(no subject)
The doctor appointment yesterday went pretty well. The doctor did another cervical exam, as she should, and I tried to prepare myself for that awkward and uncomfortable feeling. I was fine when she got in there and said, "Oh, it looks like you're dilated to two!" but I was not prepared for when she continued and exclaimed, "Or THREE!" I felt Nathaniel jump, and for a split-second, I thought she hit him or something. "WHOA!" She apologized. "No, it's fine."
She told me to "keep on keepin' on" with the walking and the couple-y time. She also suggested foot massages, as pressing on certain pressure points can cause one to go into labor. I told her how AJ wants me to have the baby on Friday, and she said he'd better get to work if he wants that to happen. She also confirmed that I passed the muc[o]us plug. She asked me, "Was it like a snot glob?" YES! That was more or less how I was going to describe it! And today, I've had some old blood discharging, so I'm guessing that I passed part of the plug yesterday and more of it today, as I read that it's possible to pass a part of it.
I went to my counseling appointment yesterday afternoon, and halfway through the session, I turned on the massage controls to the recliner I was seated in. My therapist asked me if I was having back pain, and I said that it was mostly in my shoulders, but I was having some back pain as well. She said, "Uh-oh!" thinking it was baby-related, and, well, the lower back pain probably is, but my shoulders just ache randomly-- particularly if I'm seated a certain way for a certain amount of time. The session continued, and near the end of it, she asked how I was doing pregnancy-wise. "Well, I'm 38 weeks now, and I just had my doctor appointment this morning and was told I'm dilated to 2-3 now. And it looks like the muc[o]us plug unplugged itself." She just sat there staring at me silently with her mouth agape. "Uh, should I not be here?" She told me to promise her to go straight home when our session ended, and I told her I would. "I wasn't even going to stop to check the mail on the way because I already stopped by there earlier." She didn't feel comfortable scheduling an appointment for me next week because she feels certain that I'll be in labor before then. Then she was talking to her receptionist, who just had a baby herself, and asked her what she thought. The receptionist concurred. Of course, neither of these people are doctors, but I'm fine with not going to counseling next week, and I hope they're right.
I didn't go straight home. I stopped at DQ and picked me up a Moolatte. I told myself that I'd get one at the end of my running around for the day (doctor's office, brief trip home for lunch, post office, therapy). The pit-stop didn't hurt though. I haven't gone into labor.
I was thinking that maybe I was in labor earlier today. My morning started strangely. I awoke just before the alarm went off with an uncontrollable need to cough. I guess it was something related to acid reflux because it was like I'd "vurped." I was coughing for half a minute before I could reply to AJ when he asked me if I was alright. Of course, that doesn't mean labor, but it was bizarre, and in the moment I had a vague recollection of my mom telling the story of when she was in labor with me, she had an awful taste in her mouth because I'd pooped in the womb, and somehow she burped that up. I know! Isn't that gross?? That, paired with waking up a couple of times in the middle of the night with menstrual-esque cramps, made me wonder. And it hurts way more to walk now than it did before, so he's more in position. Then the discharge of old blood this morning that I mentioned already. And there was an undeniable contraction a few hours ago... but then I didn't have one after that.
So I'm not in labor, but he's working on it! I haven't done my walking today because............. I've been lazy. I've spent most of the day on this laptop. Well, I guess I haven't been too lazy because when I wasn't online, I was spending a lot of time packing my "go bag"... which is really a "go suitcase".... and then informing Facebook of how awesome I am for being prepared.... and then learning that I wasn't prepared because I hadn't packed any baby things (because the doctor told me just to pack as if I were leaving for a weekend trip, and I've never needed to pack infant essentials for a weekend trip). So then I packed a few things like pacifiers and onesies, so he could come home in cool clothes.
Then people said that I needed to pack EVERYTHING ELSE UNDER THE SUN!
So waiting for us to grab when we have to rush to the hospital: one small suitcase (with three days' worth of clothing for me, a pair of boxers that I'm told I won't even want to wear, a towel, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a razor, a hairbrush, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, nursing cover, digital camera battery charger, and Nathaniel's baby book), one diaper bag (that actually contains zero diapers but is instead filled with four receiving blankets, a weird squishy ball toy, hats, socks, mitten-y things, adorable dinosaur slippers, four clever onesies of varying sizes, pants, monkey outfits, pacifiers, pacifier wipes, nursing pads, and a SwaddleMe wrap), and a bag that contains a double breast pump, bottles, bottle liners, and whatever else it came with that's necessary. Next to all of this are my fully charged digital camera and digital video camera. I want to film the labor from my perspective for as long as I am able (if the epidural makes me loopy, I'd like to get some of that recorded... and if I turn into a monster, the camera should probably turn off). I also have my purse near the front door, which has my wallet, some Altoids (because I believe in fresh breath), another hairbrush, and the first book in the Game of Thrones / Fire & Ice series that I've been slowly working through. So I'll have reading material for the two days I'm there after Nathaniel is born. I'll also grab my cell phone and charger on the way out the door (it's usually on the charger by the door anyhow), even though there's no signal at the hospital.
Now people are telling me that the hospital should provide nearly everything I need. I'm not about to unpack a damn thing though.
I need to be physically productive. Yesterday afternoon, I felt it was too cold, so I decided to stay in the house. I used the elliptical machine a few times, equaling half an hour. I'm out of practice with it, so my legs felt wobbly, and I'd lose my breath easily. It made more sense to break it down into 10-15 minute increments so as not to overexert myself. I'll do that again this evening.
She told me to "keep on keepin' on" with the walking and the couple-y time. She also suggested foot massages, as pressing on certain pressure points can cause one to go into labor. I told her how AJ wants me to have the baby on Friday, and she said he'd better get to work if he wants that to happen. She also confirmed that I passed the muc[o]us plug. She asked me, "Was it like a snot glob?" YES! That was more or less how I was going to describe it! And today, I've had some old blood discharging, so I'm guessing that I passed part of the plug yesterday and more of it today, as I read that it's possible to pass a part of it.
I went to my counseling appointment yesterday afternoon, and halfway through the session, I turned on the massage controls to the recliner I was seated in. My therapist asked me if I was having back pain, and I said that it was mostly in my shoulders, but I was having some back pain as well. She said, "Uh-oh!" thinking it was baby-related, and, well, the lower back pain probably is, but my shoulders just ache randomly-- particularly if I'm seated a certain way for a certain amount of time. The session continued, and near the end of it, she asked how I was doing pregnancy-wise. "Well, I'm 38 weeks now, and I just had my doctor appointment this morning and was told I'm dilated to 2-3 now. And it looks like the muc[o]us plug unplugged itself." She just sat there staring at me silently with her mouth agape. "Uh, should I not be here?" She told me to promise her to go straight home when our session ended, and I told her I would. "I wasn't even going to stop to check the mail on the way because I already stopped by there earlier." She didn't feel comfortable scheduling an appointment for me next week because she feels certain that I'll be in labor before then. Then she was talking to her receptionist, who just had a baby herself, and asked her what she thought. The receptionist concurred. Of course, neither of these people are doctors, but I'm fine with not going to counseling next week, and I hope they're right.
I didn't go straight home. I stopped at DQ and picked me up a Moolatte. I told myself that I'd get one at the end of my running around for the day (doctor's office, brief trip home for lunch, post office, therapy). The pit-stop didn't hurt though. I haven't gone into labor.
I was thinking that maybe I was in labor earlier today. My morning started strangely. I awoke just before the alarm went off with an uncontrollable need to cough. I guess it was something related to acid reflux because it was like I'd "vurped." I was coughing for half a minute before I could reply to AJ when he asked me if I was alright. Of course, that doesn't mean labor, but it was bizarre, and in the moment I had a vague recollection of my mom telling the story of when she was in labor with me, she had an awful taste in her mouth because I'd pooped in the womb, and somehow she burped that up. I know! Isn't that gross?? That, paired with waking up a couple of times in the middle of the night with menstrual-esque cramps, made me wonder. And it hurts way more to walk now than it did before, so he's more in position. Then the discharge of old blood this morning that I mentioned already. And there was an undeniable contraction a few hours ago... but then I didn't have one after that.
So I'm not in labor, but he's working on it! I haven't done my walking today because............. I've been lazy. I've spent most of the day on this laptop. Well, I guess I haven't been too lazy because when I wasn't online, I was spending a lot of time packing my "go bag"... which is really a "go suitcase".... and then informing Facebook of how awesome I am for being prepared.... and then learning that I wasn't prepared because I hadn't packed any baby things (because the doctor told me just to pack as if I were leaving for a weekend trip, and I've never needed to pack infant essentials for a weekend trip). So then I packed a few things like pacifiers and onesies, so he could come home in cool clothes.
Then people said that I needed to pack EVERYTHING ELSE UNDER THE SUN!
So waiting for us to grab when we have to rush to the hospital: one small suitcase (with three days' worth of clothing for me, a pair of boxers that I'm told I won't even want to wear, a towel, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a razor, a hairbrush, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, nursing cover, digital camera battery charger, and Nathaniel's baby book), one diaper bag (that actually contains zero diapers but is instead filled with four receiving blankets, a weird squishy ball toy, hats, socks, mitten-y things, adorable dinosaur slippers, four clever onesies of varying sizes, pants, monkey outfits, pacifiers, pacifier wipes, nursing pads, and a SwaddleMe wrap), and a bag that contains a double breast pump, bottles, bottle liners, and whatever else it came with that's necessary. Next to all of this are my fully charged digital camera and digital video camera. I want to film the labor from my perspective for as long as I am able (if the epidural makes me loopy, I'd like to get some of that recorded... and if I turn into a monster, the camera should probably turn off). I also have my purse near the front door, which has my wallet, some Altoids (because I believe in fresh breath), another hairbrush, and the first book in the Game of Thrones / Fire & Ice series that I've been slowly working through. So I'll have reading material for the two days I'm there after Nathaniel is born. I'll also grab my cell phone and charger on the way out the door (it's usually on the charger by the door anyhow), even though there's no signal at the hospital.
Now people are telling me that the hospital should provide nearly everything I need. I'm not about to unpack a damn thing though.
I need to be physically productive. Yesterday afternoon, I felt it was too cold, so I decided to stay in the house. I used the elliptical machine a few times, equaling half an hour. I'm out of practice with it, so my legs felt wobbly, and I'd lose my breath easily. It made more sense to break it down into 10-15 minute increments so as not to overexert myself. I'll do that again this evening.