Will it be this week?

Dr appt yesterday revealed some potentially concerning news...

• Bloood pressure was up - I usually have really low blood pressure. My number wasn't really high for normal range, but high for me.
• Protein in urine
  
• Gained over 2 lbs in a week

So... these could be signs of preeclampsia, combined with my problems with swelling overnight. I have to go back Thu morning to see if the symptoms have gone away or gotten worse. And we will "discuss my options" - basically, this means decide if we should induce.

In other news -

• Still barely more than 1cm dilated
• 80% effaced - progress!
• Dropped about 1cm more
• Baby is estimated at about 8lbs!!!

Ryan thinks we should give her the middle name of Hippo.

We are really hoping I go into labor on my own today or tomorrow. Please come out, Baby Beluga! Mommy's kidneys are begging you!

Who can sleep?

It is 2:53am. I took one of the pills the dr gave me last week, and I still can't sleep. Sigh.

Updates... (warning: don't read on if you don't want to know disgusting physical details)

• I gave gained about 32lbs now. That's enough, thaks.
• The baby dropped a full station from Thu-Mon to -2. I think she has dropped more since then. I feel like she is going to come out my urethra - ouch, painful bladder!
• I lost my mucus plug yesterday (at least part of it).

Every day I wake up and wonder, "Is today the day?" It has gotten to the point where I look at my work calendar and think, "I don't want to go to that 2pm meeting; I hope I go into labor before then."

I want to have the baby now. Or at least I want to be able to get some sleep! Come on out, Tuna Unit!

Something is cooking...

I started my weekly checkups on Friday, and was excited to have an internal exam (who ever thought I would say those words...) to see if anything was progressing. I fully expected her to say, that nothing was happening yet. Turns out I am 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. Of course, many women go three more weeks with nothing more happening... and others can go into active labor anytime.

In any case, it was definitely exciting and a shock to hear something real like that. It is very different than knowing eventually it would happen, and reading about dilation and effacement in pregnancy books. Ryan was also shocked, and it made me laugh.

I am really like a giant hippo or whale. My hands and feet have been hurting in the morning, and it is getting worse. The dr says I have late pregnancy carpal tunnel in both my wrists, which is what is causing my fingers and joints to hurt so badly. She assures me this will go away after I deliver - it better!

I have all of my maternity plans in place at work, so that makes me feel much more at ease. Also, we have pretty much everything in place for the baby.

These weekends have really been different for me - I am not teaching a class, and I am not taking a class, and I have most of my IBM work under control... so I go into the weekends with just a few chores to take care of, but mostly just enjoy the weekend and relax. I guess that is how weekends typically are for most people. For me, this is a totally foreign experience! I am trying to really enjoy it, because I know this "free" time will be gone when the baby arrives. We have been spending a lot of time at our pool, Falls River Swim Club. Being weightless in the water feels so nice, but I do feel three times as heavy when I get out.