. But I cannot have either.

What I am looking forward to: Moving to Holland, my last few weeks of being able to leave the house whenever I want without a bunch of baby crap or a sitter, my SORORITY BABY SHOWER this coming Sunday. GET EXCITED!!! Oh, and 3 other showers. :)

Milestones: Being 31 weeks. It hit me this week that I'm really going to have a baby at the end of this. I've kind of gotten used to being pregnant, and just assume that I will be unable to sit/stand/lay/breathe comfortably for the rest of life. But I won't! YAY for the birth! That WILL NOT happen for at least another 6 weeks! GOT IT, BABY!?


Names we're thinking recently: ROWAN for me. Lee has narrowed it down to Bailey (which makes me think of a dog and Bailey's liquor) and Violet. I'm trying. Just not getting there.

My belly. Topview.

I tried to take belly pictures yesterday. I really tried. I put on 4 different outfits and took about 30 pictures. I did not like a single picture. So I took this one from my view. Notice that you can no longer see my feet.



How far along? 30 weeks, 4 days.

Total Weight Gain: 24 lbs. Horrible. I was trying to keep it to 20 lbs for the whole pregnancy. I'm guessing now that it will be 35 lbs for the whole pregnancy by the time she's born. I'm not too disappointed, I mean, it will be more weight to lose after she's born, but I've only gained about 10 lbs in the last 3 months. I consider that to be pretty good because I look like I've doubled in size.

Belly button: It's getting more and more shallow, but it's still an innie.

Stretch marks: No new ones. I had some from when I gained like 20 lbs in a week my junior year of high school. They were barely noticeable before now, but they're starting to get a little darker. I'm also starting to get some around my boobs, which is SUPER lame. I'm putting cocoa butter and oil on like it's my job. But hopefully they'll disappear after the bebe is born.

Maternity clothes: Mostly wearing sweatpants and t-shirts when I'm at home, but definitely maternity jeans/pants and at least a longer shirt if not a maternity shirt when I'm at work or go out. Feet haven't really changed and I haven't noticed much swelling.

Gender: Still expecting a girl, and I hope the ultrasound was right because we have a lot of pink!

Movement: She moves ALL the time. Especially when I'm resting or relaxed. She's been getting the hiccups around once a day. But while I'm at work she's pretty still, or at least I don't notice her as much.

Symptoms: My ligaments are so loose! I feel like I'm getting more and more flexible!
I don't sleep well anymore. I wake up at least 3 times during the night, and even when I sleep it's not all that restful because of all the terrible dreams I have like birthing a litter of kittens.
I'm still having contractions on and off, but they don't really hurt. They are just very strange I think. Now that my belly and baby are both growing, the muscles under my ribs are always sore. Mostly on the right side.

Food aversions: Meat. But not hamburgers.

Food cravings: Pop :(, jalapeno burgers, anything anyone mentions. I want it all. I could probably eat a huge bowl of yogurt.

What I miss: Being able to sit down and stand up without making little grunting noises. Sleeping on my belly. Outdoor winter activities. Walking without worrying that I'm going to kill my baby because I fell. BEER.

What I am looking forward to: Getting a massage *hopefully*, moving to holland, getting this baby OUT! And meeting my sweet little girl for the first time.

Milestones: Being almost 31 weeks preggers! I can't wait until I'm full term and can stop worrying about her coming too early.

Names we're thinking recently: ROWAN (still being hopeful that Lee will come around), Bailey, Brenna, Violet, Eliza, Elsie, Sasha.