37 weeks and the count down is on -- also a baby pool!

Baby pool link in case you want to weigh  in on dates.  You have like 9 to choose from -- I made this easy for you!  Baby Pool Guessing!

So we are here at 37+5 weeks and the count down is onto delivery.  It is NEXT week.  I repeat, NEXT week! 

So the induction plan changed just slightly. I have the best midwives caring for me and the baby.  (I call her the baby because she doesn't have a name yet.  Picking out baby names is so hard y'all!)  The plan is now to go in late Thursday night and have a cervical ripener placed then go to sleep and see what happens.  If we are lucky, this will go a head and kick start labor and pitocin can be avoided or at least used minimally. If not, then we start Pitocin Friday morning (March 6) and have a baby!

I went to the Midwife on Monday just for a check up. But as I was going to the office, I noticed that baby shark hadn't moved all morning which is not like her.  They did an NST and it took them a while to find her heartbeat.  All sorts of thoughts ran through my head.  How would I make that phone call?  What would I say?  They finally did find her heart beat but it sounded so far away -- not the usual sound on the monitors.  On my left side, she wasn't moving and her heart beat, at 150, was not fluctuating like they like to see, they call it "flat"  just that its consistently the same heart rate rather than going up with movement.  They turned me over after 20 minutes to my right side and she perked right up but I was nervous and the midwife looked a bit concerned too.  After that they did the fundal measurement which is about 1-2 weeks bigger than the week we are.  Then she pulled out a hand held ultrasound and checked her position.  She is floating really high, not engaged.  She also is kinda sideways-ish.  Just the night before, she was breech - I could tell from the hiccups being at the top of my stomach.  She also had her spine to my spine and her feet, legs and arms were in the front of my stomach which explains why it was so hard to find her heartbeat -- with the trunk of her body away from the front of my stomach, there was no large body part to measure her heart beat on.  All is good but I am spending a lot of time on all 4s to try to get her to turn around and settle in my pelvis better.  I am having really tight round ligaments as well as another ligament in my pelvis which I think is pulling my pelvis out of shape -- no baby wants to be in the pelvis crooked, so they find the path of least resistance -- either breech or transverse usually.  She is currently head into my right hip bone -- not centered. Hopefully she is getting the memo that the easiest way out is head down facing my tailbone.  Lets make this easy on both of us baby shark!

Also, the dads and grandma will be in on Thursday afternoon - the day before the big day and are staying in an Air BNB close by the hospital so Rowan can rest and get energy out until the time comes to meet her sister! It will be nice for them to have a homebase close by.

What if I go into labor before that?  Well that is a real possibility.  With this being #6, it could happen any time now.  I am crossing my fingers and legs that everything is fine and we make it to next Friday.  That would be most ideal.  If we don't, we do have a plan in place.  Also, I will be nursing the baby in the hospital and pumping at home like last time.  This time I will be shipping milk on an airplane via Southwest Cargo. 




So where am I for my current mood, attitude towards birth etc.  I am tired.  I am sore.  I don't feel like doing anything like cooking dinner or cleaning but I am bored from sitting around. I am taking it easy right now trying to make it to next Friday so I am spending a lot of time on the couch - but I am not one to sit and binge watch TV.

 I am seriously nervous about delivery.  I have beaten the odds with a really good pregnancies and deliveries -- will I keep beating the odds? I have seen surrogates DIE after delivery. I have seen surrogates lose babies as late as 35 wks in my cycling groups. I have seen many deliver early -- too early for baby to survive.  I have seen hemorrhaging problems after delivery.  I know I was chosen because I am healthy and have healthy pregnancies, but there is still that nagging voice in my head that something could go wrong.  There is no reason for me to think that it will, but the voice is still there.  Hush little voice, this one will be like the others, beautiful and healthy!

Here's the belly photos I haven't updated.

How far along?  37+5
Total weight gain/measurements: 36 lbs from start of meds until now - the most yet Argh!
Maternity clothes: Well... those aren't even fitting right now lol
Stretch marks? Yes - for the first pregnancy really. I have a lot this time!
Sleep: I think this baby is getting me ready for pumping with all of the up and down I am doing at night now
Best moment this week: I think it will be Friday when husband and i have date night!
Movement: Insane uncomfortable movements
Food cravings: Scallops and macaroons
Anything making you queasy or sick? eating
Gender: Little Girl
Labor signs: Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions
Symptoms: Terrible ankle and leg swelling, heart burn, acid reflux, everything hurts.
Wedding rings on or off? Been off for a while
Happy or moody most of the time? A little bit of both
Miss anything yet? sleeping, margaritas, tied shoes, putting clothes on and taking them off with ease
Looking forward to:Delivery day!