40 Weeks!

On Monday, February 22, we had a 40 week & 2 day appointment. Yes, that's right- over 40 weeks. Lily decided that she didn't want to make her debut on her due date, which we figured she wouldn't, but were still hoping for anyway! Once again, everything looked great- my blood pressure was 110/80, I didn't have any weight gain (yay!), she's still head down, & I measured at 40 weeks. We did a non-stress test, where I had 2 external monitors placed on my abdomen- one to monitor her heart rate, & one to monitor my contractions. Her test showed that her heart rate was anywhere between 130s & 160s, she was not in distress & moved around appropriately, & I had a few contractions during the 30 minutes I was monitored.

During the physical exam, I was really bummed out by the "progress" I had made- 1.5cm dilated (only 1/2 cm from the last 2 weeks!), & still 60% effaced & at -2 station. I thought for sure that I would have had something better to report than that!

The doctor talked with us about setting up an induction date in case Lily decides not to come on her own. It is generally not considered safe to let a baby gestate for more than 42 weeks, because the amniotic fluid is not as copious, the placenta starts deteriorating, & the baby can just become too big. We have a scheduled induction date for Wednesday, March 3, but we are both praying & hoping that she will come on her own before then. I really don't want to be induced, but know as a medical professional that I will do whatever is necessary to make sure that she is healthy & not in any distress. On that day (if we make it that far), I will be 41 weeks & 4 days, so it will be just a few days shy of Lily being 42 weeks along.

We asked the doctor to give us a gauge as to whether she thought it was possible for me to go into labor on my own, although we understand she doesn't have a crystal ball to refer to! She said that if I was having some good contractions every day, it was possible for me to go into labor on my own. Bad news: I'm NOT having "good" contractions every day. I have some contractions every day, but definitely not a run of contractions that I would call good. Except for yesterday; I had some good contractions from about 3 in the afternoon until 9:30 at night. However, you see that I'm still here available to update the blog, so you see where that run of contractions got me!

I'm trying to stay positive, but it gets harder & harder to do so knowing how close you could be to seeing your first child after carrying her around for 10 months. However, there are a few events happening this week that I'm crossing my fingers might bring her out sooner than her induction date: there is a low pressure system moving through our area today & tonight which will bring some snow, & there is a full moon happening on Sunday, February 28. I know, I know, it may be a long shot, but we've tried everything we can to get her to come, from the doctor's advice to old wives' tales, so now we're just hoping that atmospheric events will do the trick!

We do have a 40 week picture to share, but are having difficulties with our home internet. I'm updating this at work, & am unable to upload the picture. So, check back soon & hopefully I'll be waiting there at the top of the blog for you!

Keep us in your thoughts & prayers as we enter what is definitely the home stretch!
Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & Lily

39 week appointment

We had my week 39 appointment on Wednesday, February 17. My blood pressure is still good at 118/80, I gained a pound since last week (total: 27 pounds, & that is enough!), Lily's heart rate was in the 140s, she's still head down, & I measured at 39 weeks.

I'm still at 60% effacement, 1cm dilated, & -2 station. NO CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK. Which, if you can't tell by the "tone" of my capital letters, is kind of disappointing. So, I decided to let the doctor strip my membranes, which huuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtttttttttttttttttt! But I'm not going to complain because I'm sure it's not as bad as what I'll be feeling one of these days soon! The doctor said that stripping the membranes can put some women in labor (because it releases prostaglandins which help induce labor) as soon as a couple of hours, or within a few days, but that for some women, it doesn't make anything happen at all. And I've had 2 girlfriends who both had their membranes stripped twice with no result! So, I'm not holding my breath for anything to happen, but I sure am hoping something does!!!

In any case, the doctor is seeing us back on Monday (unless I deliver before then) to hook me up to the fetal monitor for 45 minutes, since I will officially be "past my due date" (according to the LMP calculation). They will be monitoring her heart rate & movement to make sure that she's not in any distress, & checking to see if I'm having contractions. If I make it to this appointment, meaning I have not delivered by then, then we'll also talk about scheduling an induction. They start to talk about it after your due date because they're ok with you going into your 41st week, but they don't want you going past your 42nd week due to the negative effects it can have on the baby.

So please think good thoughts for a baby coming soon, & pray really hard that it will be a safe labor & delivery (& a speedy delivery nonetheless!). I REALLY don't want to be induced, but I know that God has a plan for each & every one of us- sometimes it's just really hard to wait & find out what that plan is!!!

Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & Lily

38 Weeks!

We had my 38 week appointment on Wednesday, February 10 (I was 38 weeks & 4 days to be exact). Everything is still looking good! My blood pressure was 102/78, I gained a pound since the last visit (bringing the total up to 26 pounds), Lily's heart rate was in the 140s, & I measured at 37 weeks, which the doctor thought indicated that I had dropped a little since I measured at 39 weeks last visit (which I think I forgot to include on the last update). She said that she thought I would have a "good-sized baby" as she was doing her palpations on my abdomen.

For those of you a little squeamish, skip this paragraph as I'll relate my internal exam for those who are interested. I was 60% effaced (how much the cervix had "thinned"; you have to be 100% to deliver), -2 station (this relates to where Lily's head is in my pelvis; basically, her head is just beginning to be engaged in the pelvis. 0 station is the middle of the pelvis, & +2 station is when babies start to crown), & 1cm dilated!!! The doctor said that only about 30% of first-time mothers are dilated at this point, so I guess I feel lucky to be slightly ahead of the game! Not that it means anything at all as to when Lily will be here.

The doctor talked about stripping my membranes at the next appointment if we were interested. That's where the bag of water is separated from the placenta to help speed along the process of labor. I keep going back & forth as to whether or not I want to do it. I have some questions I would like to ask before we make that decision. As I've said to people who ask how I'm doing, I've had a great pregnancy, I'm not miserable, but I am so ready!

We didn't take our typical 38 week picture because we had maternity pictures done. I've included some of my favorites below.

And finally, for those of you who want to make a weekly comparison with our typical pictures, how I look today (February 14) at 39 weeks & 1 day:

Tired, I know.

Until our next appointment, Wednesday, February 17, keep us in your thoughts & prayers. I REALLY don't want her coming late!!!

Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & Lily

37 Weeks!

I had my 37 week appointment today (February 2- 37 weeks & 3 days to be exact), & once again, everything looked great! We had a little confusion which could have been frightening (I'll get to that in a minute), but in the end, everything worked out fine.

First of all, let me say that I find it hard to believe that a person could gain 2 pounds in 5 days, but that is what their scale told me today. Soooooo, if it is in fact correct, that brings the total up to 25 pounds, & that is enough, in my opinion. OK, moving on... My blood pressure was 90/70, & my Group B Strep test was negative (yay!). Lily's head was down, & the doctor showed Jeff how to feel for it- he said "Sorry Babe, but I think she has a big head." :) The doctor asked us each how big we were at birth, & didn't have much to say after we responded, except to give us a smile. Let's just say we can start making bets that Lily will be at least an 8-pounder! (She also told us a slightly scary story about a woman who was 5'8" who delivered a 10 lb 12 oz baby a few weeks ago.)

So then she goes to check Lily's heart rate, but it wasn't where it should have been if she were head down. So the doctor searched for a little while with the doppler, & finally found it near my sternum. She didn't say much (although I noticed the worried look on her face) except, "Well, unless this baby is tricking me, & I was actually feeling her butt, it looks like she's head up." She took us into another room to do an ultrasound just to make sure. And sure enough, Lily was tricking her- her head was down, although her body was positioned in a "C-shape", where her spine was on the left side of my body (if you were looking at me), & her feet were off to the right. Her heart was just a little higher & off to the side than the doctor guessed it should be.

So after that confusion was cleared up, we were free to go. I'll get my first internal exam next week, but the doctor did make sure to tell us at the beginning of the appointment that first-time babies tend to like their surroundings- "They're warm, in a dark place, laying in a pool, being brought food, & are able to pee where they lay. We don't start giving eviction notices until you're 41 weeks along." :) I like this doctor's sense of humor!

So everyone at work is picking days that they think Lily will be born, & a few people have asked me if I have any feelings about when she'll arrive. I really don't have any feelings one way or another, but I'm siding with the doctor & assuming that she will either be close to on time or late.

The next appointment is on Wednesday, February 10! Looking forward to it- they help me count down the days!

Love, Ashlee, Jeff, & Lily