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Bob and I are very excited that we are expecting our 2nd baby in May!
Brandon is going to be a wonderful big brother! We have again chosen not to know the gender of the
baby. Brandon doesn't seem to understand that we will have another baby, but he loves to blow raspberries
on mommy's tummy! Brandon was born 1 week early, so we'll see if this one makes it to May!
The morning sickness was a lot worse this time, which made me think it may be a girl! Luckily it
lasted a shorter time than with Brandon. Everything is happening sooner in this pregnancy. In my 3rd trimester,
I craved chocolate, which made me think again it might be a girl. I have trouble sleeping because of congestion.
I still favor my right side sleeping, and have to roll out of bed. After sitting at the computer, I have a pain in my
tailbone. I don't remember this happening with Brandon. I'm carrying the baby the same way
as I did with Brandon, all in the belly. If you looked at me from behind, you wouldn't know I was pregnant (except maybe
for the bigger butt!)
Match 14, 2005
This is amazing. Today, there are 49 days left until my due date, and last pregnancy, on the same day with
49 days left(January 1, 2003) the same event happened! THE BABY DROPPED!
At 12:38am, after feeling a lot of rapid movements on my lower left side by my pubic bone, I felt a big relief as I took my
first deep breath in many weeks. The relief was so noticable that I looked at the clock because the first
thought I had was that the baby might have dropped. I had been having so much trouble breathing because of the compression
of my lungs, and because of congestion, and thought that I would be suffering for another 7 weeks like this because I had
read that in subsequent pregnancies, the baby doesn't drop until labor begins. I was first elated that this happened,
but got a little worried that I would be going into labor, but luckily all is well so far!
If things continue the same as last time, we may be expecting the baby on April 25th, 1 week before the due date!
April 11. 2005
Today we went to the midwife (Lynn) who said that I was 2 cm dilated (at 10 cm you are ready to push the baby out)
and my cervix was 70% effaced. I didn't know exactly what effacement meant so I looked it up and this is what it said:
Cervical effacement is the thinning of the cervical opening in preparation for birth. The cervix prepares for birth
by softening and thinning, or effacing, decreasing from 1.5 inches or more in thickness to paper thinness. Effacement is often
expressed in percentages - 50-percent effaced means your cervix is half its original thickness. When the cervix is 100-percent
effaced, it's completely thinned out.
Lynn suggested that I come in next week on Wednesday and she'll do a membrane
sweep which is where they "sweep" a finger around the neck of the womb (cervix). The aim is to separate the membranes around
the baby from the cervix. This releases hormones called prostaglandins, which increases the likelihood that labor will start
within 48 hours. Then she'd send us out walking for an hour or so and come back and check on me. Then if it seems
like I'm ready, go to the hospital and she'll break my bag of water. She said this because she was concerned that my
first labor was so short (total of 7.5 from start to finish) and usually 2nd pregnancies are the quickest labors with the
baby just sliding out. Also, we I live an hour away. She says the baby is lower than usual at 37 weeks, so she
doesn't want to chance a car birth. I think the baby dropped further last night as I could feel another relief, not
as significant as when the baby dropped the first time, but definitely a difference.
Bob was supposed to work this week, and do trips from Memphis-North Carolina until Friday. He asked Lynn what the
likelihood that I have the baby this week. She said that she could not give him a number, but that I was very ripe.
He decided to cancel his trip and stay with me in case it happens. He told me that he would prefer that I not try to
jumpstart the labor, but let it happen when it does. He said the moment I feel anything, we'll be going to the
hospital, so now I will put the finishing touches on the hospital bag and install the car seat. I lost a little of the
mucous plug but Lynn warned me that I would have a little spotting because she examined me.
I have definitely
been feeling that it's harder to walk around. The muscles down there are in pain, and I am waddling. We went to
some stores today and it was hard to walk around. Even if I don't go into labor this week, I am so happy that Bob took
off because he is able to tend to Brandon. I don't know what I would have done if I had to watch him all by myself.
I am having major problems sleeping, and my nose is very constricted. I am ready to have this baby! And there's
a real good chance it'll be an April baby. But who knows, I read that some women in my position still make it to their
due date. We'll keep our appointment on Wednesday, but we're leaning towards letting nature takes it's course and my
body going into labor on its own.
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