Bedrest and induction

After modified bedrest the past few days, and some serious contractions yesterday, here is where we have landed during this morning's dr visit:

• Blood pressure is up - they did it twice, made me lay on my side for 10 min, and then took it again laying down. It was 140/99. Ug.
• No more protein in urine.
• Swelling has gone down, lost a bit more than 1lb.
• Baby has dropped even more and is about at 0 station now; hence the pain I have been feeling.

Because of the blood pressure issue, they diagnosed me with a hypertensive pregnancy and scheduled an induction for Monday. I am on bedrest until then. My symptoms weren't bad enough to make it an emergency induction, so they didn't try to squeeze me in for today. They don't start inductions over the weekend (i.e., drs want to enjoy their weekends), so Monday it is.

We are hoping now that baby knows her plan to stay inside me forever is not going to work, maybe she will give in and come out on her own over the weekend. On daddy's birthday maybe? Ryan is sure she wants to steal his birthday of June 23. :-)

Wish us luck; she is definitely coming soon!

SO ready...

I feel like I have been handling this really well so far, but at this point every day is getting harder. I can't believe how uncomfortable and sore I am. My hips are just in pain, and I think I pulled something last night rolling over in bed. My hands and feet are so cramped and swollen.

I floated in the pool again yesterday, and that feels really nice. I have Braxton Hicks contractions several times an hour all day and all night. They don't hurt exactly, but it is a very uncomfortable feeling. My whole stomach gets rockhard and tight and it feels like a big muscle cramp. Baby hates it, and then she beats me even more than usual.

She has hiccups all the time, which I read means she is practicing swallowing and breathing, so that is a good thing. She moves ALL the time, and my whole stomach is rippling and shaking like there is an alien trying to get out. I like to call her killer now, because she is a rough one!

Now that the end is close, and as ready as I am to have her any time (please, baby, come on out now...), I still think I am going to miss having her inside me. It is just this constant presence that I am used to - the kicks and movements. I think it will be strange to just be myself again. While I won't miss the nausea and heartburn, I think I will miss having this little person inside me.

Our neighbors, Susan and Eli, moved yesterday, so that has us bummed out. It was so nice having friends you trusted living next door. I am happy they found a place they like closer to Eli's work, but I will still certainly miss having them here. Especially over the next few months! Ryan and I look at houses online every day - we are ready to take the profit from this house and get a place with more land. We know it is smarter to wait another year, but we knew when we moved here that we weren't "Wakefield" people. Our house is a gorgeous house, and we definitely made a smart choice investing in this new construction. But, I think we are ready to get a place that meets all of our criteria.

I think I will go take a cool bath...

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.

Undulating waves

Some pregnancy developments...
* My belly moves like there is an alien inside - I guess there is, actually.
* My ribcage is cracking open like I am a crab at a seafood buffet.
* Strange muscles hurt in my back, abdomen, and legs.
* My feet become red, swollen little piggie feet after wearing shoes for more than an hour. I am wearing only flip flops.

I spent this past week in Boston for work, and the long days (8a-9:30p) were really tough to take. I am down to a Zofran about every other day now, but I do still need them, unfortunately. I am just so glad to have these pills because I don't know how I would have made it this long being so sick, knowing now that apparently my "first trimester morning sickness" didn't go away.

Ryan and I put together all of the nursery furniture last weekend (without fighting!), and I am starting to add the cute touches - the closet looks so adorable with the tiny clothes and tiny hangers!

I am posting some new belly pics in the belly pic post, so check out my big belly. I can't imagaine how I am going to keep growing for nearly 4 more months of this! I have gained about 12 lbs now.