39 week and 5 day Appt

My husband told me not to write this blog because he knows how detailed I can be. So I'll try to make it short and not make him too mad! Love you Josh!
So Friday I had my first "check", where the midwife sees how dilated I am. I was going to the appointment alone and was a little nervous about it. I got there on time only to have the clinic be running late. I sat alone in the waiting room for about an HOUR! Once they put me in a room, I had the thrill on undressing from the waist down. They gave me a large napkin to cover up with. As if I need to cover up, the lady is going to check if I'm dilated...so she is going to get a good look at everything! There I was napkin on my lap and the room was freezing. She took a while to come in, so I'm sitting there debating if I should get up and put on my jacket. Only thing i'm pretty much naked and very pregnant, so getting up and over to my jacket could take so time. I just knew that if i got up and bent over to pick up my jacket she would walk in at the perfect time to be mooned by my very big pregnant butt. This made me decide just to wait and freeze.
She did come in eventually and the appointment began. Now this is where my husband would like me to not go into detail, so what I will tell you is this... she checks to see if I'm dilated (SO uncomfortable) and while she is still up there she casually asks me if I want her to sweep my membrane in hopes to soften my cervix. Since her hand is just waiting inside of me, i wanted to make the decision as quickly as possible. So, I said "sure". The uncomfort that followed made the initial check seem pleasurable. After the "sweeping" I had major cramps for 6 hours but no baby.

Here I am Monday morning and still no Bliss. At my check up I was barely 1 cent., softened but hardly thinned. My hopes is that the uncomfort of that day did something. My next appointment is Friday. I hope Bliss comes before then.

Bags are packed, just waiting.

Bags are packed, bassenet is made, room is set, BELLY IS HUGE>we are ready for you! Every morning Josh calls me on his break and asks if I'm in labor yet. At 37 weeks Josh wanted me to take castro oil to induce labor. If Bliss comes late, I'm blaming Josh because it would be God teaching him to be patient. Or at lease that's what I'll tell him.

Last weekend Bliss coming seemed so close! I was having contractions, lower back pain, had to pee ALL of the time, think I have lost my mucus plug, and had the most intense pelvic pressure. All these signs have seemed to dwindle to no signs. Which is pretty frustrating at 38 plus weeks. Most nights I still sleep so I guess I can't complain very much.

My Birth Plan!

Joanna's “if everything goes right” Birth Plan

LABOR

I’d would like my husband Joshua and my mother, Brenda to be in the birth room during labor and delivery. I would like to bring my own music and wear my own clothing during labor and delivery. I would like to eat and drink during labor if I wish to.


Once I'm admitted, I'd like Joshua to be allowed to stay with me at all times. I’d prefer to only have the midwife, nurse, and guests present in the birthing room. Please no medical students, or other hospital personnel. I would prefer not to have an IV; I’d like to drink to stay hydrated. I want to walk and move around during labor.

As long as the baby and I are doing fine, I'd like to have intermittent rather than continuous electronic fetal monitoring. I would like to be allowed to progress naturally, free of stringent time limits.

If they're available, I'd like to use a birthing ball, birthing stool, a squatting bar and definitely the tub.

DELIVERY


I would like to wait until I am ten centimeters before starting to push. When it's time to push, I'd like to be coached on when to push and for how long.

During pushing I’d like to be able to try whatever position feels right at the time. As long as my baby and I are doing fine, I'd like the pushing stage to be allowed to progress free of stringent time limits.


PAIN RELIEF

I'd like to try the following pain-management techniques, bath/shower,
hot/cold therapy, massage, please don't offer me an epidural, I'll request it if I need it.

VAGINAL BIRTH

I do not want to view the birth using a mirror. I would like to risk a tear rather than have an episiotomy. I do not want to use forceps or the vacuum. If one is needed I would like the opportunity to rest and try pushing again. If help is still needed I want a vacuum used not forceps? I would rather have an emergency C-section then use forceps.


After birth, I would like the baby placed directly on my stomach, though I would like any blood gentle wiped off of her along with her nose and mouth suctioned to make sure she is breathing. I want to wait until the umbilical cord stops pulsating before it's clamped and cut. My husband, Joshua, would like to cut the umbilical cord. I don’t want to get routine oxytocin (Pitocin) after I deliver the placenta unless necessary. I would like to breastfeed as soon as possible. After delivery, I would like a half an hour to an hour of alone time with myself, Joshua and the baby, putting off any procedures that aren't urgent. During this time I would like my mother to tell anyone in the waiting room how baby and I are doing.

C-SECTION

If a c-section is absolutely necessary I would like my husband present at all times during the operation, including during the epidural. I do not want the screen lowered a bit so I can see my baby coming out. I would like the baby given to my partner as soon as she's dried (as long as she's in good health). I would like to breastfeed my baby as soon as possible. I do not want my baby to be given a bottle.

POSTPARTUM

After delivery, I'd like all newborn procedures to take place in my presence. I want my partner to stay with the baby at all times if I can't be there. I would prefer to stay in a private room, though I understand that may not be possible. I plan to breastfeed exclusively. Please don't offer anything to my baby at any point unless I request something.

I only want immediate family at the hospital after Bliss is born. Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, and friends can come see her as soon as we bring her home.

Conversation piece...My Belly

So I have reached the point in pregnancy that it is very apparent that I am pregnant, and the whole world wants to talk about it. In one shopping day I was asked over 6 times when I was due and what I was having. These questions are usually welcomed, what pregnant women doesn't want to talk about her baby. But some strangers take it even farther. I haven't had strangers ask to touch my belly, thank God because being touched by strangers is just too weird for me. I was in line at Walmart and the lady in front of me wanted to talk about my pregnancy, which was fine, but then she started talking about how much raising a teenage girl sucks... Not exactly what I care to hear Lady! But that was nothing compared to the lady at Target. I was walking (quite fast) from the dressing room to meet my mom, I passed by a women pushing a shopping cart with her son. Just after we passed each other, she yelled out, "IT"S A BOY!" ....Really, rude lady, do you usually yell out unwanted and uninformed information at strangers. If you do, that's probably not a bright idea. I was so shocked by her that I said nothing, just continued walking with a "what the heck just happened face on". Now that is just taking it to far. So if you see a pregnant women don't yell out your guess as to what she might be having... she will just think you are a moron.

Karate

As of today (yesterday as of 4 minutes ago) I am 34 weeks pregnant!! That means 3-6 weeks left. I can't believe it's this close already. The whole pregnancy you are waiting and preparing but it seems like this far off thing and then, you wake up and realize it is no longer very far off. You think of everything you haven't done yet and... it can be overwhelming. Then, there is the preparing for LABOR. You tell yourself I can do this all natural, I have a high pain tolerance but the closer the day gets the more you think, I don't WANT to do this!! In other words I'm feeling a little anxiety right now, the preg books say that is normal.

In other news, Bliss had hiccups! If you don't remember, I was wanting to know what they felt like. The first time I noticed her hiccuping was on my birthday! Kinda fun. She only had them for like 30 sec, it was the perfect amount of time. Since then, she had them when I was getting ready for her Baby Shower and then again today. I'm kind of over them now... It was exciting at first but now I'd be okay if she didn't get them again.

Bliss is no longer dancing in my stomach, she is now practicing karate in my stomach. Hence me being up at 12:24 AM! (Plus, the indigestion doesn't make falling asleep easy either.) I laid down in bed around 9:30 tonight. Josh felt Bliss move for a little and then we both turned over to go to bed. He fell asleep and I did not, Bliss didn't either. Every side I would lay on I'd feel her pushing and kicking that side. Being the nice mother that I am, I'd think maybe she's uncomfortable so I would change sides. But that wouldn't help, she would just start pushing on the side that I was now laying on. So I tried laying on my back at an angle. That only made her movement cause shooting back pain. The last thing I tried was to lay like a stink bug(butt in the air) for a while and then back on my side. This failed to help. Once I was back on my side, she found my bladder. After a few good kicks I had to get up to pee and thought for get it, she isn't going to let me sleep just yet. When I got out of bed... IT WAS 11:30, remember i got in bed at 9:30. So she had been moving and keeping me up for two hours. We'll see if she'll let me sleep now.

Finding out the Hard way

Girls like go shopping together right. It's supposed to be fun. Trying on clothes while pregnant, not fun, and it should only be done with a personal cheerleader. On Friday I went on a "arin" day with my mom. We ended up at target where she wanted me pick out something for my birthday. Clothes shopping, this should be fun right? After grabbing every un-ugly pregnant thing in my size, mom sent me into the fitting room while she ran to go get something else...this was not a good idea. With everything I tried on something would look terrible; this shirt makes me look like a large square up top, this dress shows my increasingly large saddle bags off, this is too small because I'm a whale... and so on. Being alone, all these thoughts where in my head with no one to say anything different. I went in to the dressing room with about 20 items and left with 2. 1 out of 10 didn't look insanely terrible on me. We met up with Josh for lunch after this "great" shopping spree, and he could tell I was down. I told him that was the last time I'd go shopping without him there as my personal cheerleader, so I wouldn't feel so "ick" afterwards. He agreed!

It's hard when your body is constantly changing to except and learn how to dress it. If your pregnant or going through physical changes my advice, other then bringing a cheerleader along shopping, is to find what you feel good in and stick with it. If you feel like your thighs are large then wear long shorts or pants, If your butts growing bigger and bigger wear shirts that are longer to hide the butt. If you have one pair of pants that you LOve wear them everyday, why not! (just do wash them at some point).

A Good Word

About a week or more ago Josh brought out his guitar and we spent some time together worshiping and praying. (something every married couple should do) As I sat there listening to Josh's heart for God, I was thinking I want a passage in the Bible to pray over my little girl. So I decided to read my own life verse (It was refreshing to remind myself of the words God has spoken over me {you should definitely do it}) Josh has always related to the story of John the Baptist so I then turned to Luke. Luke 1: 41-45 jumped out at me. The name Bliss means extreme joy. Luke 1:44 says "For indeed as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ear, the babe leaped in my womb for JOY." When Mary (who was carrying the presence of God [Jesus in her womb]) came in, John was filled with joy. My little Bliss will be one who has joy in God's presence! amen.