Plan for last week

41 weeks!

Well, baby is still not arrived on the outside yet.  That's ok now...but less good as the week progresses.  Risk of merconium aspiration.  If I were to go to 43 weeks, I would be transferred to an OB.

I was about ~1 cm dilated today.  And OUCH, did the checking of that hurt!  Haha, I'm sure labour will hurt more right?  But yikes, that was uncomfortable.  The mw did get to touch Appleseed's head - DH and I were like, "Jealous!".   But I'm not even dilated enough to do a stretch and sweep - which I was going to decline.  But it makes that whole decision a lot easier.  :)  (I want to wait a few days, to see if things can start up naturally)

We also had an enthusiastic discussion about due dates.  My original due date from Ovuview app (which I love, and recommend) on my phone was April 15th - in which case she wouldn't be as far overdue.  After much discussion, it seems like anywhere April 10th-15th would be reasonable.  Not that we're talking about changing my due date, just that it gives us a little less cause for concern since at least the range is all after my official date (which was Apr 10th).

So here is the plan (and I really really like having a plan!):

• Thursday (apr 18) - another massage.  Rough life, eh?  :)
• Friday (apr 19) we'll go for an u/s to check... ah, amniotic fluid level,  fetal tone, placenta something...and something else.  I LIKE this.  I want to make sure she's still ok in there!  If there is any indication of problem, we'll get here out of there pronto.  Also 3rd acupuncture session.
• Saturday (apr 20) mw will attempt a stretch and sweep.  Hopefully I'll be dilated enough to allow for this by then!
• Sunday (apr 21) - Time for castor oil!  The midwives recommend using peanut (or other nut) butter and verbena oil and apricot juice with the castor oil.  She said it is less harsh outgoing, and it sits in the stomach a bit longer with the peanut butter and is thus more effective.  I'm down.
• Sunday (apr 21) - Birth herbal tincture.  Contains blue/black cohosh, birth root (?) and ginger.  This is slightly risky - there are no studies.  But mw claims very effective.  I was quite tentative about this, but by Sunday we'll be pretty close to induction day, so I think the risk/benefit ratio will be worth it.
• Monday (apr 22) - another u/s, same checks as on Friday.
• Tuesday (apr 23) - appt with 2nd mw.  I'm guessing another stretch and sweep? My primary marvellous midwife will have gone on vacation!  :(
• Wednesday (apr 24, 42 weeks) - scheduled induction at the hospital.  She said generally they start with foley catheters, but it depends on the doc on duty.  And that inductions are low priority, totally possible we'll get moved if there are a lot of births that day.  That's ok.

For a first baby she's really not that over-far along at this stage, so we're not yet worried.  Hopefully I'll be able to stay relaxed through the week!  Acupuncture does really seem to help with relaxing!  I was already relaxed at the start of yesterday's acupuncture, and I swear by the end I felt so JOYFUL.  You know when you want to cry a bit cuz you're just so darn JOYFUL?!  :)  I didn't picture being here a year ago, that's for sure!  Our baby girl is almost here!

Induction 'Spa Day'

40 weeks, 5 days

My chiro referred to it as my induction 'spa day' today, and I thought - "hey, why not just go with it?".

I had a stressy labour dream last night - I was trying to get into labour but no one knew what to do.  It was one of those weird stressful dreams.  Bah.  Needless to say, I didn't sleep well last night.  I even had to read some of the Hypnobirthing book to calm me down.  The rainbow relaxation wasn't working.  Poot.

So this morning I was a zombie, and barely made it to chiro appt on time - well, ok, I was a little late.  But I did run into the other midwife in our choir - I really like her, so that started cheering me up.

I had another chiro adjustment - my back's been ok lately, this will probably be the last one.  Then she did acupuncture to bring on labour.  THEN, I had a foot massage to bring on labour.

WOW, did that lady have STRONG hands!  Yikes!  And she told her me really scary and awful birth story - but thankfully, it did have a happy ending.  But what a story to hear just before birthing!  Yikes. 

But now I am sort of chillaxed.  I will take a 'day off' from errands and things I really should do.  I think it is important to be relaxed right now, and not focus on the scary impending induction, just try to have some fun today.

I ate my yummy eggplant parm leftovers for lunch, then I watched some netflix and played Candy Crush (yes, this is ruining my life, can't stop playing!  don't judge me too harshly!).  Now I'm going to hop in the bath, maybe read a book, then maybe have a nap.  DH is making dinner, I made sure we have all the ingredients (eggplant again - Chinese style).

Acupuncture again tomorrow!

Eggplant parm!

40 weeks, 3 days

So I went for a massage yesterday.  It was part Craniosacral, reflexology, part regular shoulder massage.  It was definitely different from any massage I'd had before.  She didn't really use much pressure.  But by the end, I was SUPER relaxed.  Was that just because I was like, "CS, don't use this time to think about errands, use it to think about positive birth imaging & breathing", or was it the actual massage?  Don't know.

Today I'm going to make eggplant Parmesan for dinner - Hypnobirthing says this will bring on labour.  :)  I'm not so sure of that - but it will be a tasty dinner for DH and I!  (and I'm making a grain-free lemon cake for desert - WHAT!  sounds yum!)

I've done some reading about interventions this morning.  I don't think I want any (well, if eggplant were to work, that would technically be an intervention...).  BUT, at 42 weeks, the ball game changes, and here I will be transferred to an OB who will want to induce.  So the midwives like to do early not super invasive interventions before we get to that magical 42 weeks date.

But it seems everything I've read seems the whole thing goes a lot smoother with no interventions at all, baby comes when ready.   But, there does seem to be some risk going past 42 weeks.  Not sure I want to play there.

Also, she suggest I may want to try blue/black cohosh at 41 weeks.  I need to be getting down with the google on that, I am quite wary.

In general, my BH have subsided somewhat.  They only seem to come when walking now.  I've been trying to be good about walking - except for yesterday - it is mega winter here (?  Hello, spring?  Where art thou?), I wasn't down with a mid-winter walk, for reasons of wimpyness.

I'm having some round ligament pain, but it's no big deal.  I've also been trying some stretch suggestions from spinning babies - they say labour is all about position, right?  So I want Appleseed to be in the best position possible. 

All in all, I never really got that "get the baby out of here, now!" mentality.  I want her to leave when she's ready.  I loooove being pregnant, and I appreciate it.  No reason to end early.  (Well, unless there are valid medical reasons, of course).  Sure it is a bit uncomfortable at times... but whatev.  I'm still so lucky to even be here. 

Update: 41%

39 weeks, 6 days

UPDATE (not that you've even had time to read the previous post!)

She's ok!  She made it from 26th percentile to 41st percentile!  She's FINE!  All is well!  MW just called me.  :)

PHEW!


I had done too much googling already on restricted growth, and the words "perinatal morbidity" come up too often for comfort.  I actually made it through the ultrasound and after without crying - probably because I had 3 crying fits beforehand.

PHEW!

Baby girl is doing A-ok!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Potentially Growth Restricted?

39 weeks, 6 days

Wow, almost 40 weeks!  Saw the midwife today.  This is not the post I pictured writing, actually.  I thought it was going to be the usual - blood pressure good, pee stick good, size ok, let's roll.

First of all she checked my cervix.  She said its about 50% soft and 50% moved down, not open or thinned.  So, that's fine.  Baby not coming immediately, probably next week-ish, maybe?  First time she's checked it.

I thought it would be cool if all those cervical knife pains I've been feeling actually opened the cervix, but no dice.  So it goes.

But then onto the measurement...and she's still measuring like 34-35cm.  Its been like this for ~3 weeks.   Could be not good - could be just position has changed, so it doesn't seem like she's not getting bigger - or she could not be getting bigger.

I am trying to stay calm about this!  (but...I don't feel calm.)

The Marvelous Midwife is sending us for another ultrasound.  DH sort of protested (since I cry like a maniac every time), but she strongly recommended it.  And she's quite keen we get it today if possible.  I am still trying to book it.

In terms of size, Appleseed seems right around her due date, according to the last u/s.  In terms of weight she was 26th percentile.  A wee bit small.  All the babies on my side are normal to getting big-ish (8-9 lbs, it seems), so I am concluding it is because she is half Chinese.  And Chinese have smaller babies.  Even though DH's family is not small, they were more like 6-7.5 lbs babies.  Which is fine.  Just less than I was expecting.  BUT, still, baby girl should be growing every week.

Well, we'll see what the ultra sound says.  I will have to see an OB if she really is too small.  That's ok.

I don't seem to have any of the maternal risk factors related to intrauterine growth restriction, so.... probably she'll be ok.  Yes.  Right?

In other news, she's planning on doing a stretch and sweep (well, I want to research this a little more) Wednesday (I'll be 41 weeks), and I will book acupuncture for Monday.  :)  We are allowed to go to 42 weeks, at which point it will be a schedule induction.  And since that changes the whole ballgame, we'll try to avoid it.

(still) Pro Pro-Biotics

I am pre-writing this post, and will actually publish when I have some results!

Background:

So after my midwife's recommendation of taking pro-biotics to help lessen the chance of actually testing positive for group B strep, I decided to find out if the current pro-biotics [Jamieson advanced 4 strain] I am taking have positive reviews out there on the Internet or not.  I want to avoid group B strep if possible.

For sure I can say the Jamieson 4-strain is helping my skin, which is awesome - but what about my ladyparts?

I came across this informative article about evidence based pro-biotics.  Seems like a rather good idea (to be evidence based).  Here's another article on the effect of pro-biotics and FERTILITY.  Long but good!

There I read about a product called "Fem-Dophilus".  I then got really excited.  Google it and 'prevent group B strep' and you get loads of hits and comments about how it seems to work.  In fact, I came across a clinical study that is currently taking participants (in Santa Cruz) to specifically test whether or not taking fem-dophilus from 28 weeks decreases incidence of group B strep.  They don't just decide on a whim to do a study, I am thinking, there must be major anecdotal evidence.  I called my local hippie shop, and they do in fact carry it.  I have some non-ideality going on "down there", let's see if this changes things.

I am still planning to take the Jamieson 4-strain - can't hurt to fix my skin as well.  If some pro-biotics fix my skin, that is telling you I had some serious gut balance issues for many many years.  Um...like, forever.

Update:
When I upped the Jamieson to 3/day AND started the fem-dophilus, my lady parts seems to be getting in better shape.  Then I moved Jamieson to 1/day, and my lady parts when back to only slightly better than they were.

So I'm moving back up to 3/day.  After a few days, I could tell it totally helped.  For me, anyway, and my gut, it seems to be the Jamieson doing the heavy lifting.  I am still taking the fem-dophilus too - don't want to mess with the system too much.

Further Update:
Well, I think moving down to 1/day of the 4-strain sort of screwed me.  I tested GBS positive.

Right now it sort of feels like there is a bacterial war going on, and some days the good guys win, some days the bad guys win.  Also, I ran out of fem-dopholus, probably I should go back on.  Particularly with antibiotics coming  up.


Random things that may have been improved by probiotics:

• This may or may not be due to the probiotics - but DH got sick, and I DIDN'T.  This is the first time, ever.  (Also I think RRL tea helped)
• Skin MUCH improved, then moved to mostly improved (including starting to improve my rosacea) (see that comment about a war going on above)
• My super painful right lymph node has calmed down considerably

Final GBS Post (probably)

39 weeks, 1 day

So we've made our final decision about GBS.  Anon x 2 had two good comments on the last post, but turns out I either is not really going to happen.

I chatted up my doctor friend (poor lady, but I HAD to pick her brain!), and I asked about testing the baby for GBS after birth - she said they basically never do that.  If baby comes in with a fever and mom was GBS +ve and didn't take antibiotics, they will give the baby antibiotics.  No time to wait for test results.  And baby would be very sick by the time the test results came back.  (maybe our lab results take longer here?)

And I asked if they could check my strain against clindomycin, and she said in Canada in general our strains are susceptible to clindomycin.  In India (for example) they have some resistant strains, but unless I've been travelling there, I should be good.  I haven't been there since like ~2004.

Doc friend also said the biggest risk with clindo is C.Difficile.  But I am low risk for this.  And (hopefully!) not going to the hospital, I shouldn't be exposed?

So I told my midwife today, and she was cool about it.  She said she'd do the same thing.  I was very impressed about how they didn't try to influence me either way, just gave me the info and let us decide.  She even gave me some clindomycin to take home to put in my birth kit just to make double sure we had lots on hand.

And apparently it will be a needle straight into my vein - takes like 4-7 minutes.  And I'll need to do it twice, if possible.  I was picturing being hooked up to an IV bag for hours, so this is much nicer.  Although I'll have to be not moving during contractions during this time.

My back is mostly better.  Yay for chiro!  LisaB, I'm sorry you back problem can't be fixed by a few adjustments, I will be thinking of you and Spot during labour.

In other news, Appleseed is in the 26% for size.  LITTLE!  Baby girl!  Why so small?!  But the Interweb says anyone 10-90% are normal (there's that HUGE range of normal again!), and to not sweat it.  The Interweb also says this does not predict future size.

My midwife is very happy with this number.  She says it will be easier to deliver a smaller baby, and as long as baby grows a ton when on the outside, it's all good.  Ok-ay!  I would prefer an 8 pounder (all the babies in my mom's family were big - where is my big baby?!), but I will be happy as long as she's healthy, of course  :)

I think she dropped farther down last night.  I went on a loong (long for a preggo - just checked, it was 3.3km - it sure felt far!) walk yesterday, and since last night it has been rather uncomfortable.  I think I will rest the rest of the afternoon.  Can't wait for DH to come home from work for some snuggles!