Water....?

10:40pm on 02/21.... possible water broke... heading to the hospital..

We will call all parents when we know more, we promise!!!!!!

OB Appointment on 2/19/10

Almost had to do a double NST scan today, but towards the end the baby did the necessary movements so it was good. I've concluded that the baby just doesn't like that scan... because he was moving tons before and after it, but DURING it, he decides to be quiet and sit still. Silly boy.

Doctor checked my cervix again... this is the convo that happened:

Doctor: So last week you were a fingertip, which is about half a centimeter.
Me: And now?
Doctor: Well.. still a fingertip.. oh wait, now you are 1 and a half centimeters.. I kinda stretched it out while checking.

hahaha.. so, I guess thats progress?

I asked (for curiosity sake) when he starts thinking of induction if a women just doesn't go into labor on her own. He said that what he used to do was wait until 40 weeks and 3 days, but the hospital wont allow an induction (unless its medically necessary, such as high blood pressure, harm to the baby, etc) until 41 weeks. So if the baby doesn't come on his own, he'll probably schedule an induction in about two weeks from now. We're hoping he comes sooner though.. and knowing our luck, he will come the day before, or the day of, Matt's tests. hahahha!!

39 Weeks!

Let the countdown begin! Just 7, thats right, SEVEN, more days until my due date! Of course, try telling that to the little guy in my belly.. he seems pretty content... he may decide to come today, tomorrow... next weekend... two weekends from now (oh please no!)... I want him out, but at the same time, I know he will come out when he is ready, even if it means I gotta wait. *insert twiddling of thumbs here* :)

Below are my belly pics for this week. Check out the second image which actually shows that my belly has DEFINITELY dropped from last week to this week! Woohoo! And as usual, click on the side-by-side collective image, located on the right panel, to see the progress of my belly up until this point.

 

 

Tomorrow (Friday) I have another OB appointment: NST scan first then checking my cervix. Keep your fingers crossed that things have progressed!

OB Appointment on 2/12/10

As per usual, I had an NST scan first thing during the appointment. The baby did good this time, mostly because he got the hiccups so it showed lots of movement.

The doctor was pretty busy today (he usually always is on Friday's) so we probably waited about 20 minutes until he was able to see us. What's funny is that I think I ended up going to the bathroom 3 times while waiting for him haha... just lots of pressure on the bladder makes me gotta go!

So the doctor finally was able to see us and he checked my cervix. He said that I was still closed but I was thinning out/softening up, which is good. I was honestly hoping for some dilation, but I guess we'll just have to wait until week when he checks again.

He didn't do an ultrasound because he could feel the baby's head in my pelvic bone. He even had Matt feel the head from the outside! It also seems like the baby is facing down, which is good,because if he was facing up when I went into labor, it would probably mean lots and lots of back pain.

He also told me that I tested negative for Group Strep B, so thats good. My blood pressure was normal, and I gained 2.5lbs since last week. So that would be a total of about 22.5lbs of pregnancy weight gain. Not too bad still.

Next appointment is next Friday, same time, same place :)

38 Weeks!

38 weeks today...just 14 more days until my due date. Of course, the baby can come anytime before that... or after. I sure am hoping for "before" though! :)

Nothing too much to report. I have braxton hicks (false contractions) more and more lately... sometimes they make my lower back hurt, especially at night. I have an OB appointment tomorrow and he is going to check my cervix, so we'll see if anything is happening or not.

Below is my belly pictures for this week... and also a second one that shows off my "stretchies" which are really low haha.. They didn't start appearing until about last week or so.

 

 

Also, I posted the collective weekly belly picture to the right side column.. just click on it and it will take you the bigger image.

I'll update again tomorrow after my appointment!

Parenting Class #4

So last nights parenting class focused on breastfeeding. It was kind of interesting, especially since they gave us dolls to hold and practice positions with. I made to sure grab a doll with a blue blanket ;)

The lady teaching the class basically just talked, asked us what we knew, and answered questions. She showed us different holds (cradle, cross-cradle, and football hold) and how the dads can help by handing us the baby, getting pillows to help us position ourselves, etc. Then we watched a 5-10 minute video of how baby latches during breastfeeding (shown with 3D imagery and with live people).

The hospital I will be delivering at (and where the classes take place) is very much pro-breastfeeding. They've told us that as soon as the baby is out, they place the baby on the mom and if she wants to start breastfeeding right then and there, they usually allow it (pending on how the baby is doing of course). She was telling us how the first 1-2hours after the baby is born is the best time try and get them to breastfeed because they are usually wide awake and looking around. She asked if any of us has ever seen a baby like that (wide awake after being born) and I distinctly remembered when Joey was born and he was in his little nursery bed, looking around while they were giving him extra oxygen. So yes, I raised my hand when she asked that question :)

I will be 38wks tomorrow so now we are playing the waiting game. Everyday I wonder if the little guy is going to be early... but knowing my luck, he will late, just like me haha. I'm kind of hoping for early at this point, which I am sure all pregnant women are at about 38wks.

I have an OB appointment on Friday where he will check my cervix for dilation. I'm crossing my fingers that some sort of progress is happening :) Matt and I already agreed that this weekend would be the perfect weekend for him to come, since it's a long weekend and then this way, Matt wont need to miss any classes next week or miss his test the week after that (poor guy has a test on my due date.. I don't want him stressing during the test about me!). Of course, this all depends on what the little guy wants...who seems very content just chillin' around and moving/stretching a whole bunch hahaha!

I'll post tomorrow with new belly pics!

OB Appointment on 2/5/10

So I had do the NST scan twice during this appointment. During the first time, the baby wasn't moving too much (most likely sleeping), so the doctor had me stay on for another 20 minutes. They gave me some candy and some ice to munch on to try and get the baby moving. He was going nuts after a while, which was a good thing. However, being flat on my back for 40+ minutes while he was going crazy was giving me cramps and a bad backache. However, none of it was contractions (at least according to the machine I was hooked up too).

Afterward, I met with the doctor who did a quick ultrasound to make sure the baby was still head down (he is!) and to make sure there is enough fluid around him (there is!). I go back next Friday and he'll start checking my cervix then to see if anything is happening.

Oh, I also gained 5lbs between now and last Wednesday! I was a little shocked to see the scale haha... my eating habits haven't really changed, so I am thinking it might be mostly water.

That's about it :) Hope everyone has a great weekend!

37 Weeks!

So I made it. I am officially considered full term! Now all I have to do is.... wait. Let's see how impatient the little guy is.. or how stubborn! Haha...

Here is my 37 week belly pics. It looks like the belly actually rose since last week.. I think it's because the little guy has been moving around so much before I took this picture...

Oh, and if you haven't seen this on FaceBook yet... here is a video of just how active this baby is! (taken during my lunch break today)





I'll update tomorrow after my OB appointment!

Parenting Class #3, Pediatrician, and Heartburn

Class
Last night was class #3 of our parenting class, which focused on c-section information in the beginning portion, then went into breathing exercises to be used during labor in the second portion (which was good for us since we are not taking a Lamaze class).

The c-section part wasn't bad really. I thought they would show a live birth of it, but instead, they showed it in 3D. Still had the same effect though.. lots of cringing and gasping in the class towards the end of the demo (I wont go into details in case there are squeamish people reading this).

The breathing exercises at the end was nice. We learned three different types for the three different stages of labor. She even made sure all the guys practiced with the moms so that they are aware of how much work it actually takes to breath a certain way for a minute or longer. It also good for them to know so they can look for cues if we're not doing it right.

Pediatrician
In other news, we picked out a pediatrician :) I am part of a parenting message board called BabyGaga and I have met a lot of women who are due in the month of February. One lady is from Hawaii, so I asked her who her pediatrician was and she highly recommended the one she has. So I called the doctor and Matt and I had a sit-down interview with her last Friday. She has a lot of the same view points as we do (like with breast-feeding, circumcision, etc) and seems really nice. Her name is Nadine Salle.

Heartburn
So a few entries ago I mentioned how my doctor prescribed me Nexium for my heartburn... boy does it WORK!!!!!!! The very first night I was able to sleep well for the first time in a long time (well, except for having to get up to use the restroom, but I can at least quickly fall back asleep upon returning to bed). The next night, we tempted fate and had pizza for dinner, knowing for sure I was going to be up all night with heartburn. NOPE! No heartburn at all. It's been almost a week now and it hasn't returned. I'm so very happy :)

The newest thing happening now though, is that my hips/pelvic bone REALLY hurt. I'm not quite sure why, as I don't think the baby has dropped yet (at least it doesn't look that way to me). It hurts to go from sitting to standing.. I walk with a limp/waddle now because of the pain, and night whenever I have to switch sides while sleeping my hips will pop really loud and hurt while I move. I've tried taking pain meds but nothing has really worked... I think the only cure, at this point, is to have the baby haha! Only 3 weeks and 1 day left to go!!

Coming up this week: Turning 37 weeks (full term!) and OB appointment on Friday

36 weeks!

So today I hit my 36 week mark, which means... only 4 more weeks left until my due date!!!

Here are some pics of my belly from today. There isn't much difference from last week honestly (which you can see in the second picture).

 

And below is a collective belly pic from week 10 until now. I have missed a few weeks here and there... the latest one is from today. The one before that is from week 33. 

(Click the image to see it bigger)

OB Appointment on 1/27/10

Had an OB appointment today and it went really well.

I was hooked up to the NST machines (NST = Non Stress Test) for 20 minutes first thing again. The baby didn't really start moving/doing what he needed to do until the last part. The nurse told me that I may have to do the test again if the doctor needs me too. Thankfully, he didn't. I have to lay almost flat on my back and when I do that, the baby crushes my lungs so its kinda uncomfortable.

After the scan, I had my blood pressure and weight taken. Blood pressure was normal and I gained 2lbs since my last weigh-in, which was 2 weeks ago, putting me at a total of about 15lbs weight gain this pregnancy so far. Not too shabby :)

Then I met with the doctor, who measured my belly and I am still measuring a little small at 34.5CM (I should be almost 36) but he said it's ok. He did a very quick ultrasound and we found that the baby is head down again! YAY!! My hope now is that he stays head-down.

I was also able to get a prescription of Nexium for heartburn! I told him how TUMs, Rolaids, and Maalox just wasn't doing it anymore. I said that I found two Class B heartburn meds that I hope I could take and he agreed to write a prescription for one of them. Now I just have to wait to see if it helps. If its not helping by my next appointment (next Friday) then he will probably give me a bigger dose.

I turn 36 weeks tomorrow meaning there is only 4 more weeks left to go!!!!!!!

Parenting Class #2

So last night Matt and I had our second parenting class. It's held at our Hospital (Queens Medical Center) in a small auditorium. Our first class was last Monday, but nothing really interesting happened there. We took a tour of the hospital again (Matt and I took one right before visiting family in November) and signed registration paperwork.

Yesterday is what I consider the first "real" class session. Each week, the class is taught by someone different, from different areas of the hospital. Yesterday's class focused on Labor and Delivery.

During the first part, the lady talked about water breaking, dilation, and all that fun stuff. Then she showed us tools that they have that are used to help the baby during birth (such as the vacuum and forceps).

We then got to watch a few short videos, which contained both 3D video and real-life video of a vaginal birth and all that goes on in the uterus, the baby, and the mom during the different stages of labor. That was fun! haha... actually, thanks to TLC and other various TV stations, I've seen a few live vaginal births before, so it really didn't phase me. I believe Matt was doing good as well. I did hear a few others getting a little squirmy in their chairs though (especially when they showed a live birth of the placenta. FUN!! haha..)

The video also talked about medications during birth and we got to see how an epidural was administered. I know I am definitely getting one, and honestly, it doesn't seem to bad to have done... ask me later if I still feel that way though haha!!!

Overall, it was a very informative class. My head was full of lovely images and information, which played out in my dreams last night, whenever I could fall asleep. The little guy was moving around A LOT, making me cramp a bit at some times. My heartburn has been getting worse at night.. I'm going to beg my doctor to let me take something stronger then TUMs, Rolaids, or Maalox. They just are not doing their job anymore, except giving me bad upset stomachs and even some nausea now.

I have my NST Scan and OB appointment later today. I will update with that information either tonight or tomorrow morning :)

Appointment info from 1/20/10

So this last Wednesday (1/20/10) I had an OB appointment that contained an NST scan. Apparently I will be having this scan, followed by a visit with my OB, weekly until I have the baby.

What the NST scan does is monitor the baby's movements and heartbeat, as well as to see if I am having any contractions. I get two monitors attached to me (one for me, one for baby) and I have to lay there for 20 minutes. The baby is supposed to move a certain amount of times during those 20 minutes.. apparently, my little guy completed the requirements within 6 minutes haha! They still had me stay hooked up the full 20 minutes. Baby's heartbeat was great and I had no contractions.

Once done, I saw my doctor (Dr. Sakaguchi, for those who don't know his name). He was very pleased with the movement and heartbeat of the baby. He then measured my fundal height (which is from my pelvic to the top of my uterus). It is supposed to match the number of weeks I am. So if I am 35 weeks, it should measure 35cm. Every week that my doctor started this measurement (at 29 weeks), I have measured right on track. However, this last appointment, I was measuring only 32cm, and it should have been 34-35cm. The doctor did a quick ultrasound and found that the baby had flipped and was now breech. The doctor isn't really worried at this point, because the baby has 5 more weeks to flip back around to head-down. However, he told me that if the baby does NOT flip, then it will most likely mean I will have to have a C-Section.

The doctor then took a few measurements of the baby (I think size of stomach, femur bone, and a few other things) to try and determine how big the baby is. According to the computer, the baby was measuring 5lbs 15oz. The doctor doesn't want to say that that is the actual size of the baby, as the measurements can be off by 1-2lbs up or down. He just wanted to make sure the baby is growing, and he is, so that's all that matters.

My next appointment is this upcoming Wednesday, 1/27. Since my doctor gives me a quick ultrasound at every visit, maybe he will give me a new picture for me to post for you all to see.

The First Blog!

So I was trying to come up with a way that family and friends can easily see updates about little "Baby Black" before, and after, he is born. While Facebook is nice, most everyone has to scroll around to see any updates from me (which I only do about once a week and they are not very detailed) and sometimes they get buried or it just doesn't show the updated status.

I know a lot of people who use BlogSpot and decided to give this a whirl!

Since this is basically for family and friends, I won't post too much background information, as most of you know it already.

The basic information is: WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!
He (yes, confirmed he is definitely a boy back in September) is due February 25th, which happens to be exactly 1 month from today.

We have not announced the name we have chosen and that will be kept a secret until the little guy arrives. Until then, the baby will mostly be referred to as "Baby Black" or "Reggie".

I hope to update this blog whenever I have appointments to give further update. In fact, the next post will be from my last appointment, which took place last Wednesday.