And the countdown to meet our sweet Lilah Bear continues! And can I just say that getting from 36 to 37 weeks was quite a ride?!
At 36 weeks and 2 days, Miss Lilah Bear decided to send Mommy on a nice little trip to labor and delivery. That morning I went to work...oh sure, there was a little bit of discomfort but at this stage when is one not uncomfortable? Then, around 8:20, I sort of realized that the discomfort was becoming a wee bit more regular...like 2-3 minutes regular.
I finally got over being stubborn and called the doctor around 9:15. Of course she told me to go straight to labor and delivery. So my sweet friends (and co-workers) took me to the hospital, called Kevin and literally just handled everything! Love my girls :) And four hours later, nothing. Still contracting at 3-5 minutes when we were discharged but NOTHING! But I have to be honest ~ I was kind of glad! I wasn't ready...ready to meet her ~ absolutely...anal compulsive, organized type of ready ~ not at all!
I must say, I LOVE my doctor. Adore her. Trust her. I mean she did cut me open after all! But do you know what she said...she said "No cleaning. I've already been told about this house you want to clean but NO cleaning. No lifting. No exercise. No walking. You have to rehydrate and rest." What?! No cleaning??? Are you kidding? You want me to sit with the possibility that she is coming soon!!!
But I was a good Mommy because my sweet girl is worth every minute of modified bed rest that you put me on. And so for two days, I did a WHOLE lot of sitting. You might have noticed an influx of blog posts during this time ~ because I have to say, daytime tv is not all that exciting!
By the weekend, I had a little more freedom...though someone was still watching me like a hawk. That whole "no lifting" thing includes your toddler! That is TOUGH people. She is so little and precious! So we did a lot of couch cuddling instead of holding. I had a few contractions Saturday evening and a pretty rough set Sunday morning. But still nothing! My little bear is just keeping us on our toes :) I wonder what that means for the teenage years??? Oh dear...let's put that thought on hold...Mommy is not ready to deal!
And so all of that brings us to 37 weeks and 1 day. I made it to full-term!!!!!!! That's what my doctor was hoping for and us too really. Of course we want to meet her desperately. But I want her to be healthy and if she needs to bake, then I will continue dealing with every ounce of discomfort (and constant restroom breaks)!
So at 37 weeks and 1 day, we had a doctor's appointment. Standard check-up. I sort of had an inclination that despite all the contractions, she was going to say I was still 1 cm and 50% effaced. And I was right. Absolutely no change from when we were released from the hospital. Everything was looking great...my weight hadn't changed for the fourth week in a row, but my belly was definitely bigger according to my clothes, so I wasn't worried. However, then came the "look". Brief as it may have been, I knew something didn't quite add up.
The great doctor that I have, she didn't keep us waiting for long. She let us know that Lilah Bear was only measuring between 34 to 35 weeks if she really stretched the measurements. This is the moment my heart sank. For those of you who do not know, Soph was delivered at 38 weeks due to Intrauterine Growth Restriction. But we had been coasting along with this pregnancy with no obvious indicators until this measurement.
Obviously, we have been down this road before and it is scary, but Soph was absolutely perfect and so I knew Lilah would be ok. What I wasn't prepared for was for her to say that she was going to call radiology and get us in for an emergency ultrasound ~ and if she was measuring that far behind we would be delivering via c-section that evening! I'm sorry ~ THAT EVENING!!!!!!! What??? I didn't have my bag, was not mentally prepared, needed to see my SoSo...so many things. I just wasn't ready! And most importantly, I didn't want my sweet Lilah to have to go the NICU like my precious Soph.
But praise the Lord, Lilah was measuring only one week behind according to ultrasound. No big deal! She is perfect and gorgeous! And I love her more than words could ever say!!!
Isn't she precious?! To the moon and back sweet girl ~ Mommy loves you to the moon and back!!!!!!! Always and forever.
