Third Pregnancy Update - 38 Weeks

38 weeks?! Whaaaaaaaat?! This is the longest I have ever carried a baby (so far), which puts me in uncharted pregnancy territory! The last week has been a bit of a whirlwind, so I have plenty to share in this update.

Last Wednesday was my cerclage removal appointment, and everything went well. I was pretty nervous, especially when I entered the exam room and saw all of the tools lined up on the rolling cart. There was no pain, just lots of pressure, and it was over pretty quickly. I practiced my relaxation techniques and tried to let go of any tension. The worst part about the appointment is that Ella pushed her feet into my ribs the entire time - no doubt protesting the unwelcome disturbance to her snoozing. She pushed so hard that I had to put counter-pressure on my ribs with my hand so she wouldn't fracture something! Thankfully it didn't take too long to get the stitches out, and Ella stopped complaining after I sat back up. The specialist said that I was 1 centimeter dilated, and we had already learned the previous week at another appointment that I was 50% effaced. So we said our goodbyes to the specialist (who we won't have anymore appointments with for this pregnancy), and the waiting game began.

We thought for sure that things would start to happen later that night, or the next day at the latest, but things ended up being abnormally quiet. I could finally squat and do other light exercises that had been off-limits while the cerclage was in, and I couldn't believe how great I felt so soon after having the stitches out. Just sitting in a deep squat a few times a day significantly helped the pelvic discomfort, and I felt more energetic than I had since before I was pregnant! On Thursday afternoon, I started having some contractions. They were pretty irregular at first, and I only felt them on the front of my abdomen. Previous contractions had been very low, and usually wrapped around to my sides (though not all the way to my back). As we moved into the evening, the contractions started coming more frequently. They were 6-10 minutes apart each time, occasionally further apart, and they each lasted at least a minute and a half to two (or more) minutes. There was no pain, just tightness that made it difficult to get around. Because there were no other symptoms, I chose to wait it out instead of calling the midwife. I had already called her twice before the cerclage was out, so I knew what she would tell me to look for. I went to bed that night still having contractions, but it was more like one or two an hour and they continued throughout the night. Around 10am Friday morning, I started having 5 or 6 contractions an hour - though they were still irregular as far as timing - that would last 2 minutes on average. I saw my chiropractor that afternoon, and nothing had changed. I had still been experiencing the same amount of contractions every hour, all day long. Friday evening rolled around, and G and I perceived that they had grown slightly more intense - though still nothing that would make me think I was in active labor. At this point, though, I had been having at least one contraction an hour for over 24 hours straight! So Mom and Dad made their way over, and I called the midwife to see what she recommended. After hearing about my previous pregnancies (it was a midwife I hadn't yet spoken to, so she asked a lot of questions), we were told that I could either come in and get checked or stay home and wait until more obvious signs of active labor. We decided to go in and get checked, just so we would know where things stood.

G and I made our way to the hospital, and recognized that it was almost the EXACT same time of night as when we went to the hospital to get checked with Addie. Both times, we were assuming everything was fine and that we would be sent home. Would this time be the same? I hadn't had regular or even painful contractions with Adelyn at all, yet I was fully dilated when I got to the hospital and she was born just a few hours later. We both knew it was in God's hands, so we weren't worried. We arrived at the hospital, parked, and made our way to triage. While we were waiting, two other pregnant women came in behind us. The first lady's water had just broken, but she hadn't had any contractions yet. The second lady was obviously in pain, and I'm assuming she was in full-on labor. I continued to have contractions while we were waiting, and after the more urgent situations were taken care of, we were taken back to triage. Much to our surprise, we learned that I was 3 centimeters dilated and at least 70% effaced. Because of my history, they decided to admit me to see if labor would progress, though the nurse seemed to think that I might leave with a baby! Just after midnight, I stopped feeling contractions, though some small ones were were still showing up on the monitor. Part of me wanted to tell them to send me home, since the monitoring system was uncomfortable on my stomach and I felt restless, but I decided to just wait and see what the midwife would say in the morning. I'd told Mom she could come if she wanted to, so she did, and we walked the halls together to see if I could get the contractions going again. Since I wasn't in need of any coaching yet, I had encouraged G to lay down and try to rest as much as possible. Even though it was the middle of the night, I was wide awake and ready to go. I told Mom that I really wanted to blast some upbeat music and start dancing [read: "flailing"] in the halls (maybe to Thriller or Cotton Eye Joe?), but I think the other moms who were laboring or sleeping at the time would probably not appreciate it. At all. Haha. After a long night of walking, waiting, and resting when I got tired, the midwife came to our room and checked me again. There had been no change overnight, so we decided to head home and continue to wait there. I was starving at that point, and had already devoured most of the snacks and drinks we had brought with us. Plus, I was exhausted at that point and sore from being up and moving around for so much of the night.

We left the hospital and I boohooed a little on the way back because I was so tired emotionally and physically. Plus, I am so ready to hold sweet Ella in my arms, and I was a little disappointed that things didn't progress at all. However, as my grandmother wisely said, each day she continues to stay put is better for her health and development, and I really don't want to rush God's perfect timing. If He's still keeping her in there, it's for a good reason! Time with just Tessa is quickly coming to a close, so I am trying to soak up every moment while I can. We picked up food on our way home, then pretty much everyone napped for several hours. The rest of the day was quiet, and I only had a few contractions. Mom and Dad took Tessa back to their house for the night so that we wouldn't have to wait on them if labor started back up suddenly, and we went to bed at 10:00pm. I crashed, and probably only woke up once all night long (a rare occurrence now)!

After doing a little bit of reading, I think I just went through something called "prodromal labor." Mother Rising had a helpful article about it, and it described exactly what I experienced. I really don't have anything but my previous experience with emergency labors to gauge where I am or help me make decisions, and I do feel like what is "normal" for most people is not necessarily what is "normal" for me (though doesn't everyone think that about themselves?). Hopefully the article is right, and that active labor will get started for me very soon.

How I'm Feeling
Today, I feel very refreshed - though SORE! My stomach muscles ache from having contractions for so long, and my legs hurt from all the exercise I've gotten over the last few days. Aside from that, I feel amazing! Being fresh off a night of great sleep has restored my spirits and ability to wait as long as I need to for Ella to make her grand appearance.

We also learned at the hospital that Ella is at zero station, which means she's engaged, so maybe it won't be long! For now, we continue to wait. Also, I forgot to get a belly picture!