Well here we are... 40 weeks.... my due date is slightly altered due to the length of my menstrual cycle. I have a 33 day cycle instead of a 28 cycle, so still 3 days left until my official due date. Honestly, I'm done!
I have had a bit of a complication that cropped up in the last day or so... I weighed the privacy nature of what I'm about to share and decided that the value of the information outweighs the potential, I don't know... social stigma, embarrassment, maybe...
1 in 4 woman have herpes... I pulled the short straw on that one... I'm very very very lucky that I have herpes simplex 1 which is generally found orally... however, my infection is of a southern nature. I contracted it from Cory a million years ago, he has the typical oral complex, meaning he gets cold sores.
Until pregnancy, I had, maybe, one outbreak a year, if that and the longer you have simplex 1, the less outbreaks you experience. Unfortunately, due to the suppressed immune system as a result of pregnancy, I had one outbreak during my first trimester and now I have prodrome symptoms of an outbreak. What that means is that I feel one coming on but it hasn't happened yet.
Now what does this do to my "birth plan"? Personally, I thought this was a first class ticket to the operating room. I'm surprised to say it wasn't.... I called the prenatal clinic. I do not have any active lesions, so they have started me on a course of Valtrex, which is a herpes suppression drug. I am on the drug until delivery. When I go into labor, I must be aware of my lesion status... if I have one, immediate C-section... if I don't, we will discuss the options. The doctor was very pro-vaginal birth if possible even under these circumstances.
The doctor is confident that at this late stage of the pregnancy, the Valtrex will have no negative effect on the baby as he is fully formed. I am concerned that even without a lesion, my birth canal may not be the best place for a new person. I do not want to have a C-section but I also do not want to spread the virus to my little guy before he even has a chance to take his first breath. This is weighing pretty heavily on me, I must say... I want to trust the doctor but at the same time, she isn't a specialist in infectious diseases. I trust that she would not knowingly put my unborn child at risk... but but but...
I'm doing a crap load of research online... my favorite resource Mother Risk doesn't seem to have any information on herpes and Valtrex during pregnancy. Mother Risk is a website run by the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children and I feel quite confident that the information provided is accurate. Outside of that website, I have found conflicting information from a variety of different sources... which one is accurate is the issue. So I am left with more questions than answers... my first major parental dilemma...
For now, I cannot find any negative information on Valtrex and pregnancy on the Valtrex website, so I will take my drugs... it's now a matter of deciding how to proceed with my birthplan... Do I force the C-section or let the doctors make the final decision?
Any thoughts?
Saturday 29 August 2009
Wednesday 26 August 2009
Adventures in Pregnancy - 39 weeks, 4 days
Holy crap... still pregnant...
Last night was a long night of timing contractions at irregular intervals. The intervals duplicated on a few but then went back into its randomness. Very frustrating.
Last night's highlight was a rash of phone calls from some of my favourite people. It was so nice to catch up with everyone...
Journey continues to be in heat (she is standing on what remains of my lap as I type). She has been diapered to keep her mess to a minimum. Her initial response to being diapered was complete and total betrayal but now she has come to accept the diapering as not the worst thing in the world. On the bright side, Cory has now had some practice with disposable diapers. He thinks that it would be easier without having to cut a hole for her tail. She seems to like her diaper and the house is filled with the swish swish noise of a diapered bum running around.
Cory seems to be in full nesting mode today... he has vacuumed and mopped the whole house. Unfortunately the load of laundry that keeps getting re-washed in the washer because we keep forgetting about it, was once again forgotten about. I think I need to spend 30 minutes in the basement to ensure it travels from the washer to the dryer.
Today I read over my adventures in pregnancy posts from the beginning... I'm really glad to have documented the journey. Although there are things that did not get blogged about, it triggered memories as I read... I have to really take notice that I had a really easy ride for the past 9 months. No morning sickness, no great emotional upheaval, no life threatening complications... I'm not horribly scarred with stretch marks, but I have some. When all is said and done, I'll post my collection of lessons learned... most will fall under the TMI category but you know what... you got to find the information on the internet somewhere... at least I won't include photographs (that story will follow as well).
6 days to due date... 2 days until we clear the cusp of Virgo.
Last night was a long night of timing contractions at irregular intervals. The intervals duplicated on a few but then went back into its randomness. Very frustrating.
Last night's highlight was a rash of phone calls from some of my favourite people. It was so nice to catch up with everyone...
Journey continues to be in heat (she is standing on what remains of my lap as I type). She has been diapered to keep her mess to a minimum. Her initial response to being diapered was complete and total betrayal but now she has come to accept the diapering as not the worst thing in the world. On the bright side, Cory has now had some practice with disposable diapers. He thinks that it would be easier without having to cut a hole for her tail. She seems to like her diaper and the house is filled with the swish swish noise of a diapered bum running around.
Cory seems to be in full nesting mode today... he has vacuumed and mopped the whole house. Unfortunately the load of laundry that keeps getting re-washed in the washer because we keep forgetting about it, was once again forgotten about. I think I need to spend 30 minutes in the basement to ensure it travels from the washer to the dryer.
Today I read over my adventures in pregnancy posts from the beginning... I'm really glad to have documented the journey. Although there are things that did not get blogged about, it triggered memories as I read... I have to really take notice that I had a really easy ride for the past 9 months. No morning sickness, no great emotional upheaval, no life threatening complications... I'm not horribly scarred with stretch marks, but I have some. When all is said and done, I'll post my collection of lessons learned... most will fall under the TMI category but you know what... you got to find the information on the internet somewhere... at least I won't include photographs (that story will follow as well).
6 days to due date... 2 days until we clear the cusp of Virgo.
Tuesday 25 August 2009
Adventures in Pregnancy - 39 weeks, 3 days
So apparently my adventure in pregnancy is coming to a close very soon. I had what should be my last prenatal appointment today. We did book an appointment for next week but the doctor was doubtful that I would need it.
Today we did my usual stuff... blood pressure (120/84 - Poster Child for Blood Pressure), my pee was just pee, I am now up 46 lbs in total (I'm thinking 10 lbs of liquid in each foot alone). I woke up in pain this morning so I mentioned this to the doctor, she felt that a no-stress test might be in order. 20 minutes on the monitor and we recorded one contraction... yay. She checked my cervix and said that it was still quite thick... boo.
So I was told to go home and walk walk walk... come back when I need to... *sigh*
So we have walked around the block, it felt like someone was hammering my pelvis with each step. We are planning on taking the dogs for a little stroll a little later tonight. I'm sure that will be a blast...
The doctor says that the hospital is expecting over 40 babies in September... with 3 labor and delivery rooms.... I'm hoping to be squeezing in early. Maybe jumping jacks will help... ow ow ow...
Oh P.S. My paycheque was hand delivered to the house today by two fantastic women!!
Today we did my usual stuff... blood pressure (120/84 - Poster Child for Blood Pressure), my pee was just pee, I am now up 46 lbs in total (I'm thinking 10 lbs of liquid in each foot alone). I woke up in pain this morning so I mentioned this to the doctor, she felt that a no-stress test might be in order. 20 minutes on the monitor and we recorded one contraction... yay. She checked my cervix and said that it was still quite thick... boo.
So I was told to go home and walk walk walk... come back when I need to... *sigh*
So we have walked around the block, it felt like someone was hammering my pelvis with each step. We are planning on taking the dogs for a little stroll a little later tonight. I'm sure that will be a blast...
The doctor says that the hospital is expecting over 40 babies in September... with 3 labor and delivery rooms.... I'm hoping to be squeezing in early. Maybe jumping jacks will help... ow ow ow...
Oh P.S. My paycheque was hand delivered to the house today by two fantastic women!!
Monday 24 August 2009
Adventures in Pregnancy - 39 weeks, 2 days
The heat finally broke.... it is currently 20 degrees and raining. I have eaten more today than I have in weeks. I don't feel sweaty anywhere on my body.... Life is glorious!
We've been living during the night to avoid the heat and sleeping (if you can call it that) during the heat of the day. That's going to be a hard habit to break. The dogs got me up at 9 AM this morning to go outside. I felt perky and ready to take on the world... so I laid down for just a few more minutes and my eyelids cracked open again at 5 PM.
Today (many hours from now when the world is awake), I get to play chase the paycheque. This has been an ongoing saga for a bit, let me catch you up...
My last payday was supposed to be August 15 via direct deposit. Due to paranoia, I always check to see if it's there... strangely, it wasn't. I called payroll to find out what happened... for some reason, payroll decided to cut me a manual cheque and mail it to me. Had they called me to let me know that they were changing the method of payment, this all could have been avoided. Instead, the cheque was mailed out.... to the wrong address.
This was discovered on August 19. I went to the post office to see if I could break some federal law and poach my cheque out of another person's box, but alas, the lady at the post office remembered my name (always good to be unique) and was certain that the mail was returned to sender. I went to work to see if they could cancel the cheque and reissue... no problem, except all the officers with signing authority were either on vacation or out of the province. I hoped that the mail would be returned and they could call me to come and get it from work... but my phone has not rang...
So here we are, 9 days after payday.... still waiting on the cheque. Surprisingly, in my paycheque-to-paycheque world, I covered the mortgage and car payment. My bitterness level is increasing inversely proportional with my bank balance. Looks like I have to crack the whip... as if I have the energy to do so....
8 days to due date... already in Virgo, 4 days until the cusp is cleared....
We've been living during the night to avoid the heat and sleeping (if you can call it that) during the heat of the day. That's going to be a hard habit to break. The dogs got me up at 9 AM this morning to go outside. I felt perky and ready to take on the world... so I laid down for just a few more minutes and my eyelids cracked open again at 5 PM.
Today (many hours from now when the world is awake), I get to play chase the paycheque. This has been an ongoing saga for a bit, let me catch you up...
My last payday was supposed to be August 15 via direct deposit. Due to paranoia, I always check to see if it's there... strangely, it wasn't. I called payroll to find out what happened... for some reason, payroll decided to cut me a manual cheque and mail it to me. Had they called me to let me know that they were changing the method of payment, this all could have been avoided. Instead, the cheque was mailed out.... to the wrong address.
This was discovered on August 19. I went to the post office to see if I could break some federal law and poach my cheque out of another person's box, but alas, the lady at the post office remembered my name (always good to be unique) and was certain that the mail was returned to sender. I went to work to see if they could cancel the cheque and reissue... no problem, except all the officers with signing authority were either on vacation or out of the province. I hoped that the mail would be returned and they could call me to come and get it from work... but my phone has not rang...
So here we are, 9 days after payday.... still waiting on the cheque. Surprisingly, in my paycheque-to-paycheque world, I covered the mortgage and car payment. My bitterness level is increasing inversely proportional with my bank balance. Looks like I have to crack the whip... as if I have the energy to do so....
8 days to due date... already in Virgo, 4 days until the cusp is cleared....
Saturday 22 August 2009
Adventures of Pregnancy - 39 weeks, 0 days
I guess this is the back stretch... oooooh I'd love a back stretch... I feel like my spine is about one inch long. My hips are sore from sleeping on my sides. My heartburn has decided to defy the power of Tums... whine whine whine...
I think the baby turned around, he kicked me on my left side instead of the usual right side. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come! I'm hours away from Virgo... even though Cory has requested a solid/non cusp Virgo now.... I told him, I make no promises.
Journey has decided that this is the perfect time in my life for her to go into heat. This means she is making a mess (diapers are coming her way very soon) and is VERY needy emotionally. I don't think I've taken a step without feeling her touch on my legs somewhere. She presses against me when she sleeps (that really helps with this heat). Theo is absolutely obsessed with her even though the size difference has made any relations pretty much impossible. So I am spending most of my time, protecting Journey from Theo.... yay.
She has a new game ... she stands outside and asks to come in... soon as you go to the door, she runs and grabs the tennis ball which she has hidden under a chair and drops it at your feet and runs to wait for you to throw it... I've fallen for it about 4 times. I have to give her props for embodying "when there is a will, there is a way".
The weather forecast has decided that N.B. does not get to share in the Hurricane Bill action this weekend however, we have an 80% chance of thundershowers this afternoon/evening. I guess that's better than nothing.
10 days to due date.... 8 hours and change to Virgo....
I think the baby turned around, he kicked me on my left side instead of the usual right side. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come! I'm hours away from Virgo... even though Cory has requested a solid/non cusp Virgo now.... I told him, I make no promises.
Journey has decided that this is the perfect time in my life for her to go into heat. This means she is making a mess (diapers are coming her way very soon) and is VERY needy emotionally. I don't think I've taken a step without feeling her touch on my legs somewhere. She presses against me when she sleeps (that really helps with this heat). Theo is absolutely obsessed with her even though the size difference has made any relations pretty much impossible. So I am spending most of my time, protecting Journey from Theo.... yay.
She has a new game ... she stands outside and asks to come in... soon as you go to the door, she runs and grabs the tennis ball which she has hidden under a chair and drops it at your feet and runs to wait for you to throw it... I've fallen for it about 4 times. I have to give her props for embodying "when there is a will, there is a way".
The weather forecast has decided that N.B. does not get to share in the Hurricane Bill action this weekend however, we have an 80% chance of thundershowers this afternoon/evening. I guess that's better than nothing.
10 days to due date.... 8 hours and change to Virgo....
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Adventures of Pregnancy - 38 weeks, 4 days
OMG will this heat ever end... it is now 1:45 am... it is 25 degrees outside the house and 29 degrees inside the house. I played sports in high school and I don't remember ever being this sweaty for this long.
I had my prenatal appointment this afternoon. I also had a complaint that my ear was completely blocked.... didn't know if it was a crazy pregnancy thing or not... never hurts to tell the tale. Well lo and behold, my right ear was COMPLETELY blocked. So the beginning of my prenatal appointment was having my ear cleared out... I've never had that done by a doctor before... it seems to be contrary to everything you read on the Internet for how to clean your ears safely. Anyway, I can hear again... WHO LET THAT CRICKET INTO THE HOUSE?!?!?!?
Here are my stats for the week... I am sitting at the 3rd week in a row of no weight gain or loss (give or take a pound), my blood pressure is back to my usual 120/80. My pee contained only pee...
I'm measuring smaller on the uterus which apparently means that the baby has dropped. We did a quickie ultrasound and saw his face (he has chubby cheeks)... he is currently facing the wrong direction so I need to spend some quality time on my hands and knees so gravity will flip him. That statement makes most of my friends giggle.... single minded pervs... love ya guys!!
My next appointment is scheduled for next Tuesday... we are expecting some hurricane action in the local area over the weekend, so I'm hoping the sudden change in atmospheric pressure might change my plans. Fingers crossed...
13 days to due date.... 4 days until Virgo... 10 minutes until I liberate that cricket!!
I had my prenatal appointment this afternoon. I also had a complaint that my ear was completely blocked.... didn't know if it was a crazy pregnancy thing or not... never hurts to tell the tale. Well lo and behold, my right ear was COMPLETELY blocked. So the beginning of my prenatal appointment was having my ear cleared out... I've never had that done by a doctor before... it seems to be contrary to everything you read on the Internet for how to clean your ears safely. Anyway, I can hear again... WHO LET THAT CRICKET INTO THE HOUSE?!?!?!?
Here are my stats for the week... I am sitting at the 3rd week in a row of no weight gain or loss (give or take a pound), my blood pressure is back to my usual 120/80. My pee contained only pee...
I'm measuring smaller on the uterus which apparently means that the baby has dropped. We did a quickie ultrasound and saw his face (he has chubby cheeks)... he is currently facing the wrong direction so I need to spend some quality time on my hands and knees so gravity will flip him. That statement makes most of my friends giggle.... single minded pervs... love ya guys!!
My next appointment is scheduled for next Tuesday... we are expecting some hurricane action in the local area over the weekend, so I'm hoping the sudden change in atmospheric pressure might change my plans. Fingers crossed...
13 days to due date.... 4 days until Virgo... 10 minutes until I liberate that cricket!!
Monday 17 August 2009
Adventures in Pregnancy - 38 weeks, 2 days
Why did it pick this week to become unseasonably hot? Our day time highs have been hitting 37 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). My life has become a series of cold showers and naps in front of the fan. My only saving grace has been the gracious offer of pool usage by some very good friends. Rumor has it that this heat should break on Wednesday.
As for me and the little man... I seem to be having some contraction in my lower back. I don't know how often or if there is a pattern. I really should try timing these things one of these days.. if I can stay awake long enough. I figure I don't really need to time them.... I'll know when the action is starting to happen. Timing at this point is just distractionary.
I have my next prenatal appointment tomorrow.
15 days left til due date... 6 days left til the baby is a Virgo.... I think I just figured out why Cory is so intent on a Virgo.... here are a few listed traits....
As for me and the little man... I seem to be having some contraction in my lower back. I don't know how often or if there is a pattern. I really should try timing these things one of these days.. if I can stay awake long enough. I figure I don't really need to time them.... I'll know when the action is starting to happen. Timing at this point is just distractionary.
I have my next prenatal appointment tomorrow.
15 days left til due date... 6 days left til the baby is a Virgo.... I think I just figured out why Cory is so intent on a Virgo.... here are a few listed traits....
- LIKES
Health foods
Lists
Hygiene
Order
Wholesomeness - DISLIKES
Hazards to health
Anything sordid
Sloppy workers
Squalor
Being uncertain
Wednesday 12 August 2009
Adventures of Pregnancy - 37 weeks, 4 days
So, I'm still pregnant... although sometimes it feels like the baby is going to burst through my skin at anytime. Things are getting a bit snug in there.
I had my 37 week prenatal appointment yesterday. My blood pressure is up a bit for me... 130/84 (I think that is a personal high for me). My urine was just urine... no glucose, no protein, no other ickies. And most importantly, the baby's head is in the dive position...
I tested positive for Group B Streptococcus which is pretty scary when I look at the worst case scenarios (isn't the Internet grand). What it means in reality is that when I go into labour, I get to have an antibiotic I.V. every 4 hours until delivery. I'm sure that will trigger a FANTASTIC yeast infection. Oh goodie.... something else to look forward to...
I'm sleeping through the night for the most part, maybe one bathroom break a night. The little guy seems to have dropped and is giving my ribs a bit of rest between that and the nights are cooler, makes for better sleep all around. I seem to be having a bit of a burst of energy as a result...
I've tackled the lime/calcium stains in my toilet... peeled some wallpaper from the spare room... folded all the baby clothing.... I want to strip the dresser for the baby's room but I'm wondering if that is too big of a job... Cory hates stripping paint so if I start that job, he'll be bitter if I don't finish it...
Well... I want to go tackle something on my list... back later
I had my 37 week prenatal appointment yesterday. My blood pressure is up a bit for me... 130/84 (I think that is a personal high for me). My urine was just urine... no glucose, no protein, no other ickies. And most importantly, the baby's head is in the dive position...
I tested positive for Group B Streptococcus which is pretty scary when I look at the worst case scenarios (isn't the Internet grand). What it means in reality is that when I go into labour, I get to have an antibiotic I.V. every 4 hours until delivery. I'm sure that will trigger a FANTASTIC yeast infection. Oh goodie.... something else to look forward to...
I'm sleeping through the night for the most part, maybe one bathroom break a night. The little guy seems to have dropped and is giving my ribs a bit of rest between that and the nights are cooler, makes for better sleep all around. I seem to be having a bit of a burst of energy as a result...
I've tackled the lime/calcium stains in my toilet... peeled some wallpaper from the spare room... folded all the baby clothing.... I want to strip the dresser for the baby's room but I'm wondering if that is too big of a job... Cory hates stripping paint so if I start that job, he'll be bitter if I don't finish it...
Well... I want to go tackle something on my list... back later
Friday 7 August 2009
Adventures in Pregnancy - 36 weeks, 6 days
Greetings from Maternity Leave... I was scheduled to start my leave on August 24 but hindsight being 20-20, I was a bit on the optimistic side when I pulled that date. Not sleeping well, early mornings and 30+ celcius weather took the joy out of being awake, so August 4th was my last day worked...
Now I'm at home... I have a mental list of a billion things I would like to be doing around the house and the energy to fold 2 towels in 2 days. I lay in bed and list off the things I could be doing instead... then I get up and realize I'm not physically prepared to even write the list much less tick items off a list. Then I lay back down, in front of the fan and read until I fall back to sleep.
I think I managed to find a perfect description of the physical limitations of being 8-9 months pregnant... it actually describes the last few months... it's like someone has tied a board to my stomach that covers from my breasts to my pelvis and used an elastic bandage to hold it in place, wrapping around my back from shoulder blades to tail bone... it makes bending over or any activity that would result in a condensed midsection to be... let's call it "uncomfortable"... it's not impossible to bend over but the lack of ability to breath makes it a challenge. I'm really looking forward to having my lungs back...
Being home is interesting. I'm noticing things I didn't have time to notice before. My next door neighbour had a property dispute with his neighbour and as a result he has torn down his "garage/shed". This garage/shed blocked our house from the main road. Now we have road noise and the other neighbour's daycare noise... the day care noise almost put me over the edge today. The herd of kids actually screamed for 4 hours straight... it reminded me how much I dislike kids... well other peoples kids I guess... or maybe just herds of kids... what have I gotten myself into?!?!?!
3 weeks and 1 day (ish) until I contribute to the noise pollution in my neighbourhood...
Now I'm at home... I have a mental list of a billion things I would like to be doing around the house and the energy to fold 2 towels in 2 days. I lay in bed and list off the things I could be doing instead... then I get up and realize I'm not physically prepared to even write the list much less tick items off a list. Then I lay back down, in front of the fan and read until I fall back to sleep.
I think I managed to find a perfect description of the physical limitations of being 8-9 months pregnant... it actually describes the last few months... it's like someone has tied a board to my stomach that covers from my breasts to my pelvis and used an elastic bandage to hold it in place, wrapping around my back from shoulder blades to tail bone... it makes bending over or any activity that would result in a condensed midsection to be... let's call it "uncomfortable"... it's not impossible to bend over but the lack of ability to breath makes it a challenge. I'm really looking forward to having my lungs back...
Being home is interesting. I'm noticing things I didn't have time to notice before. My next door neighbour had a property dispute with his neighbour and as a result he has torn down his "garage/shed". This garage/shed blocked our house from the main road. Now we have road noise and the other neighbour's daycare noise... the day care noise almost put me over the edge today. The herd of kids actually screamed for 4 hours straight... it reminded me how much I dislike kids... well other peoples kids I guess... or maybe just herds of kids... what have I gotten myself into?!?!?!
3 weeks and 1 day (ish) until I contribute to the noise pollution in my neighbourhood...
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