There is a Watermelon in my Ute!

Your Baby: Month 9

At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.

Total weight gain/loss: I am up 30 pounds. I guess I've reached my limit.

How big is baby?: Baby is the size of a watermelon. He is about 6-7 pounds now, I think.

Maternity clothes? Yep, all maternity! I can wear some non maternity sweat pants. I am now wearing DH's t-shirts, he doesn't like that I am stealing his clothes now.

Stretch marks? Yes, I thought I could hold them off, but my skin had other plans. They started out on my hips then I saw some under my belly and now there is no turning back. Ugh.

Sleep: Ugh, only ok. I wake up alot and don't sleep very hard when I do get some sleep.

Best moment this week: Making it to full term!

Movement: Yes!! He enjoys kicking my ribs and sticking his rearend out.

Food cravings: Not much these days. Sometime I just want something sweet and other times I want salty, but nothing special.

Gender: Handsome Baby Boy!

Labor Signs: Yes! Contractions all of the time, but nothing painful. I think the rule is, if they don't hurt they don't count. He has dropped now, so I am feeling more pressure on my cervix and get really sharp, stop you in your tracks, kind of pain on my cervix, too. Still all of this.

Belly Button in or out?: It's official, I have an outie now. You can even see it through my shirt. It becomes and inny again when I have a contraction.

Milestones: Full Term! We also set an induction date (more below)

New Pregnancy Symptom: Contractions

What I am looking forward to: Getting to meet my baby!

Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy the time while you have it.

Story of the week: I had an appointment on Tuesday and my blood pressure was elevated (nothing new). So after taking my BP twice the doctor decided it was in mine and the baby's best interest to set an induction date which is now Aug. 12! I will be 39 weeks 1 day. So we have just less than 2 more weeks! I can go into labor before then which I am thinking I might but just in case we have a scheduled induction. It is getting so close!
37 Weeks:

36 Weeks 3 Days

Total weight gain/loss: I am up 28 pounds, I never thought I would get to this high of a weight.

How big is baby?: Baby is the size of a small watermelon. He is about 6 pounds now, I think.

Maternity clothes? Yep, all maternity! I can wear some non maternity sweat pants. I am now wearing DH's t-shirts, he doesn't like that I am stealing his clothes now.

Stretch marks? Yes, I thought I could hold them off, but my skin had other plans. They started out on my hips then I saw some under my belly and now there is no turning back. Ugh.

Sleep: Last week was so busy that I was dead to the world during the night except for my bathroom breaks, but last night I woke up at 3:30 and couldn't get back to sleep so I got up and watched tv for an hour then slept until 8:45. I fight indigestion but I am living on Tums.

Best moment this week: Finishing his room (I'll post pictures soon)!

Movement: Yes!! I can feel him all of the time and he is getting so strong.

Food cravings: Juice, water, milk, cereal, chicken tenders and pizza! A new item is Mexican food and bread sticks.

Gender: Handsome Baby Boy!

Labor Signs: Yes! Contractions all of the time, but nothing painful. I think the rule is, if they don't hurt they don't count. He has dropped now, so I am feeling more pressure on my cervix and get really sharp, stop you in your tracks, kind of pain on my cervix, too.

Belly Button in or out?: It's official, I have an outie now. You can even see it through my shirt. It becomes and inny again when I have a contraction.

Milestones: Getting the room finished! And starting to have labor signs now.

New Pregnancy Symptom: Contractions

What I am looking forward to: Getting to meet my baby!

Weekly Wisdom: It is ok to change doctors if you need to.

Story of the Week: I have seen 3 different doctors or midwives since I've gotten pregnant. My MW told me I was had "Chronic High Blood pressure" and had me do 3 24 hour urine tests, plus gave me a really hard time about going out of town to see my family and for my baby shower at 28 weeks. After I got home from my shower he ordered me to start twice a week NSTs. I saw an OB at 34 weeks because my MW was unable to take me because they were booked, so I saw him and he said that I didn't have chronic high blood pressure but thought I might have a thyroid issue. So, great, I thought, something else to worry about. During my NSTs I have to have an ultra sound to check for fluid levels and only an OB or MW can do those. So an OB (who I've never met before) does my fluid check and says everything looks great but tells me that I am mildly Pre-Eclamptic and I need to be on partial bedrest and should probably have an protein check done once a week. WHAT? I was not pleased with that, but knew I should do what is good for the baby. He also told me to not clean my house because I need to be resting.

So, I go to my 36 week appointment to another Dr. who I've never met before. I chose to see him mostly because at this point I felt that I needed to see an OB especially since I am "mildly pre-e" and could have a thyroid issue. I walk into the exam room and he is sitting in there reading my chart introduces himself then looks at me and says, "You don't have high blood pressure, and your proteins are fine." Which means that I don't have or am anywhere close to having Pre-E. He then explains to me why he is saying this. I didn't think my blood pressure was high either since I get 3 BPs taken at each NST and they are all in normal range. He says my proteins are fine especially for the amount of urine I produced in my 24 hours.

So, after all of that, I am sticking with him. I think he knows what he is doing and I feel very comfortable with him. To be honest my MW was starting to creep me out a bit and the other doctor was good, but he was a bit rough around the edges for me. Its too bad it took me this long to find a good doctor that I like, but at least he will be the one I have my next (possibly 4) appointments with.

Now here is my 36 week picture :-)

No, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth

I'm still here, but I have been super busy lately with DH coming home, then taking the last final of my college career (Yay!), and Vacation Bible School at church.

For a quick update I've been feeling great, but I have had some contractions nothing painful, just annoying. I have also been put on partial bed rest, meaning I have to rest for at least 3-4 hours a day laying down and no more house cleaning (good luck getting me to do that, doc.) He also unofficially diagnosed me with mild Pre-E.

With all of that going on I will be shocked if I make it to 40 weeks. If I was a betting woman I would say he will be here by Aug. 4th, but I also thought my little man was a girl, too. I'm not so good with the mother's intuition yet.

Since I will be on bed rest until he gets here I promise I will do better at updating my blog.