well, maybe not so much progress. apparently, i am in the latent (or very early) stage of labor:
Early or Latent Labor
During early labor, you will probably be relatively comfortable. It is generally the longest part of the birthing process and may last anywhere from one to three days. During this time you may experience contractions that are mild or moderate, generally lasting anywhere from 30 to 45 seconds. These contractions may also be irregular in nature, and may stop and re-start again.
During the early phase of labor most women will dilate to 3 cm. During this phase of labor taking a warm shower may help you relax. Try to sleep if possible to prepare for the active stage of labor.
If you are interested in speeding up the labor process, consider going for long walks which might help move the baby further into your pelvis.
Most women will be able to talk and function relatively normal during this phase. You can typically enjoy this part of labor in the comfort of your home. Traditionally early labor is longer for first time mothers than it is for moms who have given birth previously
I am at -2 station, 60% effaced and still a fingertip dialated. baby did drop a bit since last week though.
what made me sad today was finding out that someone who was due after me gave birth already. im jealous!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Ok, I think we have some progress going.
last night was our anniversary. About 7:30pm we head out to dinner and im feeling my belly tighten up as we drive there. I had been having these contractions for a few days now so nothing really stood out to me. And then i had another one...and i turned to jae and said "let me time these just for fun and see if anythings going on".
so i started timing during dinner. It was fairly irregular, about a minute contractions but varied times, 6 mins, 7 mins, 13 mins, 7 mins, 10 mins apart. By the end of dinner, I Wasn't feeling that good.... i thought it was probably just gas. We didnt even have dessert =(
We came home and I proceeded to continue to time. This time though, they were 7 minutes apart very steady. Holy crap, theres a pattern! I showered and decided I wanted to get some rest just in case this was it. I did actually get some decent sleep, about 2 hour intervals and I wasn't woken up by any contractions even though I knew I was having them. I made it through the night, but what will today bring?
i think she should come out soon. i think she is getting too big to be in there. she is stretching my skin beyond belief!
last night was our anniversary. About 7:30pm we head out to dinner and im feeling my belly tighten up as we drive there. I had been having these contractions for a few days now so nothing really stood out to me. And then i had another one...and i turned to jae and said "let me time these just for fun and see if anythings going on".
so i started timing during dinner. It was fairly irregular, about a minute contractions but varied times, 6 mins, 7 mins, 13 mins, 7 mins, 10 mins apart. By the end of dinner, I Wasn't feeling that good.... i thought it was probably just gas. We didnt even have dessert =(
We came home and I proceeded to continue to time. This time though, they were 7 minutes apart very steady. Holy crap, theres a pattern! I showered and decided I wanted to get some rest just in case this was it. I did actually get some decent sleep, about 2 hour intervals and I wasn't woken up by any contractions even though I knew I was having them. I made it through the night, but what will today bring?
i think she should come out soon. i think she is getting too big to be in there. she is stretching my skin beyond belief!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
38 Weeks
This week the baby is the size of a...
a leek. I have bought many leeks in my time. These are big and long! I only have 2 more fruits to go!
Being pregnant has definitely been an experience. The only thing I really wish I could do was share this with Jae. He is often extremely sympathetic, but I know he doesnt really "get it". To have something growing inside of you, well, there are no words. I truly feel like he is missing out on this experience.
In life there are many things and feelings we can share together, good or bad. At some point, we will both experience the same things. Success, hurt, failure, health issues etc. and we can relate on those levels. But no matter what, he will never experience being pregnant. I do feel he is more understanding than most men. If i complain he will say something like "what do you expect, you're carrying a baby". or when he watches me move, he will "tsk" like he feels bad for me. But I know he still doesnt exactly know how i feel. What its like to sleep, to move, what the pain feels like. and the positive aspects...feeling her kick and move, the mindset you have when you are solely in charge of her nurishment and food supply, just the sheer joy of knowing this human was grown from tiny cells inside of you. I try to describe it to him the best I can but its not the same. I really do feel like he's missing out on a huge life experience and I feel bad that we cannot relate on this level like we do on other things.
Now that time is getting closer, I think a lot about what she will be like. But my imaginations are always her as a toddler. The things we can do together, like go bike riding, bake cupcakes, sing and dance, swimming in the pool. How I will comb her hair, how i will teach her all these new things.
In the big picture, I look at newly discovered singing sensations like Charice and I think, wow, she was born to sing. I think about how I would feel if I were her mother, and how proud i would be that her god given talent was shared with the world. I think about my baby girl becoming something big in life. How an ordinary girl from Long Island has the potential to do great, big things. I wish I was special enough to have given my mom something like that to be proud of.
Now here's the kicker.... I don't really think about the newborn stage. That's bad, right? I guess the truth is, I don't know what to think about when i think about a newborn. This makes me feel very unprepared. I can have all the imaginations in the world, but what will my reality really look like?
a leek. I have bought many leeks in my time. These are big and long! I only have 2 more fruits to go!
Being pregnant has definitely been an experience. The only thing I really wish I could do was share this with Jae. He is often extremely sympathetic, but I know he doesnt really "get it". To have something growing inside of you, well, there are no words. I truly feel like he is missing out on this experience.
In life there are many things and feelings we can share together, good or bad. At some point, we will both experience the same things. Success, hurt, failure, health issues etc. and we can relate on those levels. But no matter what, he will never experience being pregnant. I do feel he is more understanding than most men. If i complain he will say something like "what do you expect, you're carrying a baby". or when he watches me move, he will "tsk" like he feels bad for me. But I know he still doesnt exactly know how i feel. What its like to sleep, to move, what the pain feels like. and the positive aspects...feeling her kick and move, the mindset you have when you are solely in charge of her nurishment and food supply, just the sheer joy of knowing this human was grown from tiny cells inside of you. I try to describe it to him the best I can but its not the same. I really do feel like he's missing out on a huge life experience and I feel bad that we cannot relate on this level like we do on other things.
Now that time is getting closer, I think a lot about what she will be like. But my imaginations are always her as a toddler. The things we can do together, like go bike riding, bake cupcakes, sing and dance, swimming in the pool. How I will comb her hair, how i will teach her all these new things.
In the big picture, I look at newly discovered singing sensations like Charice and I think, wow, she was born to sing. I think about how I would feel if I were her mother, and how proud i would be that her god given talent was shared with the world. I think about my baby girl becoming something big in life. How an ordinary girl from Long Island has the potential to do great, big things. I wish I was special enough to have given my mom something like that to be proud of.
Now here's the kicker.... I don't really think about the newborn stage. That's bad, right? I guess the truth is, I don't know what to think about when i think about a newborn. This makes me feel very unprepared. I can have all the imaginations in the world, but what will my reality really look like?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
About 2 weeks left to go. Wow. This is how I know I'm getting close:
Feet swelled to dinosaur feet. Can't clench them all the way. Rings no longer fit.
Walking in the streets, you get those sympathetic looks with ladies who cheerily say "Almost time!". The men always say "Wow, you're huge!". But strangers noticing that I'm almost ready is really scary.
Stretch marks are climbing up up up my stomach. they are so gross.
Last week of work in the office. whaaaaat?
Hormones are busting out. I am very cranky, have no patience. But I am also sleep deprived. I am a big sleep person. I love my sleep. But I have not slept through the night in over a month. I guess this is good practice for when the babys here.
When I see people, they say "next time i see you, you'll be a mom!". this is also scary! Earlier in the month at my cousins wedding, relatives were wishing me a good delivery. OMG. time is flying. I probably just saw my in-laws for the last time yesterday before they have a new grandchild.
Anyway, i am getting excited and anxious. every week at the doctor, i hope for some big progress. so far, just a fingertip dialated and 50% effaced. nothing to scream home about.
So on another topic, i have been getting annoyed when i go to the supermarket and look for popsicles with no sugar added. I want just a real fruit bar, with no additives. The no sugar added ones are filled with splenda or nutrasweet. So, I decided to order some molds online and just make my own posicles.
Thank you to edible .... jae brought home some watermelon and pineapple and i used my frozen berry mix for the last layer. I pureed all of them and poured them into the mold and voila, sugar free, natural popsicles. I just need to make them prettier. the watermelon part is my fave.
we also finished our patio... well, the guys we hired finished it. haha. im excited about this. once i assemble all the furniture and gazebo, i will post more pics!
before
after (not yet sealed)
tae kwon do... are you sick of these pics yet? haha.
warm up
ryan's brown belt test:
he's always copying his older brothers!
a new black belt! congrats.... 4 years in the making...
Feet swelled to dinosaur feet. Can't clench them all the way. Rings no longer fit.
Walking in the streets, you get those sympathetic looks with ladies who cheerily say "Almost time!". The men always say "Wow, you're huge!". But strangers noticing that I'm almost ready is really scary.
Stretch marks are climbing up up up my stomach. they are so gross.
Last week of work in the office. whaaaaat?
Hormones are busting out. I am very cranky, have no patience. But I am also sleep deprived. I am a big sleep person. I love my sleep. But I have not slept through the night in over a month. I guess this is good practice for when the babys here.
When I see people, they say "next time i see you, you'll be a mom!". this is also scary! Earlier in the month at my cousins wedding, relatives were wishing me a good delivery. OMG. time is flying. I probably just saw my in-laws for the last time yesterday before they have a new grandchild.
Anyway, i am getting excited and anxious. every week at the doctor, i hope for some big progress. so far, just a fingertip dialated and 50% effaced. nothing to scream home about.
So on another topic, i have been getting annoyed when i go to the supermarket and look for popsicles with no sugar added. I want just a real fruit bar, with no additives. The no sugar added ones are filled with splenda or nutrasweet. So, I decided to order some molds online and just make my own posicles.
Thank you to edible .... jae brought home some watermelon and pineapple and i used my frozen berry mix for the last layer. I pureed all of them and poured them into the mold and voila, sugar free, natural popsicles. I just need to make them prettier. the watermelon part is my fave.
we also finished our patio... well, the guys we hired finished it. haha. im excited about this. once i assemble all the furniture and gazebo, i will post more pics!
before
after (not yet sealed)
tae kwon do... are you sick of these pics yet? haha.
warm up
ryan's brown belt test:
he's always copying his older brothers!
a new black belt! congrats.... 4 years in the making...
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
37 Weeks - Full Term!
This week my baby is the size of :
a stalk of swiss chard. ha!
As i mentioned below, we saw the baby drinking amniotic fluid during my last sonogram. Sticking out her tongue. So cute. We also saw her practicing her breathing as well. She is getting ready to make her way into this big big world.
i believe she is getting very squished in there. the constant jab to my ribs is telling me so. Sometimes they are so powerful, i will literally gasp or jump in the air.
Being full term is very exciting for me! If she came out any day now, I wouldn't have much to worry about.
Braxton Hicks are coming so much more often now. Sleeping is still a nightmare. All I can remember through the night is how much I toss and turn from my left to right side.
I can't believe there are only 3 weeks. Jae and I keep trying to think of things we need to do for the baby but the list is so short! Could we actually be ready...or at least, as ready as we possibly can be? We still need to put the car seat in, i think thats the major one.
this is pretty much what goes on in my head daily:
"cant wait. come out now!"
"no stay in, im not ready"
"cant wait to have you here and home"
"wait, i dont know how im going to handle it. not ready yet"
"cant wait to take you for walks, and play with you, and dress you up"
"omg, im going to be a mom. stay in for a few more weeks so i have time to enjoy my last weeks of being childless"
on a side note, i cannot wait for maternity leave because i absolutely despise my company as well as my boss. Dont have to deal with either of those for 3 whole months. I think not being paid for most of maternity leave is totally worth that!
a stalk of swiss chard. ha!
As i mentioned below, we saw the baby drinking amniotic fluid during my last sonogram. Sticking out her tongue. So cute. We also saw her practicing her breathing as well. She is getting ready to make her way into this big big world.
i believe she is getting very squished in there. the constant jab to my ribs is telling me so. Sometimes they are so powerful, i will literally gasp or jump in the air.
Being full term is very exciting for me! If she came out any day now, I wouldn't have much to worry about.
Braxton Hicks are coming so much more often now. Sleeping is still a nightmare. All I can remember through the night is how much I toss and turn from my left to right side.
I can't believe there are only 3 weeks. Jae and I keep trying to think of things we need to do for the baby but the list is so short! Could we actually be ready...or at least, as ready as we possibly can be? We still need to put the car seat in, i think thats the major one.
this is pretty much what goes on in my head daily:
"cant wait. come out now!"
"no stay in, im not ready"
"cant wait to have you here and home"
"wait, i dont know how im going to handle it. not ready yet"
"cant wait to take you for walks, and play with you, and dress you up"
"omg, im going to be a mom. stay in for a few more weeks so i have time to enjoy my last weeks of being childless"
on a side note, i cannot wait for maternity leave because i absolutely despise my company as well as my boss. Dont have to deal with either of those for 3 whole months. I think not being paid for most of maternity leave is totally worth that!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Friday's sonogram showed the baby weighing in at 6 lbs. 15 oz. hehe. oh it also showed her sticking out her tongue drinking amniotic fluid! so cool!
Today's internal showed i am still only a fingertip dialated. No progression from last time. that was sort of disappointing. This dr. thinks the baby will not reach 9 lbs and said maybe 8 or 8.5. She said the sonograms can only determine so much, they never underestimate and can be wrong by about 1 lbs or .5 lb.
3 weeks left!
in other news, some videos from the get together this past saturday:
Pauline vs. Richie
Hiu and bobblehead
Today's internal showed i am still only a fingertip dialated. No progression from last time. that was sort of disappointing. This dr. thinks the baby will not reach 9 lbs and said maybe 8 or 8.5. She said the sonograms can only determine so much, they never underestimate and can be wrong by about 1 lbs or .5 lb.
3 weeks left!
in other news, some videos from the get together this past saturday:
Pauline vs. Richie
Hiu and bobblehead
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
36 Weeks
This week my baby is the size of a
a crenshaw melon. What the heck is that?
Anyway, later this week the baby is considered full term! woo hoo!!! we made it.
They say my baby should be about 6 lbs now. But I know she is a pound ahead, so shes probably more like 7 lbs. With 4 more weeks to go, she will be 9 lbs. OMG! But I will go for a sono on Friday to verify her weight.
For the record, a babys weight doesnt have that much to do with the mothers weight gain. My SIL gained 80 lbs during her pregnancy twice and both times her babies were under 6.5 lbs. I am tired of people looking at me like I did something to the baby to cause her to be big. I have only gained 31 lbs thus far. and my doctor also confirmed the baby is not big because I eat too much. She simply said "some people have big babies". Ok? Ok!
a crenshaw melon. What the heck is that?
Anyway, later this week the baby is considered full term! woo hoo!!! we made it.
They say my baby should be about 6 lbs now. But I know she is a pound ahead, so shes probably more like 7 lbs. With 4 more weeks to go, she will be 9 lbs. OMG! But I will go for a sono on Friday to verify her weight.
For the record, a babys weight doesnt have that much to do with the mothers weight gain. My SIL gained 80 lbs during her pregnancy twice and both times her babies were under 6.5 lbs. I am tired of people looking at me like I did something to the baby to cause her to be big. I have only gained 31 lbs thus far. and my doctor also confirmed the baby is not big because I eat too much. She simply said "some people have big babies". Ok? Ok!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Videos...
when Julia gets pushed on this thing, she actually stands up and puts her arms up. kids got no fear (shes strapped in).
a better shot of the baby moving:
so since my doctor said to rest, and since this article came out claiming doing housework can cause early labor (even though i dont really buy it), i have been thinking about my cleaning routine. i do this weekly.... im wondering if there is anything i can cut out for now to ease up and also i think it will be hard to maintain this once the baby is here.
1st floor.
- start by Dyson-ing the entire floors and carpets downstairs.
- use the hose to go along all walls and corners, as this is where the dustbunnies and cobwebs lie.
- use the hose to clean the sofa, and under the sofa.
- use the hose to clean each stair and leave the dyson upstairs.
go back downstairs:
- start tidying up each room. in kitchen, do dishes, clean dishwasher, wipe down all counters, clean toaster and microware and sometimes rearrange cabinets. wipe down eat in kitchen area. in formal living room, clean up desk where we dump all our stuff when we come into the house. in family room, clean up coffee table and fold all blankets and put pillows in proper position on the couch. the use a lint roller and go over the sofa.
- dust each room. in kitchen, dust the top of the microwave, oven, refrigerator. in dining room, dust all wall shelves, bar unit, dining room table and bench. in formal living room, dust desk, piano and wood furniture. in family room, dust coffee table, tv, fireplace and other wood furniture.
-then use dry broom thingy and go over all the floors with the microfiber cloth.
- then use steam mop and steam mop the family room, kitchen, hallway and entryway and formal living room. i used to do dining room too but since we never use it, i stopped.
time for upstairs:
2nd floor
- dyson the landing and laundry room. dyson each room separately.
- dust each room, including bedframes.
- in our master bath, dyson the bathroom. clean the toilet and disinfect the sink area. disinfect the bathroom floor. spray shower cleaner in the shower. dust mirror and light fixtures.
take everything back downstairs and then
- clean downstairs bathroom. clean toilet, and sink area and disinfect the bathroom floor.
finally done. this doesnt inclue any laundry we do, about once a week or when needed.
so where can i cut, if any? im pretty used to this routine and it takes me about 2 hours to do it.
what say you?
heres the article by the way, if you're interested
http://www.parentsask.com/pregnancy/dr-jason-rothbart/pregnancy-housework-dont-mix-seriously.html
when Julia gets pushed on this thing, she actually stands up and puts her arms up. kids got no fear (shes strapped in).
a better shot of the baby moving:
so since my doctor said to rest, and since this article came out claiming doing housework can cause early labor (even though i dont really buy it), i have been thinking about my cleaning routine. i do this weekly.... im wondering if there is anything i can cut out for now to ease up and also i think it will be hard to maintain this once the baby is here.
1st floor.
- start by Dyson-ing the entire floors and carpets downstairs.
- use the hose to go along all walls and corners, as this is where the dustbunnies and cobwebs lie.
- use the hose to clean the sofa, and under the sofa.
- use the hose to clean each stair and leave the dyson upstairs.
go back downstairs:
- start tidying up each room. in kitchen, do dishes, clean dishwasher, wipe down all counters, clean toaster and microware and sometimes rearrange cabinets. wipe down eat in kitchen area. in formal living room, clean up desk where we dump all our stuff when we come into the house. in family room, clean up coffee table and fold all blankets and put pillows in proper position on the couch. the use a lint roller and go over the sofa.
- dust each room. in kitchen, dust the top of the microwave, oven, refrigerator. in dining room, dust all wall shelves, bar unit, dining room table and bench. in formal living room, dust desk, piano and wood furniture. in family room, dust coffee table, tv, fireplace and other wood furniture.
-then use dry broom thingy and go over all the floors with the microfiber cloth.
- then use steam mop and steam mop the family room, kitchen, hallway and entryway and formal living room. i used to do dining room too but since we never use it, i stopped.
time for upstairs:
2nd floor
- dyson the landing and laundry room. dyson each room separately.
- dust each room, including bedframes.
- in our master bath, dyson the bathroom. clean the toilet and disinfect the sink area. disinfect the bathroom floor. spray shower cleaner in the shower. dust mirror and light fixtures.
take everything back downstairs and then
- clean downstairs bathroom. clean toilet, and sink area and disinfect the bathroom floor.
finally done. this doesnt inclue any laundry we do, about once a week or when needed.
so where can i cut, if any? im pretty used to this routine and it takes me about 2 hours to do it.
what say you?
heres the article by the way, if you're interested
http://www.parentsask.com/pregnancy/dr-jason-rothbart/pregnancy-housework-dont-mix-seriously.html
Thursday, June 3, 2010
35 Weeks
This week my baby is the size of a
honeydew! hmm pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew...reminds me of edible arrangements!
so i have been trying to be less lazy and actually cook the past few weeks.
chicken and shrimp curry (the packaged ones taste better but have so much MSG in them!)
mexican enchiladas
chicken marsala over egg noodles (ok it doesnt look like marsala since i threw in extra vegetables, but it was in marsala sauce hehe)
i served that with broccoli and potato soup
have been trying to eat my fruit lately...now that watermelon is out.
off topic:
i assembled the swing all by myself
picture of the fetal monitor...heartbeat was fine and no contractions!
my last drs appt was very interesting. my first interal, which basically feels like they shove their fist up your hoo-ha AND a swab of both your vajayjay AND your asshole. OMG!
5 weeks to go!
honeydew! hmm pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew...reminds me of edible arrangements!
so i have been trying to be less lazy and actually cook the past few weeks.
chicken and shrimp curry (the packaged ones taste better but have so much MSG in them!)
mexican enchiladas
chicken marsala over egg noodles (ok it doesnt look like marsala since i threw in extra vegetables, but it was in marsala sauce hehe)
i served that with broccoli and potato soup
have been trying to eat my fruit lately...now that watermelon is out.
off topic:
i assembled the swing all by myself
picture of the fetal monitor...heartbeat was fine and no contractions!
my last drs appt was very interesting. my first interal, which basically feels like they shove their fist up your hoo-ha AND a swab of both your vajayjay AND your asshole. OMG!
5 weeks to go!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Yesterday was a weird day. I woke up feeling very strange. I felt like I had to poop. I felt a lot of braxton hicks and i felt odd all around.
I woke up and did some laundry and ate breakfast. After I ate, I felt even worse. Jae had started to get up so I let him know what was going on. I kept thinking "this can't be it...im not ready". It was so weird. I had this weird pain... but i know it wasnt contraction pain.
We still had so many things left to do for the baby... so Jae sort of started on that... I packed a hospital bag just in case.
After a little while, I took a shower and felt much better. I decided I wanted to move around, so we went out. We did a bit of shopping and came home. I stayed on the couch while Jae did house stuff outdoors.
During this time, I was fine... I figured it had been nothing.
At around 6:30pm, i started feeling the braxton hicks again.... and that dull pain had started in again. I decided we needed to start timing some things just to see if there was any pattern.
Something was very odd but i knew it couldnt be real contractions because
1. there was no mucus plug or bloody show
2. the dull pain was up top and not below or mid-section
3. i was not in pain as much as i was in discomfort.
4. no pattern on the contractions
However, I felt "off" all day...something was definitely different! Her kicks and movements are really strong, making my stomach hard, and at times painful.
This certainly put a fire under my ass. I think we need to assume she will come any day now in order to get everything ready! I think we both started to scramble a bit. Jae finished off the dimmer in her room as well as ran out and bought this stroller attachement we needed (we went like 30 miles to get it as everyone else was sold out). I cleaned up the house, and showered just in case i had to go the hospital and get checked out. We started inputting all the Doctor and pediatrician emergency numbers into our phones. I started filling out the hospital pre-registration forms and we took the car seat out of the box and made sure it was ready to go.
This AM, I am waiting to speak to the doctor.... eeek, i hope everythings alright!
I woke up and did some laundry and ate breakfast. After I ate, I felt even worse. Jae had started to get up so I let him know what was going on. I kept thinking "this can't be it...im not ready". It was so weird. I had this weird pain... but i know it wasnt contraction pain.
We still had so many things left to do for the baby... so Jae sort of started on that... I packed a hospital bag just in case.
After a little while, I took a shower and felt much better. I decided I wanted to move around, so we went out. We did a bit of shopping and came home. I stayed on the couch while Jae did house stuff outdoors.
During this time, I was fine... I figured it had been nothing.
At around 6:30pm, i started feeling the braxton hicks again.... and that dull pain had started in again. I decided we needed to start timing some things just to see if there was any pattern.
Something was very odd but i knew it couldnt be real contractions because
1. there was no mucus plug or bloody show
2. the dull pain was up top and not below or mid-section
3. i was not in pain as much as i was in discomfort.
4. no pattern on the contractions
However, I felt "off" all day...something was definitely different! Her kicks and movements are really strong, making my stomach hard, and at times painful.
This certainly put a fire under my ass. I think we need to assume she will come any day now in order to get everything ready! I think we both started to scramble a bit. Jae finished off the dimmer in her room as well as ran out and bought this stroller attachement we needed (we went like 30 miles to get it as everyone else was sold out). I cleaned up the house, and showered just in case i had to go the hospital and get checked out. We started inputting all the Doctor and pediatrician emergency numbers into our phones. I started filling out the hospital pre-registration forms and we took the car seat out of the box and made sure it was ready to go.
This AM, I am waiting to speak to the doctor.... eeek, i hope everythings alright!
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