- Grocery shop
- Pick up champagne
- Get last-minute baby supplies
- Exchange diapers
- Finish Quentin’s wall art and hang other stuff
- Clean Quentin’s room completely
- Clean floors and bathrooms

That’s just a small section of what needs to be done. I need to do some work on my mark business, complete some paperwork for my leave at work, and get a couple of random things done around the house.

Whew!

If you want quick updates about Quentin’s birth, make sure you follow me on Twitter!

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How Far Along: 40 Weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Okay, I will tell you all now that I have gained a total of 38 pounds with this pregnancy! OUCH. I haven’t gained any in the last couple of weeks.

Maternity Clothes: Whatever fits, is what I wear. It’s not much!

Gender: boy!

Movement: He is still very active, but it’s more like rolls and stretches, now that he’s running out of room.

Sleep: I can’t sleep much at all anymore, but want to sleep all the time.

What I miss: Really ready for a drink and being able to roll over in bed easily at night.

Cravings: Nothing in particular right now.

Symptoms: Contractions, cramps, fatigue

Best Moment This Week: It has been a rough week. At my OB appointment Wednesday, I found out I haven’t progressed at all. We will have to start discussing induction next week. I left my appointment in tears.

The only good part of the week was getting Quentin’s dresser finished and in his room. I hope to finish the nursery for the most part this weekend and get to post pictures!

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How Far Along: 38 Weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I think when I snuck a peak at my 37 week appointment, I saw that I’m up 30ish pounds. I think I’ve actually lost some recently.

Maternity Clothes: Just stretching out (literally) what I have until this baby comes!

Gender: boy!

Movement: Movements are a little lazier, except when I lie down at night. Then all bets are off.

Sleep: See above. Takes me at least half an hour to fall asleep with all the movement. Of course, then I’m woken up by needing to pee, having to blow my nose, or Harper coming into the room.

What I miss: Being able to take good medications! I have had a sinus infection and it is kicking my ass. I hate that I can’t take Sudafed or good Mucinex.

Cravings: Nothing in particular. Then again, I can’t even taste much right now, so there’d be no payoff.

Symptoms: Contractions, back pain, pelvic pressure.

Best Moment This Week: My OB appointment on Tuesday! I got the best news (x2)! First off, I tested negative for Group B Strep. The infection isn’t a huge deal and I had it with both previous pregnancies. I only cared so much because I plan to try to labor at home as long as possible and I’d love to go without an IV. With GBS, you need to be hooked up to antibiotics for awhile before the delivery. Such a relief! I also learned that I am 1 centimeter dilated. Again, this isn’t a huge deal for most women. You can walk around dilated several inches for months! It was great news to me though, because with both previous pregnancies, I was barely a fingertip dilated at 40 weeks and my labors progressed super slowly, even with Pitocin. It makes me feel more encouraged to have my natural birth I desire, knowing that my body is doing SOMETHING.

I had an ultrasound last week (37) to check for position and growth. I’m happy to report that Quentin is HEAD DOWN! Thank you GOD! I have prayed and prayed for that. Now, hopefully he stays that way. He is expected to be about 7 1/2 pounds at birth, but those estimates are very rough and often wrong. I saw the Nurse Practitioner this week and she agreed with Dustin and I that he will be closer to 8 1/2. We’ll see!

It’s so amazing and kinda hard to believe that it’s week 38 already! How did that happen?! We are so not ready, but plan to spend the weekend tying up some loose ends. Luckily my sickness is fading, since I spent a lot of the past weekend in bed. Bring me some nice weather and clear sinuses, please!

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Maternity Clothes: I still only have a few pieces of true maternity. And now, with just 4 weeks left, I don’t want to spend anything on maternity, so I’m slowly buying pieces I can wear after baby.

Gender: boy

Sleep: Not sleeping well at. all. And I wake up often with drool alllll over me. So attractive.

What I miss: Have had a few days lately where a cocktail would have been super nice.

Cravings: Nothing really. Just don’t let me get hungry.

Symptoms: So much heartburn, constant pelvic pressure, swelling, and increasing Braxton Hicks contractions. A few real contractions thrown in with some searing back pain for good measure.

Best Moment This Week: My mom got us a dresser for the nursery, which has been a huge source of anxiety for me!

Well, this is where shit starts to get real. Tomorrow starts the month my child is predicted to arrive! I can’t believe how fast the last few weeks have gone by. It’s time I got real with myself and make a list for what needs to be purchased and done in the coming weeks.

I had an OB appointment today. Heartbeat is good and all that jazz. I had the swab for Group B Strep. I am going to be really anxious until I get the results. I am obviously hoping for negative, but I was positive with both previous pregnancies, so I’m going to assume I’m positive. If not, it will just be a happy surprise. I just hate that it will cause me to have more interventions that I wanted with this labor and delivery experience. The doctor checked my cervix to see if anything is going on… it isn’t. No dilation, no effacement, nothing. I’m not surprised. That is definitely my normal. I go back next Thursday and will have an ultrasound to check for position and growth.

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In 2006, as a first-time mother-to-be, I had an amazing OB. She kept up with my Baby Daddy situation and always seemed to truly care for me and my baby. As a mother of an infant, she could easily recall the emotions and pains I was going through. I absolutely loved her. I went in for my appointment in my 38th week and was so uncomfortable. I wasn’t sleeping, my back was killing me, and I really needed something positive to focus my energy on. I wanted my baby! I silently prayed as she checked my cervix. I was truly hoping to hear that I was super duper dilated and ohmygod we better get me to Labor and Delivery… STAT! Instead, what I heard was, “You’re only dilated a fingertip. Plenty of time, though! Oh, and by the way… I’m leaving for vacation two days after your due date. So if you want me to deliver your baby, we may need to discuss induction next week.” I just nodded along and went home to read up on induction. I didn’t read much, though. As soon as I read a couple of happy, successful stories of induction, I stopped. When I went in for my 39 week check, I had not made any progress. Still a fingertip. Still miserable. Dr. still going on vacation. An ultrasound was done to check his size. He was estimated to be nearly 9 pounds and still had over a week to go until the due date. When she asked if I wanted to schedule an induction, I didn’t hesitate. I was scheduled to go into the hospital the night before my due date for some prep and expect to have the baby right on time! The experience was lovely (I won’t bore you with details), but I had nothing to compare it to. I checked into the hospital at 8 p.m. on the 17th. I was given Cervidil to ripen the cervix and some Ambien for sleep. At 6 a.m. on the 18th, Pitocin drip began. Shortly after, crazy contractions began and never stopped. Somewhere in the middle of the day, I gave in to the epidural. I began pushing finally at 9 p.m. Nicholas was born 15 minutes later. (He was only 7 lbs 1 oz, by the way) Textbook labor, as far as I knew.

During my second pregnancy, I didn’t give much thought to my labor and delivery. I had been there, done that and wasn’t at all concerned. Again, absolutely adored my Dr. and couldn’t imagine anyone else delivering my baby. In fact, one of the only things I stressed over was the chance of another doctor being on call when I would finally go into labor. I had met a couple of the others in the practice and wasn’t a fan. My husband and I started discussing our work schedules and logistics closer to my due date and when the doctor offered me an induction at full-term, I accepted it again. After all, it was all I knew! I went in at 6 a.m. on my due date and Pitocin was started right away. Contractions came fast and furious, but I held out on the epidural after a less-than-glorious experience with my first son. I didn’t get the epi until the last moment I could. Around 7:30 p.m., Harper was born.

There are lots of things I didn’t mention in these stories, mostly because it bothers me when I can’t remember things accurately. I don’t want to make any guesses.

Now, approaching my third delivery, I am much more educated about my options. I have made a complete 180 and am choosing no induction and no epidural. I am doing what I can to be prepared so that I am able to follow through with my wishes. I know now that I would not be induced unless medically necessary.

Some quick risks that come along with induction:
-Pitocin can make labor contractions very strong and lower the baby’s heart rate.
-Women who have inductions and their babies are at increased risk of infection.
-The baby may have problems with the umbilical cord. For example, the cord may slip into the vagina before the baby does. This is more likely to occur if the baby is breech (feet or bottom first, instead of head first). Also, the cord may be compressed, decreasing the baby’s oxygen supply. These problems can be serious for the baby.
-Sometimes induction doesn’t work, and the woman has to have a c-section.
-Uterine rupture is a rare complication of induction. A rupture is a tear in the uterus. This can cause serious bleeding.

Now, keep in mind there are good reasons for induction:
-The pregnancy has lasted more than 42 weeks. The placenta usually stops functioning well enough after 42 weeks for the baby to get adequate nutrition and oxygen.
-The pregnant woman has high blood pressure caused by pregnancy.
-The woman has an infection in her uterus.
-The woman’s water has broken, but contractions haven’t begun.
-The woman has health problems, such as diabetes, that could harm her or her baby.
-A growth problem is causing the baby to be small.

My inductions went fine, but they could have gone the other way. And knowing what I know now, I’d never willingly put myself through Pitocin-induced contractions or unnecessarily long labor. My current doctor agrees I shouldn’t have had a 12-hour labor with my 2nd son.

Now, as this pertains to Mommy Wars… I do freak out sometimes when someone I know is being induced unnecessarily. This is not my place, I know, but I really do have their best interests at heart. I just want them to be educated and aware of all the risks and complications. I was not.

I may or may not have freaked out on a couple of people I’ve known to induce for convenience without doing the research. oops.

This sums of an unbiased page on the March of Dimes website:

The bottom line
Induction is sometimes needed to protect the health of both the mother and the baby. But it also has risks. The pregnant woman needs to understand both the benefits and risks. These questions may be useful when you talk to your provider:

If your provider recommends induction before 39 weeks:

-Is there a problem with my health or the health of my baby that may make me need to have my baby early?
-Can I wait to have my baby closer to 40 weeks?

About induction:

-Why do you need to induce my labor?
-How will you induce my labor?
-Will inducing labor increase the chance that I’ll need a c-section?

(facts represented in this post are from March of Dimes)

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Total Weight Gain/Loss: Ok, I finally glanced at the scale, and it was somewhere between 30 and 35 lbs, pretty typical for me. She moved the little slider so fast.

Maternity Clothes: On the last update, I said “Loving the non-maternity dress from Kohls that I bought for my baby shower. Kinda want to wear it every day.” yeah…pretty much wearing that as often as I can get away with!

Gender: Boy!

Movement: There are no more kicks and punches. It’s all rolling, all the time. Unfortunately, my appointment yesterday indicated that he may have rolled right on into breech position. Too soon to be too concerned about that, though.

Sleep: Averaging 4 hours a night. And it’s not good, deep sleep.

What I miss: Sleep, martinis, wine, fashion!

Cravings: Just give me food, please.

Symptoms: Oddly, aches and pains seem to have eased up this week. Or maybe I’m just used to them? That heartburn is still killing me though.

Best Moment This Week: Dustin got the crib put together over the weekend! Things are getting real now!

(by the way, Dustin is asking for your questions HERE.)

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