Labor Progress (countdown to baby)

Sunday July 24


35 Weeks & 6 Days Pregnant


9 days until "full term"
26 days until scheduled c-section
30 days until estimated due-date


So, I'm thinking my body has decided to start getting ready!  Woo hoo, I'm glad it's finally on the same page as me, mentally!

Ha ha!


Had a ROUGH night comfort wise--baby did some serious gymnastics & I had lots of painful contractions.


But, I managed to  get up & get moving for church this morning & with Tim's help we made it with a few minutes to spare before the service started.


Throughout church I was feeling pressure "down there" and like I needed to bear down/squat.  


After church we had a picnic at Rachel's husband's church to celebrate Izzie's baptism.  It was around 12:35 when I finally headed home from there.


Luke got a nap in on the car ride home and when I got home I started timing the contractions/pressures.  


(I also got a huge glass of water & changed into much cooler clothing.)


So, as of right now, 4:46 PM--the contractions are averaging 33 seconds long & 12 minutes 33 seconds apart.  BUT, the first few hours I was only monitoring how FREQUENT they were, not how long they lasted...for the last 30 minutes or so I've been tracking their duration as well and they have been 36, 33, 31, and 36 seconds long.  


I got my hospital bag & the baby's hospital bag packed up as much as I could.  I didn't bother packing as if today is the day, I don't think I'm that lucky.  I made my "last minute packing" list too, so when we are READY to go, I have it all there.  


Besides, if he came today, he'd be heading to the NICU most likely, since I'm only 35 weeks and 6 days.  So, I wouldn't need clothing or diapers. :(


Since I've been home, I also hung up all the NB and 0-3 month clothes that I had hangers for.  I'm out of hangers now. 


Anyway, here's the ooey-gooey gory details of what I've been feeling.


STOP reading if you don't want to hear about bodily functions.


You HAVE BEEN WARNED....


I've been losing mucous plug--with "globs" of mucous at least 4 times in the bathroom.
I've got "the runs" & have had like 5 yucky soft bowel movements since I woke up.
I'm feeling pukey.
All day with the "pressures" I've been feeling the urge to bear down/push.
(I feel 'pressure' with the urge to push, but not the same as the contractions I had with Luke....)
I'm feeling very comfortable in a squat....
And he's dropped about 4" down my belly!--I can fit almost an entire hand above the baby, under my boobs.
Finally, the last time I went to the bathroom, there was a tiny pinch of blood on the TP.  




ETA:


We ended up going to Labor & Delivery around 6:30 last night.  I got quickly taken to triage (they don't mess around with breech babies!) and situated.  


The nurse said I was only about at 1 cm (even though I KNOW I got 2 fingers in there....) but maybe they measure different than what I did.  


The baby's heart rate was "flat" in the 130s for the first 30 minutes of monitoring & although I didn't have ANY contractions show up (I felt 2 but they didn't register) they had to keep me for another 30 minutes to see if we could make it "perk up".  


They gave me a glass of icy apple juice and within just a minute or two of drinking that his little heart rate started bouncing all over between 120 and 170.  


I guess that's what they wanted to see, because they came back in & released me with strict hydrating myself & kick counting guidelines.


The baby is completely breech, and that made things a bit difficult as far as keeping the monitor on him. 


Anyway, we were home by about 8:15, so all in all, they did a good job of moving me in & out!