The Baby: is the size of a bundle of swiss chard. Levi is now considered full term and ready for the outside world.
Mommy's Health: I feel great! I love being home with Gavin and I get to rest whenever I can!
Week 38: Another doctor's appointment has come and gone. This time we had better news. Dr. B did the internal exam this time and Levi's head is all the way down and my cervix is 50% effaced. Effaced means how thin the cervix is. My cervix is halfway ready! At week 39 when I was pregnant with Gavin I was 1 cm dilated and only 30% effaced. Gavin was four days late, maybe Levi will come earlier.
My mom and I made matching "Big Brother" and "Little Brother" shirts for Gavin and Levi. I'm not posting a picture of the shirts until they are wearing them! But believe me, the shirts are sooo adorable!
This week Tommy and I packed our hospital bags. I packed shampoo, body wash, deodorant, hair brush, make-up, hair ties, contact stuff, toothbrush and toothpaste, comfy clothes, nursing bras, and my Nikon camera. Now it's starting to feel real! Our baby will be here in two more weeks!
The Baby: is the size of a bundle of leeks! Even though Levi is considered full term, his brain and nervous system are still developing. Keep on growing baby!!
Mommy's Health: I WANT TO MEET MY BABY BOY!!
Week 39: Ugh, what a week...
Let's start with Thursday. I had my doctor's appointment with Dr. V this time. Everything is looking great, and I am 1 cm dilated. Because we live an hour and forty-five minutes away, my doctor wants to induce me within the week. Both doctors are worried about the distance. I'm not worried about the distance. I feel like since I have done this before I'll know when to head to the hospital. I do not want to be induced a day before 41 weeks, if there is no medical need. When my body and the baby are ready, then he will born. My next appointment is on Tuesday, I'll be 40 weeks and 2 days, so we'll see what happens.
I had contractions throughout the rest of the day and that afternoon my labia (outside part of the vagina) was swollen. Gross, I know, but it's swollen because the baby is very low and my body is pumping blood to the baby's brain. This causes a huge amount of pressure down there. Very uncomfortable. And on top of that, I got a hemorrhoid out of nowhere! I was walking into the kitchen and I guess the baby must have moved his head causing pressure in my bottom area. NOT FUN. I was swollen everywhere and I couldn't even sit. It should be soon now right?
Well I thought so... Friday afternoon around 4 p.m. I started getting contractions. They were consistent at first, lasting one minute to a minute and a half and four to five minutes apart. I timed them from 4:50-7:50 and they were still consistent. Then, the contractions started to get further apart, around ten to eleven minutes apart, but they still lasted a minute. Tommy and I put the baby to bed and since the contractions were happening for so long, I called the doctor. Dr. B was on call and she told me to start heading over to the hospital in case the contractions start getting worse. My mom was home so we didn't have to worry about the baby. I took a shower while Tommy packed the car and we left. We arrived at the hospital around 11:00 p.m. I had contractions all the way to the hospital. With Gavin's pregnancy, I walked through the doors hospital doors closest to the maternity ward, but because it was already after hours we had to enter through the ER. DID I MENTION I HATE HOSPITALS?! Some guy was there with no shirt or shoes, a couple was there and the guy looked like he got in a fight, and some old lady was wrapped in a hooded sweatshirt. Please get me out of here. I told them my name and that my doctor knows I'm here.
Someone came down with a wheel chair and wheeled me to maternity. I was still having contractions. My nurse, Marie, was very sweet. She talked to me about her two sons and made me feel comfortable. She also reassured me that everyone knows what happened last delivery (My uterus started coming out and I hemorrhaged reeeeeally bad) and that it won't happen again. Well, I hope not! My doctor told me before I tried getting pregnant again that they can take precautions this time and it won't happen again.
She hooked me up to the contraction monitor and the baby's heartbeat monitor. by midnight she checked my cervix and I was still only 1 cm and 50% effaced. REALLY? All these contractions for 8 hours and nothing?! She called my doctor and Dr. B said to recheck me in two hours because I live so far away and I was still having contractions. Those two hours were painful. The contractions got worse and they were only three minutes apart. Tommy was sleeping during this time because he might have to drive back if they decide to discharge me. The nurse came back around 3 p.m. and checked me. I was 2 cm!
Marie called Dr. B and the doctor said to keep me until morning and she will come in around 8 a.m. to check me. Marie told me to get some rest and to call her for anything. I tried to sleep but the contractions hurt! Then around 4.a.m. the contractions stopped. I fell asleep hoping they would start back up again. I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and nothing was happening. Well there was a lot happening in the room next to me. Four huge loud screams, cheering, and then a baby cry. I pulled the blanket close to my face and thought... maybe I don't want to do this today... I can't turn back now!
Dr. B was monitoring the baby and my contractions from home (cool right?) and came in at 8 a.m. to check my cervix like she said she would. Still only 2 cm. Not the news I wanted to hear. She ended up discharging me and Tommy and I went home. We stopped and got a bagel and iced (decaf) coffee for the ride home because I was hungry. Levi is not ready to come out!
The Baby: is the size of a mini watermelon (mini? yeah, okay). Levi is continuing to build a layer of fat and slough off the outer layer of his skin. The vernix is almost completely gone and the placenta is working hard to provide the antibodies to help protect him from infections in the outside world.
Mommy's Health: I'm soo ready to have this baby!
