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I took several walks to Jennings Park while #WaitingForTodd
AKA: My pregnancy, Weeks 38-41+
I’m finally catching up with this blog and, although a LOT has happened, I’ll start where I left off at the end of July. This blog is really just a personal (and yet public) way for me to record (most) everything about my pregnancy and birth.
Oh– and #minivegan does have a name, and his name is Todd.
WEEK 38
This was my last full week of working. By this time, I was really having a hard time getting through the intense, full work days, and the summer heat made it much worse! Low back pain was an issue for the first time during my pregnancy. Also, this one spot in my right lower rib cage area was constantly feeling stretched and sore. Ligament stretching? Muscle stretching? I didn’t know.
I had a midwife appointment on Wednesday, July 30th. On Friday, August 1st, I had my 6th veganniversary. (Yay!!) During the evenings and nights, my heartburn and poor sleep continued.
WEEK 39
I worked Monday and Tuesday this week. I took Wednesday off. Thursday, August 7th was supposed to be my last day of work.
I had a midwife appointment on the Wednesday (August 6th – Happy 40th birthday to my sister!) I could have opted for a check of my cervix, but I decided against it.
I never made it to work on the 7th. In the early morning hours, I was feeling some mild crampy sensations that I thought could be labor starting. It wasn’t. Wishful thinking! I felt dumb about calling in to work. Rookie mistake. I regretted not having the experience of “last day goodbyes” with my co-workers and patients. Oh well. I spent the weekend shopping, cooking, relaxing, and gearing up for the big day…
WEEK 40
40 Weeks Pregnant
Monday, August 11th was my due date. I went for a walk and then I had an acupuncture appointment. I was hoping the acupuncture would give my body a nudge toward labor. I don’t know what it did, but I definitely had the best sleep in a long time that night. Baby was super active that evening…
On Wednesday, August 13th, I was awake from midnight to 4 AM, again feeling mild crampy sensations. I hoped it was labor starting, but it wasn’t. I had a midwife appointment in the morning, and Brianna checked my cervix (ouch!!). She said baby’s head was “really low!” and that I was at +1 station and 1 cm dilation. My cervix was in a good, anterior position. I was optimistic that labor might start soon. My sister and 10 year old niece decided to drive up from Oregon. I wanted them present for the labor and birth.
Welcome sign
On Friday, August 15th, I was again up in the early morning hours with the same pre-labor sensations. When I noticed my mucus plug and bloody show on the toilet paper in the morning, I really got excited! I was convinced the day had come. I even called my doula to give her a “heads up.” But, no. (Poor Eric stayed home from work that day for nothing.)
By Saturday, August 16th, we were all getting pretty stir crazy, so we planned a full day of activity. In the morning, I saw a little more bloody mucus. We walked on the Centennial Trail in Snohomish, WA…
Centennial Trail – 40 Weeks +5 Days – August 16, 2014
Centennial Trail
We went to the Snohomish Aquatic Center, which is pretty cool! I was not able to do certain activities…
Eric at the Snohomish Aquatic Center
And he’s down…
My niece comes out of the water slide.
Sunday, August 17th I hit my emotional low point. It was now 40 weeks + 6 days. I was so done with being pregnant. I was drained by getting my hopes up every night, only to still be pregnant each morning. I felt bad that my family had been in town for several days and there was still no baby for them to hold. I wanted them to enjoy the maximum number of days with Todd, before needing to go back home. Finally, I was increasingly fearful about the possibility of induction. With each passing day, I doubted my body’s ability to initiate labor on its own. That afternoon, I cried and cried.
WEEK 41
41 Weeks Pregnant – August 18, 2014
New week, new attitude. Another good night’s sleep helped. On Monday, August 18th, we took Ashley to the American Girl store in Lynnwood.
American Girl
On Tuesday, August 19th, we walked in the neighborhood in the morning, and I had an acupuncture appointment and a massage appointment in the afternoon.
Acupuncture Associates of Marysville
Ashley also used her special energy forces to try to coax baby out…
Ashley
Ashley uses her energy forces to coax Todd out.
On Wednesday, August 20th (after yet another night of being awake with pre-labor sensations, this time more intense than ever before), we decided to make Todd’s birthday cake. I made the recipe for Peanut Butter Mousse Cake, out of The Voluptuous Vegan cookbook.
At noon, I had a midwife appointment. Brianna did another cervix check (ouch!), as well as a stretch and sweep (double ouch!). I was 3 cm dilated. I also had a NST (Non-Stress Test). Baby responded well. I was sent for an ultrasound, too, but that was more of a wild goose chase than anything else (not worth discussing here). Brianna said it was time to use castor oil to induce labor. I was instructed to drink 2 ounces at bedtime (~10 PM) and then drink another 2 ounces 4 hours later (~2 AM).
NST at 41 Weeks + 2 days – August 20, 2014
TO BE CONTINUED…
Well, now, I’m already a few weeks into my 3rd trimester with #minivegan. Already?? It’s time for a recap of the 2nd trimester.
I already posted about my 20 Week Ultrasound. This post includes all the other happenings.
In general, it’s true what “they” say about the 2nd trimester (for me). My energy came back. And that was a good thing, because I was working a lot.
My food aversions went away, and I started eating more like “normal” for me. The “desperate hunger” diminished, although I was left with a pesky sweet tooth. I really got that under control after we got back from Snowbird (week 21). I also stopped having to eat in the middle of night, except for some especially hungry weeks (i.e. ~week 25). I think the little boy has growth spurts. Despite my appetite ups and downs, my weight gain has been very consistent since week one.
As each week passed, my belly was much smaller than I thought it would be…
WEEK 15
I had an appointment with my midwife at Cascade Birth Center on February 19, 2014. We heard baby’s heartbeat:
WEEK 16
At the end of this week (March 1), I think I felt the first little kick. I’d get real quiet before going to sleep at night, and see what I could feel with my hands on my belly. It felt like a little tap.
16 Weeks
WEEK 17
On March 5th, I had my blood draw for the Harmony prenatal test. The next few kicks came at the end of this week (March 7, 8, 9). Eric was lucky to feel a BIG one on the 9th.
WEEK 18
On Friday, March 14th, the blood test results came back: BOY! (See the 20 Week Ultrasound post for more details). After that, I was feeling kicks daily. I called him my “lowrider” because I felt the kicks barely above my pubic bone.
WEEK 19
I had a midwife appointment on March 19th. The ultrasound was on the 21st. Listening to the heartbeat never gets old!
WEEK 20
We spent the week with family, skiing in Little Cottonwood Canyon, at Snowbird and Alta (Utah). This shows our view out the window.
20 Weeks
WEEK 22
By this week, baby was kicking with higher frequency. After dinner was a particularly energetic time!
22 Weeks
WEEK 24
For some reason, I started getting more emotional this week and the next. I could cry without much provocation. I cried tears of gratitude, love, worry, and for no real reason at all. If you’d needed an actress to cry on cue, I was your girl!
24 Weeks
WEEK 25
This week was when I noticed that my belly felt much more firm instead of soft. I had another midwife appointment, which meant another opportunity to hear baby’s heartbeat…
On May 3rd, my belly was lopsided as I snuggled with Millie on the couch. When we went out to dinner with Eric’s parents that evening, my mother-in-law gave me a nice gift.
Baby “swam” over to the left side!
Thank you, Diane!
WEEK 26
At the start of this week, my mailman delivered a super sweet gift from my friend Anja. Go check out her website/blog at All Up Anja. I love my #PPNSNG pals!
At the end of this week, I started feeling my first Braxton Hicks contractions. At first I thought that baby was just doing something different, but then I realized what it was. My belly just got uniformly firm and stayed that way for a minute.
Thank you, Anja!
26 Weeks
My biggest physical complaint during the 2nd trimester has been my declining sleep quality. It seems to be a pattern of: go to bed about 9:30 PM, then wake up any time between 11:30 and 2:00, pee, then wake up at least 2 more times after that. Or, I’ll just stay wide awake for an hour (or 2), or I’ll toss and turn the rest of the night. Ugh!
Because of all that, I basically gave up (after week 23) doing any before-work exercising. I’m cutting myself some slack right now. I skied all through ski season and now I go on walks each weekend, but, with my work schedule, that’s all I can muster. At least my job is an active one.
I’m very much looking forward to my last 2+ months. My work schedule is finally lightening up, I’m almost finished with getting the house ready for baby, and I’ve got some fun events on the calendar.
Not to mention, it’s almost summer, which is always good for body and mind!
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2nd Trimester Weights (Weeks 14-26):
February 11, 2014 = 113.2 lb
February 18, 2014 = 113.4 lb
February 25, 2014 = 115.6 lb
March 4, 2014 = 114.6 lb
March 11, 2014 = 116.4 lb
March 18, 2014 = 117.0 lb
March 25, 2014 = no data
April 1, 2014 = 118.0 lb
April 8, 2014 = 120.2 lb
April 15, 2014 = 121.0 lb
April 22, 2014 = 121.4 lb
April 29, 2014 = 122.8 lb
May 6, 2014 = 124.8 lb
Total 2nd Trimester Weight Gain = 11.6 lb
Total 1st + 2nd Trimester Weight Gain = 25.8 lb
Freeheel Vegan 