34 weeks

As I mentioned yesterday, today is a biggie. Big as in labor wouldn’t be stopped if it started. Big as in our little girl has a 50/50 shot of not even needing to go to the NICU if born today. Big as in I was allowed to sit-up and stand and move around the house today. It’s been a long road, but we’ve made so much progress that I’m just filled with excitement for what is to come.

Size of Baby: Baby girl is now as big as a cantaloupe! She should be around the 5ish pound mark and will continue to gain about half a pound a week.

Weight: I was +22 last week.

Sleep: Sleep has continued to be pretty good. I had trouble falling asleep one night but I’m guessing as I add in more movement to my day I’ll sleep even easier.

Best Moment of the Week: Does today count? If so, then hard to top being able to stand and do little things around the house.

Movement: She is still pretty active. I mostly feel squirms and wiggles and hiccups. She continues to be most active at some point between 6 and 8 am. Hopefully she stays in that sleep cycle once she comes to meet us!

Symptoms: Shortness of breath is still the worst thing I’m dealing with. I get really uncomfortable at times. They say when baby drops that this improves, but I have no idea if she has already dropped since I still feel movements really low.

Food Cravings/Aversions: I still really want a burger. Lance has a meeting after work tomorrow so he said he is going to pick my up a delicious Only Burger on his drive home.

Belly Button: Lance says it looks like it is half in and half out at this point. I think it looks funny but doesn’t really look out.

What I Miss: I want to go shopping. I’ve started to do my holiday shopping on the internet but there are just some things that need to be done in person. Hoping I’ll get my shot in a few weeks.

What I Am Looking Forward To: Now that I’ve hit 34 weeks I’m really starting to get excited for baby girl’s arrival. In my ideal world, she’d come sometime in mid-December, around 37-38 weeks. This would give me a little time off of bed rest to start to recuperate but would allow her to arrive before I get super uncomfortable. We can hope!

Last Day

It’s hard to believe that I’ve spent the past 54 days horizontal. In these 54 days, I left my house all of four times and was out of the house for less than 5 hours total. I’ve spent no less than 23.5 hours each day in a supine position – rising only for bathroom trips, showers, and to grab something from the fridge if I am home alone. But when I wake up tomorrow, my days of strict bed rest will be over.

Tomorrow marks 34 weeks and the start of my new, “modified” bed rest. There isn’t a super clear definition of what modified means, but our definition is basically going to be that I’m now allowed to sit instead of lay and that I can spend a little more time standing. I’m not supposed to be doing any physical activity (i.e. no cooking, cleaning, or Target trips) but if I want to stand up to straighten my hair or look at something in the nursery, I can. In another week I should have more restrictions lifted, and by 36 weeks I should be fully off of bed rest.

A baby born at 34 weeks has no greater risk of complication than a baby born at 37 weeks. She’d likely need a brief NICU stay, but chances are way in our favor that there would be no major issues.

It is amazing how far we have come. From the dire situation at 26 weeks to the idea now that she may make it to full term. 54 days ago I was told that baby girl’s best case scenario was to stay in until 34 weeks. Now, it’s just 8 hours away. I think I’ll celebrate tomorrow with a 20 minute shower!

Laundry Bonanza

We’ve totally been hit by the nesting bug. And I say “we” because I think Lance is feeling it as much, if not more, than I am. He has been a man on a mission this week working to get things done.

After our wonderful baby shower, there were tons of things to go through. I laid on the floor while he sorted through gifts and attempted to organize. We made a little bin for all of the baby medical supplies, sorted clothing, and tried to find places to store all of the gear. Lance installed the car seat base with his stepdad’s help and assembled the stroller.

Then, this weekend, the real fun began. The laundry bonanza.

I had no idea just how much laundry we had in store until we started making piles. It’s not just the clothes, but we had sheets, changing pad covers, baby carriers, and blankets to wash. In addition, since we are cloth diapering, we figured we’d go ahead and get those washed and ready as well.

Being ridiculous first time parents, we went through every label and separated things into wash warm and wash cold piles. We found that all of the clothing with the exception of the gerber onesies said to wash cold. I think in the future we’ll wash all clothing cold so that we don’t have to try and remember to wash one brand at a different setting. Five loads later and it was all finished and ready to be put into drawers and hung in the closet.

Yesterday, we started on the cloth diapers. They are a little more complicated to wash. Each cycle will be a cold pre-rinse, followed by a hot wash with a tablespoon of our new Charlie’s Soap, and then an extra rinse on cold. Then the covers are hung to dry on a drying rack while the inserts can tumble dry on low in the dryer.

I’m thankful that we had the long weekend to get all of this done, and I’m getting incredibly excited to start my modified bed rest on Wednesday! I know I still won’t be able to do everything that I want, but it’s one step closer to fully coming off of bed rest and meeting our baby girl!

Thanksgiving in Review

It has been quite the week. We’re home alone for the first time in 9 days, and really enjoying the extended time off of work. I can’t even remember the last time I was home for a long holiday weekend, since we usually like to travel around holidays.

But we were thankful this year to have the baby shower, and all of the visitors that came to town last weekend, followed by an extended stay with my mom and stepdad and Lance’s mom and stepdad. Lance enjoyed having others prepare meals and clean for the week, and I enjoyed having some semblance of a “normal” Thanksgiving. Even if our dinner arrangement looked like this…

Yes, the kitchen table was brought into the living room and I propped myself up on the couch. I even put on clothing, straightened my hair, and wore makeup for the second time in a week! Dinner was yummy. We had a turkey that was brined the day before, sweet potato casserole, green beans, corn bread, cranberry sauce, and apple pie for dessert.

Black Friday was all about taking advantage of having our parents around to help with some household chores and errands that had been put off since they were difficult for Lance to do alone. The stepdads helped Lance with some raking and cutting down bushes that we’d been wanting to clear back for the past few months. They also made a trip  with him to our storage unit to retrieve another nightstand for our bedroom. Lance appeased me by re-arranging our bedroom after I’d been complaining that it’d be hard for me to get to baby from my side of the bed. So we shifted the whole bedroom around and retrieved my old nightstand from storage now that I actually have room to have one. Amazing how little things such as having a nightstand and space to easily get out of bed pretty much made my day!

We’d also received a letter from our HOA saying that it was time to paint our mailbox post. Ugh. So more time than should have been necessary was spent sanding down and putting three coats of paint on the mailbox post, and the men made a trip to Lowe’s to pick up a new mailbox to top things off.

Finally, we decided to go ahead and install the car seat base while Lance had someone to help him out. Crazy to think that we’re getting to that time where we need to really get everything prepped for baby girl’s arrival. Next up, mass amounts of laundry and packing my hospital bag! The long weekend is serving as the perfect opportunity to catch up on all that needs to be done, and is helping my countdown to 34 weeks go faster.

 

33 weeks

Size of Baby: Baby girl is now the size of a pineapple or a honeydew. i.e. She is getting big! She should weigh somewhere around 4 pounds.

Weight: I was +22 at today’s appointment. My growth seems right on track to be in that target range of a gain of 25-35.

Sleep: After a few nights with difficulty falling asleep and having trouble falling back asleep after my 6 am bathroom trip, I’ve had a few good nights of rest. Thankful to be able to go alarm-free for the next four days for Thanksgiving break!

Best Moment of the Week: The baby shower on Saturday was so amazing. It was wonderful to have so many family and friends visit and great to have my first real “social” opportunity in almost two months.

Movement: I can really feel and picture the shape of her body right now, although after today’s appointment, we aren’t sure if she is head up or head down. The nurse practitioner guessed head down, because she felt a round object that she thought was the butt on my upper right, but two weeks ago the doctor said that the round object up there was her head. She said at 35 weeks if it is unclear they will probably check. This morning was wonderful, though. I woke up about 15 minutes before my alarm and just laid there with my hand on me belly and felt her gently move around. I’m feeling way less in terms of hard kicks and way more just general movement.

Symptoms: I’m still battling the shortness of breath, heartburn, and reflux. I’m hoping that the third trimester insomnia that many face stays away and that the other symptoms ease when I come off of bed rest, since all three of those symptoms are made worse by lying flat.

Food Cravings/Aversions: No cravings to report this week.

Belly Button: Still in and wondering if it is going to stay that way.

What I Miss: This is the first time in close to ten years that I haven’t gone to Philly for Thanksgiving. This is usually a really nice time when I get to see all of my extended family and visit with friends that I only get to see once or twice a year, so it is hard to have to lay here. Both of our parents came to town, so it’ll still feel like Thanksgiving, but I hate to miss out on seeing all of my aunts and uncles and cousins and my grandpa. The only good part? Not battling the insane traffic!

What I Am Looking Forward To: Besides the few days off of work and time with our families upcoming the next few days, I am super excited to announce that I am officially being released to “modified” bed rest at 34 weeks! At that point I’m allowed to sit up for part of the day and can spend a minimal amount of time up and about around the house. I still won’t be allowed to cook or do housework or lift anything, but it’s progress. Then, at my 35 week appointment I’ll find out if I’m fully released from bed rest on that day, or at 36 weeks. The NP today made it seem like 36 weeks would be the latest that I’d be on any sort of bed rest. Between that great news and the slowly-sinking-in realization that we’ll be meeting our little girl in the next 7 weeks, I have a lot to look forward to!

Showered with love!

We did it! Baby girl and I made it through her baby shower! Once I was told that I would be put on bed rest over six weeks ago, I thought that there was no way to have a baby shower. Invitations had been prepared to go out for a shower in Philly over Thanksgiving weekend, but it was immediately clear that couldn’t happen. So my mom, my best friend Jen, and one of my North Carolina friends, Bethany, tried to figure out the best way to give me a shower while I laid on bed rest. And I’ll be honest, as excited as I was for this new possibility, I was terrified that we were jinxing things and that I was destined to go into labor days before. But, amazingly, Saturday came and went and all we experienced was the joy of being surrounded by friends of family, some of which traveled a great distance, to celebrate baby girl’s impending arrival.

Bethany made this beautiful diaper cake!

Jen made baby cupcakes and her amazing cake cookies as favors!

Lots of yummy food!

A close-up of Jen’s cupcake creations. Varying hair-dos, edible eyes, and tiny plastic pacifiers on strawberry cupcakes with skin colored frosting.

The shower itself was so much fun. We played the game where various baby items are bagged and you have to use your sense of touch to figure out what they are. I had a 5/10 (yikes!) and my friend Courtney won by being the only person to score a 10/10. Most impressive part? She doesn’t even have kids.

Guessing baby items

Lance’s mom thinking hard

Jess and Alex trying their best to win

There was also a headband station where everyone could make a cute little headband for baby girl.

DIY Headband Station

Headband station supplies ready to go

finished headbands

Last, it was time to open presents. We are so thankful for all of the amazing and thoughtful gifts. We have the best friends and family! The living room was so packed with people and presents that we couldn’t even get a picture showing it all.

Opening presents!

We had friends and family come from Boston, New York, DC, Pennsylvania, and Virginia Beach – making for a really special weekend that won’t soon be forgotten. I’ll finish up with a few more of my favorite pictures.

Mom and I

My stepmother Beth and my stepsisters Mandy and Lindsay each flew in just for the shower

My cousin Alex came in from New York and Jen co-hosted and came in from DC

Lance’s mom and stepdad

Me, Bethany, and the diaper cake

Lots of little outfits for baby girl

Jen and I

Lance and I are so lucky to have the best friends and family a couple could ask for

32 weeks

32 weeks. Unbelievable. This day seemed so far away when I was sitting in the hospital and the doctor told me that her first goal for me was 28 weeks and the second was 32. I’m no longer super nervous about an early arrival for baby girl, and if she can hold on for another two weeks, then I’ll really start to breathe easy.

Size of Baby: Baby girl is the size of a squash! She is somewhere around 4 lbs and should measure around 18 inches. At this point, she is almost her full height, and she should be gaining around 1/2 pound a week from here on out.

Weight: I finally had my first bed rest growth spurt. At my doctor’s appointment last week I was +21. My belly really seems to be growing now so I’m glad to hear that I’m back to gaining!

Sleep: My night time anxiety is starting to fade. I guess because if I go into labor now, while she’d still have a NICU stay ahead of her, hopefully we are past the point of super serious problems. I’m trying to sleep 8-9 hours a night, but because of my lack of activity, I don’t need naps during the day.

Best Moment of the Week: At our doctor’s appointment last week, we were told that if I make it to 34 weeks, we can start modifying my bed rest. While he didn’t really define what that meant, I’m hoping it means that I can start showering daily and sitting up some, and maybe even adding in a little bit of time on my feet! It’s great to have the finish line in sight!

Movement: Baby girl is super active. It’s now a given that I’ll feel strong movement in the mornings before I get out of bed. I love putting my hand on my belly and feeling her move around.

Symptoms: The worst thing right now is the shortness of breath. I have at least one bout a day that is truly painful and since I can’t sit up to expand my lungs, it is even worse. The heartburn has also continued and I’ve added in some bleeding gums. I’m starting to understand why women get so anxious towards the end.

Food Cravings/Aversions: I’ve still had a very minimal amount of actual cravings. I am starving all the time now, but I’m pretty much happy with anything that finds its way into my belly.

Belly Button: I think it is getting closer to popping out but definitely still in.

What I Miss: I really just want to run my own errands. And go baby shopping. Maybe in 3-4 weeks?

What I Am Looking Forward To: Getting to see my family and friends this weekend!!! I’ve had lots of friends come and visit me individually since I’ve been on bed rest, but I’ve almost missed multiple parties, girls night, etc. I’m so excited that this weekend a social event comes to me! I’m surprised and honored by the number of friends and family making the trip from out of town. If baby girl can just hang on for three more days I should be back with a great update from the shower coming up soon!

5 weeks at home

Today marks five days since we returned home from the hospital to begin our new normal. We’ve settled into a good routine, and mostly, it feels as if time has flown by. When we first began this bed rest journey, it was absolutely terrifying. I was only 26.5 weeks, and outcomes at that point for preemies are full of scary question marks. Not only was it hard to deal with bed rest, but I also had the constant fear of baby girl coming too soon. Now, five weeks later, we’ve adapted to this way of living and with each passing day, I feel more confident that we’ll make it to 34 weeks.

I won’t lie. At some moments it is extremely frustrating. I’d love to be able to go for a walk around the lake or run my own errands. Poor Lance has made two separate trips to Michael’s for me, where I imagine he is the only male in the store. Today I gave in and showered for consecutive days for the first time. My legs were killing me and I thought maybe the heat would help (it did).

Five weeks into bed rest, and the countdown to 34 weeks and modified bed rest has begun. 17 days to go! I think that a week of visitors and the Thanksgiving holiday will certainly help it go fast.

 

I’m excited about the prospect of continuing to watch my belly grow and baby girl continuing to pack on the pounds. I’m grateful for each extra day that she has stayed put, but hoping she’ll continue to hang tight for at least a little while longer!

Doctor’s office update

After 15 days without fresh air and sunshine, I woke up to a perfect fall day for my doctor’s office field trip. Lance was even able to take the day off and come with me. I had been looking forward to the appointment since it was with the doctor who admitted me to the hospital 5 weeks ago! He had a big smile on his face as he walked into the room, pleased with how successful bed rest has been at keeping baby girl in. I didn’t get an ultrasound – just a fundal height check (31.5 cm) which was “excellent” and a heart rate check with the doppler (in the 150s). The doctor says that he feels confident that bed rest will keep her in, and that once I reach the 34 week point, the prognosis for baby girl is good enough that they won’t stop labor. He also said that at 34 weeks I could start gradually adding some activity and building up towards coming off of bed rest. Really exciting news considering it is only 20 days away. The only downer is that baby girl is still breech. She still has plenty of time to turn, but he was able to feel around and felt her head up on my upper right and her butt right up against my cervix. My feeling is to wait until we get to 34 and then start worrying about the breech thing…maybe once I’m able to be up and about she’ll have a better opportunity to flip.

So all in all, it was a good trip. I’m glad I was able to get out of the house for a little while and that the doctor was so optimistic!

31 weeks

This week has seriously flown by. Which is great considering I haven’t left the house and haven’t done much of anything. I’m so thankful that for the most part I’ve been able to maintain my sanity in my almost 5 weeks of bed rest. I hope I’m not jinxing things as I’ve read that the days go slower towards the end.

Size of Baby: Our little one is the size of  pineapple! She should measure 16-18 inches and is now over three pounds. From here on out she should be gaining close to half a pound  a week – so it is clearly evident how big of a difference every week makes at this point!

Weight: I go to the doctor tomorrow morning so I’ll know my weight then. I feel like my belly has really expanded in the past week so I would expect it to be up at least a pound or two. I can’t see my toes anymore without peaking around :-).

Sleep: I’m still having trouble falling asleep on most nights. I experience anxiety at bed time when I feel like she is going to come any moment. Thankfully, thus far I fall asleep and wake up with her right where she is supposed to be.

Best Moment of the Week: Monday was our third first-dateiversary as we like to call it, i.e. the third anniversary of our first date. We celebrated by eating pizza (it was at a restaurant on our first date…but their food isn’t very good so we ordered from somewhere else) and watching the same episode of Grey’s Anatomy that we watched that night. Lance also surprised me with a dozen roses. I’m a lucky girl!

Movement: Baby girl is getting stronger and stronger and her really low kicks are not very comfortable. In fact, they’re so low it feels like she is trying to kick her way out. I’m glad that she is getting stronger and thankful that I can feel her kicks, but I’m hoping in the next few weeks she turns head down and that I can experience rib kicks instead.

Symptoms: The heartburn and reflux have continued and are not very fun. I’m also just starting to feel heavy. I don’t walk very far but I think I’d notice even more if I was active. All in all, things aren’t too bad at the moment but these things will probably only get worse as we go.

Food Cravings/Aversions: Yep, I got my peppermint chocolate chip milkshake yesterday from Chick Fil A. Made me so happy until I realized how full I was. For the most part I’ve been lucky enough to avoid any overwhelming cravings, although my sweet tooth has not been helped by all of the cookies and brownies that have been delivered recently. They go really good with my nightly glass of milk!

Belly Button: Same as before. On it’s way out but not there.

What I Miss: It’s becoming more conceivable to me that I may make it long enough to get released from bed rest. I’m day dreaming of a trip to get my hair done and get that overdue pedicure. If things look good at my appointment tomorrow I am going to ask the doctor if I could potentially be released at 35 or 36 weeks. That’ll give me a great goal to shoot for.

What I Am Looking Forward To: I’m scared to say this because I really don’t want to jinx it, but my baby shower. After all that happened I didn’t think I’d get to have one. And while I’m still bummed that I can’t have the traditional shower that was being planned with friends and family in Philly, I’m really looking forward to the more intimate home shower being planned for next weekend. I’m so excited for the friends and family that have let me know that they plan on making the trip down from the mid-atlantic, and just cross my fingers every day that I’m still laying here with a baby in my belly 10 days from now.