June 2001
June 1, 2001
Finally it's June!! 6 more weeks from tomorrow until my due date! My mom is giving me a baby shower on June 23rd and I can't wait for it! Although Andy and I have already set up the baby's crib and dresser and washed all her little clothes, we are definitely still lacking in baby stuff. We don't have a lot of stuff that we need (well I don't know that we NEED it but we want it and since this is our first baby we don't know yet how to along without some stuff). Jeez, we're gonna have enough trouble figuring out how to get along WITH the stuff. *grin* We do have a nice playpen and a pretty new infant car seat that my aunt gave me since her three boys have outgrown them, not to mention the beautiful stroller that we went and picked up last week, so we're not doing too bad I suppose.
June 2, 2001
I don't think I've said it before in my journal but my father's fiancee's daughter Jennifer is pregnant too and due at practically the same time I am. Her due date is around June 28 but we're all kind of amazed she's made it this far. *grin* For a while the doctors thought she might be having twins but she had an ultrasound and they assure her there's only one baby in there, though he may be a big one. She's having a boy and he weighed 5.5 pounds at her last ultrasound in late April.
I was talking with my dad tonight on IM and he said "Jennifer says she thinks she's leaking". I said "go call the doctor" and so we got offline so she could. At about 11:30 Jennifer got online and said that her doctor never called back. She finally called her doctor's office back and again they told her that her doctor would call her back. In the meantime Jennifer was having cramps like I was having when I went to L&D so I started trying to convince her to just go in anyway in case her water had broken. At 1 am, since her doctor still had not called her back, she woke up her mom and my dad and they left for the hospital.
At 3 am my dad called me to tell me that they were on their way home. I was really stunned because I was sure that was it for her. She was upset because the nurses were not very friendly and one of them was really rough when she checked Jennifer's cervix. They told her that her water had not actually broken, although it may be leaking. She never did find out why the on-call doctor at her practice didn't call her back... the nurse said there was some kind of emergency but I think that in 4-5 hours time the doctor could have made a quick phone call to make sure that Jennifer wasn't having an emergency herself.
She is having contractions that come 12 minutes apart and her cervix is thin, although she hasn't dilated at all yet. I suspect she'll have the baby before the 15th of June, although I've made predictions for when she'll have her baby before and been proven wrong. I think she's definitely ready for him to be born and since she's 38 weeks, he should be well-developed enough that she can have him anytime now.
June 4, 2001
I finally got around to uploading this journal tonight. Been putting it off for awhile. I guess I'm just not convinced that anyone will come here wondering about my pregnancy experience. I just started my 35th week and this little girl is dancing a jig in my tummy all the time. I had a couple of really painful contractions last night, worse ones than I had before. These were bad enough to make me have to stop talking and concentrate on breathing... not fun at all. I am starting to get really scared about the pain of childbirth. I plan on having a medicated birth, as I take pain really badly and lose all ability to think when in pain. I just now these little "mild" contractions that I'm having now are pretty painful and I don't even want to think about REAL contractions.
June 7, 2001
My appointment this afternoon was frustrating. It must be my preggo hormones or something but I got SO irritated. We got to the office at 3:10 for my 3:15 appointment. At 4:05 we finally got to see the doctor. He came in, measured me and walked out. I had to wait almost an hour for that! Argh!
My blood pressure was fine... 120/80. I am measuring 35 cm and am in my 35th week. Lakie's heartrate was 142. I have lost a pound since my last visit, putting me at 3 over my original pre-pregnancy weight. Andy is worried about how little weight I've gained. I expected to blow up like a blimp and instead I'm losing weight?? That seems really odd to me.
Another thing that bothers us is that I am measuring right on with what Andy and I think for the due date, which is July 14th. We are actually measuring not too far off from June 30, the original due date by my LMP. But the doctors still say nothing about changing the dates or reconsidering their decision to change the date. I mean, if my original date was right I only have about 3 weeks left!! Even by July 14th I only have about 5 weeks left!! Yet I am still only seeing the doctor every 2 weeks. I am beyond frustrated and will not go back to this doctor's office for the next baby. I feel like it's too late to switch doctors but I can't seem to make them understand that according to my measurements, LMP and how I feel.. I am going to deliver before August. *sigh*
I suspect that Lakie may have dropped in the last couple of days. I can breathe again and I'm not getting kicked in the ribs quite so much. I can actually lie down to sleep now!! I feel a lot of pressure on my cervix and in my pelvic area and some mild contractions on and off.... I'm wondering if maybe I haven't dilated a bit more. My next appointment is on June 22 at 8:30 am.... let's hope I make it that far (or should I hope that I don't make it that far?). I just found out that one of the women on the Expecting in June message board on AOL just had her little girl.. and her due date was the same as my LMP due date. Jeez.. now I'm feeling a sense of urgency to hurry up and get the house cleaned up!
June 9, 2001
Only 5 more weeks from today until my due date! I am so very uncomfortable... I can't say I'm actually having real contractions but I am having pretty strong Braxton-Hicks contractions. I'll have them almost constantly for an hour or two and then they'll go away, or at least recede to the point where I don't really notice them. I'm hoping that it's just my uterus getting ready to go.. anytime now would be fine with me. Tomorrow morning will start my 36th week... almost time!
June 10, 2001
I'm not sure but I THINK I might have lost my mucus plug late last night. It looked like a ball of snot, kind of yellowish and thick. (Yeah I know how gross that sounds.) I had a couple of really bad contractions during the night but they were very irregular. I had 3 contractions that were 5-6 minutes apart but then they stopped completely and I didn't have another one for over an hour. I'm hoping that means that I'm getting close. I have heard women say that your mucus plug can "reform" if you don't go into labor soon, more mucus just collects at the top of the cervix again. Let's hope against that.. I have friends from a gaming message board betting on what day the baby will come and right now the bets run from June 11 (tomorrow!) to July 28 (oh jeez I hope not).... the most bets seem to be on June 16th. Me, I made my guess for June 25th, 2 days after my shower. I am NOT a party person and I have a feeling that the stress of that gathering will push me on over into labor. *smile*
June 17, 2001
Today we started our 37th week! I am still having contractions on and off that are very painful. I just wish they weren't so irregular.. 7 minutes apart for an hour then they stop.. then 6 minutes apart for 45 minutes then they stop. Very annoying. I really wish that I could either have the baby now or stop these contractions and the accompanying backache. I was really hoping to have Lakin today... it would certainly make a good present for Andy for Father's Day! It's only 9:32 am though so there's still hope for today.. we shall see I suppose. I am term this week though so that's a good thing at least.. I was afraid that lung maturity would be an issue if I delivered before today but from what I understand everything should be fine from here on out!
June 23, 2001
Today is the first day of week 38! I had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning at 8:30 am and everything looks fine. Doesn't feel fine but according to the doctor it is "completely normal" for me to feel like Death warmed over. My blood pressure was 120/80 and my urinalysis was clear. Lakin's heartrate was 130, the lowest it's been yet but the nurse assured me that it is still within normal ranges. I am measuring "right on target", whatever that is. I gained 3 lbs since last time, putting me up 6 lbs. About time I gained something.
My baby shower is this afternoon at 2 pm and I went with my mom yesterday to decorate and get things set up. Andy has the day off (thankfully) and we're gonna run out this morning to get a digital camera so we can take lots of pictures of our little one as soon as she gets here and post them for everyone to see.
I am in excrutiating pain most of the time. I have awful back pain and my hips hurt so bad that I can hardly walk. I have a lot of trouble getting out of bed and when I turn from my side to my back (or vice versa) while laying down, I can feel my back and hip joints popping and grating. UGH! I am so very ready for this baby to hurry up and get here. There's a lady on the AOL June 01 pregnancy message board who is due July 19th and she had a scheduled c-section yesterday. I don't envy her the c-section but I sure do envy her the baby... and my due date is before hers! I'm so jealous that I'm depressed.
I am still having contractions on and off but I got quite tired of timing them and having them stop so I'm not timing them anymore until they get much stronger. I know it sounds weird but everytime I have a painful contraction I think "Yes but I wish it hurt more so that I could have this baby". More later.
June 27, 2001
Well any doubt I may have had about whether I really lost my mucus plug has been put to rest now. I lost a large chunk of mucus yesterday with streaks of blood in it, looked just like the books say it will look like. I have been having very bad constant lower back pain and some pretty awful contractions. I had one the day before yesterday that made it almost impossible to breathe. That's the first I've had like that but it was the only one, lasting about 45 seconds. I am still having what I presumed to be BH contractions except now I can feel them across my lower back. I'm not sleeping too well, my schedule is all screwy. I wake up every single morning at about 3:58 am and find it impossible to sleep anymore but then at around 1 pm I hit rock-bottom and have to go take a nap. Andy says I must be getting myself used to the coming sleep-deprivation of having a baby although I cannot imagine why my body thinks that the cure for no sleep is even less sleep. *smile*
I had my baby shower on Saturday and it went very well. I got a lot of goodies (more clothes and receiving blankets than you can imagine) and a lot of the things that we still needed. I also got a great collection of baby books and celebrated by going out to buy a bookshelf just for baby stuff. All in all, I have to say that the shower went much better than I had thought it might, and the decorations and cake were just perfect! Absolutely beautiful. Give me a day or two and I'll get some pictures posted of the shower. Until later.
UPDATE! Pictures of the Baby Shower have been posted!
I just found out that my father and his girlfriend Laine are getting married! They are planning a small ceremony for September 15, 2001.
GG CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH!! GG
June 28, 2001
Today was Jennifer's due date and it passed with no baby for either of us. *frown* I know she's getting tired of being pregnant, aren't we all? She has a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I think we're both hoping she doesn't make it there. Like Andy says, he spends all his time worrying about me and I spend all my time worrying about Jennifer. *smile*
June 29, 2001
Jennifer had her appointment today but they decided not to keep her and induce her, even though she has high blood pressure and lots of swelling. However, they did say she was thinned out completely and that her membranes were ready to pop. Just a matter of time I guess. If she doesn't have her baby this weekend the doctor told her to bring her bag on Monday and they will induce her. Lucky girl!
June 30, 2001
Today I start my 39th week! Today is also my original due date and I am really hoping to deliver today. I am still having contractions on and off but they're not as bad as they were a week ago. How frustrating. I feel very crampy and trying to turn over in bed is awful. I feel like my pelvic bones are coming apart (and I guess they are). Anyway, let's all hope that today's the day for me cause I am just getting all around tired of being pregnant.
Copyright 2001 by Heather Lakin
