Day Ten Overdue: Pizza in Bed

Today my priority was to rest and relax (since baby has been faking a break out for the last three nights leaving Brett and me with little to no sleep).

The greatest thing I accomplished today was eating pizza in bed without spilling ranch dressing on the duvet.

Congratulations to me. 

Day Nine Overdue: The Fake Out Continues...

I woke up at 3:00 am on Sunday with contractions every 8-10 minutes apart.

This time they stayed all day long.

By 5:30pm they were 6 minutes apart.

By 8:30pm they were 5 minutes apart.

At 1:00am they were 3-4 minutes apart, lasting 60-75 seconds and very strong.

At 3:00am this morning we went to our birth place to check things out. My midwife checked my vitals, checked the cervix, checked the baby's heart rate. Everything looked beautiful. Baby is low, 0 station. Cervix is 80% effaced. But I wasn't dilated far enough. My midwife was very positive and supportive and reminded me that everything my body has been doing the last few days hasn't been for nothing.

"Do you think you can go home and sleep? Getting some rest will be the best thing for you right now so you have the energy you need during active labor."

I said yes, but I wasn't sure I could.

I got home, showered, drank some chamomile tea, got into a few labor positions that help slow things down, showered (again), and prayed... a lot.  Finally the contractions spaced out enough that I could rest well between and during them.

So sleep and deep relaxation is on my to do list for today. I would like to add having a baby to that list but, as I am reminded daily, that's truly for her to decide.

Day Eight Overdue: Birthday Baby Fake Out

On the evening of July 8th, Brett and I went to hang out with a couple of our friends. We watched the new movie How Do You Know? and ate ice-cream crepes. Through the evening I had some good strong contractions that were about 20 minutes apart. For the most part I just tried to ignore them and not get too excited. We got home late and went straight to bed. By 3:00 am I couldn't sleep through them and I started timing them. They were between 8-10 minutes apart lasting about 45 seconds each. At about 5 am I lost my mucus plug (I wish there were a more delicate way to say it. The term 'mucus plug' is definitely one of the most disgusting terms in the English language). Anyway, I was really excited because that meant I was dilating. The contractions started getting more intense as the evening went on. When my contractions started getting closer together (6-8 minutes) I reached over and whispered to Brett excitedly, "I think we're going to have this baby today!" I couldn't think of anything I wanted more for my birthday than to have the baby.

The contractions kept on coming like clock work but I forced myself to stay in bed till 8:30am and not get my hopes up too much. I called my Mom to tell her what was going on but to keep things hush hush in case things didn't continue to progress. I got up, showered, went over to my sister-in-law's house so she could give me "labor hair" (gorgeous french braids gathered and pinned to my head in an elegant mess). My mother-in-law made us breakfast. My mom dropped by a birthday cake and Jamba Juice for Brett and me.

At around 10:30 am, twelve hours after they had started, the contractions stalled. I still felt little pangs through the day, but nothing regular that I even felt the need to time. I went for a walk, bounced around on my birthing ball, took my homeopathics. Nothing.

Brett jokes that we got "Jimmered by the baby." It's true, it was the ultimate fake out. By the evening I realized it was my birthday and I didn't have anything planned because I was planning to be in labor. We went over to my mom's house to decide what to do. My mom and Brett suggested all sorts of activities: a drive-in movie, chocolate fondue, going to the park, swimming, a barbecue, an outdoor concert. Each suggestion fell flat. Nothing sounded fun.

This is when I told Brett, while smiling, "Do you think I can just cry? I think I just need to cry."

He smiled and said, "I think that would be good. Do you want me to hold you?"

"Yes." I curled up with Brett on the couch and just like that the tears came.

"I woke up this morning thinking I was going to have a baby. How can I plan any activity for my birthday that can remotely compare to that?"

He agreed. So I cried for a good five minutes.

Finally, my Mom said, "It's true, nothing will compare. But lets just go and do something."

So we went and got frozen yogurt at Top It.

Just as we were scraping the bottom of our cups from Top It, my brother called and invited us to go get a dole whip (whipped pineapple frozen yogurt) from Farr's. We figured we may as well go for round two.

I ended up having a really enjoyable evening visiting with my family. After our double course of dessert we decided it would be a good idea to eat dinner. We ate at Outback Steakhouse and told stories and laughed. And at the end of the night they brought me a birthday dessert.

Three rounds of dessert can't make up for not having a baby. But it certainly didn't hurt.

Day Seven: Natural Labor Stimulation Massage

Today I went to Salt Lake Prenatal Massage for a natural labor stimulation massage (thanks Brett for the early birthday gift!) It was incredible and absolutely worth it. I was lucky to have the owner, Rebecca Overson, as my massage therapist. Rebecca spent a lot of time working pressure points and relieving the tension in my body. She used an amazing blend of aromatherapy oils that she created herself.


I loved being able to relax and focus on my body and baby during the massage. Oh and being able to lay on my stomach was pure bliss!

Rebecca was a joy to visit with because we have very similar views on pregnancy and childbirth. Besides being a LMT she is also a trained birth doula. She knew exactly how to make a pregnant girl feel supported, empowered, and beautiful.

Rebecca went two weeks overdue with her first baby, so she could definitely empathize with me and also encourage me. Like me, Rebecca didn't want to be induced and wanted to let the baby come on his own. It was so refreshing that when I walked in the door and she asked how far along I was that she didn't say "Oh you poor thing!" Instead she said, "That's normal!"

After the massage my Mom took me out to lunch at The Other Place (yes that is actually the name of the restaurant). They serve amazing Greek food and they have a wicked breakfast menu to boot. We split the special Greek salad and their famous rice pudding. The rice pudding is literally what I would consider heaven in a cup.

It was fun to visit with my Mom and chat about the fact that 24 years ago today, she went into labor with me. It's crazy how being pregnant with my own daughter makes me feel connected to my mother in a completely new way.

Day Six: Homeopathics and Herbs

Today was my 41 week appointment. Becky, my midwife, checked my cervix, did a stress test on the baby, and an ultrasound to check the amniotic fluid volume. We found out that her head is about as engaged as it can get (I give the credit to my dance moves). She was incredibly low, so low in fact my midwife was surprised I hadn't gone into labor yet. I spent a good amount of time kicked back in a lazy boy sipping apple juice and listening to my daughter's heartbeat dance from 118 to 150 when she moved or when I had a contraction. Baby passed the stress test with flying colors. The ultrasound showed that baby has plenty of fluid in there, so my placenta is still doing its job and there is no rush to induce.


During the cervical exam Becky found that part of the reason I'm not in labor yet is because my cervix is posterior at the moment. No need to stress out about it, but she did give me a few exercises that should help swing it forward so our baby's head can help dilate the cervix.

Becky also gave me a five day homeopathic regimen to follow to help encourage baby along. We went to Dave's Health and Nutrition to pick up the herbs and homeopathic medicines. Brett and I loved being greeted at the door with the scent of essential oils and herbs.  I love places like this. Becky has a  plan that she swears by, so hopefully it works for us. Each day I'll take different homeopathic pellets varying from caulophyllum to cimicifuga to pulsatilla. I'm also taking evening primrose oil daily. Becky is an incredible CNM. I interviewed a lot of midwifes who were either too new age or too intervention happy. Becky is the perfect balance. She isn't anti-medicine, but she doesn't turn to medicine/interventions as her first/only option.

My next appointment is on Tuesday. Becky said that if I haven't delivered by then we'll start talking about an "eviction plan" (love her word choice!) if I get to 42 weeks without any action.

In Becky's words "We hope she'll move out on her own, but if not we'll make her."

Day Five: Postive Birth Affirmations, Birth Stories, and Favorite Songs

I decided to use today to prepare a bit more for the birth. I woke up early and went for another nice long walk through my new neighborhood. I spent some time in the silence of the morning going through all the positive thoughts about how I want the birth to go. I also spent a bit of time thinking through the less desirable birth scenarios that may arise and took some time to think through those scenarios and face those fears and uncertainties instead of ignoring them. I had a little mental conversation with the baby and I told her all my desires for her. I told her about my hopes for the birth, for her health, for her future.

When I got home I browsed a few websites with wonderful positive birth stories and read about a dozen or so. The stories are beautiful and empowering, leaving me feeling positive and excited for the birth.

Then I went through my "birth mixes" (my iTunes playlists dedicated to the birth) and added a few songs. I have three different birth playlists: Baby Day Calming Music, Baby Day Relaxing Music, and Baby Day Upbeat Music. (Yes, calming and relaxing are two different mixes).

I've had a lot of fun over the last few months creating my playlists for the big day. I loved showing it off to my birth instructor when she came over for our labor rehearsal a few weeks ago. Between the three different playlists I selected around 100 songs.

Here are a few of my favorites:

A la Claire Fontaine - Les Petits Minous
Lo How a Rose E're Blooming - Jon Schmidt
Lullaby - Dixie Chicks
Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) - Dixie Chicks
Northern Sky - Nick Drake
Blue in Green - Miles Davis
Peace - Felicia Wolfe
Dream - Priscilla Ahn

This morning I added one last song to all three mixes because it is just that lovely. I first found this YouTube video last summer. This woman's name is Temple. This video is of her singing just before the home birth of her 10 lb son Koa. She sang through her contractions to comfort her during labor.  I stumbled onto it again today and I'm so glad that I did. It is beautiful.

Click Here to Download Temple's Song from iTunes

Day Four Overdue: Walking, Grilling, Relaxing, and Lightning

This morning I woke up at 6:40 and went for a 45 minute walk around the neighborhood.

After Brett got home from teaching we went to the ZOO and enjoyed looking at all the exhibits. Did you know an elephant weighs around 250 lbs at birth? Boy am I relieved my baby won't that big, no matter how late she is.

This evening Brett and I grilled steaks and I relaxed in a hot tub at pool temperature (87 degrees) for about an hour.

My best friend Chelsey called me this evening ask if I was in labor yet (I've been getting a lot of those calls lately). She had reason to suspect, however. There is quite the summer storm tonight and apparently lightning storms are known to induce labor (her sister-in-law is in labor at this moment). Maybe Mother Nature is planning to help me out. If not, I'll be posting again tomorrow.

In other news, who do you think this baby is going to look like? 

HIM

HER

  

Day Three Overdue: Birthday Party

Last night around midnight we decided to bake the baby a birthday cake and invite her to her birthday party. Sadly she was a no show. Oh well, the cake was delicious.

The acupressure from yesterday really did help get things going a bit, I had some good strong contractions but they fizzled through the night. At least I know I'm making some progress!

Brett and I have also been taking long evening walks. To help move things along I walk/ gallop with one foot on the road and one foot on the curb like the lady below... Yeah, I know. It's the hottest thing ever.

Day Two Overdue: Acupressure Points

My friend who is due today suggested that I try stimulating some acupressure points. It's worth a shot! So Brett and I will be trying that tonight. My feet are so swollen, I hope we can still find the right spots.

Keep the suggestions coming! 



I'm really excited to have this baby, but I'm not miserable or feeling discouraged yet. My midwife gave me great advice back when I was 36 weeks pregnant. She said to take out my calendar and schedule something each day from then to two weeks past my due date. That way if I wake up in the morning and I'm not in labor I can say to myself, "Well, I may not be having a baby today but... I get to go swimming" or "Brett and I are going to have a picnic." It's been fun to schedule something fun for each day and these next two weeks I've scheduled the best for last. The calendar idea is one of the best bits of pregnancy advice I've received. It's really helped me stay positive.

Today, my calendar event was to go swimming. 

Day One Overdue: Dancing This Baby Out

So as of today I am "overdue". This isn't shocking to me considering that the average first-time mom delivers eight days past her due date. Because of this, I've purposely been counting down to two weeks beyond my due date. Still, that doesn't mean that when July 1st came and went without a baby I wasn't a little bummed. 

A lot of family members and friends have been suggesting tricks to help encourage baby along. So for fun, I'm going to post daily videos / photos of me doing things each day that she is "late". 

Today, I'm dancing this baby out. Tomorrow? Who knows! 

Post in the comments section with suggestions for how to coax this little girl along and I just may do it tomorrow.

Splitscreen: A Love Story

I saw this on the Yahoo! homepage this morning and had to share. The entire film was done using a Nokia N8 cell phone camera.  

Pregnancy Update Week 39

The Bump:

Maternity Clothes:

My favorite maternity outfits at the moment are my flowy spring dresses, my leggings with a large oversized shirt, and my bathing suit.

Best Moment This Week:

My cousin Brooke got married to her amazing love Parker. Their wedding was gorgeous. Everything about it was perfect. Brooke made a gorgeous bride and the love that she and Parker share is a love to admire. I was so happy that the baby hadn't arrived yet so that I could celebrate this wonderful day with them. 

Movement:

I thought that since our baby girl is super cramped and completely out of space that the movement would slow down a bit, but that's not the case. She still moves around all day. It's crazy to see from the outside each stretch and roll.

Food Cravings:

Lots of water

Smoothies

Popcicles

Orange Juice

Frozen Yogurt

Watermelon

What I Miss:

I'm actually starting to miss being pregnant (is that super weird?) I'm trying to savor every bump and tap and I love checking out my nearly 40 week pregnant belly in the mirror.

I'll tell you what though, sleeping on my belly post-pregnancy is going to be complete heaven.

Sleep:

I have been sleeping very well lately. I still have some issues with heartburn but I've been dealing with it so long it doesn't bug me too much anymore.

What I Am Looking Forward To:

I'm looking forward to holding my baby girl!

The other night I was talking to my brother about what it feels like waiting for labor. I used a track analogy because, well I'm me. I feel like I'm sitting in the starting blocks waiting for a race to start that has no official start time. It could start in two minutes or it could start in two weeks. 

For anyone out there who has ever done track, those moments leading up to the start of the race are the most intense. The second the official says "Runners to your marks" your heart starts fluttering. My nose would sometimes go numb. However, that moment usually only lasts seconds before the official says "Set!" and you're off. So you can imagine the tension of waiting in the blocks for weeks not knowing when the official is going to say "Set!" and finally shoot that gun.

Symptoms:

Over the last couple weeks I've had swelling in my legs, feet, and hands. The swelling in my hands has caused me to have pregnancy induced carpel tunnel syndrome. When I wake up first thing in the morning I feel like an old arthritic woman. Oh well, at least it will go away once this baby comes.

I'm so excited to meet my little girl finally!

Dear Baby Girl,

Dear Baby Girl,

I've been told that I'll get to a point where I'm completely done being pregnant and that is when you will finally come. I haven't hit that point yet, so I'm pretty sure I've still got little a while before I'll meet you.

You are due in less than a week but I'm not "miserable" by any means. Sure I have some swelling in my legs, feet, and hands. Sure, my back aches sometimes and I'm excited to lose my double chin. But overall, I'm not done being pregnant.

I'm so eager to meet you but at the same time I'm going to miss having you so safe inside me. I'm going to miss those little (and big) taps reminding me through the day that I'm not alone. I'm going to miss knowing exactly where you are at every moment and knowing that you are safe, warm, and cozy.

So come when you are ready little one. Your Daddy and I can't wait to meet you, but you aren't being a burden. If you want to stay in your current cozy home for a few more weeks that's fine. Just promise you'll grace the world with your presence eventually. It will be so much more lovely with you in it.

Love,

Mom

Busy Day at 36 Weeks Pregnant

On Friday, my 36 week mark, I awoke with an unlimited amount of energy and a desire to conquer something. I rolled over and told Brett, "I want to go on a hike today". After a discussion about what hike I can do in my pregnant state, (I was set on hiking The Living Room) we finally agreed to hike Ensign Peak. It's a fairly casual/easy hike (though steep) that is around a mile long total.

The hike was beautiful. We enjoyed taking in the scenery and visiting together. As we made our way through a tunnel of trees we were greeted by a standard poodle who ran ahead of her owners to say hello. I bent down and held onto her collar while we waited for her owners to catch up. As they came around the bend in the trail we made small talk. After the owner had safely leashed the dog I stood upright. The man looked at my stomach and stepped back with his mouth gaping open.

"Wow, you're very..." he searched for the words.

"Pregnant?" I replied, "Yeah".

We continued up the peak without meeting many hikers and pausing often to soak in the scenery and to rest. The weather was perfect. Neither of us broke a sweat. Up at the top the view was amazing. We made it up in about 20 minutes and spent about 5-10 minutes visiting and enjoying the cool breeze.

It was fun to observe the reactions of the other hikers we met along the trail as we continued back down the mountain.

One woman said, "Are you trying to have this baby today?"

A man in a flannel shirt said, "Wow, I'm really impressed with you right now."

One man was furiously huffing and puffing his way up the hill, his eyes focused intently on his feet. Just as we were about to pass him he looked up and groaned, "Oh now I feel completely embarrassed."

After the hike, Brett suggested that we go out to lunch. He picked his favorite Chinese food place, The Dragon Diner on 39th South. Our lunch was perfect. The egg drop soup was the best I've had in years and the Mongolian beef I ordered melted in my mouth. Brett enjoyed his usual favorite item, the sesame chicken.

When we got home I mentioned that I still had a ton of energy. Brett got our mountain bikes together and attached them to our bike rack. We drove a few miles away to Parley's nature park and went on a really fun biking trail. I spent a lot of time in the lowest gear slowly powering up the hills, but I did it! It was an incredible feeling to be able to make it up these steep hills that I didn't think I'd be able to. Brett went off the trail a few times and got to enjoy some mountain biking that would be too risky and challenging for me in my pregnant state. It was fun to watch him having so much fun and to still be a part of it.

We got home and just as we were about to relax we were invited by Mike and Katie to come over to their new place for a swim. We thought it would be a fun way to cool down and relax after our busy day. It was so fun to feel weightless in the pool and to play with my adorable niece Alena.

After an eventful day you can definitely say that I conquered many things! 

What a fun way to celebrate my 36 week mark!