And....Still Pregnant

I've been having prodromal labor for a week now. That doesn't really surprise me because the same thing happened with both of the girls. Unlike all those online descriptions of easy, short contractions that don't do much though, my version of prodromal labor is contractions that are anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes apart, last 60-90 seconds and feel all the world like "real" contractions--radiating to my back and all that fun stuff (I've had two un-medicated deliveries, I'm well versed in what the real thing feels like and these hit the same intensity as transition at least once a day). And I suppose they should feel like real contractions because they do get me at least halfway to that magical 10cm, 100% effaced goal. I imagine more typical prodromal labor is more like what I feel through most of the pregnancy--contractions that are there, but don't require any concentration to get through.

I've officially entered the land of conflicted emotions. It's good for the baby to bake longer and pregnancy-wise I'm comfortable enough to carry her longer without complaint. The contractions are exhausting though and I'm not exaggerating when I tell people I will get more sleep after she's born (and she's my third, I don't think I have unrealistic expectations about how much sleep I'll be getting). So every hour that passes, my brain does a little "yay! still pregnant!" happy dance while the rest of me whines and complains that I just want to rest and if it's going to take delivery to do that, so be it.

36 Weeks

I am officially, by all accounts, 36 weeks along today. It's a random day, but it means the risks of complications are so low that no doctor (that I know, anyway) would bat an eye at delivering me from here on out. So yay for that!

I had another check up with my midwife yesterday. This little girl must be as strong willed as her sisters because I'm 4cm and almost completely effaced, but she's hanging out and staying in there until SHE'S ready (just like they did). Everything else looked really good. I didn't gain any weight this week, but I've been gaining 2.5 pounds a week for several months and it's not unusual to stop gaining or even lose a little at the end of pregnancy. My blood pressure's still my non-pregnant normal, so that's good.

And the name game continues. We finally settled on a middle name, only to come up with another possible first name. So now we're trying to decide between our original first name and the new first name. It's beginning to look like even we won't know her name until she's born.

Still Pregnant (Go Me!)

Baby girl #3 is still hanging out just where she belongs for now. We've gotten to the point where the odds are hugely in our favor that she'll be fine whenever she's born, but obviously, every extra day is a bonus. I've worked with enough babies to truly understand that a near term baby is not a full term baby. Little things like being sleepier and skinnier and having a little more trouble with their suck/swallow/breathe organization can add up. Being more susceptible to infection (especially respiratory infections) and being born in cold and flu season doesn't help either. So we've relaxed a lot because we're likely past the point of a NICU stay, but we're still trying our best to get her to stay put for now.

Earlier this week, I had my appointment with my midwife and also her back-up doctor. Aside from having every early labor sign in the book, things look really good. I had the doctor confirm that she really is a she (one of the first things I said after Sedona was born was, "is she still a girl???" so I thought I'd go ahead and get that question out of the way now). She also looks like she's a good size for her age.

Not long ago, I had a very talented friend offer to take some pictures for us before I had the baby. Since the baby could be coming any day now, we decided to stop putting it off and get the pictures done a few days ago. Didn't she do a wonderful job?!?

Day by Day

My friends and family held a little celebration in honor of baby girl yesterday. They showered us with diapers and wipes and a carseat! So it seems only fitting to update on how things are going. I'm a little over 34 weeks now. I need to make it to 36 weeks (anything before that and the doctors try to stop labor), so I have to last another week and a half. I won't lie, I feel a bit like a ticking time bomb. Even though it's unusual overall (less than 10%), my labors with both of the girls started with my water breaking just like in the movies (random tidbit...it sounds like a carrot snapping), so anytime my back or hip pops I hold my breath for a second and wonder if that was THE pop.

My blood pressure is still good, which is good for her--high blood pressure can interfere with how well the placenta works. Her heart rate is holding steady and she's growing well. She's still head down, but has flipped over to lay on my right side (optimal positioning before delivery is for the baby to be on mom's left side). That actually might be a good thing for now, because her being in a less than optimal position makes it a little harder for me to dilate. Birthing malpositioned babies isn't fun (as I learned with Sedona), but I'll take that over delivering too early. Baby has dropped down already. It actually feels like she moves lower every 2 or 3 days.

The contractions have definitely started up though. Sometimes 3 or 4 minutes apart for hours at a time (but not getting closer together or longer). I'm about 2-3cm and 70% effaced, which is pretty on track with where I was with the girls at this point. I suspect I'll have another fast labor because of that (well, depending on when you start counting from...I tend to labor an hour at a time for weeks before actual delivery). I have an herbal medicine I take to stop contractions (I'm normally very skeptical of herbal treatments, but it worked great with Sedona and it's worked great this time without the side effects of the more traditional medicines). I also take extra calcium and magnesium each day now and that's calmed down the contractions.

So we're in a holding pattern. She could come any time now, but every extra day is a bonus and it'd be really great if I could last until 36 weeks. Maybe we'll have a Halloween baby.

Oh, and two of you have accurately guessed her name. I lied and told you that you were wrong though (which I said I would do, so I'm not sure why everyone keeps guessing!). Also, we changed Sierra's name (she was going to be Dakota) right before she was born, so who knows if we'll really stick with this name or not anyway ;-)