37 Week Update

Well, on Wednesday I hit 37 weeks. Baby C now has a new nickname, Lil Miss Diva. She has completely earned that title too. To give you all a little update, Wednesday I had my doc's appt and found out that I was about 2 cm dilated and 80% thinned. I considered that awesome since I got a very un-awesome report the week before. LMD (Lil Miss Diva) has been giving me off and on contractions since before Christmas. I even had to be off my feet more than I was on them before Christmas to keep from going in to pre-term labor.
Wednesday afternoon contractions started again and they got to be pretty close together and fairly painful. We felt it best to call in and see if we should be checked since I have a history of very quick deliveries. Well, we went in and they checked me out. I had not changed since our 4 o'clock visit (this was about 3-4 hours later). I walked around for an hour and when checked again I had changed to what the resident said was 3-4 cm. I stayed. We did some more walking and I was in the tub for a bit. I told them that I wanted to go as natural as possible, hey I know I can! So, they didn't even give me an IV because they felt they didn't need to and the doc that was on call is one who likes to let things move at their own pace and not give an IV if it isn't needed. I like her for that reason!
By 4 in the morning, things had stalled out. Totally. The resident felt that I had only progressed to about 5 cm. I was able to get some sleep and the doctor came in to check me before she left. By her assessment, I was actually only 3-4 cm still and she thought only 70-80% thinned. They sent me home! Since I am only 37 weeks, they are not going to push things at all. It was the consensus that I was so tired from not sleeping and not having food that my body stopped things because I wouldn't have the energy to deliver LMD. They sent me home with orders to sleep as much as I can and get something to eat, and that should get me back on track to deliver my girl.
It is now Friday. I was so hopeful that after a few hours of sleep and some food, things would kick back right to where I was and we would have our girl by Thursday night. Yeah, right, LMD earns her name again. I have had a few contractions today, but they are not that strong. I have been using the clary sage oil on my belly to try to help things move along. Hubby only has one and half more days of vacation so I would love to have her like tonight or maybe tomorrow so he would have as much time as possible off. He has already taken two days this week (one for the snow we got on Wednesday, and then yesterday since we didn't leave the hospital until almost 8). We are both totally ready for Baby C to make her appearance. I am over all these times of "false" or stalled labor! You know, that is a labor pain they don't talk about.
So often you hear about traditional labor pains. The pain that comes with delivering your little baby. Well, there is another labor pain in my book now. The one of false and stalled labors. I dealt with this as best I could last time and this time it is hitting harder because not only do I feel as though I am getting the hopes up of my husband and aunt (who is so awesome enough to come in each time we go to the hospital to stay with us) but I also have my son who has to go to his mommom and pop's house each time we go to the hospital. I haven't been able to see my son like normal and he can tell things are going haywire. He is crying so much more and is clinging to Hubby and I for dear life. It kills me to see him like this. He is totally our of sorts. I want to be able to have my girl, come home and be the family of four that we are going to be. I don't want him to have things get crazy for days on end and then he gets to begin his life as big brother. I wish it was a streamlined as it so often appears to happen for others.
So, that is my "little" update on where we are in the pregnancy right now. I am hoping to have my little girl in my arms soon as I can't take much more of this labor without it being full labor thing. It is wearing us down in so many ways. I must say though that there is no way we could make it through this without our great families being so close and helping us as much as they are.

Until next time... Happy Living!