So... here's the truth:
Physically
- I have been going to acupuncture every day this week - partly to help keep things moving along down there, and partly to help me relax and be able to sleep better before the baby comes. It has definitely helped with the sleeping (and the carpal tunnel symptoms). I will find out at tomorrow's weekly check-up whether or not there has been any more progress in terms of cervical thinning and/or dilation.
- I'm pretty much having contractions around the clock now, but they are all over the map as far as duration, frequency, and intensity/pain. Sometimes I feel like I'm on the "one per hour" plan. Other times, they've been regular enough for me to start timing them again. Some are just tightening. Others include some level of pain - kind of like menstrual cramps. A few have gotten pretty fierce. But again, nothing consistent. These last couple of days especially, there is a constant, heavy, achy sensation in my pelvic region.
- I'm tired. Not just sleepy tired (as I mentioned - I've actually gotten decent sleep this week thanks to the acupuncture), but like bone-tired. Last night, I went to bed shortly after 9:00 and this morning, I reset my alarm 3 times before finally getting up at 8:00 (needless to say I was a bit late getting to work!). By 10:30 this morning, I was ready for a nap. At my acupuncture appointment this afternoon, I was out cold for the entire session. It is now 6:00 and I just want to crawl into bed and sleep.
- I am crabby and impatient and restless. My poor husband came home the other night from his weekly department training and I ambushed him and picked a fight over a bunch of silly, trivial things. In a matter of minutes I went from whiny to sarcastic to overly dramatic to crying and apologetic. I'm pretty sure he just stood there, staring at me in horror, and thinking "Oh great. I woke the beast. How do I put it back to sleep???"
- I am excited but anxious. I'm not really worried about labor and delivery - since I have no idea what will happen or how I will react, I figure there's not much point in worrying at this point. I am more so anxious about the logistics of it all:
- When will I go into labor?
- Will I be at home or at work (work is across the street from the hospital...)?
- Will it be a day that Paul is on shift or will he be home?
- If he is on shift, will he be able to leave right away (if they have enough people on that day) or will he have to wait for someone to come in for him?
- Will the weather be bad?
- Will traffic be bad?
- Will it be during the day or night?
- Will my water break on its own?
- As much as I don't want to have to be induced, I can see where it might be considered a perk to know when (and where) things will happen!
- I am a little bit... melancholy. I'm not really sure why. Last night I was laying in bed and Paul asked if I was okay. I said I felt sad. But for no good reason. Is there such a thing as having the baby blues before the baby is born? It isn't overwhelming or overly concerning to me, but it does just seem strange.
In response to your comment on my blog - I am very lucky to be done with work! I was trying to make it through tomorrow (due date is Saturday), but with the bathroom situation (all the way across the school, ugh), the amount of time I spend in my feet while teaching, the amount of heavy materials I move around in a given day of teaching, and my growing anxiety about my water breaking in front of a class of 25 kiddos, it seemed like the best choice. My husband was totally on board because I have been overly emotional and haven't been able to do a lot of things that I normally do! Now I can focus on home a little. With my husband's work schedule, he can't help with much around here right now. I am the grocery shopper, cook, lunch packer (for both of us - poor husband just got his first homemade lunch this morning after 2 weeks of me not sending anything with him to work!), laundry doer, general cleaner upper, social organizer...and our poor home is suffereing right now! Not a good feeling with a baby on the way any moment! I have the kitchen mostly under control now. And I am trying to do one load of laundry a day until the baby comes (we have a TON of laundry to get through, ugh! Thankfully all the baby stuff is washed and put away!). I forget what you do for a job...are you at least able to sit when you need to?
ReplyDeleteI'll be thinking of you and checking in! I am making a lot of soups to freeze, a few pasta dishes (stuffed shells, gluten free lasagna roll-ups), and frittata. So far, that's it. Hang in there...not much longer for either of us now!!