More Disappointment

Once again, I thought I was in full-blown labor last night. I had been having more contractions and cramping all day since my appointment yesterday, and around midnight the cramping/pain in my back worsened. I decided to head upstairs and try and get comfortable in bed. Elliot & I watched some tv together, and around 2:00 I drifted off to sleep. At 3:00 am, the contractions woke me up. By 3:30, I was so uncomfortable that I woke Elliot up and begged him to rub my back. He also ran downstairs and got me my ipod so I could listen to my relaxation tapes. I was tossing and turning, and just miserable. At 4:00, I decided to try the bathtub. By the way, the Jacuzzi is my friend - for the first time, it actually worked while I was having contractions! I climbed in the tub, and I spent about 45 minutes or so pruning up. The contractions stayed regular and intense the entire time, but I was able to relax into the process. I decided to shower after the bath, and I dried my hair. At this point, it was after 5:00 am. I went back to bed, and tried to relax and stay comfortable. By 6:00, it was pretty clear that the contractions were not letting up, and sleep didn't seem like an option. Elliot & I debated whether we should go to the hospital or call the midwives. I decided to wait because I'd been through this before, and it turned out to be nothing.

Unfortunately, I was right. After 7:15, I was able to doze off a bit. The contractions have still been going, but they did lessen in intensity a bit. Our biggest concern is that I won't actually know when I'm in labor, and that we won't be able to get to the hospital in time.

We woke this morning to deal with Verizon and Vonage - because AGAIN, they screwed up my phone service. It is amazing how easily these companies get it wrong, blame each other, and then claim to be unable to resolve the problem. Thanks to Elliot, we were dealing with the executive offices for both companies. After spending the past five hours fighting with them, we finally have the phone service issues resolved. I've been SOOO frustrated that I've been missing all my doctors' calls today.

So, here I sit . . . contracting, uncomfortable, and unsure what to do. I'm SOOO ready to have this baby, but just don't know if I should rush him out or hang in there. This part is miserable, and I just don't know how much longer I can do this.

Ultrasound - 37 weeks 3 days

Today we had our weekly "biophysical profile" ultrasound - once again, our brilliant son scored a perfect 8/8! Basically, it means he is quite content where he is. While I'm happy to hear that he is thriving in there, can someone please help me serve him an eviction notice? I promise not to serve him another one until after he completes college.

We actually got some fantastic pictures today - I'll go downstairs and scan them when Elliot gets home (he took them with him). The doctor came in to see us, and after I whined he decided to do an internal check on me. The good news is I'm over 3 cm dilated (yes, progress!) and still at 80% effaced. He stripped my membranes to see if that would stir anything up. I'm actually not hopeful, but if it is going to work, we should see something in 24-48 hours.

****Update****

Here are the ultrasound pics from today:

Another cruel trick

I'm trying hard to stay positive, but, in truth, what I want to do is whine. I've been spotting since my appointment on Monday, but I don't seem to be progressing to the next level. Today the contractions seem to be worse again, and I'm back to uncomfortable. I just really hope that this turns into labor. I'm torn about what to do - I'm at a point where they are willing to induce me, but I don't want to rush the baby out. At the same time, I'm not sure how much more my body (or me) can take of these constant contractions. I'm tired, extremely emotional, and I'm really afraid I won't have the energy for actual labor when it finally gets here. The back pains are killing me, and the constant squeezing is making me batty. I'm not getting much work done because I'm too uncomfortable, and with all the contractions, I don't feel up to driving and running errands either. So, I've been pretty house-bound, bored and uncomfortable. There are only so many hours a day for so many days in a row that I can just "relax." I'm really not getting much relief from relaxing, and I don't know how many hours a day I can reasonably spend in the bathtub before I officially become a prune. I can't even seem to sit still long enough to do much on the computer. Please tell me there is relief in sight.

Full Term Today

Well, after everything we've been through, today I'm officially 37 weeks and this baby is "full-term." We had our 37 week appointment, and I'm making a bit of progress. I'm still 2 cm dilated, but easily stretchable to 3 cm. I'm 80% effaced, but my cervix is quite soft, and the baby "engaged" - I'm at 0 station now.

She decided to "stretch" my cervix a bit to see if she could kick things up a bit. It has - I've now had my "bloody show" and the contractions have kicked back up a bit. She thinks I won't last more than another week on my own, so we'll see if she is correct.

C'mon baby . . . let's go!

Still here

I'm still here - and all I want to do is complain. I'm so sick of the contractions, and I really don't think I'm making any more progress - I guess I'll find out in the morning. My belly and back are killing me, and I can't keep any food in my system. I'm very physically uncomfortable, too. Baby is still moving well - I just really wish I could move on to the next stage already.

Today I'm baking cookies . . . trying to make my Grandma's chocolate streudels and rollies . . . we'll see how I do! It is the first time I'm doing this on my own! I just wish I felt better today. I'm trying to decide if I should go meet some friends for a "girl's night out" dinner - not sure I'm feeling up to it, though.