Well…. we’ve reached the due date. We are 100% (280 days; 40 weeks; 10 months) through.

The Baby:

*Average newborns are about 20 inches long and weigh about 7.5 pounds (a small pumpkin!)
*Only about 3–5% of babies are born exactly on their due dates
*Arrival anytime in the next 2 WEEKS in considered normal
*His growth is slowing dramatically
*Amniotic fluid around him is starting to diminish and get cloudier as he sheds vernix from his skin

*I put up this picture because it shows effacement and dilation. My OB said I’m 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced, which would be like box C in this image. The cervix is normally about 4 cm long (0% effacement, boxes A and B). When you’re ready for labor at 100% effacement (box D), the cervix is basically flat against the uterus. So being at 70%, my cervix is about 1 cm long, with an opening 1 cm in diameter (needs to be 10 cm for birth).

The Mom:

*For most women, labor typically lasts 13 hours
*Most first babies come late
*3–12% of babies reach the 42 week mark
*Stages of Labor:

1) The first stage of labor starts with the active phase and contractions. This is followed by the transition phase, which is the worse (contractions stronger and closer together), but lasts for less amount of time. During this stage we make our way to the hospital.

2) Giving birth!

3) Delivery of the placenta

View Full Album

The Dad:

*He’s been reading the Bradley Method book (Husband-Coached Childbirth) and told me the other day that his eyes were watering just thinking about how much pain I’m about to be in, haha
*He’s not as ready for the baby to come out as I am—so when I suggest inducing methods, he says no, lol. I think starting this weekend he’ll be more on board though.
*His work is incredibly understanding about taking time off or working less hours if needed, so that’s wonderful
*On his 30 min drive home from work the other day he told me he was just thinking about holding baby and kissing his head (awwwwwwwww)

If I go another 2 weeks, I may go crazy. My OB said I could go over about 1 week, but I know the midwife at the same clinic said 2 weeks… so if I do make it to our Monday appointment and we discuss induction, I’m thinking around the 29th. But it may depend on which doctor is on call, etc. Ok, no more IFs, let’s just wait and see! and hope!

I’ve been walking the stairs to the basement today to do laundry and pretty soon Steve and I are off to run errands… the mall, Babies R Us, pick up packages, get some food… walk that baby out!

Now, I’m no alchy, but I enjoy the occasional night out or glass of wine with dinner. Drinking is out during pregnancy so I wondered what the “rules” were for breastfeeding because I do plan on doing that exclusively. (I even WON a $280 Medela pump last week sorry to brag!)

Anyway, I started by asking on twitter, as usual. Apparently some believe in “pump and dump,” which I had never heard of. The idea behind this is that after drinking alcohol, you pump your breastmilk and dump it down the drain… like it’s supposed to clean you out? and your next pump will be good to go? Doesn’t make much sense to me… and most people on twitter agreed–no need to pump n’ dump.

The general idea:

If you’re okay to drive, you’re okay to pump. Your blood alcohol content = your milk alcohol content. So if you’re at BAC 0.08 (legal limit to drive), your baby will get 0.08% alcohol (less than the amount in a can of non-alcoholic beer). Not that you’d feed your baby non-alcoholic beer, haha, but it’s not going to harm him. One person even said a glass of wine with dinner may help increase milk supply.

Also… if I feed baby and then have a drink with dinner, all should be just fine by the time of the next feeding. Someone sent me a website of some guidelines:

“Current research says the occasional use of alcohol (1–2 drinks) is not harmful to the nursing baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs classifies alcohol as a ‘maternal medication usually compatible with breastfeeding.’”

The website agrees that pumping and dumping doesn’t do anything and that if you’re okay to drive, you’re okay to feed. “Less than 2% of the alcohol consumed by the mother reaches her blood and milk.” Newborns are more affected by alcohol, but by 3 months of age they’re able to detoxify alcohol at half the rate of an adult. It does NOT agree with the idea that alcohol may increase milk supply.

However, let’s not forget about the recent case where a woman was arrested for breastfeeding her 6 week old baby while drunk. Ridic, right?! Although I don’t know the whole story… and I never plan on feeding while DRUNK.

Anyway, all sounds good to me! We even stocked up our wine rack last weekend with 8 bottles Now I won’t have to cry when walking past the wine aisle at the grocery store, haha. I said I’m no alchy, but I didn’t say I wasn’t a wino. (But no worries, people, baby always comes first! We’d never do anything to put him in harm and I’d never have a glass if it wasn’t okay–I’ve done it for 9 months already.)

Any other tips or guidelines to share??

My posts come out all clumped together because wordpress never works from our apartment internet. So when I head out, I get as many written as I can!

ONE week to go!!! Maybe less… maybe more… A few days ago I was thinking I’d go past my due date, but as of yesterday, I’m thinking I’ll go before. I’m just feeling lots of low pressure and pain in my lower back (tail bone low). Our little scare last night got us moving. It got me REALLY mentally prepared and this morning Steve woke up and cleaned the apartment, hung up all our pictures, and started reading the Bradley book. Haha.

As of today, 5 days until my due date. We’re 98.2% (275 days) of the way through.

The Baby:

*25% of deliveries start with the water breaking and 75% start with labor
*The baby moves down the birth canal in measured stations (referring to his head position in relation to the midpoint of my pelvis). Starts at –1 or –2… at 0 his head is at the midpoint… as the number increases, the baby is on his way out!
*About 20 inches in length, weighing just over 7 pounds
*Not much has changed since last week… he’s ready to come out!
*It is believed that when lil boy decides he’s ready, he sends a chemical signal of androgens to the placenta = increases production of estrogen = LABOR!

The Mom:

*I really think my mood swings have been in check this whole pregnancy. Meaning.. I haven’t really had any. Until now. It’s mainly feeling depressed for no reason, but cranky too–snapping at Steve when I shouldn’t be. Poor guy!
*New as of yesterday: lots more (constant) low belly pressure and low back pain at the tail bone–like it aches when I walk
*No signs of water leaking or a plug coming out…
*Stretch marks: ok, I have some, I think. On my butt! Which is weird because I don’t think it’s that much bigger, haha, at least compared to my belly!! They aren’t visible though even in a swimsuit.

Our apartment is really coming together. We haven’t just been busy finishing the baby’s room, but decorating the whole place! Pictures will be coming soon.

I mentioned on twitter the other day that I didn’t yet have that feeling of, “get this baby out of me!” like so many seem to have around weeks 37–38. Well… I’m just about there. These aches and pains I’ve been feeling since yesterday are NOT fun and they make moving around that much more difficult.

Steve’s family Christmas is on Saturday (19th)–they’re all hoping for a baby. I hope so too! I don’t want to be there, large as a house and super uncomfortable.

Any time now!!

2 weeks to go?! Man alive (yea, I pulled that phrase out from the early 90s). We are 266 days through (95%!) with only 14 more to go (as of this past Friday).

The Baby:

*Weighs from 6 to 7.5 pounds
*19.5 to 21 inches in length
*He has a firm grasp and his organs are ready for the outside world!
*He has probably reached his birth weight (boys are usually longer and heavier than girls–wonderful!)
*Neurons are still connecting in the brain, but this continues well after birth
*Movements are quite restricted now–I don’t know about this. He still kicks me and moves around ALL the time!

The Mom:

*picture coming later, I’m too lazy to get up
*I’m huge. That’s about it.
*Take the next week to do things for yourself–decorate the nursery, take naps, read, and spend time with the hubby.
*The baby is hitting nerves as he settles down into my pelvic area–an “electric” feeling
*Lots of fatigue… some days I hardly feel like getting off the couch.
*What I should be doing now: reading baby care books, learning about breastfeeding, resting

What is hubby up to at 38 weeks pregnant? He just put together our glider and has been busy hanging things on the walls and cleaning. He is asking me to let him get one more week of work in before the baby arrives. So… mark it on the calendar… next weekend we’ll start trying crazy things to get this baby moving!

Most of you know my grandpa passed away yesterday morning. I’m having a bit of a hard time understanding the timing. I’m not really a religious person so I’m not looking for an answer in that way… it’s just… lil boy is due in less than 2 weeks. His first great-grandchild. How could our timing be off by so little? We were so close. It’s upsetting and frustrating and stupid and not fair. That’s all. (fyi, funeral on Tuesday).

Anyway… we had our preggo photo shoot on Friday and I’m excited to see the pictures, but it won’t be for a few weeks.

Remember to click here to vote for us please:

And guess what day we’ll have the baby!! Go here & leave your comment (there is a prize!!! a GOOD one!)

It’s a huge relief to be at 37 weeks and to be considered full term! As of today (this post is really late!) I’m 263 days (94.3%) of the way though with only 17 days to do! Ahhh!!! It’s SO CLOSE I can’t even believe it.

The Baby:

*Many babies have a full head of hair at birth (1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long)… I’m going to guess ours is nearly bald… some peach fuzz
*He’s only adding a few ounces of fat each week from now on — so he’s basically read to come out!
*Body fat is around 8%, but will be closer to 15% at birth
*The longer he stays in, the more time he has to develop connections in the brain (ok baby, stay in there!)
*He’s running out of room in there (but he definitely still moves a ton!)
*Weighs around 6.5 pounds and measures 19–20 inches in length

The Mom:

*Contractions: When I really first started noticing them about a month ago (when I went into early labor), they were just a simple tightening of the belly. Since then they’ve gotten much stronger (which I consider my new “normal”). They can take my breath away and I have to remind myself to breathe, I feel them in my chest and in my face (around the nose area…) They’re getting pretty annoying and sometimes wake me up at night, but I hope it means less time in actual labor!

*Total weight gain so far: around 27 pounds I think and I’m apparently not supposed to gain any more… we’ll see.

*Uterus is about 7 inches above my navel

*Stretch marks: none
*Tender breasts/leaking: nope
*Signs of mucus plug/show: nope

What we’ve been up to:
*Hanging up pictures and things to decorate the apartment and nursery
*Set up our Christmas tree!
*Washing all the last baby sheets and clothes
*Packing the hospital bag
*Making the call list using Baby’s First Phone Call

I finally feel huge. My feet are swollen, my hands are swollen (hurt like hell to get my rings off!! I’ve joined the team of looking like an unwed mother), I waddle, I can’t get up, I’m HOT allllll the time: it’s December and I’m still sleeping with the windows open. My legs get weak pretty quickly. But OTHERWISE… I’m doing great I really can’t believe my due date is just over 2 weeks away.

Two of my other babies (DH and Oscar)

My 2 sneaky cats loving all the baby furniture. Oscar is in the bassinet and Aasa is in the play yard.

28 days to go!!! We’re 91% of the way through and next week the baby will be considered FULL TERM! whoohoo! way to hang in there lil guy

The Baby:

*Packing on the pounds: baby is gaining about an ounce a day
*He’s shedding the downy hair and the waxy covering
*The baby swallowing those things causes the meconium (1st bowel movement)
*Baby may move less as he runs out of room–he still moves a ton so I hope that means he’s nice and small
*About 18.5 inches long, weighing about 6 pounds
*Survival rate = 99+% and of those, only about 5% have serious complications

The Mom:

*Belly button is gone… flat
*Baby has dropped = easier to eat and breathe, more frequent urination, pressure in my pelvis, more uncomfortable to walk or bend
*Contractions still come everyday, sometimes in the form of cramps, but nothing consistent
*No stretch marks
*Heartburn has pretty much disappeared since the baby dropped, but actually woke me up the last 2 nights in a row
*My feet kill if I stand or walk for too long

We’re getting ready! I bought stuff for labor (birthing ball, pjs that button down the front, pads, a nursing tank)… and yesterday was the BEST DAY EVER. Steve said it was “my day” so we:
–installed the car seat professionally at the hospital
–went shopping at a cute, local baby store
–went shopping at babies r us and got TONS of stuff to decorate the nursery: crib mattress, sheets, wall hangings and stickers, a baby book!, bassinet sheets, a window valence…
–got starbucks (caramel apple spice, YUM)
–cleaned up this mess of an apartment (sad that that’s fun, but it was wonderful!)
–and he bought me flowers (awwww):

Hospital bags are partly packed, lots of product reviews coming soon and hopefully pictures of a decorated nursery! My brother is coming home for Thanksgiving on Wednesday!  and I’m having a baby shower (3rd and final) on Saturday!

Alright, I’m not full-term yet, but I’ve reached the point where my doctor won’t do anything to stop labor if it happens. Of course I’d love to make it to my due date, but it takes off some pressure knowing I don’t have to catch labor right away so we can try and prevent it.… if it happens, it happens!

35 days left until our due date!! Ahh! 88% of the way through.

The Baby:

*Around 5–6 pounds, 18–20 inches in length
*Most of his basic physical development is complete… he’ll spend the next few weights adding weight!
*Baby has dropped = more pressure on my bladder
*He’s running out of room in there so I’ll feel less tossing and turning, but still some good and healthy kicks and punched (oh yes.)
*He’s the size of a small roasting chicken! What a nice thought :/
*Survival rate = 99%. Of those, only 8% have serious complications

The Mom:

*Uterus now reaches up to my rib cage (1,000 times the size of normal)
*No sign of a mucous plug yet! It will come out as the cervix dilates.
*Most common symptoms: hip pain, frequent urination, cramp-like contractions, restless leg, strong baby punches to the cervix (ouch!), heavy belly that aches when I move/stand (stretching ligaments)
*No stretch marks
*Swelling: my feet after standing too long… and my fingers. One ring is off for good (my “mother’s love” push present ring!) and I can’t get my wedding rings off for the life of me–but they aren’t bothering me.

More about my “modified bed rest” and what I’m allowed: no working, no lifting, try not to drive other than short trips. Avoid the stairs (yes, I learned this one at the theater!), avoid long walks. Don’t have to be horizontal all day, I can sit on the couch for part. I can stand and walk around to make food, take a shower, etc.

I try to stick pretty close to that. Now that I’m not working, I never drive. I take the building elevator. The couch is my best friend. But I have been up and unpacking (when I feel able). I rest when I feel I need to–and I get tired VERY easily… not sleepy tired, but body weak tired.

The baby has definitely dropped. I read that labor typically comes about 2–3 weeks after that (when it’s your first baby). It’s so weird to feel him move around down there, below the belly, by my cervix. A twitter friend is due Dec. 17th and is also having signs of early labor… we’ve both decided the first week in December would be a good time I’m going with December 3rd! Steve picked November 28th.

Tonight: Date night with the hubby! Our favorite restaurant for FONDUE!
Wednesday: Register at hospital
Thursday: Meet with a pediatrician
Friday: Doctor appointment (group B strep test)
Friday night: baby shower!

Ok, after posting my birth plan I received some comments that made me want to do more research (you people are adding to my to-do list, thanks very much! haha).

I don’t do well with news articles or websites with an agenda. I want unbiased information. I tried to research these issues with articles published in scientific journals (it’s the science nerd in me)–not to say that those can’t be biased too, but much less so, I think.

**With that being said, if you’d like to share your opinion I welcome the comments, but please do not attack us for our decisions. I’d welcome articles to read and scientific information. However, if you personally attack us and claim we must not love our baby, I will not be able to take anything else you say seriously. Thanks **

Delayed cord cutting: I originally thought this was something I wanted to do, but later changed my mind and thought it was unnecessary (in part because the nurse at our birthing class said so).

Benefits: more iron to baby = higher hemoglobin at the start of life, less anemia, etc.
Risks: only if there are issues with the baby that need to be taken care of right away, possible increased incidence of jaundice

Our choice: to delay cord cutting as long as possible (until pulsation stops) if baby is born prematurely. Otherwise, hold off on cutting the cord for about 1 minute after birth (compared to the average 17 seconds).

Why: I feel like this is a compromise. From what I read, 1 minute is at least better than the average 17 seconds, but not so long to possibly cause other problems or interfere with what needs to be done. Any why compromise? It seems like the main benefits to delayed cord cutting are for preemies or babies with difficult births. Plus, the iron deficiency is usually an issue only for “poor and minority groups.”  Either way, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of definitive science (is that an oxymoron?) on this issue.

FYI: If this applies to you, you may want to know that you can’t donate or store cord blood AND delay cord clamping/cutting. Which brings me to the next point…

Cord Blood Donation:

It’s free if your doctor is willing to do it–some may ask to be paid for it. However, your hospital needs to be connected with a cord blood bank and… ours is not. Actually, none of the 3 hospitals in my city are. If your hospital doesn’t either, there are a few things you can do:

–Find a nearby hospital that does or a cord blood bank and contact them to see if you can still donate
–Ask your hospital if they’ll collect it for research purposes (then at least it’s being used for something!)
–Register with Cryobanks International–they accept blood from anywhere. If your doctor agrees to collecting, your cord blood is shipped to them.

Why aren’t we using Cryobanks International? I looked into it. You have to register, with signatures from your doctor, BY THE END OF WEEK 34. That’s exactly where I am right now, so we’re just a little late. Also, like I said above, you can’t do this AND delay cord cutting.

I was going to discuss circumcision and vaccines, but this post is long enough. Those topics will come next.

42 days to go… 85% of the way through! Baby will be full term in 3 weeks

The Baby:

*Brain still developing, connecting synapses and neurons
*He has some surfactant in the lungs (to keep air sacs open)–if he were born now, steroids probably wouldn’t be needed to enhance the lungs
*Chunky monkey! Creases and dimples are forming in his neck, elbows & knees
*Weighs about 5 lb and is about 17–18″ in length

The Mom:

*Volume of my uterus is 500‑1000 times larger than pre-pregnancy (yep, feeling pretty large)
*Fatigue: it’s there, but not nearly like the 1st trimester. Probably due to sleeping poorly!
*Contractions: still there and getting stronger (but not to the point of being painful).
*Stretch-mark free

I do think the baby has dropped… first my MIL noticed that it looked that way. Plus I suddenly have major lower back pain every time I move/get up and feel pressure at the bottom of my belly… and much less pressure at the top of my belly (less pressing on the diaphragm = easier to breathe, less heartburn). Another sign of labor prep!

No swelling yet, but I walk like a penguin, for real. Partly because of the lower back pain and partly because… I’m huge. I move much slower, it’s a major effort to get off the couch and I get tired very quickly if I’m up walking. With DH working 50+ hours a week, I feel like quite the burden–he spends much of his free time helping me out, at the doctor, etc. I’m so grateful!

MUST DO this weekend: install car seat, write birth plan
WANT TO DO: pack hospital bag, set up crib and dresser, unpack apartment, make Christmas stockings

See the next post for the early labor/contractions update from the doctor…

I just got an email with information about week 34 and realized I never wrote the week 33 update! Too focused on moving… and this baby stuff So here we go.. I’ll try to keep it on my thoughts from last week only:

We’re 49 days (7 weeks) from our due date… 84% (231 days) of the way through!

The Baby:

*Bones in skull are not fused, allowing overlap and movement for fitting through the birth canal
*Measures about 17 inches long
*Weighs about 5 pounds
*He may descend into my pelvis at any time in the next 6 weeks = preparing for birth and sending blood to his developing brain
*If he were born now, his immune system would be immature (as he’s currently receiving antibodies from me)
*Survival rate if born now = 98%. Of those, 12% have serious complications. I like those odds!

The Mom:

*Check out those veins on the belly!
*“Many women are still feeling sexy at this stage” — really?? I’d disagree. I waddle, I can’t get up, I can’t put on my pants/socks/shoes without sitting, I whine, I complain…
*Swelling? Nope.
*Apparently I should be practicing perineum massage to help prevent an episiotomy. I’ll try it!
*Uterus is 5 inches above navel
*Weight: gained about 26 lb so far
*Start planning labor–birth plan, gathering baby necessities, relaxation exercises, etc.
*Still waddling, still having trouble sleeping from heartburn, sore hips and unease

We moved into our new apartment on Saturday!!! They didn’t quite get to finishing the bathroom, but that should be done soon… otherwise all is great! Pics will be up as soon as we can manage to unpack and decorate.