Home Stretch

I am currently 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant.  Ugh.  I told myself from the beginning to expect to go past my due date so that I wouldn't be disappointed, but that didn't work so well.  Towards the end of this pregnancy I've felt much more like things were going on to send me into labor than I did last time, but I guess this is just common for 2nd+ time moms. 

Just to make sure I'm in the best shape for a smooth delivery, I've been doing several things for the last couple months to prepare my body for pregnancy.  When my Jazzercise classes and my prenatal DVDs started becoming a little taxing, I started walking at the mall in the mornings while Evie was in school since it's so hot outside still.  I think I walk about 2 miles each time, but I can't tell for sure.  If I don't do that, I do strength training exercises at home.  The walking is supposed to be best at this point, though, because it helps loosen and open the pelvis.  I also do squatting stretches to open the pelvis in which I squat all the way down with my feet flat on the ground and try to "relax" in that position for several minutes.  It's very effective, but my pelvic ligaments get over-stretched pretty easily during pregnancy and it leaves me pretty sore sometimes.  I started taking evening primerose oil capsules a few weeks ago because it's supposed to help thin the cervix, but I'm not sure there is a lot of evidence behind that.  My midwife said it couldn't hurt, though, so I'm trying it. 

Since I recently found out my baby is likely in a position called ROT (right occipital transverse), I've been doing other exercises and positions to help her rotate to a more desirable position to be in labor.  It means that she is head down (which is good), but her back is against my right side, and her head may be turned so that the "crown" is not coming out first - a larger part is - which can make labor hard and long.  It's most important to use the positions during labor to help her along, but it can also be really beneficial beforehand.  I've also gone to the chiropractor 3 times in the last 2 weeks to help with this, and to help make sure my pelvis is properly aligned for labor.  I was seeing a chiropractor regularly before and during pregnancy until about 30ish weeks, but they stopped doing anything with my lower body at that point because I was so far along.  You need to see someone who specializes in something called the Webster technique, or who just specializes in prenatal chiropractic in order to have the specific things done that can help with labor.  I wasn't sure what these things were, but between the two chiropractors I've seen recently, they've done regular adjustments (the manual manipulations and drop table adjustments most people get), the Webster technique (putting light pressure on a ligament in the uterus on each side for several minutes), myofacial release and acupressure (pressing certain points in the face and ankles to release oxytocin, which can signal the body to start contractions), and hip squeezing (putting a lot of pressure on the top of the pelvic bones, which should act as levers to help open the bottom part of the pelvis so that the baby's head has more room to move down).  None of these were really scary except the hip squeezing because it was more pressure than I was expecting.  But this was a practice I had gone to for over a year and they were very reputable for specializing in prenatal care, so I trusted them. 

Despite all of that, I have not gone into labor yet.  I've been getting Braxton Hicks contractions since about 20 weeks, though, and lately they've been increasing a lot.  These are "practice" contractions and don't really hurt, but they sort of take your breath away and are a little uncomfortable, especially to try to move through them.  They've felt a little more intense lately, and I'm pretty sure I've also been getting real contractions, but never more than 2-3 at a time, and they are not regular.  I usually get them at night as I'm going to sleep and they just go away.  Then I wake up slightly disappointed that another night has gone by and I've not gone into labor. 

At my 40-week midwife appointment, I was dilated to a loose 3 cm and effaced about 50%, and the baby was at a -2 station (0 is considered crowning).  I thought 3 cm was great because most women start active labor at around 4 cm, and 2 of those centimeters were gained in about a week, so I was excited that I was finally moving along well.  I was pretty confident that I could likely go into labor over that weekend (the appointment was on a Wednesday).  But alas, that did not happen.  I'm still happy with that progress, and I think I'll definitely be further along than when I was induced last time.  But my next appointment is not in the office, it's at the hospital to get a non-stress test and biophysical profile.  This includes an ultrasound to check fluids and baby movement as well as checking both mine and the baby's vital signs to make sure all is well to continue in the pregnancy.  If everything is fine, I'll probably have them sweep my membranes (a manual internal procedure to separate the cervix from the fluid sac to help stimulate labor - not fun!).  This is what sent me into labor last time, but we needed to stay at the hospital to be induced because I was told I had zero fluids.  This time I'm hoping that I can just go labor at home if this happens.  If there are any problems, I may need to stay at the hospital to be induced, and aside from sweeping my membranes, there are other options, like using a gel on my cervix to help it dilate, or getting a drug called pitocin (which simulates oxytocin).  I do not want pitocin, as it makes contractions very intense, and it is rare to be able to manage pitocin contractions without an epidural, which I also do not want.  I'm really hoping to have a natural labor this time, but I'm also nervous about my abilities to do so, since I was so overwhelmed with pain last time. 

If nothing happens tonight, I'll only have another day before we find out how my body is doing this late into pregnancy, so I can at least wait that long. 

I'm trying to just enjoy my time with Evie while she's still my only little buddy.  As hard as things can be right now trying to do things with her because of my physical discomfort and exhaustion, I know it will be harder with two children.  I do find myself just staring at her in amazement sometimes because she is so clever or funny or thoughtful, and I am grateful that I can just be in the moment during those times. 

So here are some of my favorite things about Evie right now.  She is extremely curious and observant, and though it can be annoying, she constantly asks, "what did you say, Mama?" or "what did you do with your face, Mama?" to ask what I meant or to ask what my expression meant.  She notices so many little things that I can't get away with saying little asides or making faces without explaining them.  When she gets excited about something, like going out to eat, she'll say, "hip, hip, hooray! we're going to a restaurant!"  She says "callipillar" instead of caterpillar, and I love it.  She has started saying "actually" to preface some statements.  She always thinks of Eleanora and wants to share things with her, take care of her things, and buy things for her.  She usually tries very hard to listen and do what we ask, even when she's having a hard time.  If she has a tantrum, she'll often later say that she wants to listen next time or she'll tell us what she should have done in the first place (which sometimes breaks my heart and reminds me that she needs a lot of time to practice all these rules and guidelines).  She says "bear" like "beeer," and I have no idea why.  She loves to laugh, and when she catches adults making a joke, she'll start cracking up with them, even though she has no idea what the joke means.  She still snuggles with me, even though there is barely any room for her on my lap.  I hold her on my lap every day before naptime and bedtime, and as many times in between as she'll let me.  I love that she still needs this (almost) as much as I do.