Watermelon Status- 37 weeks

37 Weeks

How big is baby: It is official! I have reached “watermelon status”. I remember laughing about this at the beginning of my pregnancy baffled that I would get to that size. She is now considered full term and ready to be born! Baby girl Voorhies can be anywhere between 19 -21 inches long and between 6 – 9 lbs when she is born. Babies gain about ½ an ounce a day at this stage. We figure based on our last ultrasound, she is roughly 6 1/4 lbs currently.

Pregnancy Symptoms: I am experiencing tightening and some cramps. I am also extremely tired! After a long day on my feet, I will notice swelling in my lower legs and feet but it usually goes away quickly when I rest. My stomach gets upset more easily and heartburn happens more often. Not much else to report!

Stretch marks: Still none to report.

Sleep: Now that I am done with work, I get to sleep later into the morning. My nighttime’s are pretty much the same though. I have to switch sides often and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. My stomach is pretty sore when I sit up in the morning.

Best moment of the week: Probably the best moment of the week has been having the time to get things organized and completed. Not having to wake up before dawn to go to work has also been nice.

Movement: Baby is super active and it is getting easier to tell how she is situated in there. She likes to stretch out and push her feet up against my side. I like to tickle at her feet. J

Food cravings: We seem to be regulars at Menchies Frozen Yogurt. There is a girl that works there that we happen to see almost every time we go. One of our visits this weekend, my yogurt ended up in my lap, on the floor of the car, and the parking lot. I was a mess. Rawley went back in to get napkins to clean me up but my biggest concern was that he would get me a new yogurt. It was a pretty funny pregnancy moment.

Food aversions: None

Labor signs: My fetal monitoring chart showed that I am having uterine cramps. I also have noticed some pains in my low abdomen, slightly higher than my pubic bone, which my midwife claims is probably cervical cramps. This could mean I am dilating which would be wonderful! Braxton hicks are happening more often.

Belly button: Still halfsie

What I miss: My energy.

What I am looking forward to: Holding this baby girl in my arms. I can’t wait!

On the to-do list: More acupuncture treatments and various cervical ripening techniques. I also have fetal monitoring again on Friday so I can check in and see how the baby is doing. At this point, we are all set to bring our baby home.

Milestones: Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.

Not much will change between now and the delivery so this will be my last structured weekly update. I will continue to send any new information or changes as they come up! Let’s turn this watermelon into a baby!

Midwife Appointment

I had a 36/37 week midwife appointment today. I'm measuring at 35cm which is right on track. Mama's blood pressure is great. Baby's heart rate is spectacular! She reviewed my fetal monitoring report from last Friday and said that we scored at 10/10, which is perfect. The profile looks at fetal movement, fetal body tone, fetal breathing efforts, amniotic fluid volume, as well as the result of the non-stress test. I was glad to hear our little girl is doing so well!

My test also showed that I was having uterine cramping which is basically the body warming up for labor. I also told her that I was having some pains in my low abdomen just above my pubic bone and I thought maybe my pants were too tight. However, the other night when we were at the movies I basically held my pants a little bit away from my skin to take any pressure off my belly and still felt the pains. She described these as cervical pains that could mean I am starting to dilate. YAHH!!! I hope she is right.

So we are continuing to get ready for the baby. The nursery is completely stocked and ready. The only thing we really have left to do is pack our hospital bag and put the car seat base in the subaru. Rawley wants to treat the leather first. haha :)

This week I also start a bunch of different types of "at home" cervical ripening tricks. My midwife gave me some herbs today that I take 3 times a day that will hopefully strengthen the uterus so it will handle labor better. I also got some evening primrose oil and start acupuncture treatments tomorrow. I am also walking a ton which really brings on the braxton hicks. There are a few other tricks we are going to start trying but I'm pretty sure some of my students read this blog so I will keep those to myself! :)

I'm hoping little baby Voorhies decides to join us any day of the week but a Tuesday. That is the only day our midwife would have a difficult time making it to the birth.

I guess we should start making guesses as to when she is going to make her big entrance. I'm feeling April 4th... I guess we will see!

New Bump Photos

Here are some updated Bump photos!

30 WEEKS

31 WEEKS

32 WEEKS

33 WEEKS

35 WEEKS

36 WEEKS

BARE BUMP! 36 WEEKS

36 Weeks - Holy crap!

36 Weeks

How big is baby: Baby weighs almost 6 pounds, like a Crenshaw melon(…what the hell is that??) and is more than 18 ½ inches long.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Stuffy nose, nose bleeds and clogged ears. It seems very strange but they are all real pregnancy symptoms. I also experience shortness of breath at random times. Not just when exercising but even laying down.

Stretch marks: None

Sleep: Today was my last early morning wakeup til baby comes! I’m hoping this will improve my sleep and help me get really rested until delivery.

Best moment of the week: Last night was my final concert with the kids. It was so bittersweet to say goodbye and definitely emotional. The students were so great. I just hope that I was able to really say the right thing for them to understand how much they mean to me. It is going to be strange not seeing them every day but I’m looking forward to this next journey with our baby. It’s time for me to be a mom to my baby. :)

Movement: Still having tons of movement. She likes to stretch out her legs and push out. I will get little lumps on my stomach from time to time when she does that. It’s pretty cute and totally strange feeling!

Food cravings: Love those skinny cow ice cream sandwiches!

Food aversions: None

Labor signs: None

Belly button: No changes. Still waiting for it to pop completely.

What I miss: I miss my students already! This is going to be weird!

What I am looking forward to: Hopefully we will be taking a tour of the labor and delivery room at OHSU. We will need to do a “rehearsal” so we feel more prepared for the big day. I’m also looking forward to nesting for a few weeks before baby makes her arrival. I’m also looking forward to having some date nights with the hubby!!

On the to-do list: It’s time to start cooking meals that I can freeze. On the list: different types of soup, spaghetti sauce, stew…  Any suggestions?? Send them my way J

Milestones: She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

Something funny/memorable from work: My kids were so awesome today. I have never felt more special during my 5 years of teaching. The wrote me notes and brought presents. I must have received over 100 hugs. Sometimes we forget in the day to day that we are really helping and making a difference and the kids don’t always think to thanks their teachers for the support we provide. Today the kids made me feel like a million bucks! It is really nice to know that I have been able to make an impact of many of their lives and that so many of them feel such a genuine connection to music that they found through me. Very special! I couldn’t ask for more. It makes me feel like I must have been doing something right. J  I am sure going to miss them.

New Ultrasound Pictures!

Today was our final ultrasound! We got to see our little cutie pie and got a few new pics. She likes to keep her little hands right by her face so she was blocking many of the pictures. We will take what we can get! The doctor estimates that she is 5 lbs 7 oz. today which puts her in the 53rd percentile. He said this is perfect, especially for someone with diabetes. He is thrilled with the management of my blood sugars and the progress of the baby.

We also were able to see that baby Voorhies is now head down! What a relief! Babies can always turn up til birth so I suppose she could possibly flip back to breech but it isn't very common. We are hoping she is feeling pretty comfy where she is. Our doctor feels very positive that we will have a great shot at achieving our non-medicated water birth!

Last night Rawley and I were debating if we wanted to do the acupuncture technique for turning a breech baby, moxabustion, and I said, "Let's trust our baby". So we went without it last night believing she would be in the best position for her. I wonder if I just needed an attitude adjustment!

35 Weeks!

35 Weeks

How big is baby: Our baby is the size of a honeydew melon, 18 inches long and 5 ½ pounds.

Pregnancy Symptoms: I see a sizeable difference everyday with my belly. Things are starting to feel pretty tight in there, I’m sure! Heartburn is creeping up on me again.

Stretch marks: Still lucky enough to not have stretch marks but I don’t think my skin feels like it can stretch anymore..they may be on their way.

Sleep: Love that daily nap! I get a few hours usually every afternoon after work.

Best moment of the week: Rawley’s baby shower was so fun! We had such a great time seeing so many of our friends! What a great way to celebrate Rawley’s journey into fatherhood.

Movement: This baby is still moving around like crazy! She will roll from one side of my belly to the other. She also likes to stretch her little feet and hands out which is really entertaining to watch on my belly.

Food cravings: I don’t have any cravings in particular but my appetite has increased.

Food aversions: None

Labor signs: No signs of labor yet

Belly button: Still halfsie

What I miss: I don’t miss a thing!

What I am looking forward to:  I am looking forward to the last finishing touches and organization of the nursery. We are so close!

On the to-do list: We have an ultrasound tomorrow so we will keep everyone posted on the position of the baby. We are hoping she is head down but also prepared and okay with her still being breech.

Milestones: Her hearing is fully developed at this point. She responds best to high pitch noises.

Something funny/memorable from work: It is my last week of work. I am officially on leave starting mid next week. It is definitely a bittersweet experience for me. Sleeping in later in the mornings and having a few weeks to clean and prepare for the baby sounds very nice. I will miss my students. They mean so much to me and I really find a lot of joy in working with them. It will be hard to say goodbye.  



Turn baby, turn!

In an effort to get little baby Voorhies to flip to head-down position, I have tried many things.

• Ice pack at the top of the belly to hopefully inspire her to move her head to a warmer climate. I have also tried this with ice at the top of the belly and heat down low. She clearly hates the ice but not enough to completely vacate her favorite space near my ribs. I guess she is going to be a skier.
• Playing baroque music down near the pubic bone. Apparently babies like harpsichords...
• Having Rawley talk to the baby down where we want her head to be. She really likes this one because she starts moving around like crazy but it still hasn't made her somersault.
• Tilting a ironing board against the couch and lying with my head near the floor and my feet at the top. Ouch on the back. I feel like my pelvis is going to crack in half.
• Assuming the "farting position" as we like to call it. Basically a downward dog yoga pose but you are on your knees. Why we call it the farting position, I'm sure you can imagine.
• Kneeling at the top of the stairs and walking my hands a few steps down so my hips are higher than my chest. This one is pretty tough on the shoulders.
• Chiropractor for Webster technique. Apparently if you lower body and pelvis is in the correct position, the baby will move downward. This did not help the first time but I have another appointment on Monday, we we will see.
• Moxibustion- This is a very interesting technique that we have spent quite a bit of time researching. I went in to see an acupuncturist last week and she taught me this method. You basically have two sticks of Moxa which is technically mugwort herb. It is a traditional Chinese medication. The sticks are shaped like cigars and basically burn just like that. It has an incense smell to it. Our house starts to smell like we are hiding illegal herbs by the end of the treatment. It is the most relaxing part of my day. I get to lay back on the bed and put on soothing music. Rawley sits at the foot of the bed and burns both sticks right on the outside (about a 1/2 inch) of each pinkie toe. We do this for 15 minutes every night. Apparently the heating of UB (Urinary Bladder) point 67 on each side increases the yang which is needed for the baby to move. Movement in babies at this time is naturally downward, so if you give them the energy they need to move, they will most likely move down. Regardless if she ends of moving with help from this treatment, it is a very nice part of the day to just relax.
• Check out this video on moxibustion if you are interested to see what it looks like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtLGfT4JAsY

I think the biggest issue for me is the stress that possibly having her in breech position when she is due brings. It will more than likely completely change how we envisioned this process to be. I knew going in to this that child birth wasn't going to go exactly how I planned. You can't plan anything when it come to labor but I really wanted to have the chance to try and experience it as naturally as possible. Our bodies were made to do this and I want to have that chance. Which brings me to my next thought, which my chiropractor helped me realize. The pressure I am putting on myself may be the reason why she isn't turning on her own. That type of stress can affect the baby. So I have spent quite a bit of time over the last week really thinking about it and remembering that however she enters the world, our daughter will be here soon. She isn't stubborn or a tough baby. Perhaps she just likes her head to be closer to my heart. My conversations have changed and my thoughts about her positioning. When she is ready to turn, she will. If she doesn't, that is okay too.

In the last two days I have felt movement and kicks in places I don't normally feel. Sometimes I can definitely feel her head near my ribs and other times it feels more like her bottom. I think she still must have a lot of space and is just using it to keep on her exercising schedule and swim around. We have an ultrasound appointment next week at 35 weeks pregnant. We will get to see where she is settling. Until then, no stress just confidence that she will put herself where she feels most comfortable.

34 Weeks-6 weeks to go!!

34 Weeks

How big is baby: She weighs about 4 ¾ pounds, which is the size of a cantaloupe, and is almost 18 inches long.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Things are definitely starting to slow down. I run out of breath very easily these days and I get tired quickly. Baby girl is settling down pretty low so she pushes on my bladder, especially when I am out walking. The water works are flowing as well. I wasn’t really emotional in the beginning of the pregnancy but now everything seems to set me off!

Maternity clothes: Duh!

Stretch marks: Still no sign of them but things are definitely stretching!

Sleep: Shifting my weight from one side to the other is really getting painful. Her body weight really pulls on me.  

Best moment of the week: We had a really nice meeting with our doulas this week. They are so great and warm. I especially love how special they make Rawley feel as part of this process. We had a few doctor’s appointments in the past where Rawley didn’t feel acknowledged, like he wasn’t even in the room. Our doulas, Karen and Melissa, are so opposite of that. They ask him questions and express how important he is and how the intimacy of our relationship is going to strengthen me during labor. They also help put me at ease as we approach the baby’s birth.    

Movement: She is so active! I think this may be the primary reason why she hasn’t settled into head-down position. She just keeps moving all over the place!

Food cravings: I know this is terrible, especially for a diabetic, but everything with sugar is sounding so good these last few days! I told Rawley is was probably a good thing I have diabetes otherwise I would be extremely obese. I could eat an entire box of sugary cereal and be really to keep eating some more.  

Food aversions: Still haven’t developed any strong aversions.

Labor signs: I have the occasional Braxton hicks but other than that, nothing strong.  

Belly button: No changes here.

What I miss: As we get closer to meeting our daughter, I realize that I don’t really miss anything. I am happy to give up wine and a considerable amount of sleep because I know that the reward is going to be so great.

What I am looking forward to: Rawley is having a “baby shower” this weekend with all his guy friends. It should be a great time and one of the last times for awhile that he will be able to “cut loose”. J

On the to-do list: Next week we are going to focus on completing our registry so we have all the essentials we need for the baby. We also need to start thinking about our packing list and starting that process.

Milestones: Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well.

Something funny/memorable from work: My kids are pretty fascinated with the belly and ask permission to touch it. One of my girls even got to feel her moving around the other day.