Week 40: June 4 - June 10
Week 40 Milestones:
- Baby is the size of a jackfruit (don't feel dumb, I had to google it too) this week! She is just continuing to grow hair and nails, as well as develop her lungs up until delivery.
- I have officially gained a total of 45 pounds over the course of this entire pregnancy. Yes, that sounds like a lot. It is definitely more than my original pregnancy weight gain goal, which I now realize was a completely ridiculous and unrealistic goal. I feel like considering my height and the predicted size of this baby, I gained a good healthy amount of weight for this pregnancy.
- We had a doctor's appointment on Thursday (40 weeks, 1 day) to make sure everything was ok for me to continue on past my due date. At this appointment, we had an ultrasound to check my fluid levels and her size. The measurements they took estimated that she's already around 9 pounds! We also had a NST (nonstress test) which measures her heart rate, fetal movement and contractions continuously over a 20 minute time frame. We met with the doctor and had a pelvic exam as well. I was still approximately 80% effaced, 3 centimeters dilated and at the -1 station. We went back to the doctor on Monday (40 weeks, 5 days) for another check to make sure that baby and I are still fine to continue on without inducing. Another ultrasound showed that my fluid levels are still good and no other complications are apparent. A second NST (nonstress test) showed that her heart rate and fetal movements are still great. My blood pressure is low and there are no other indications that inducing is medically necessary at this time. I'm still only 3cm dilated, but in order to get any progress in that department, I really need for labor contractions to get started. At least when my labor does actually start, I'll be starting from 3 instead of 0!
- I am still having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions all the time and they are definitely more intense than before, but still no real labor contractions. It's kind of annoying because every time I start to feel one, I get all excited thinking "oh is this a real one?!!!" and then it's not and I get disappointed...this happens like 50 times a day right now. Super annoying. I can't wait to see how I react when I do feel that first real labor contraction. I'll probably cry with joy because I'll be so freaking excited. I've never been so anxious to feel pain in my entire life, how strange is that? Over-due pregnancy problems.
- I am still having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions all the time and they are definitely more intense than before, but still no real labor contractions. It's kind of annoying because every time I start to feel one, I get all excited thinking "oh is this a real one?!!!" and then it's not and I get disappointed...this happens like 50 times a day right now. Super annoying. I can't wait to see how I react when I do feel that first real labor contraction. I'll probably cry with joy because I'll be so freaking excited. I've never been so anxious to feel pain in my entire life, how strange is that? Over-due pregnancy problems.
- We have tried literally everything to naturally induce labor. Crazy, weird stuff. I've done it all. On Friday (40 weeks, 2 days), I had acupuncture which I must say was a pretty cool experience. This was the first time I had ever been willing to try acupuncture, since "pre-IVF Jacki" was afraid of needles. That was a phobia I had to overcome real fast or I never would have survived fertility treatments. I found the acupuncture to be very relaxing and not painful at all. Sometimes it felt a little weird when she would twist the needles, but overall it wasn't bad. They say it can take up to 48 hours for the acupuncture to fully work and she put these little stickers with seeds under them on my skin to mark specific pressure points for us to massage at home to continue the effects of the acupuncture after the treatment. I went back on Monday (40 weeks, 5 days) for another acupuncture treatment. I'm not sure if it has actually helped with my labor any, but Peyton moves around like crazy while it's happening so she must be getting something from it. If anything, it does help me feel more relaxed which is exactly what I need right now.
- My favorite strange induction strategy we tried was pulling the wagon. A family friend of ours who is a nurse (formerly a labor and delivery nurse) suggested this idea to us. He said they used to have women pull wagons around the hospital when he worked in L&D to induce labor and he was shocked by how often it actually worked. Apparently, this is the same technique used on horses when they are having trouble going into labor. It has something to do with pulling weight at that specific angle and it stretching the muscles in your abdomen a certain way while you do it. Sounded logical enough for me. So my mom and I loaded up our little red wagon with bricks and a bag of potting soil and we walked up and down her street. I will admit that I could totally feel the pull and contraction of the muscles in my abdomen as I was doing it so I would not be surprised if that technique actually did work. Since I've been trying so many different labor induction strategies everyday, I guess we will never know which one (if any) ultimately did the trick. I'm sure it's purely just an act of God anyways, but at least trying all these crazy ideas is keeping me entertained while I'm waiting.
- Food preferences: Enjoying some final pregnancy indulgences (ice cream) while I still can because after she pops out, the post-pregnancy diet begins!
The final piece of wall art for the nursery arrived today! It was custom made and hand-painted by this Etsy shop, addilyn eli, to match her Pottery Barn crib bedding. I absolutely love how it turned out and can't wait to hang it up over her changing table tonight! Maybe she will decide to make her grand entrance now that her nursery is complete :)
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