Just a quick update about today's OB appointment!
Emalyn is looking good, with a strong and steady heartbeat. My belly is measuring a little on the small side for how far along we are, but the obstetrician didn't seem very concerned, and said it was still within the normal range. Just to be on the safe side, I have an ultrasound scheduled for June 3rd where they will measure her to be sure she's still growing as she should. Also, because of my history with Juliet, they are going to start seeing me for regular OB visits every two weeks now, instead of every four. I think this is when most obstetricians increase visits to every two weeks, but military doctors usually don't until after you've hit 36 weeks. Anyway, I'm happy they'll be seeing me more often, and that they're doing the ultrasound next week. It helps put my mind at ease knowing that they will be watching Emalyn's grown closely, as well as my progress. After all, I've got to stay pregnant until Matt gets home and Kaitlin gets out here ;)
I also got a few answers today about what I can expect once I go into labor, some good news and some not so great. The obstetrician assured me that they'll be monitoring Emalyn very closely while I'm in labor. I asked him if this meant continuous fetal monitoring, and he said it did. I'm a little bummed about that, because I'd much prefer to be able to get in and out of bed as I like while I'm in labor, rather than be tied down by monitors. Everything I've read or heard about labor says that being able to stand up helps tremendously, since my body can work with gravity to help bring the baby down. On the plus side, however- He told me that they will not make me have a catheter (woohoo!!!), which means that I'll have to unhook myself from the monitors and walk to the restroom whenever I have to pee. Hm.. I plan on drinking a LOT that day... I'm also planning on staying home as long as I can once I go into labor so that I'll be able to spend less time actually at the hospital.
We got our "stork parking" pass for the hospital today! I can't believe we're close enough to be able to park in the special spots they've reserved for women in labor!! We're almost there!
Anyway, overall good news from the obstetrician today! I'll update again after our ultrasound next Friday! (Hopefully with pictures of Emalyn!)
Monday, May 23, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
How can something seem so close, and so far, at the same time?
Wow, has it really been over a month since I've updated this?? Time is flying right now! I just looked at the countdown on the right, and it says I have 48 days until Emalyn's due date- that's so soon! And at the same time.. that's forty-eight whole days to go.... That might as well be 48 months.. Haha!
I'm 33 weeks and 1 day, less than 7 weeks to go. It's hard to imagine that in less than 7 weeks my world will be so drastically different than it is today. Today, it's just me and Juliet, all by ourselves in our new house in Hawaii. I spend most days trying to scrounge up enough energy to keep her happy, while also finishing up the last bit of unpacking and keeping the house clean. Juliet loves to be outside, so most days we go to the park that's in front of our house, and if I'm feeling up for it, we go to the beach. She loves to play in the sand and water! In about 7 weeks, it will be (hopefully) me, Matt, Juliet, and baby Emalyn, all adjusting to having our family of four together after so much time waiting! It almost doesn't seem real.
Our move to Hawaii went pretty well, all things considered. The flight was long, but went smoothly, and Juliet was very well behaved considering it was a 20 hour day of traveling! It took about a week for her to adjust to the 6-hour time difference, but now she's back on her regular schedule. That's great news for me, since it means I can- attempt to- get some regular sleep too! We were very lucky, and able to move into our house about a week and a half after we arrived on island. Now that we're settled in, we're enjoying Hawaii while we wait for Daddy and the new baby. Of course, we miss all of our family and friends in Florida so much!!!
Enough about me and Juliet, let's talk about this pregnancy! So far, things are continuing to go very well. I had an OB visit just a few days after arriving in Hawaii, at about 29 weeks. At that point, my belly was measuring right on target, Emalyn had her head down, and my weight gain was still very steady. I believe I weighed 128lbs at that appointment. I spoke with the obstetrician about the VBAC delivery I'm hoping for, and he agreed that I'm a good candidate, as long as things continue to go uncomplicated, and Emalyn isn't breech when I go into labor. That's great news for me, since I was nervous about switching obstetricians and having a hard time finding someone who would agree to let me attempt a natural birth. It seems that Hawaii is much more relaxed about VBAC deliveries than Florida is. So lots of prayers and happy thoughts that this pregnancy continues to go well, and Emalyn keeps her head down, please!
According to the last weekly email I received from BabyCenter, Emalyn should be about 4lbs and 17in long now! Those were Juliet's exact weight and length when she was born! It's very strange to think that Emalyn is already as big as Juliet was when she was born, and even more strange to think that Juliet was that tiny at one point!
How I'm feeling (physically): Exhausted! It's becoming increasingly difficult to find a comfortable position to sleep in these days, so I spend a lot of time tossing and turning. It doesn't help that Emalyn (like all babies) is very active when I lay down to go to sleep, so while I'm struggling to find that perfect position to lay in, I'm being repeatedly jabbed in the ribs. I've also been dealing with a lot of heartburn lately, and keep a bottle of Tums right by my bed. My back and hips are a little achy, but a warm bath usually helps with that. Thankfully, the bathtub in our new house is amazing, and super deep (the water will actually cover my belly!!), so I can really relax. My appetite is still pretty big, and I still haven't hit the point where I seem to have no room for food. I very rarely feel full, unless I really eat a lot. According to my scale at home, I weigh around 134lbs now, which means that I have officially gained over 30lbs so far this pregnancy!! As Matt pointed out, this is the most I've ever weighed! While most women would shed a tear over that fact, I feel great about it! I've always been thin, but throughout my pregnancy with Juliet and between her birth and finding out I was pregnant with Emalyn, I struggled to keep weight on, and constantly felt like I was too thin and looked sickly. I finally feel like I'm gaining a normal and healthy amount of weight!
How I'm feeling (emotionally): All sorts of things.. I'm getting very excited about meeting Emalyn so soon. I can't wait to see what she's like, what she shares with her sister, and how she's different. I'm excited to see how Juliet reacts to being a big sister, and hoping she's happy about it! I'm also getting nervous, because I'm a week away from where I was when Juliet was born. While this pregnancy has been so different than my first, I'm still worried that something is going to happen and Emalyn will be born early as well. I don't feel like I'm ready to have her just yet (although when my back is aching and I'm tossing and turning at night trying to fall asleep, I sometimes wish I could just have her already, haha!). I feel like I have too much to do to prepare for her, and I need Matt to get home first. I'm getting anxious about her birth day too. I'm praying everything goes smoothly, and I'll have the VBAC delivery I want without interference from doctors, being quick to want to intervene. But I've also read up a lot on TOLAC (trial of labor after cesarean) and VBAC, and know that a lot of doctors, while they may agree to let me attempt, will be quick to tell me I need an emergency cesarean when it may not exactly be necessary. I'm hoping the obstetrician on call when I go into labor is very supportive of my wishes. But I guess it's all just a roll of the dice.
Our next OB appointment is on Monday, so we'll make sure Emalyn is still growing strong. I plan on asking a lot of questions about how the delivery will go- Will I be able to request a midwife to deliver Emalyn, rather than an obstetrician (midwives are generally more willing to let a mother labor naturally, without unnecessary interventions)? Will I be required to have continuous fetal monitoring while I'm in labor, or will they be ok with periodic checks of the baby's heart rate? Will I be able to walk around, or will I be required to stay in bed (this goes along with the fetal monitoring question)? I'm hoping they tell me that I can have a midwife deliver the baby, that I won't have to have continuous fetal monitoring, and that I'll be able to stand up and walk around as I like while I'm in labor. Again, I guess it's a roll of the dice, depending on who is on call when Emalyn decides its time to make her debut.
In just 38 days (who's counting??) Matt's oldest sister, Kaitlin will arrive in Hawaii for five weeks! I'm very excited about her coming to stay with us, and helping us adjust to life with two kids. I'm hoping Emalyn will stay put until she gets here!
For now, it's time to get Juliet up and fed! I'll try not to let so long go between now and my next post!
I'm 33 weeks and 1 day, less than 7 weeks to go. It's hard to imagine that in less than 7 weeks my world will be so drastically different than it is today. Today, it's just me and Juliet, all by ourselves in our new house in Hawaii. I spend most days trying to scrounge up enough energy to keep her happy, while also finishing up the last bit of unpacking and keeping the house clean. Juliet loves to be outside, so most days we go to the park that's in front of our house, and if I'm feeling up for it, we go to the beach. She loves to play in the sand and water! In about 7 weeks, it will be (hopefully) me, Matt, Juliet, and baby Emalyn, all adjusting to having our family of four together after so much time waiting! It almost doesn't seem real.
Our move to Hawaii went pretty well, all things considered. The flight was long, but went smoothly, and Juliet was very well behaved considering it was a 20 hour day of traveling! It took about a week for her to adjust to the 6-hour time difference, but now she's back on her regular schedule. That's great news for me, since it means I can- attempt to- get some regular sleep too! We were very lucky, and able to move into our house about a week and a half after we arrived on island. Now that we're settled in, we're enjoying Hawaii while we wait for Daddy and the new baby. Of course, we miss all of our family and friends in Florida so much!!!
Enough about me and Juliet, let's talk about this pregnancy! So far, things are continuing to go very well. I had an OB visit just a few days after arriving in Hawaii, at about 29 weeks. At that point, my belly was measuring right on target, Emalyn had her head down, and my weight gain was still very steady. I believe I weighed 128lbs at that appointment. I spoke with the obstetrician about the VBAC delivery I'm hoping for, and he agreed that I'm a good candidate, as long as things continue to go uncomplicated, and Emalyn isn't breech when I go into labor. That's great news for me, since I was nervous about switching obstetricians and having a hard time finding someone who would agree to let me attempt a natural birth. It seems that Hawaii is much more relaxed about VBAC deliveries than Florida is. So lots of prayers and happy thoughts that this pregnancy continues to go well, and Emalyn keeps her head down, please!
According to the last weekly email I received from BabyCenter, Emalyn should be about 4lbs and 17in long now! Those were Juliet's exact weight and length when she was born! It's very strange to think that Emalyn is already as big as Juliet was when she was born, and even more strange to think that Juliet was that tiny at one point!
How I'm feeling (physically): Exhausted! It's becoming increasingly difficult to find a comfortable position to sleep in these days, so I spend a lot of time tossing and turning. It doesn't help that Emalyn (like all babies) is very active when I lay down to go to sleep, so while I'm struggling to find that perfect position to lay in, I'm being repeatedly jabbed in the ribs. I've also been dealing with a lot of heartburn lately, and keep a bottle of Tums right by my bed. My back and hips are a little achy, but a warm bath usually helps with that. Thankfully, the bathtub in our new house is amazing, and super deep (the water will actually cover my belly!!), so I can really relax. My appetite is still pretty big, and I still haven't hit the point where I seem to have no room for food. I very rarely feel full, unless I really eat a lot. According to my scale at home, I weigh around 134lbs now, which means that I have officially gained over 30lbs so far this pregnancy!! As Matt pointed out, this is the most I've ever weighed! While most women would shed a tear over that fact, I feel great about it! I've always been thin, but throughout my pregnancy with Juliet and between her birth and finding out I was pregnant with Emalyn, I struggled to keep weight on, and constantly felt like I was too thin and looked sickly. I finally feel like I'm gaining a normal and healthy amount of weight!
How I'm feeling (emotionally): All sorts of things.. I'm getting very excited about meeting Emalyn so soon. I can't wait to see what she's like, what she shares with her sister, and how she's different. I'm excited to see how Juliet reacts to being a big sister, and hoping she's happy about it! I'm also getting nervous, because I'm a week away from where I was when Juliet was born. While this pregnancy has been so different than my first, I'm still worried that something is going to happen and Emalyn will be born early as well. I don't feel like I'm ready to have her just yet (although when my back is aching and I'm tossing and turning at night trying to fall asleep, I sometimes wish I could just have her already, haha!). I feel like I have too much to do to prepare for her, and I need Matt to get home first. I'm getting anxious about her birth day too. I'm praying everything goes smoothly, and I'll have the VBAC delivery I want without interference from doctors, being quick to want to intervene. But I've also read up a lot on TOLAC (trial of labor after cesarean) and VBAC, and know that a lot of doctors, while they may agree to let me attempt, will be quick to tell me I need an emergency cesarean when it may not exactly be necessary. I'm hoping the obstetrician on call when I go into labor is very supportive of my wishes. But I guess it's all just a roll of the dice.
Our next OB appointment is on Monday, so we'll make sure Emalyn is still growing strong. I plan on asking a lot of questions about how the delivery will go- Will I be able to request a midwife to deliver Emalyn, rather than an obstetrician (midwives are generally more willing to let a mother labor naturally, without unnecessary interventions)? Will I be required to have continuous fetal monitoring while I'm in labor, or will they be ok with periodic checks of the baby's heart rate? Will I be able to walk around, or will I be required to stay in bed (this goes along with the fetal monitoring question)? I'm hoping they tell me that I can have a midwife deliver the baby, that I won't have to have continuous fetal monitoring, and that I'll be able to stand up and walk around as I like while I'm in labor. Again, I guess it's a roll of the dice, depending on who is on call when Emalyn decides its time to make her debut.
In just 38 days (who's counting??) Matt's oldest sister, Kaitlin will arrive in Hawaii for five weeks! I'm very excited about her coming to stay with us, and helping us adjust to life with two kids. I'm hoping Emalyn will stay put until she gets here!
For now, it's time to get Juliet up and fed! I'll try not to let so long go between now and my next post!
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