Updates!

1st update. I'm still pregnant.

2nd update - hopefully not for much longer!

So, let's do the brief version for folks who want just the facts, then for those of you who are interested in details, you shall be greatly rewarded with plenty of TMI. Gear up!

Facts:
Status - 40 weeks, 4 days pregnant. Had a consultation today about going to week 42. Ultrasound shows baby is weighing 7lbs 14oz (piggy girl!). She still had fluid in her kidneys. Plenty of amniotic fluid surrounds her. Doc okay with waiting another week. Scheduled Non-stress test and biophysical profile #1 for Friday. Hoping not to use them. Saw midwife later, got checked. Still at a 1cm but have progressed to 70% effaced. Got the 24-48 hour window of opportunity due to quick intervention & now we sit and wait. If by Thursday we have no baby, we continue on to Friday and proceed up to that point.

Details:
So, today is week 40, day 4. More than halfway to week 41! I can hardly believe it. We had a consultation today at Maternal Fetal Medicine (the high-risk OB/GYNs) and met a nice doctor who was very supportive of my VBAC goal.

Ultrasound:
The ultrasound of little missy looked good. She still has fluid in her kidneys (more in the right than the left) - there's not a whole lot we can do about it until she gets out. It's a normal enough variation that the doctor isn't worried about it and I know what to do once she's here. Schedule an ultrasound for her in her first month of life. She's weighing in at 7lbs 14oz and is, again, her mother's child. I've gained 2 pounds since the last visit, and so has she. We're sharing already. She's still head down and was in the correct position. Lots of amniotic fluid around her, so the doc was comfortable in letting me go another week w/o talk of a repeat cesarean. This was good to hear.

Options:
The options that she gave me were the following:
1. Check my cervix and strip my membranes today. This would release prostaglandins and potentially encourage contractions and labor.
2. After 2 non-stress tests and no baby by middle of next week, put a catheter into the cervix to help/force it to dilate and see if labor starts that way OR strip the membranes. I asked which is worse - she said they're both uncomfortable. Great.
3. Pitocin and break the waters to see if I go spontaneously.
4. Schedule another cesarean.

I liked that the c-section was the last option and that she was really supportive of exhausting all options prior to suggesting surgery.

I left the office feeling good. Scheduled my appt for the non stress test and met Michael at the midwife's office.

Midwife:
Updated her on what the doc said. She agreed and was glad that the doc was so supportive.
Had to get "checked" to see if there was any progress.
Got "checked" - there was no dilation progress - still a "tight 1cm" however, we are 70% effaced. She said, out of the two, the effacement is more important. That was good to hear.
During the check, we talked about membrane stripping and I asked her what all it entailed. She explained it to me and I asked for a preview of what it would be like - better or worse than the cervical exam? She gave me a preview and I said okay, that wasn't too bad. So, after the check, I asked her what she thought I should do? Should we do the stripping? She said, we just did. And I laughed for about a minute after that. She told me there will be some spotting and contractions for the next 24 hours, but hopefully we'll have a baby by the end of it all too.

I REALLY like this midwife and asked when she was on call again. Thursday during the day. I marked a mental note in my calendar. Got all of my questions answered about pressure versus pain after the 10cm milestone (during which my phone "pocket/butt dialed" a colleague of mine right around the time I was asking about the comparisons of pushing a baby out with pushing a bowel movement out. THAT was classic.)

So between the midwife's estimation about the impact of membrane stripping (24 hours) and the doc's estimation (48 hours), we're looking at a 1-2 day window of having a cute baby girl in our arms if all goes well. Doc said that only if there's no baby by Thursday/Friday would we be able to say "that didn't work."

So now what?
Well, I called and updated my doula as well as my mom. Kept an eye on my contractions, came home and went to work this evening and taught class as usual. And so now, we wait. We can try to introduce more prostaglandins to the cervix and see if it helps ripen things up and speed the process along tomorrow. I left both appointments feeling REALLY good and took into account how really SAD I'd originally felt at being overdue. My mind had planned for February and arranged everything around delivering on or before the 26th. So, to now be in March has just been a psychological adjustment for me, but today's visits were very empowering to the point that I feel more relaxed and better able to go with the flow.

I've got a few meetings in the morning tomorrow and an appointment in the afternoon and then I will be focusing on doing all that I can to welcome my baby girl into the world this week!

Welcome Letter
Madame Nyobi Schultz: Mommy and Daddy love you VERY much. I know my tummy is super comfy and cozy, but I PROMISE... life outside of the tummy is waaaaaay cooler. I love how you lay against my arm when it's near my belly and I just can't wait to meet your sweet little face and kiss you and snuggle you and smell you and love you and have you alllllll to myself. Just think of all the cool shopping we get to do! I already bought you some cute headbands and warm and fuzzy socks... some cute dresses. WE CAN DRESS ALIKE! It'll be like twins! I know you have hair, so let's get to going, girlfriend! We've got trends to set.

Now, if that's not enough to coax you out, let me tell you about your daddy. Rumor has it, and your big brother will testify that Daddy has the BEST chest to lay on in the world. You will feel so comfy and cozy and secure. And Daddy ALWAYS smells yummy. We love to lay on daddy! You should join us! (True, mommy's chest will have significant benefits as well, but we've already established our bond, right? We're girlfriends.) Daddy loves to sing and to play and to give kisses. He also is a GREAT snuggler. You're seriously missing out on some good snuggle time with him by staying in the tummy. Daddy also gives really good kisses, especially Eskimo kisses. He is so excited to meet you and work on his contortionist skills as you wrap him around your fat little fingers.

And finally, your host to the Schultz party is truly your big brother, Mr. Becton. Granted, he may not seem as excited as mommy and daddy to meet you at first - but he knows you're coming. He's gotten my lap all nice and warm for you and you remember him, right? He's the one who talks to you the most, really. He lays on my tummy and gives you zerberts and practices his yodeling calls. He probably won't really know how to react to you when you get here, but I think his will be one of the first voices you recognize. He is ready to teach you so many things that he has learned. He's been in your shoes before and has probably taken some really good notes. I'm sure he'll want to share his favorite treats with you. He gets really excited about certain treats, like icey pops, and he starts counting his numbers when he gets really excited. You'll probably think he's a little silly, but that's what big brothers are for... sillyness. He's happy, though he doesn't know it right now, that you two have a birthday in the same month. Just think of all the fun stuff we can do with TWO March birthdays!! You two are gonna be best buds. He will be your number one fan.

So, really.... there's a lot of reasons why you should come out and join us. We love you and we want to meet you and see what your sweet face looks like. We want to kiss you and snuggle you and let the heavenly residue rub off on us. We want to remember that you were just in heaven with many of our loved ones who sent you to us with love, hopes and dreams. We want to see you mold into our family and teach each of us how to be better people and how to love deeply and fully and even more unconditionally. We want to see what it feels like for our hearts to expand and find even more love for your little life. We want to create dreams with you and celebrate life with you. We want every single bump and turn and curve and detour of the road that comes with your little life. We want to be edified by you. We love you so much little girl. You are our little princess and you deserve all of the love we have in store for you on this side of the tummy.

We hope to see you soon!
Love,
Mommy, Daddy & Becton