40 WEEKS – Bump Update

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Elena @ Every Avenue Life
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40 Weeks – Bump Update

40 Weeks – Bump Update

I really didn’t think I was going to get to write this update or get to use this photo I took just in case.

My initial feelings were that I’ll go past my due date. Then they changed and I felt I’ll go into labor at 38 weeks. When 38 weeks came and went, I honestly had no clue when or where it’d hit me. That was a good state of mind to be in. Then the contractions came in, close together and at regular intervals and I was confident real labor would follow within 1-2 days. That was Monday night. It’s Thursday and we’re still waiting. I have gone through regular contractions, passed my plug, “cleaned out my intestines”, had a crazy nesting urge ( all one after another)- and here I am again- no clue when it’ll happen lol
What I tried to avoid by not getting my dilation checked, I couldn’t avoid by being able to recognize the pre-labor signs: getting impatient. The funny part is I am in no way impatient to “get Alexis out”. I do want to meet her NOW but I’d be perfectly fine waiting till she is ready. The fact that I’m feeling better than I have ever felt during this pregnancy, despite a full term baby inside of me is contributing to this ( and astounds me at the same time). So my impatience is coming solely from that Monday when I felt the first contractions really close together for hours and was sure that was it. When IT didn’t happen within 4 days, I suddenly wanted it to happen so bad. Funny how mind works.
So after this doctor’s appointment I am officially done watching for signs and concentrating on doing all the safe things that help the labor move along as well as enjoy last week of pregnancy.

STATS:

Her size: WATERMELON

How far along: 40 WEEKS!!!! I am officially due today!

Total weight gain: 176lbs (+ 1 lb this week). I have gained a round 40 lbs. It’s funny because during all the updates throughout pregnancy I have considered not sharing my weight gain or my thoughts and feelings on it. It’s a touchy subject for many women, and oh my, how much speculation it has brought. So I’ve considered doing what most other preggo bloggers do and just skip the weight section. But every time I think that, I also realize that it would defeat the whole purpose of trying to keep a record of this pregnancy and more importantly share it with other women who might be pregnant now or in the future. I’ve always tried to be as honest and upfront about this experience as possible, including my thoughts and feelings, my expectations and my realities, regardless of what kind of reactions they might bring on. And you know what? In the end, I know  what I will appreciate is reading back about every detail of the pregnancy as well as share it with other girls going through the same stages. My favorite pregnant bloggers really tell it how it is, not just 1 word answers and numbers on a questionnaire. They lament, they worry, they talk about their fears and joys. I also know that these efforts to stay honest regardless of how ulgy or uncomfortable it is are appreciated by many readers who are pregnant or trying to conceive. I get so many emails daily thanking me for the information or asking questions and I am sorry I can’t promptly answer them ( though I always do after some time), but do know that I appreciate them all. You emails and your comments make me want to keep this up even when I am insanely busy.
So I want to continue that into post partum weight loss. Pounds, nutrition, pictures, updates. First maybe weekly, then occasionally. I don’t know if I’ll have time for it AND Alexis’s updates, but if I can pull it off, I’d like to do it.

Sleep: My body is sore, I pee about 6 times a night, I wake up early and am restless- but it’s still good sleep for being 40 weeks pregnant.

Maternity Clothes: I can’t comfortably fit my belly into most of my maternity pants at this point, so it’s all about dresses for me.

Food cravings: Anything fresh!

Food aversions: Beans

Symptoms I HAVE:
Heartburn – still there, still strong! Can’t wait to be done with it.

I am really amazed at how good I feel. I always thought that by 40 weeks I’d be soooo miserable I’d want the baby out! I do want Alexis out because I’m anxious to meet her and start that chapter of our lives, but not because I AM DYING to be done. I feel really good! I can go on long walks, I have decent energy, it’s better than I ever expected. I am ready to be done with pregnancy in general but only because it’s been just too freaking long!

Stretchmarks: None so far, but the longer Lexi decides to stay inside, the more likely I am to get some.

Doctor’s Appointment: As I was going on this apointment, I knew I was going to get hit with “the induction talk”. Obviously, anyone would like to avoid an induction, but it’s the kind of thing that just hangs over you once you hit your due date without a baby in your arms. On one hand, I’ve read/heard too many stories about babies dying at 40 weeks 3 days and so on and so forth and I know it’s a dangerous time for babies in the womb due to their cramped quarters, but on the other hand, induction isn’t something you want to do unless absolutely necessary. So you walk this fine balance between risk on one side and risk on the other.

That being said, I love my OB and I trust him to have my interests in mind, he is really great. However, I do know he has a certain bias toward the way things are done, so I make sure I research and read myself, but then also listen to what he says and his experience and knowledge. He wants to induce at 41 weeks, he feels more comfortable that way. I get it. He’d rather deliver a baby with any means possible than lose one. I’m there with him too. And that’s why I am listening.

When I told him about my concerns when it comes to inductions (the usual ones: increased risk c section, fetal distress, likelihood of need for epidural, stronger than normal contractions), he assured me that when Pitocin is administered correctly, in the right dosage individually for every woman and adjusted correctly, it should not differ from what your natural labor should be like. The issue arises when OBs don’t do it carefully and patiently. The way it’s SUPPOSED TO work is if you are supposed to have a 6 hour labor naturally, you’d labor for 6 hours from the start of pitocin as well (once it has a chance to kick in), if you were meant to labor 16 hours, you would do the same on Pitocin. What he says makes sense to me and I have to trust him as a medical professional that I chose for a reason ( I had interviewed quite a few OBs in the area, before finding him).

There’s no other reasons for induction for me, like medical problems or baby weight ( she measured 7lb 8 oz last week). We also know exactly when we conceived, so her gestational age is spot on, she wouldn’t be born too soon. From everything I’ve read (and my OB said the same thing), when you’re that close to labor, sometimes just some Cervadil would kick-start it.

So that being said, my husband and I do tend to agree with our OB. I’ll probably want to wait just a day after 41 weeks, but right now we’re discussing dates, since we need to “schedule” it by tomorrow. In the meantime, we’re doing anything and everything safe and sane to help Alexis come out before then. I feel that she will come out before 41 weeks and if not, a proper induction isn’t the worst thing that can happen. More than anything we want her here safe and healthy.

Also, as you all know, I’ve been declining cervical checks at my appointments ( for a few reasons), but this time he got us to do it 🙂 Basically, after I told him about my sister’s labor (4 hours to get to 4 cm with painless contractions, 30 minutes of very painful contractions that took her from 4cm to 10 cm, and then 4 pushes to get the baby out), coupled with my mom’s 7 hour first labor AND simple curiosity plus looming induction, he thought checking dilation might give us a heads up on when I should come to the hospital. If I am dilated to 3 cm right now, it’d be wise to get to the hospital almost right away since there’s a chance I’ll fly through active labor and transition, like my sis. If my weak contractions on Monday didn’t dilate me at all, then I mostly likely have time to labor at home before going to L&D. Thinking back at that, I don’t know that either one of those cases would have really told us that, but we were curious if the Monday contractions dilated me and how much. The answer was as disappointing as I would expect it to be- right down the middle- 1 cm dilated and 40% effaced- so it basically told us NOTHING. However, I did get to practice my hypnosis technique for the first time on a more real thing (cervical check) and it was….well interesting….

So the bottomline, I hope Alexis comes on her own before the induction. If an induction does happen, I’m not going to broken up about it. I will attempt to still use hypnosis with it (though I feel I am less likely to succeed, which is the attitude I have to work on in the coming week) and not go with an epidural. If I do end up with an epidural, I’m fine with that too. I will try a few techniques to help the labor get going. And I will take this time to relax and enjoy the few days that I have left with actual free time on my hands.

Movement: She’s been as active as before, which is a really great reassurance that she’s doing good.

Belly Button: Outie.

Gender: GIRL!

Best moment of the week:

  • The evening I realized I was having close time-able contractions- the thought that it might be labor is just so amazing.
  • Yesterday when I got my package from Boob Design with adorable nursing clothes and a dress that I am hoping to wear as a going home dress ( however, based on your guys’ advice on Facebook, I will definitely take 2 back up outfits: 1 for that chance that going home photos are the last thing I want to do, and 1 in case I do want photos but the dress is not something I am comfortable wearing).
  • We also resolved a few matters that have been hanging over us and received
    one of our strollers, so it was a GREAT day overall.

What I’m looking forward to:

L-A-B-O-R!

What I miss:

Smoked salmon
Liking all food again

Again: In case I go into labor, I will try to have Andrew do a quick post to tell you all that it’s show time. I will most definitely post something on my Facebook page and that’s also probably how I am going to be updating you all in the first day or so. So if I disappear with no posts, it’s most likely NOT due to labor.

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49 COMMENTS

  1. You realize that when you leave the hospital you won’t automatically be a size 0, right? You WILL look six months pregnant. You will be exhausted, bloated, leaking, bleeding, and wearing giant mesh underpants. Why would you torture yourself by squeezing into a minidress??

    • And you do realize that this is maternity dress and it fits me comfortably at 40 weeks pregnant, so it will fit me after I have a baby?
      One thing is the whole bleeding and mesh panties ordeal but another thing is telling me that by picking a maternity dress to wear I somehow think I’ll be a size 0.

      • You are a tall FIT healthy woman. Theres a pretty darn good chance that you will bounce back pretty fast. and for that I am totally jealous…
        but goodness some people are obviously jealous of you to the point that they feel the need to be rude!

        You go mama. You wear that dress home and you ROCK it.

  2. Good luck, girl!! Here’s to hoping you go into labor soon! I got induced with my daughter and, while the experience wasn’t as bad as I expected, I still wish I would have waited for her to decide when to come. I hope all goes well for you!

  3. I think you have a very realistic attitude about a potential induction. Obviously not your first choice, not what you WANT, but potentially medically necessary once you reach a certain point. I always find it a little irritating when people get all high and mighty about never having an induction ever because there’s “no reason for it” and “baby will come when she’s ready.” Sometimes yes, sometimes no, and with added risks….

    And re: the minidress- again, everyone’s body is so different in how they cope with labor and recovery… Totally bring it. You may stick with sweats, or you may feel fabulous (props to you if you do!) and decide you want to wear it.

    Anyway, sorry, long comment. But just because you get induced doesn’t necessarily mean a harder/longer labor! Best of luck, who knows, our babies could be born right around the same time (although I’m hoping mine stays put for another 10 days at least!).

  4. I for one really appreciate your honesty with this blog. Being right behind you in pregnancy it really helped me to see what could be up for me just around the corner.

    There were things your said or did that I didn’t agree with or weren’t right for me in my life but thats what is so great about it, we are all different!!
    I can’t wait to read all about your life with Alexis. I know during my late night feedings I will be on my computer reading up about yours. You have been such an amazing inspiration to me and its been a pleasure to read about your journey these whole 40 weeks. I am so glad I found your blog and will continue reading and enjoying your honest posts.

    We will never meet but I want to thank you for allowing me to be apart of your life. Here’s to hoping our little ones make it safe into the world BEFORE induction or any other interventions, BUT if it must be then lets just hope they are healthy and happy because in the end thats the most important thing.

    Come on Alexis… and Theo, your mommies can’t wait to meet you!!

    Melody

    • You’re going to do great no matter how it all turns out. You have a great attitude towards the process and have researched enough to make the “right” decision, no matter the bumps along the path. Again, I can’t wait to hear how it all turns out but like you said, at the end of it all, all that matters is a healthy baby girl.

      Ps- I am sure you will rock the hell out of that dress- mesh panties and all 😉

    • I absolutely agree. I have learned so much from this blog. We purchased two of the books you reccomended and plan on purchasing a few of the other items (such as the radiation protective blanket).

      There are some things you do that I scratch my head about, but hey, everyone is different. My husband and I use what we feel will work the best for our family at this time in our lives.

      I wish you a wonderful birth day and I look forward to following you after ya’lls baby arrives.

      By the way, I love that nursing dress and plan on buying it when it comes out. How did you get one so soon?

  5. I think the dress is cute and if you want to wear it home from the hospital go for it! You’ll be beautiful no matter what. After a couple days rest I started to feel more like myself anyway. Sore but not too bad.

    I’ve read that your labor tends to be more like your sister’s than like your mom’s. My mom had super short labors, only at the hospital for a couple hours where as I had marathon labors, 30 and 24 hours. ; ) I had pitocin with Garrett and after experiencing both ways, I don’t think the pitocin affected my contractions that much. They may have been closer together with the pictocin vs my body took longer breaks but they weren’t stronger in my opinion.

    I had a lot of false alarms with Avery and it gets frustrating! I didn’t think she would come on her own but she surprised us, so hopefully Alexis will do the same. I’ll be thinking about you and stalking my facebook looking for updates!! She’ll be here soon one way or the other! EEEKKK!! I can’t wait to see her and hear about your labor! I know you can’t either!

  6. I honestly didn’t think you’d get to writing a 40 weeks post 🙂
    And somehow I think (or at least hope) you’ll go into natural labor one of these days 🙂
    And yeah…you’re totally gonna look like a VS model on a runway right after the labor LOL LOL :)))))))

    • +100!!!!
      I was thinking on 25 january somehow..but it will be other nice date, like 1st february for ex
      I do think that Lexi is very comfortable inside you so she is not in hurry to show up.

  7. when you post your birth story (I’m assuming you plan to). you’ll let us know how the hypnobabies program worked right? I really want to look into using it and I’ve heard lots of good things about it!

  8. I ate a ton of fresh pineapple and walked a mile and went into labor six hours later. I was also right at 40 weeks and started labor at 2am, water broke at 4:30am and my little girl at 11am! Don’t know if the pineapple really worked or it was just time for her to come, but she was due on Dec 1 and I had her Nov 30. I was measuring small so I was scheduled for an induction if I went much past due date but luckily everything worked out! Good luck!

  9. I so hope you get to experience natural labor. I didn’t and it is my biggest regret. I will start every natural induction method on the next baby starting at 37 weeks.

    Is there any way that you can get a non-stress test every few days? This is what I plan to request if I find myself in your boat.

    I hate to sound so doom and gloom over inductions, and I am sorry. My daughter and I turned out perfectly fine. But, it was 60-freaking-hours, for crying out loud. And, I caved and got the epidural. I just learned from the start that parenting is NEVER what you expect it to be.

    Bless you, Elena! I hope that baby starts something soon!

  10. Maybe you already know this, but you could try nipple stimulation to get labor going. It releases oxytocin, which is the natural version of the chemical that Pitocin is made of. Good luck! You’ll be enjoying your little girl before you know it! 🙂

  11. I’ve been following your blog for a while now and have never posted. I just wanted to share that the old wives tale of eating Chinese food did it for me (or so I like to say). And…I was for certain I’d go late and had scheduled my induction for 41 weeks. My mom went late with both of her pregnancies and I was just certain I would, too. But…on Thurs night my husband and I went out for Chinese food. I was 39 weeks. I felt a bit different on Friday and had what I thought were some contractions that night but just went to bed. Saturday morning I was in labor and our dear daugther was born. You never know – it might work for you! 🙂 Best of luck to you in a speedy and healthy delivery.

  13. I think it’s funny that you’re looking forward to L-A-B-O-R! I think I’d be looking forward to the part after labor, ya know, holding your baby girl in your arms 😉

  14. Ok so I read all 500 of your facebook comments about the induction. You know my story, and I had to be inducted due to Pre-e. However, my sister had two successful inductions (taking less than 24 hours on pitocin) completely without an epidural both times.
    Labor is completely different for everyone. Additionally, your doctor does know best in my opinion. You two should work together, however, the idea that “he works for you” seems a bit odd, considering he has experience and medical education. But after reading this, I am completely in the same mind-set as you.
    Recovery is also different for everyone. While I felt like death and could barely even get the energy to squeeze into yoga pants, I’ve seen friends who went straight to photo-shoots!
    You’ll have an amazing birth, because you will have the best result- your baby. It might not be “to plan”, but I don’t think you’ll care after everything is said and done.
    I can’t wait to see Alexis, this kid is going to be loved like crazy! 🙂

  15. You can ask your doctor to do more than one round of Cervadil. I had two rounds of Cervadil (they were done 7 hours apart) and it got things going and I was able to avoid Pitocin completely. I also think that inducing at 41 weeks is jumping the gun. I had gestational diabetes (higher risk for placental deterioration) and my midwife didn’t talk about inducing until I was 11 days overdue. They just did twice a week non-stress tests to make sure the baby was okay.

  16. Good luck! This is my first time reading your blog and I’m due with my first on Sunday so we’re in the same boat! I will be induced next Thursday if I don’t have my baby before then. I don’t want to push it too much either. Hope your labor and delivery goes smoothly : )

  17. I am cheering for you guys!! 🙂 I am very curious to see how the hypnosis works for you!! And your thoughts on it afterwards! Remember you are stronger than you think! I support you whatever way Alexis comes out! 🙂 You rock!!

  19. Don’t stress about the induction. I had a perfectly healthy pregnancy and yet we went past 41 weeks and had to go in for our induction. As scared as I was about the induction I was much more determined to do it without an epidural. I had a LONG labor… almost 24 hours which was so not fun… but never was the baby or I in any danger. You can read Abby’s birth story here http://meredithannetaylor.blogspot.com/search/label/birth

    If you do have an induction and things seem not to go very fast for you my number 1 suggestion is to take a shower! Seriously… I was feeling major effects from the pitocin, getting 2 or 3 contractions on top of each other but I wasn’t dialating. So my nurse grabbed my doc and got the ok to take me off everything and give my body an hour to just regulate itself and do the work with the drugs that were already in there and BAM i opened right up and abby was born pretty quick after that. In fact they had to page my doc 911 b/c I told them I was pushing whether they liked it enough and the nurse said, wow, she’s coming. lol. Good luck. I know you’ll do AWESOME!

    sorry for the long comment 🙂

  20. I miss pregnancy quite a bit. I had a similar outlook as you on inductions and I also very much wanted to experience labor and delivery, in and of itself. I was induced at 39w 4d due to high blood pressure and baby weight (11 pounds). I knew going in that there was no way it was going to work. Well, the ob (was transfered from a midwife, he was an amazing man, we were very lucky) broke my water at 9am and nothing, started pitocen at 3pm and we went to a full strength dose over 9 hours (unmedicated). at midnght we went for a csection. I will be honest, I was irrationally upset and felt like a failure (I kept this to myself) and I am 100% sure it kick started 10 months of post partum depression.

    So, my advice to you..stay focused and advocate for yourself at the hospital. But mostly just stay focused. I most likely would have ended up with a csection in the end, and that’s fine, but I wish I had been more focused and tried much harder as I think I would have been better off emotionally.

    I love my boy, and 100 years ago my husband would have lost us both!! So thank God for modern obstetrics. I hope to try for a VBAC next time, but if not I’ll know what to expect.

    I think you will do great, you are probably the single most prepared person I know of in semi real life for birth itself. Once it gets going you will fly though it< and most likely not even need meds, and alexis will be sweet and perfect and sleep all night right from the start, and I will envy you! LOL. Good luck Elena!

  22. I was in a similar boat as you, 40 weeks and talking about induction. I went 10 days post date and was scheduled to be induced (using cervadil and potocin) the very next day after I had my daughter. Turns out, with some seriously walking and some pressure point massage (ankles and feet), I went naturally and never needed the induction! BUT, doctors know best, and if they’re talking induction – I’d go with it. Can’t wait to see your adorable little girl!!

    • There’s really no reason to be induced for me except that the doc would rather deliver a healthy baby than lose one cuz we waited too long. I tend to agree since you never know what might happen and I don’t feel the womb is a very safe place to begin with.
      We are walking and doing all natural things to kick start labor but I’d like to look into pressure points. Do you have any info?

  23. I’m gutted i’ve only just come across your blog! I’m 39 weeks pregnant and am so eager to meet our little one now! I look forward to seeing further posts when your bundle of joy comes along (hopefully it won’t be long for you now) All the best xx

  24. Don’t fret too much about the weight. I started out the same weight as you, gained 38-39 pounds, and lost 19 pounds in the first two weeks postpartum doing absolutely NOTHING. So much of it is water weight. I don’t eat anywhere near as healthy as you nor do I exercise as much, yet I lost it all within 6-8 months being lazy. It’ll come off, probably much faster for you with the effort you put in.

  25. Hi Elena! I was a bit delayed sending the dividers to you because my 4 yr old unexpectedly went into the hospital but I just wanted to let you know Im still sending them to you….although baby Alexis might arrive first …LOL

    I also wanted to say that I think you will do great ! and i had induction with my first (Sofia) because that stubborn little girl would not come out on her own and I was 10 days past my due date! Since it was my first i had no other labor to compare it to. I got pitocin around 8 am and the contractions were gradual. It took about 4 hrs till they because super strong. One would be passing and the next one was right on top of it. I got to the point that it was so unbearable (and I have a very high pain tolerance)…I thought for sure i was 10 cm but i was only to 3! Imagine my dissapointment. So the doc gave an epidural because he said it helps to relax you so that you can dilate easier. sure enough i dilated fine after that. Pushing was rough for me becuase Im very small and by chance my baby girl had a very wide head…LOL. But honestly my experience was perfect and that first moment staring at that face you waited so long to see is just surreal and amazing and precious. I’m so excited you will soon get to feel that! Good luck to you for a safe and healthy delivery 🙂

  26. Send labor dust your way!!

    When I left the hospital after having both my children I was back down to my normal size 2. Also, the mesh panties and such were not needed for me after day 3. It really depends on the person though. I’52m sure you’ll rock that dress!

    Oh and with my second child l was 41 weeks to the day, dis the deed with my husband and three hours later I was in labour. Get busy!

  27. I was induced at 37wks and 1 day due to hypertension. Went to the hospital the night before, and they put these gel capsuls in every 4 hours. As the nuse came in to put in the 3rd and final gel, my water broke. No need for pitocin! I would hope that if your body is that ready that you would have a similar reaction. Although I will warn you, once your water breaks, those contractions can get serious, and fast.

  29. All the best to you! There are MANY natural induction techniques that you can try before medical induction. If they don’t work it’s likely medical induction won’t work either. They can give you artificial oxytocin but they can’t make your body go through the rest of the birthing process if it isn’t ready! Be in touch if you’d like me to email you a list of natural induction techniques from Hypnobabies as I know you’ve done the program (I’m an instructor.)

    When considering induction, find out your Bishop’s score: http://givingbirthwithconfidence.org/2011/06/considering-induction-learn-your-bishops-score/ It is recommended that the Bishop’s Score be greater than 7 (9 is optimal if using the midwifery model of the Bishop’s score) for it to be successful (‘successful’ = induction leading to vaginal birth vs cesarean birth).

    Since on average, 1st time mom’s go into their birthing times at 41 weeks 1 day (8 days ‘overdue’) I really wish induction was ‘standard’ for most doctors at 41 weeks because chances are you’ll go into labour naturally within a few days!

    Happy Birthing!! 🙂

  30. My sister got induced last week (I was her doula) with misoprostol at night, labor start at 8am when they broke her water, gave her a little pitocin (lowest dose) around 11am and baby was here at 1pm. No pains med. You can definitely do it!

  31. Just one comment since you will be writing this name for many, many, many years. When Alexis possesses something (as in Alexis’ story, Alexis’ food, etc), the proper way to show ownership is “s” apostrophe. Not “s” apostrophe “s”

    Correct — Alexis’ food
    Incorrect — Alexis’s food

    I hope this makes sense and helps you out!

  32. Hi I just found your blog via pinterest – love the fashion and birth story. so curious where you got the colored leggings?
    Can’t wait to keep reading your blog-I am at 25 weeks today, first pregnancy and really enjoying reading along the timeline!

  33. I just found you blog as well and may I just say THANK YOU! i’m 20 weeks and love everything about your posts and website. You are honest, beautiful and very easy to relate to. Also your website is super organized and easy to navigate and search!!! Often times I give up on people’s websites and blogs, but I love yours!!

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