@hvnewton Oh wow, congratulations! This makes you the first indeed, I think. How are you feeling? [name_f]Hope[/name_f] baby girl is doing fine and you’re recovering smoothly.
Wow, congratulations and welcome baby girl!! 
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] all is well with the both of you! Funnily enough the early escape seems in line with her picture from earlier on, the one where she was trying to climb with her umbilical cord 
We’re doing pretty good over here! [name_f]My[/name_f] lab results have been a little wonky but doctor ultimately isn’t concerned and said it’s probably from the steroids they had to give for baby’s lungs. Incision looks good, movement is looking good; now it’s just navigating the swelling & pain, neither of which are that horrible surprisingly.
As for baby [name_f]Josephine[/name_f]— she’s already made great leaps in the NICU. Only concern seems to be her lungs not being fully matured; but we’ve already graduated from the cpap machine to a cannula, and she’s got great responses during her care hours/rounds… which means we get to introduce actual feeding simulations starting (hopefully) tonight or tomorrow.
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Oh wow @hvnewton! Congratulations and sending good wishes. So glad things are looking good, I hope they continue to go well!
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I am full term today! 
Everything says “baby could come any time” but I’m pretty sure I’ve got a while yet! It’s just that if baby does come they’re no longer considered premature.
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33+6 over here and wow, I’ve started becoming progressively uncomfortable. Lots of [name_m]Braxton[/name_m] Hicks, pelvic pain, and fatigue. I know it doesn’t necessarily mean anything for when baby will come but I wonder if he’s going to try for an earlier birthday than his due date? Official leave for me starts [name_f]December[/name_f] 7th, but due to my increased symptoms I’ve asked work if I can slow down by cutting my hours somewhat in the last few weeks. Hoping they come back with a yes!
On the bright side, I had a maternity photoshoot done and am really excited to get back the final product. We had perfect fall weather that day with sun, little bit of fog for atmosphere and lots of colorful autumn leaves in the woods. I haven’t done any professional photos since my senior year of high school, so I’m happy. It’s me and little boy’s first family photos 
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So I just had my 34 week appointment this afternoon and was told to book for an induction. Didn’t expect to have to decide already though I wasn’t surprised either considering I have the damn GD and due so close to [name_m]Christmas[/name_m]. Still hoping baby boy will come on his own before/by his due date, but for now they just like to remind me that I need to confirm asap cause it’ll be quickly booked around the holiday.
@Maerad yay for full term! Here’s hoping the last couple weeks will go fast for you.
@pacifica sounds like your maternity photos will turn out amazing! I decided to skip to save the $$, but my last professional photo session wasn’t nearly as long ago and I look forward for a family photo with baby next year. 
and about him coming early, well, could be. Is that what you prefer? Fingers crossed they’ll approve you cutting your hours soon. 
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Sorry to hear about the induction! Don’t let them rush you too much though, ultimately this is your birth and you should be able to take the time to decide when/how you want to do things!
I’m not sure what I prefer for little man’s birthday 
because on one hand it might be nicer for me if he evicts early, but then again, postpartum has its own discomforts. Ultimately I hope he gets to come on his own timeline, whenever that ends up being. [name_f]My[/name_f] OB has mentioned the idea of inducing at 39 weeks if he’s not showing signs of coming soon, but I’m not sure if I’m ok with that. I’d rather try to induce through natural methods unless it’s unhealthy for him/me to keep waiting.
Thankfully, my boss got back to me and I will officially be dropping from a 40 hour work-week to 24 hours until leave starts. Phew… 
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I do feel like being rushed to book a date. However, my doctor only suggested induction right around my due date. Their proposed dates are between 39+5 to 40+1. They’d induce earlier if I have to take insulin, which I currently don’t.
I mentioned the possibility of baby simply comes a little late at 41 weeks and she said it might not be a good idea to wait due to the GD. In all ultrasounds so far my baby is measuring normal though, so part of me can’t help but think they suggested that (understandably) to avoid a delivery on the 24th-25th. Oh well. On one hand I want him to really comes out naturally, on the other I’m also looking forward to have freedom again and enjoy all the christmas treats. See my dilemma here? Lol.
Any specific reason your OB suggested it at 39 weeks?
That’s really nice! [name_f]Glad[/name_f] you can have more time to rest and relax before the leave.
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From what I know, the main reason for early induction with GD is related to your baby’s size so I wonder why they are pushing it if he’s measuring average size? You could definitely ask them why they want that vs. what the alternatives are. Have them explain the risks and benefits of either option. You are totally within your rights to get all the information beforehand so you can give informed consent to an induction or not.
From what my OB said, she only brought up inducing for my little guy because babies tend to tolerate labor better when they’re not over-due and if my body isn’t gearing up for labor on its own (cervix dilation and effacement) then it may be better to induce in the 39th week to lower my odds of needing a c-section. Granted the study that the info came from said this only stated a 3% lower chance of c-section if I’m induced, so I’m still weighing whether that’s valuable enough to me versus waiting to see if he comes on his own.
Speaking of [name_m]Christmas[/name_m] births, I read recently that in the US, the 25th is the least common birthday for babies and the 24th is the 3rd least common – so either a lot of doctors are influencing those odds or maybe they’re concerned for no reason and babies avoid being born those days!
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[name_m]Ah[/name_m], pretty much similar then. I just sent my OB a message today and she also mentioned lower risk of needing c-section. That the wait and see approach has higher risks and the only think lower with natural way is that labor might be faster.
3% huh? Not sure if it’s worth it. To me now it’s more about how done I feel with this pregnancy. Been exhausted throughout the whole thing, then increasingly uncomfortable too in the last few weeks. And whether I want to make sure he’s out by specific date or it’s that important to wait for the natural labor. [name_m]Just[/name_m] a little over 40 weeks could mean [name_m]Christmas[/name_m] birth. Over 41 weeks means potential hospital stay into the new year. Then my husband will bring up fun topics like insurance and tax.
Haha it’s the least common? Interesting. I do believe doctors might have some influence there. Also, I suppose a lot of parents try to avoid it? I’ve only met one person who was born right on the 25th and heard of two more. None on the 24th, but totally not surprised it’s rare too.
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[name_m]Just[/name_m] jumping in to ask those a bit further along (I’m 29 weeks tomorrow) little guy is SO active and such a strong mover which is a relief but…what do [name_m]Braxton[/name_m] Hicks’ feel like? I tried to look it up online and don’t think I’m having anything similar yet.
I go in for my 3hr GD test on [name_f]Monday[/name_f] since I majorly failed the last one and I’m hoping I don’t have it but I’m almost expecting to. DH has been sick almost all week, though, and stress can affect it so I’m almost certain I will fail it…I also haven’t been given a percentile estimate at any appointment so…
I agree with not letting them rush you, especially if you’re measuring average.
Best wishes to you all in labor and delivery ! Can’t believe it’s almost here for you all 
! Can’t wait to read all the stories!
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Good luck on your test! And I hope your husband gets well soon too. [name_f]My[/name_f] first month was especially tough, partly because a) my major sweet tooth and b) me being vegetarian, so strictly limiting carb is that much extra difficult. I guess without these factors it shouldn’t be nearly as terrible. After that it became more like… “well, what else I can do?” at least it’s temporary.
[name_f]Baby[/name_f] gains more weight toward the end, so I guess we’ll see.
Never had braxton hicks so far, but should be irregular and not increasingly intense. If you don’t think you have anything similar don’t worry too much about it.
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Well, I’ve officially passed my due date. I’ve had a few cues of possible labor soon, but nothing has actually happened yet. [name_f]My[/name_f] OB is talking induction as well, but they haven’t been too pushy other than to say they don’t want me going past 41 weeks. Everything has been measuring okay and my GD has stayed diet-controlled so far. We’re looking at an induction this coming [name_f]Monday[/name_f] if he doesn’t make an appearance before then. I’m excited but very nervous. I hope I can go into labor on my own but right now it feels like I may be pregnant forever. 
@cms1512 [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_m]Braxton[/name_m] Hicks (at least what I understand are [name_m]Braxton[/name_m] Hicks) have felt like a hardening and pressure in my uterus - sometimes almost like it’s a balloon being blown up, if that makes sense? And my stomach feels hard to the touch. They haven’t been painful for me, just annoying. They’re pretty random, but they seem more frequent when I’m driving.
Best wishes with your test, and I hope your husband feels better!
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Stopping by with updates!
I tried to hide the stuff talking about NICU but no matter how many times I edit, it just won’t format it. So I apologize—please know I’m discussing our NICU stay below and avoid reading if that’s something that may trigger you.
Baby Josephine is making great strides over in NICU. She started off on a cpap machine and feeding tube, which they switched to just an oxygen cannula & feeding tube after about 24 hours. She was still struggling with feeding on her own so she was on the oxygen up until 3 days ago, that way she could focus on learning to feed. Still has the feeding tube as she still was taking less than 80% of her feeds on her own. We’ve worked on breastfeeding (she has a great latch & does great with it!) but since they can’t measure how much I produce when nursing, I’ve been trying to keep her feeds to mostly bottle so that it doesn’t “count against” her stats. Luckily my hospital is incredibly supportive of breastfeeding and encourages baby-to-breast at any/every opportunity, even if they aren’t actively feeding.
Yesterday (day 10 of NICU), she finally hit an average of over 80% feeding by bottle, so they started the transition to an at home bottle system instead of the preemie slow flow disposables they have. She struggled to figure out the flow and how to eat during her first feed with it (only took about half the bottle and had some desaturation/bradycardic incidents, but they expected that). When my fiance & I fed her a few hours later, she still only took half BUT with no incidents! So progress is being made, slow and steady.
Since I’m no longer staying in the hospital (I had to leave on day 8), I haven’t been there when the nurses & doctor do their daily rounds… but the hospital care coordinators reached out to me with all her stats and the care plan updates: if she can adjust to the at home bottle over the next few days and doesn’t have any unexplained desaturation/bradycardic episodes, then we have a tentative discharge date of this Saturday, November 16! She’ll still have to complete a 90 minute car seat test where she sits in her car seat and is monitored to make sure she doesn’t have any episodes… but if everything goes to plan, we’re making our great escape in 2 days 
That would mean we did less than a 2 week stay, which is phenomenal since they told us to prepare to be there until her expected due date.
NICU has probably been the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced. Every care time is incredibly emotional, regardless if it’s good or bad things happening during it. The days have all blurred together and it feels like she was just born yesterday while also feeling like we’ve been in NICU for 3 months. I had someone gift me a NICU journal, so journaling all of the feelings and things going on has been very helpful, but it’s still so much to take in.
As of 7pm on the 12th, she was back up to 5lbs 4oz, which is just 2 ounces shy of her birth weight. They weigh once a day at that 7pm shift change, so I’m excited to hear her weight gain when I go to visit today.
Also, as nicknames naturally develop, I started calling her Jo, then Josie, then Josie Posie, and now it’s just Posie
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@hvnewton I’m so pleased everything is progressing well! She sounds like a real fighter and sending lots of love to you and your partner. Things are going fantastically but that doesn’t make it less emotional. Less than two weeks in amazing, may things continue on this upward trajectory!
@cms1512 my [name_m]Braxton[/name_m] Hicks have changed as I’ve gotten further along. They started as just tightening across the bump - not painful at all, just that feeling like someone is pulling fabric too tight but it’s inside me. At around 36/37 weeks it’s changed to period type cramps that are sometimes more intense and come in waves - definitely not labour as they don’t happen more than 3-4 times an hour and often stop within 2 hours. Last time I had them I decided it was time to use the TENs machine only for them to stop completely in the time it took me to move from downstairs to upstairs! Those ones can be a bit painful.
I have also experienced a stitch running up both sides of the bump, that was very painful but I don’t know if it was [name_m]Braxton[/name_m] Hicks or if I was just unwell (I had a very bad day last week which combined a bad cold, a bad tummy, bad sleep, and the after effects of my covid booster).
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[name_m]Braxton[/name_m] Hicks for me have changed over time but in general it’s like the front side of my belly gets rock hard and the skin/muscle there is tight and inflexible. Like if I try to bend forward during one I’d get stuck at a certain point because my belly isn’t going to bend with me. It’s really noticeable because I’m fluffy to begin with so I’m not used to my belly not being somewhat squishy even while pregnant . Earlier on it was usually just that sensation and no pain, but recently I get a cramping/aching pain along with them like a bad menstrual cramp. When they happen I usually try to sit down and rest - or change position (I’ve gotten them while lying down doing nothing provoking lol) and drink water since I heard they can be more frequent when you’re dehydrated.
Good luck with the GD test! If you can eat beforehand, try to keep to a small meal with something like veggies and a protein (meat or otherwise) and be well hydrated. RE: weight percentiles ask your tech next time you get a scan, or if you have the ability to access your test records you may be able to look at the ultrasound report. If all else fails ask your doctor, I don’t see why they wouldn’t tell you!
@Krikit congrats on reaching your due date! [name_f]Baby[/name_f] must be nice and cozy in there, which isn’t a bad thing. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] you get to start labor naturally though!
@hvnewton [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] sounds so strong-willed and ready to get herself home! I’m so happy for you both that this NICU stay seems to be winding down, that has to be emotionally draining no matter how each visit pans out.
Small update but today will be week 34 appointment for baby boy, and I’m also interviewing with a potential doula for my birth. Really had planned to do that earlier on in pregnancy but time got away from me these past like… six weeks or so, but the few people I know who’ve used one said it still benefitted them to have a doula even if we are starting “late in the game.”
At my appointment yesterday my blood pressure was high again… 
So I’m back to tracking BP at home for now and we’ll see how things go. Unsurprisingly my evening reading last night and this morning were both high too.
OB seemed concerned at my appt and she adopted a pretty serious tone when she said that I should start mentally preparing for the idea of inducing early. Possibly around 37 weeks if my blood pressure stays high or gets worse, or if I develop any symptoms of pre-eclampsia. Which honestly freaked me out! I know I should try to remain calm but it’s stressful and I’m worried about having to do things that way. It’d be close to full term so little guy will be pretty well developed, but I feel bad that he may not get to stay in as long as he could have otherwise.
Maybe we will get lucky and this will resolve on its own. 
I’m planning on updating my dr. if the weekend BP readings stay high and see if there’s anything else I can do to help the situation.
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I’m so sorry you’re going through that, I developed pre-eclampsia with my first and am praying I don’t again with my second. I was induced at 37 weeks and the one piece of advice I have is start drinking red raspberry leaf tea 2x per day to prepare your body for birth early. I SWEAR by it, it can lessen the chances of needing an emergency c. Praying for you and baby to stay healthy!!
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Thank you! I’ve been drinking the tea occasionally but maybe I should up how much of it I have per day. I hope everything goes well with your new pregnancy as well. It’s not ideal having to induce early, at least it’s not what I want for my birth… we’ll see what my OB thinks at the next visit.
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