One more week down! I'm feeling okay...I've gained about 20 pounds or so, am now up to three insulin shots daily, and am so happy to be nearing the end of these progesterone shots. Last week, the nurse administering the shot had some trouble depressing the plunger on the syringe and man, oh man, that hurt! I ended up standing there with a needle in my hip for about five minutes while she tried to jam the plunger down. Not fun.
Unfortunately, things are not looking quite so good on the labor front. I am another centimeter dilated from last week and over 50% effaced, which is totally new. I go in tomorrow for another non stress test and to repeat the fetal fibronectin test, and he said he feels pretty sure it will be positive this time. He pretty much said he'd be happy to see me go two more weeks, and that if I can hang on that long, we'll be in relatively good shape. If the test tomorrow is positive, he's going to go ahead and do the betamethasone shots to help develop her lungs.
The frustrating thing is, I am not feeling any contractions. I get tired, yes, and every one in a while I feel very mild braxton hicks type tightening, but nothing I can identify as a contraction, and yet every week my cervix is more effaced and dilated.
My OB said it's nothing to feel bad about...that this is just another sign that things are heading in the same direction as the last three babies, except maybe a bit earlier. It makes sense, to a point...Jace and Eli were both born at 35 weeks, and Seth came a week earlier, and he says it looks like this baby may make an appearance earlier than him. The positive thing is that this baby is a girl, and for whatever reason girls generally do better than boys when born prematurely, and she's not as big as the boys were, which means she won't have as much weight to deal with...for whatever reason, the smaller babies tend to be able to breathe a little better, too, when there is less weight for their already compromised lungs to deal with.
It is what it is...I'm trying to be upbeat about it, although it's hard with the holidays and everyone going out of town. My mom is going to watch the kids when it's time, and my friend Mara is planning to be in the delivery room with me, but she and her family will be out of town all of next week as well as the following weekend, so it's a little nerve wracking. John cannot be at the hospital or watch the kids...work stuff, or something. Who knows. So we're hoping the timing works out. Then, if she does come this early, I am of course wondering if she will be home for Christmas or stuck in the hospital. It's a lot to think about.
On another note, though, the kids are getting super excited about their sister getting here. All except Seth, who has no clue what's going on but is going to be super ticked when he figures it out. He is the clingiest, most attached baby I have every had, and I don't mind it at all (and love it in a lot of ways), but it is going to be very challenging when this baby gets here.
Can I just say that I am completely sucked into Days of Our Lives right now? I rushed home from home school today to watch it because I am loving that Sami finally knows that Sidney is her baby. I have not been this excited about this show in years.
And yes, there is an AB post coming, for the people who have written to ask! I'm getting there. =)
