I had an OB appointment right on the day I was thirty-eight weeks. My doctor called me "weird"! Actually she was teasing me because I lost weight again! I lost a full 1.5lbs this last week. That's 34 pounds now! It's hard not to get a little excited about this since I know the baby is just fine. I'll probably lose about 15-20 after the baby of just baby weight, which will put me about 20-25 lbs away from my goal weight! This is the best diet I've ever been on. I wish I could bottle what my body does and I'd be a millionaire!
She also said I'm the only pregnant woman in her last trimester that she knows who isn't swelling up tremendously in this heat! I say I deserve this since my first trimester was so scary, not to mention the 20 weeks or so of bad morning sickness and the extreme food aversions that I still have (they are better though. I can eat beef and chicken now)!
Other than that they can't find my group B strep (GBS) test. I had it done July 24 and the lab says they never got it. They have been having lots of problems with the lab losing things lately. So after having my appointment and then waiting around for over half an hour while they tried to get the results I had to go back in and get the test done again. This time it hurt too - just my luck! The first time I hardly noticed the swab.
I had a good long talk with my OB about a bunch of things, a c-section plan just in case, hospital protocols, etc. I asked about EPO (evening primrose oil) because my midwife would have started me on that at 36-38 weeks or so. She said it couldn't hurt so I'm taking that). I had two contractions while she was examining me. One I didn't feel and one I really felt! I've been having a lot of lower Braxton Hicks contractions. She was actually able to feel my cervix today (last week it was too high) and she felt the baby's head. Baby is still high, but the head is moving down. I'm a generous 1cm and 0% effaced still. Doesn't mean much, but I really don't feel the baby is coming soon and I'm just fine with that! For one thing I have to keep this little one in until at least August 18 because my parents arrive sometime on the 17th! If I could pick a date I'd pick August 22, a day early because that is Tom's birthday. And then I suppose if that doesn't happen the baby could hang on until September 2 and be born on mine, but I really don't want to wait that long!
I'm pretty comfortable still. I'm getting a lot of pubic bone pain and occasionally I can't move my right leg forward without pain (this is similar to what happened last pregnancy, but it comes and goes and isn't as painful). I think my visit on Saturday to the chiropractor should help that. I'm spending a lot of time kneeling on the bed over the birth ball because that helps my back. I pretty much
alternate that and sitting at the computer. It's too hot to do housework and I have a sink full of dishes to show my lack of motivation there. I need to do some because we're all out of glasses!
I'm writing this entry in a few parts. Ever since that morning appointment on Thursday I continued to have contractions. By Thursday night the contractions started coming very regularly so I started having Tom time them. I didn't think this was labor, but the regularity was odd. They were five minutes apart for the two hours we timed. They were just a tightening of the uterus, not very painful except down low and at my cervix which was stinging, burning and occasionally had sharp pains. I figured I had better get some sleep while I could in case this was the real thing. I felt mild contractions all night when I woke (I don't sleep deeply anymore), but they were not uncomfortable enough to keep me awake. It was the potty breaks and my arms falling asleep and other pregnancy woes that kept waking me. This continued for over forty-eight hours increasing at night and slowing a little during the day. It really seemed to be prodromal labor (long prelabor) to my doula and me. My doula keeps emailing me asking if it's ok if she goes out to dinner or if she needs to stay near home! I just laughed at her and said I really don't think "it" will happen soon!
Well I was starting to get really worn out even though they weren't hurting. I got into the bath last night when the cervical pain got to be a bit much again and relaxed. Since I have gotten out I haven't felt any cervical pain and just a few contractions. They probably just slowed down and I'm not noticing them. I slept great last night and aside from being achy everywhere (think I've been tensing my back and neck without realizing it with the contractions) I feel great this morning. I'm going to rest up for when another episode hits or the real thing happens!!! :) I'm not discouraged, disappointed or upset at all. These contractions had to have done some good and I'm perfectly happy to keep this little one inside until grandma and grandpa get here!
