Hellobee Boards

Oh no, you poor things. I wonder if they're signs of things changing! *hugs*

@avivoca: @bunbun: Ugh, so sorry. Hope you have some relief by now!

@TapDancer: I was planning on using the crib mattress protector (when it arrives) under my spot on the bed. It's not like I'm rolling around a whole lot these days! I already keep a couple of towels in the trunk of my car, so maybe I'll just toss one into the back seat. Better to be prepared, right?
I am also starting to be more vigilant about what I leave at work when I go home for the night (no food, I bring my laptop home every night, external hard drive, etc.)

@avivoca: Wow! that's progress, right?

Packed my hospital bag!!! And I'm obsessed with the fact that I can finally say "less than a month" when people ask them I'm due. (Although I've been lying to strangers and just saying "any minute" because it's just easier and I'm so huge.) But yeah. So excited to start seeing updates on the labor thread!!!

Sorry for the late replies, but @winniebee: and @Miss Ariel: I hope baby flips soon!

@avivoca: @BUNBUN: @whiskers: hope you ladies are feeling better and/or progressing!!!

I hadn't thought about preparing for my water breaking, but I feel like work finally woke up to the fact that I'll be on leave soon. My boss is finally on board with reducing things from my to-do list, rather than adding to it.

Two questions:
Is anyone planning to use any kind of hypnobirthing during labor (or have you in the past)? I'm kinda sucked into the home study book I got on Audible.

What is your experience with slowly rising blood pressure at this late stage in pregnancy (I'm 37w2d)? I don't have any proteins in my urine but I had a BP 124/84 with foot and hands moderately swollen and my OB started talking about induction for pre-eclampsia. I think he is just trying to prepare me [for the worst], but it scared me, as if pre-e is inevitable.

@avivoca: Thanks for the support! My BP is always low so I haven't really noticed what makes it go up. We had a "cooling" spell into the 80s but it's back to being incredibly humid... In fact, it was in the 90s over the weekend. That could have played into it, I guess. My feet have been swollen-ish during the day for the last few weeks but they get back down to normal size overnight so I've considered that pretty normal. It's my hands that have bothered me the last few days lately ... the swelling isn't terrible but it's causing carpal tunnel. So they feel worse than they look really but that's not related to pre-e. I may have put on a little water weight in the last week (the previous week I had lost a 1/2 lb and this week I had gained 2 lbs), but nothing major. I'm hoping my OB was just being overly-cautious in talking about pre-e...

@Amorini: That's interesting that your doc is talking about pre-e with those numbers. I also usually have very low BPs (112/66), and they've been higher for the last month or so, but definitely still in the normal range (131/80). My feet have been swollen and my hands difficult/almost painful to bend, but they still aren't concerned. It sounds to me like your doc is very cautious. Mine said that without any other symptoms (no headaches, no protein in urine), that it's nothing to worry about. Hopefully she's right! Also, the swelling seems to have good days and bad days and it's ALWAYS hot and humid here. I can't figure out any trigger for the swelling except for lots of standing (feet), but that doesn't explain my hands.

Oofta- I hope everyone's BP lowers a bit-- hoping for cooler weather for us all!

I'm not feeling super uncomfortable lately... just weird. Am 36 weeks. Dtr came at 38 weeks fully baked, so not sure how to plan out the next few weeks... or what to prepare. I had some recipes to prep for the freezer, but I just filled the freezer to the brim with frozen bananas for smoothies. Seriously, I'm sure I looked so strange at the grocery store filling my cart with over-ripe sale bananas, but I can't pass them up when they're marked down that much... Hopefully we'll want lots of smoothies over the next month!

@Maysprout: Ditto on the contractions (also due on the 23rd!). I am just sitting here at my desk at work enduring a wave of them every few minutes. So uncomfortable.

@TapDancer: My water actually broke in bed last time around so it's probably a good idea to be prepared. They actually sell potty training bed mats that I was toying with trying under my sheets. I also had a friend who bought Poise / Depends disposable underwear to change into in case her water broke (of course, she had to go to the hospital to be induced but my sister also swears by these for post-partum care - claimed they were better than the hospital issued disposable underwear).

@jaguar: I'm glad we may be able to trade hypnobirthing stories!!

@BUNBUN: Thanks for sharing about your BP. My provider is actually the most open-minded in the practice (and I switched from an even more conservative practice!) so I appreciate the perspective. Like you, my BP is always so low... I'm not surprised I feel a little uncomfortable with the swelling at this point. I'd just prefer to not have the OB talk interventions so readily...

@avivoca: I agree -- it's weird for him to jump there. Argh. I'm trying to not get in an a tizzy over it (not good for BP anyway!), but obviously, it has me a bit concerned. My doula and I have been talking about it. I'm grateful to have support to get the bigger picture perspective...

@mand4: Thanks! Cooler would be oh so great!

@Maysprout: Thanks for sharing your experience and perspective. My sister had pre-e with her first (elevated BP at 30-32w and then elevated proteins around 36w). She was induced at 38w. It seems like it happened to her in a slow progression similar to how it sounds like your BP raised over time (even though you didn't have pre-e). So I'm hopeful that since I'm close to the end and my BP will remain stable enough for the doctors to not rush to interventions so quickly.

On the BP front, I did make a mistake today and have a cup of decaf (why, oh why?!?!?). The last time I did that I had an appointment same-day and it didn't even register in my BP -- it just makes me feel loopy. Anyway, I felt better after lunch. As my boss goes on vacation for two weeks starting tomorrow, I'm going to take this opportunity to work from home as much as I can here on out....

Doc appointment yesterday - got some reassuring news that he's not quite as big as we feared. He's no longer in the 90th percentile for weight - phew! At 6lb11oz (36w+1), he's in the 80th! Still big, but not on-track for 11lbs anymore. No dilation, so it looks like he'll stay cooking for a while. Also, despite particularly bad swelling in my hands and feet, my BP was back down to 120/68.

@jaguar: How did your appointment go? I wouldn't worry too much about her size - they could be overestimating her size and our bodies are pretty impressive.

The A/C is out at work and won't be repaired until Monday at the earliest. I've been having periods of contractions every day since my cervical check on Tuesday. Fingers crossed that this sends me into labor so I don't have to come to the hot box that is a 1905 mansion with no A/C (and I work on the third floor).

@jaguar: That does makes sense! Thanks. Hoping the best for both of us on hypnobirthing goals.

@BUNBUN: Hooray! Sorry about the swelling though.

@avivoca: Woohoo. You sound like you are ready to get on with it! Hope that baby A agrees!

@BUNBUN: That's great hun! I'm scared big time about giant baby girl.

@avivoca: Oooooh! I am going to be ready to stalk you over these next few days.

@Amorini: We will see how it goes. Worth a try!

So... I made a separate thread yesterday, but I forgot to update here - sorry, mamas. (Baby brain!)

Long story short.. we are holding steady, and baby's still measuring consistently large. We had a good talk about how I'm stressing a fair bit about not feeling the movements so much (which has been regular throughout this pregnancy) - and my OB is quite happy leaving the ball in my court for how we proceed with this baby.

The first choice is letting baby decide (which could still well mean a spontaneous arrival any time, as we've been anticipating). I'm 36 weeks tomorrow. Georgia was born at 36+5. They are almost identical in weight estimates, so my body could decide to do something similar... but who knows.

The other option is waiting as long as it takes WITHOUT an early arrival and just go with the flow. Which is fine, except for the weight prediction - which with my history of a large baby, and with this one's measurements being consistently big, could end up in a difficult birth.

And then, we could induce - which I am strongly leaning towards *if* we get to 38 weeks. If baby continues growing at the same pace, we'd be looking at an almost 4kg kiddo even at that point. It would also alleviate the anxiety and stress I've been having about reduced movements and stillbirth risks, because I'm feeling myself start to spiral with the worrying. I'm nervous about inductions, but I'm also in a condition where it is deemed favourable - previous vaginal birth, engaged baby, cervix effaced for many moons, etc.

I know we can't predict how any of this will go, but my end goal has always been a healthy baby.. I just want her here and in my arms safely.

@jaguar: So good to hear that baby girl has been staying where she ought to be for now!

@avivoca: That lack of a/c sounds awful I hope you manage to avoid it today, or that they do at least fix it quickly if you end up having to be back there next week, too!

I'm sure these are probably just normal short person-short torso-no room left problems, but has anyone else experienced upper abdominal soreness? It's right along the midline of my abdomen, starting 2-3 inches above my belly button and going up almost to the bottom of my sternum. It literally feels like my skin is sensitive and bruised and it is very painful to press down on the area and the skin seems to hurt even if my shirt just brushes against it. I'm seeing my midwife again on Monday and will ask her about it then, but just figured I'd see if anyone here has had this happen to them, too!

@cnidaria: Could it be rib pain? I have that on my right side only. Basically the baby gets so big and kicks, which aggravates the area. Also, my doctor said that as your uterus grows, it pushes your organs upward into the rib cage, which can cause discomfort. Supposedly once the baby drops, any rib pain goes away.... that didn't work out for me last time, though. My sister had luck managing the pain by icing. I haven't tried that yet but am getting to that point where I might.

@cnidaria: Ugh, that sounds painful! I'm not having any rib area pain since this babe has been low for so long (and I have a very long torso).... but I did want to pass along that, if you are having BP issues, a sharp pain on the left under the ribs could be your liver getting unhappy with your BP. That's per my OB this past week. Hopefully it's just a foot or nothing at all and goes away soon!

On the "how to feel better" front, I've been taking Epsom salt baths at night and they are helping me so much! I'm still always a bit swollen in the hands and feet but the baths are helping my body relax, sleep deeper and relieve aches and tensions. @Shantuck: Weren't you doing baths, too?