Okay y'all, I finally figured out how to adjust the settings on this blog (Anissa, you should be so proud - I didn't even have to call you!) and now it is possible to leave comments without signing up for anything! Happy days are here again... Anyway, please leave comments! I feel so lonely... Just kidding. But really do start leaving comments. I had the wonderful Becky Milam test it for me, and joy of joys it actually worked!
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My C-Section has been moved up - I am now scheduled to have Baby Dolton on April 13th! Of course, that is also Friday the 13th... Maybe I should name him Michael? Just kidding! My lovely Aunt Sandy reminded me that April thirteenth was my great-grandmother's birthday - Gramma Askins was born in the year 1900. There's got to be something lucky about being born exactly 107 years after your great-great-grandmother, eh? So let's see, it is currently 7:43 am on the 29th of March, and my C-Section is scheduled for 7:30 am... I have 14 days, 23 hours, and 47 minutes left of this pregnancy! Nothing like counting down the time... Wonder if I should figure up the seconds? Ha ha!
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After my O.B. appointment last Friday (March 23rd), I once again had to get a non-stress test, and collect my urine for 24 hours. I'm starting to think my doc has a pee fetish... Anyway, the test results were fine. They said the baby looked great - I looked like crap, but the baby looked great. The nurse was saying how bad my ankles looked, but they were actually better than they had been! I did, however, get put on modified bed rest. Ugh. I have to lay down (not sit) for four hours throughout the day - morning, lunchtime, afternoon, and evening. So not looking forward to this! I also was told no shopping, be it for the baby or even just groceries; no exercise; no house work; and no sex (not a problem there!). I'm only supposed to drive when absolutely necessary, such as getting to the doctor's office. I guess Ryan will be walking home from school from now on!
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I'm having another shower this Saturday - its a diaper shower! Everyone is just bringing diapers as gifts. Way cool, right? I'm pretty excited about it. Adreanne and Beth are throwing this one - they were worried about having it at my house instead of one of theirs, but since I'm on stinking bed rest now, it has totally worked out for the best. I was happy to have it here anyway, just so I didn't have to lug everything home again!
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"Your baby is still putting on the pounds — about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds and is a little less than 19 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the creamy substance that covered and protected his skin during its submersion in amniotic fluid. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, which will stay in his bowels until birth. This blackish mixture, called meconium, will become his first bowel movement.
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"At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Babies between 37 and 42 weeks are considered full-term; a baby born before 37 weeks is pre-term and after 42 is post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position by now, which is optimal for a smooth delivery, but if he isn't in the next week, your provider may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying he'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position manually, by manipulating him from the outside of your belly."
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Ouch! That last part makes me glad I'm having a C-section! As for what I'm experiencing now, it goes on to say:
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"While your baby continues to grow and crowd your internal organs, you may find that you're not as hungry as you were a few weeks ago. Smaller, more frequent meals are often easier to handle at this point. On the other hand, you may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to drop down lower in your pelvis. This dropping — called lightening or engagement — is more likely to happen before labor if this is your first baby. When it does, though, you may feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen, making walking increasingly uncomfortable. Some women say it feels as though they're carrying a bowling ball between their legs, or as if the baby is going to fall out (Don't worry, he won't!).
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"You might also notice that your Braxton Hicks contractions are a little more frequent now. Be sure to review with your practitioner exactly when and where to call him when you think your labor has started. As a general rule, you should call when you start having regular contractions coming every five minutes for about an hour. Of course, you'll want to call right away if you're not yet 37 weeks and have signs of preterm labor. You should also call without delay if your water breaks (or if you even think you're leaking amniotic fluid), if you notice a decrease in your baby's activity, or if you have any vaginal bleeding, fever, severe headaches, abdominal pain, or changes in your vision.
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"Even if you're enjoying an uncomplicated pregnancy, it's best to avoid flying during your final month, when you're more likely to go into labor. In fact, many airlines won't let women on board who are due to deliver within seven or sometimes 30 days of the flight."
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The official countdown has now begun - T-minus 15 days and counting...
