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Ya dr told me to ask for it next week when i see my mfm dr so i shall get it then just wanna do all i can to protect

@Navy_Mommy: Oh man, so the BH and random painful contractions really mean nothing? I had nothing with my first and was 0 cm dilated when I started contracting with my first at 39 weeks, baby was born at 39 and 2. I'm just hoping it goes faster this time! And now I'm just assuming I'll go around 39 weeks, probably a naive assumption, haha

Informal poll... what was the worst part of your last labor? Or what do you hope is different? Sorry if this triggers strong feelings in anyone. I literally can't stop reading birth stories, much like last time at this point!

I had really long labor (31 hours) that ended in a vaginal birth.
I HATED labor puking (gross and came out of nowhere) and pushing (so much harder than I had anticipated) the most. I pushed for 2.5 hours. I also got this terrible labor rash on my face that faded after a week or so but I was scared that I would have it for life. (It came back when I got the stomach bug this winter and then faded again- ugh.)

Last time I waiting about 24 hours before getting the epi, this time I have less conviction about going med-free. I just hope I don't stall at 7 cm again. I was stalled there for 5+ hours.

Above all, I hope/pray for no shoulder dystocia this time because I guess there was a panic with DS's birth at the end (that I was not aware of until my 6 week appt).

I know everyone says the second birth goes faster but it's still a lot of unknown!

@princessandthebee: I actually had a great labor/delivery experience with K. I went in open to med free but not committed since I had not been in that kind of pain before. The minute I had my first contraction I told dh I would be getting drugs. Hehe

I was in labor at 1am, admitted around 5am, morphine at 6am (5cm) and epi at 8am (6cm). I pushed for 10mins at about 1pm...she was out - I attribute the quickness to the epidural being turned off around noon so I could feel everything.

Only hiccup is that bc the epi had been off I was in a LOT of pain while they stitched me up (2-3 degree tear).

This time I will take the meds offered, ask that the epi be turned off pre pushing again, ask for local before they stitch any tears and that's about it!

I also plan to treat myself better after in recovery. I ate like crap last time and think it was not a help. This time I plan to focus more on healing me and establishing nursing. I waited to ask to see the LC until she was 18-24 hours old and I think I'll ask sooner this time!!!

I'm a little nervous how quick this one May come...since they say second babies can come in half the time it takes firsts to come since your body kinda knows what to do!!!

@princessandthebee: I labored in a hotel room near the birth center and waited too long to go in. Once there my bp was high and I was crowning-- had a very fast/stressful transfer and she was out 40 minutes later. This time we are going the hospital route right off the bat, and I want to go in much sooner so that most of my labor is right there! No stressful transfers this time!

First birth - went into labor while I had a bladder infection. Labored at home for almost 24 hours (I was very slow to progress), went in about 3 hours after my water broke and was only 3cm. Got an epidural and pitocin at like 10 pm Saturday, pushed for a half hour he was born at 10 am Sunday.

Second birth - was induced at 41+3 because of high blood pressure. Had been more than 3cm for over a month so they broke my water at about 7am. Since that didn't kick me into labor like they hoped they started pit at about 930. At 1230 I wasn't even 6cm yet so I got an epidural. At 1 I was at 10cm but labored down for about a half hour before pushing. Pushed for less than 10 minutes and he was born.

I only tore ever so slightly with 1, didn't at all with 2. Although they weren't the birth experiences I wanted, overall I was happy.

This time - homebirth! So unless my or the baby's health rapidly changes for the worse or if I hit 42 weeks, it's just a matter of waiting to go into labor and dealing with the pain at home! Lol.

Then last night we went out to get some shots of just me and it was much more successful, lol. I do the settings, my husband shoots, I edit. There are a few specific pictures I'd like to get before I go into labor, but those are at home, so I'm sure we'll get around to it.

In the end I'm glad I didn't end up spending the money on hiring another photographer. I have very expensive taste and we saved a lot of money doing it this way, lol.

I think this fall I might hire someone though. The more kids we have the harder it is for me to do our own pictures

@Navy_Mommy: I'm excited you're going for a home birth! Are you going to try to do a water birth, or just see where things take you at the time? Love the pics! I still need to take some, and you give me hope that it's not too late yet!

More snow here today. Going to try to tuck some more items off my baby prep list! I did manage to make the changing pad covers the other night, and I think I ordered all the postpartum supplies I want to have on hand. This is the state of the guest-room right now, though, full of baby clothes/supplies/etc!

My to-do list is dwindling. One more SUPER SIMPLE nursery project (like, 10 minute super simple, lol) and just a few things to buy for the homebirth. And I'll probably finally wash the itty-bitty clothes today.

Then I just have to wait. It's going to be a long 1 to 5 weeks, lol.

@mrsrain: yeah, they're all different. I blew up like a balloon with my first. Didn't really swell till after 40 weeks with my second, and this time I have some swelling in my hands if I'm running around with the boys, but not much else yet. And I only notice that because I'm very sensitive to my rings feeling tight.

@Navy_Mommy: Gorgeous pictures! I forced myself to take a few this weekend just as record...I do not look glamorous like you tho

@mrsrain: This was my guest bedroom last week! I made a lot of progress this weekend getting everything into its proper home! Its nice to just know you have everything in the house - maybe not organized properly but its there if you need it!!!

@Navy_Mommy: My list is also nice and dwindled at this point. Really just food prep and throwing some final things into the bags. I am dreading the waiting.

I go for my appointment Weds and will finally know if I am GBS+ or not - then I can really plot my hospital stay and other arrangements! They'll also check me for the first time. Such a double edged sword. At 36W last time I believe I was 2cm...which of course put me on edge that I could go any minute...I was 3cm at 38w...delivered at 40w2d...who knows...

I hate the waiting game!!! My prediction is 1cm...my hope is baby is head down and starting to be engaged...we'll see...

@ksnow: so - I dont think there is a need and I think @Navy_Mommy: has done just this and requested no checks. I dont think there is any harm in it whatsoever.

My personal reasons for doing it are:
1) I will not have another U/S - so for me this is the best way to find out if the baby is head down...
2) I will have an induction decision to make - so I want to know if my body is slowly progressing towards the end result...so I have more info for that decision
3) Assessing the urgency of situations. There are no "rules" with this whole delivery game. But for me, last time at 38w it was good to know how progressed I was. I dont live near my hospital (45 mins no traffic - rush hour...good luck) - it helped to know that really any sign of real labor should be taken seriously and result in driving to the hospital bc I was already 1/3 the way there. Of course that did not mean anything was going to progress normally...but it helped me feel better knowing I was going to be that mom that rushes to the hospital to find out she is 1cm. I feel this even more this time with K at home to plan for!

Those are my thoughts...

@erinbaderin: I'm sure I could opt out if I cared enough...but I dont at this point. I think I'd rather know...even though knowing will make me crazy! I'll also have her start doing membrane sweeps around 38w (I think thats the "rule").

Sorry about your fluids...I'll keep my fingers crossed for a flippy fluid filled situation for you!

@ksnow: there really isn't a reason. You can definitely decline cervical checks. Even if I was seeing a traditional care provider I would decline them.

So this week's appointment is different than any other. It's when the midwife comes and she brings the birth assistant and they want my husband to be there, too. And they like, check out my whole house. Anywhere I might feel inclined to end up laboring. Lol. And she'll be leaving the tub at my house.

I can't believe I'm this close. Feels a bit surreal.

It is bananas how fast pregnancy flies when you already have a little one to chase around! You ladies are way ahead of me in the preparation department, but I still have just over 6 weeks to go still! I figure I'll start washing and setting up the baby stuff in about 2 weeks.

I'm currently trying to finish making iPhoto baby books for my DD, since I never actually did that.......she'll be 3 in April! I figure if I don't finish this before the baby comes, I'll never ever catch up! So far I am 75% done with an album of her first year! I also need to take some belly photos for this pregnancy. I haven't taken a single one yet!!!!! Oops!

Tomorrow we have our last sonogram appointment. I haven't had one since our 19 week anatomy scan, where he was already measuring 1.5 weeks ahead! I'm excited and nervous to see how big they are estimating him to be - my DD was 9 lbs 2 oz at birth, so I'm a little nervous that he will be completely gigantic. I also have been having crazy heartburn for the last few weeks. I expect to be seeing a ton of hair on this baby's head!

@ksnow: @Mrs D: I just had my first cervical check at 36w1d yesterday! I was 1 cm and 50% effaced, baby is head down. I'm a detail person and OB's tend to like to do them for whatever reason, so while I know they technically mean something, I like having the info. I like knowing my body is getting prepared. Last time I was 0 cm the appt before I went into labor, so it can really happen either way.

Oh and last time I was going camping 1.5 hours away at 35 weeks and had to get checked just in case. So I had a ton of checks last time.

@erinbaderin: I have freak-outs constantly, haha. About having a newborn, and sleep, and how is DS gonna handle it all, and how will I leave the house with two kids? All stuff that will just work itself out naturally but I'm a worrier by nature. It's what I do.

@Mrs D: It's one of those funny situations where not knowing would drive you nuts, but knowing might also drive you nuts, huh? I guess at least knowing, you know you're making some progress and you have some facts, as long as you keep in mind that they don't actually give you a timeline or anything.

@Navy_Mommy: I love the idea of them going through your house labour proofing it. Update us on how the appointment goes, I'm interested to hear what it actually will involve!

@momtimes3: Having a scheduled c section on the books is so weird, isn't it? With B I found out at 39 weeks he was breech, they scheduled my c section for 3 days later, and I spent that whole weekend going "In 72 hours we'll have a baby! In 58 hours we'll have a baby! We have to do everything we've ever wanted to do that's difficult with a baby!" I have mine scheduled too and this morning I thought "Five weeks from right now I'll be in the operating room". So weird.

@Lilbear: It's funny, I feel like time has gone both quickly and slowly. On the one hand I feel like I've been pregnant FOREVER. On the other hand, I feel like only a few days ago my due date felt pretty far off and now it feels SO SOON. I'm feeling behind on nursery stuff too but I think progress is close at hand - the bookcase comes tomorrow, the chair should be next week, we bought a new light fixture, and the decal has crossed the border so hopefully we'll be able to get finished up soon.

@princessandthebee: Oh no! Hope your LO feels better soon and you don't catch it!

@Lilbear: I know that it's totally not accurate but I'm a bit jealous of all of you people getting told how big your babies are! I don't know if it's just not a thing in Canada - I've had two ultrasounds in the last week and nobody has ever given me a sense of how big he is.

I've decided to just come to terms with having a c section. Not ideal, but at least I'll be able to plan things, and I do love having a plan. Also I talked to my midwife yesterday and she said that there are 2 ways of measuring amniotic fluid and by the standard that is currently thought to be more helpful, my levels are fine and she wasn't sure why the OB is only looking at the other one, so that made me feel better about at least being able to keep him in there until 39 weeks. Also yesterday in the bath B said "I happy my baby brother coming soon"! I totally melted. Although I suspect he'll change his mind once his baby brother is actually here and his mommy is not available to carry him around 24/7 - my baby is part toddler, part barnacle.

For the prior question on our past delivery/what we hope for this time...I think everything went pretty smoothly last time? My labor started on Thanksgiving day, my water broke, then I lost my mucus plug. I went for a walk, hung out at home, showered, finished packing...went to hospital and they checked to be sure that my water did in fact break, and then had be just walk around the hospital some more. They admitted me 8 hours after my water broke and gave me some Cytotec since they said my cervix was still very hard. They started pitocin 17 hours after my water broke, they said I had started having contractions per the monitor but I couldn't feel them yet. I was nervous I was heading for a C-section since in all the briefs they seemed stuck on 24 hours after your water breaks you need to have the baby. I started to feel contractions soon after the pitocin got an epidural about 6 hours later. Contractions were never unbearable I was just nervous about the pushing/getting to a point where it'd be too late to ask for one! She was born 30 hours after labor "started" with my water breaking...and only a few minutes of pushing so I'm hopeful it will be similar!

@ksnow: Wow, your contractions were never unbearable, that's amazing!! That is a great first birth, long but progressed nicely!

Yep, no stock in growth ultrasounds, why do they do them?!!?

And yea, I felt similarly about cervical checks since I had no progress last time either but I felt different this time, sore down there, early random contractions that were uncomfortable, etc. I was too curious and didn't feeling like fighting their normal procedures.