nothing yet.....

So just got back from my doc and......nothing.  Not even dilated.  Not 1 cm!!  I have to schedule a non-stress test for friday to make sure the baby can still "fit" to get out and there's enough fluid.  Oh well.....it's back to work for me on Monday....no signs of going into labor on the subway.  Just sucks that we're in the middle of a heatwave!!!

My due date is tomorrow!

But; I only gained .5 pounds in two weeks.

First of all, thank you EVERYONE for your posts and support.  You all make this so much more fun to go through and I smile every time I log into cc!!!

I may take a trip to CVS to find some rasberry leaf tea.  It actually sounds kinda yummy. 

Drea-  you are hilarious......as long as the lights are out at this point; I'll try to get on my hands and knees....but it has to be pitch black b/c i am HUGE!!!  LOL  My back hurts like it does when I have a long day; and I took a walk to get the kinks out.

I went to get my eyebrows done today; and I thought that was going to put me over the edge-  she just kept plucking!  it hurt so bad!!  My skin must be extra sensitive.  (But they came out great)Everyone at work is keeping me in good spirits-  I work with all females-  I'm the third one to have a baby this year; and one woman had to be induced b/c she was a week late; the the other one was going to be induced b/c she was a week late but then she ended up having a "fast and furious" birth where it took her 4 hours of labor and 9 MINUTES OF PUSHING!!!

I love hearing everyone's stories!  And when this is over I'll have a story of my own!!  :)

My wee one was TWO WEEKS LATE.  Those were a long two weeks.  I was under the care of a naturopath/midwife, so trust me when I tell you I tried all the alternate methods of induction:  black cohosh, blue cohosh, rasperberry leaf tea, sex, evening primrose oil suppositories, etc etc etc...Nothing worked.  Ultimately, I ended up not at my hippie mama birth center having a water birth, but instead was at the hospital with a swat team of neonatal pediatricians on hand to whisk my boy away (he had meconium aspiration, due to the lateness of my labor).  So, I guess the moral is, be patient.  She'll come.  In her own time.  Keep us posted!!!

Yep, I like machatica was two weeks late, worked a week over and then just got sick of sitting at work waiting for any and every twinge.  Like her, I tried EVERYTHING as I was also under the care of midwives and set to have her in a birth center!   Nothing worked... oh and FYI, apparently with the sex thing, you would need something like the amount of semen from 10+ ejaculations to get any effect.  I even had my membranes stripped at one week over to try to hurry things along... again, nothing.  My DD was quite high right up until the end, probably dropped a day or two before (right when i noticed the loss of my mucus plug... absolutely disgusting!), but I hardly noticed that she had dropped much.  The morning I was scheduled to go in and be induced at the hospital, I went into labor.  While I did get to have my natural birth, didn't get to do the water birth because my labor slowed while I was in the water.  At the beginning of week 2 they checked again and I was 2 cm dilated, but nothing more.... after 16 hrs of labor... I was 2 cms dilated!   Talk about frustrating, first I have to wait two bloody extra weeks, then 16 hrs of labor and NOTHING!  Well, the midwive broke my water and she was born 4 hrs later

In the end, the most important thing is that you have a healthy baby no matter how she comes out, and she will come when she is good and ready (or the doc decides its time!).  Good luck, looking forward to hearing your good news!

Hey Vanessa,
Anything yet???

My belly is so big, in the way, and uncomfortable, and I'm only 34 weeks.  :(  If I'm ready to get this baby out, I can only imagine how you're feeling.  (((Hugs))) 

Did your doctor give you any kind of estimate as to how big your baby may be?  Mine is still estimating that she'll be about 9 pounds.  Great!  :P  He estimated 8lbs for my son, and he was right...except my son was 2 weeks early.  How big would he have grown in that 2 weeks?  I just hope this baby isn't going to be too huge. 

I hope you have a better day today, and I hope Baby shows up soon! :) 

(((hugs)))

I can only imagine the anxiousness to see your baby girl, Vanessa. 

Hopefully some of the home remedies will help get things going. 

We are all anxiously waiting to hear the news of when your daughter is born. 

Hi Cecily!!!  Nothing yet!!!  I'm at work!  I figured I'd go in to past the time and particiapte in our crazy office banter I love so much.   The doc said I could have her tomorrow or next week.  He thinks she's going to be 7.5-8lbs.  She's just so super high; I rest my water bottle on my belly!!  And my stomach is SOOO HARD!!  I woke up this morning and it was harder then a rock.  I actually got nervous.  It didn't hurt at all; but it was so tight.  I have a sonogram set for Friday morning;  if Friday can't come fast enough I don't know what I'll do.  My intuition is that she's not going to come without some induction.  

You are far along in your pregnancy!!!  I hope it is going well.  My freind gave birth to a 9lb boy who is adorable; and she delivered him naturally with an epi.  She had to be induced too.  I hope for your sake she isn't too too big-  I know that this little one has her foot in my ribs and her head on my bladder.  I am just dying to know what she looks like!! 

Depending on what they say on Friday's sonogram; I'll see what happens.  My plan to have an epi free birth may be squashed if she's over 8 pounds-  I'm not sure I can handle that without some extra pain management. 

Keep us posted; as will I!

{{{HUGS}}}

I also said I didn't want any pain medication.  When the contractions were 5 minutes apart, I was telling my husband "this is easy!"  I remember telling him as we drove to the hospital that if this is as bad as it got, I'd have no problems.  LOL!  Then when the contractions started coming one on top of another, I asked for the pain meds in my IV.  Then I asked for the epi. :)  Depending on the situation, I may try this one without an epidural.  If labor progresses as quickly or more quickly than before, I think I could do it without one, but if I'm induced like my doctor keeps talking about, I'll probably just have one again.  I also tore, so it was kind of nice to not have to feel that right away.

Don't you enjoy the little kicks to the ribs? :)  My baby is starting to move around under my ribs.  I don't know what she's doing, but it sure is uncomfortable! 

it's so funny cecily-  this only happens really at night-  but I think she actually tries to "stretch" and her head really presses against my bladder and her feet kind of pushes against my ribs-  it's the strangest feeling ever (the bladder part hurts-  I'm not going to lie)  She does this after taking a nap-  she's been taking more naps I think; b'c while she's still active and squirmy it's not as "in your face" kinda deal. 

I'm keeping my options open for the epi.  This whole delivery is already not going to my "penciled" birth plan!!  LOL

Hey Vanessa!

Just wanted to say that you are so beautiful in your prego-pictures!!!

I regret having the epidural, although without it I probably would have ended up with a section...

all that said, it doesnt do one wit for actual having the baby pain if its done right, and omg that hurts.  my dr made fun of me later... for screaming, "just pull her out, just pull her out!"  yeah.  um.  i was not the most graceful giver of birther there ever was.

i hope all is well with you v.... thinking about you and the baby to be!

any word?

the word is....nothing!!  I feel really good-  just a little tired and uncomfortable.  1  and a 1/2 more days to go until I get the sonogram.  I'm working by butt off to get everything in order at work;  everything at home is ready for her-  just a little anxious.

But, I'm cooking, cleaning, basically everything I normally do; just slower....

how is everyone today??

"all that said, it doesnt do one wit for actual having the baby pain if its done right, and omg that hurts.  my dr made fun of me later... for screaming, "just pull her out, just pull her out!"  yeah.  um.  i was not the most graceful giver of birther there ever was."

This post from drea is exactly what my birth experience was like ... "take her out please please!".  LOL 

Vanessa, hang in there.  Believe it or not, this is the easy part.  Giving birth ... painful but relatively short.  Raising a teenager ... painful but excruciatingly long and complicated.  :-)

Your baby girl must really be comfortable in your belly, Vanessa. 

:)  I can only imagine what this little girl will be putting me through in the next 18 years.....she already has a mind of her own.  This is the easy part!  I've apologized to my mother so many times during this pregnancy for all the crap I put her through-  long overdue!

Original Post by ajazzymama:

"all that said, it doesnt do one wit for actual having the baby pain if its done right, and omg that hurts.  my dr made fun of me later... for screaming, "just pull her out, just pull her out!"  yeah.  um.  i was not the most graceful giver of birther there ever was."

This post from drea is exactly what my birth experience was like ... "take her out please please!".  LOL 

That was my experience also, with the birth I could feel.  I don't think I actually said anything, but I know I was thinking "take her out, get her out, pull her out".  And "ring of fire" is not how I would describe it.  The pain was much more localized to above the birth canal.

Hang in there, Vanessa.  Trust me:  They are much easier to take care of when they are on the inside.  lol

I didn't have any pain meds (except NO gas, don't think they do that in the states), which I must say, doesn't do squat for the pain, but made me feel pretty silly after each contraction from breathing it!  Anyway, after 19 something hours of labor and FINALLY dilating enough to push, I said to the midwife as I started pushing... "how long will this part take", and she says, well it can be over an hour in some cases, and thats when I just whined like a 2 year old "AN HOUR?????"  She laughed and said, a little impatient?  And here I am thinking, look lady, I have just been in hard labor for 20 hours!!!!  I just want it out of me NOW! Luckily, I actually didn't mind that part, yeah it hurt, yeah, I had the ring of fire (which honestly, I don't remember being THAT bad), but at least I knew every pain, every push was productive and it would FINALLY be over with!  The pushing her out was my favorite part of the birth experience, and if I only had to do that part, I would do it many times over! I found it very surreal and absolutely the most amazing thing I had ever done in my life.

Good luck Vanessa, I really hope all goes well for you on "D-day"

You still hanging in there Vanessa??

Yup-  sitting here drinking rasberry leaf tea and praying to the labor gods that her arrival is soon!!

My baby boy will be 16 (years) soon. But Vanessa, I remember quite a bit and reading your thread brings memories, tears and laughs. I hope all goes well for you and your little girl.

For me the teenage years aren't bad. We can talk about most things--as a child he played close to the vest, so this took lots of effort.

Hang in there and enjoy all the moments you can with that wonderful creation.