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March 13, 2002
March 13, 2002
37 1/2 Weeks
I am in utter shock that by Friday, I will finally have my baby in my arms. I am only 37 1/2 weeks along but as I have said since the beginning of this pg, I knew I would never make it all the way to April, in fact, I always predicted I would deliver 2 weeks early and now it looks like I will do exactly that. Here’s what happened...
I had my weekly check-up today and miraculously, I lost a pound. My urine was also normal, which was good since apparently I had spilled protein into my urine last week - not that anyone ever informed me of that fact until today. However, when they took my blood pressure today it was high, or at least what is considered high for me since my BP is usually very low. It was 150/90 which worried the nurse so she said I could just be stressed out and that she would take it again later in the exam. Then the nurse listened to the heartbeat which was fast (she said) and checked the size of my uterus etc., all of which was normal. Then the doctor came in and checked my uterus as well and guessed that the baby is about 6-7 lbs right now. She also gave me an internal and said that I am not dilated at all but that my cervix is about 50% effaced. She then instructed the nurse to check my BP again. The second BP reading was even higher than the first so the nurse told me to lie on my left side for a few minutes and that she’d come back and check it again. After a few minutes, the nurse came back and my took my BP for the third time - but unfortunately the reading had creeped up even a little more. When we went back to talk to the doctor, she asked me what I had been doing all day, if I had been stressed out or running around, etc. I told her the exact truth which was that I had slept late, rested all morning and napped all day on the couch with my feet up. This concerned my doctor because she said that my BP should not be elevated if all I was doing was lying around. She then said that I am now considered at full term, that my baby is big enough to be delivered and that it is simply silly for me to remain pg any longer than I have to and jeopardize my health so the only real solution is to induce me. That is when Charles’ and my jaw just dropped to the floor. Never did we think that they would induce me, I mean, that is something that happened to OTHER pg women, not me. She then asked us if Friday was a good day for us because they had an opening at the hospital. Of course, we told her that Friday was fine (did we have a choice?), and the doctor told us that we would need to come to the hospital Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. At that point they will administer cervidil (sp?) to my cervix to try and start my dilation. I will spend the night in the hospital and then on Friday morning, they will start Pitocin to induce labor. If all goes as planned, I should have the baby by Friday morning or afternoon, which I think is pretty cool, especially since I was a Friday’s child myself.
To answer the obvious question - YES, I am very scared, not of pain but of the whole event in general. It is weird to think that you only have one or two days left before your baby comes, when all along you’ve been thinking you have close to three weeks left. It doesn’t matter to me one way or another, mind you, it’s just bizarre when you have fantasized and imagined it all so differently for so long. I mean, I had always thought we would be like a scene out of a T.V. sitcom, like in I Love Lucy, where Lucy goes to lie down, hugely pg, and then comes out of the bedroom and says “Honey, it’s time.” I at least expected a very painful, labor intensive car ride to the hospital in the late hours of the night. I never thought it would be all so planned like this. I have to say though, it certainly seems easier this way.
Once we left the doctor’s office, we ran a ton of errands (grocery shopping, Target, CVS, Charles’ job), to try and wrap everything up we had left undone. We then decided to go out to dinner, just one last time, as just the two of us. We ate at one of our favorite Asian restaurants called Big Bowl. This is the same restaurant where we ate lunch the day I found out I was pg back in July, so it was sort of special to us. After dinner we went home and watched TV for awhile, then Charles went to bed and now here I am. I couldn’t sleep if I wanted to, I am way too excited and anxious to even think about sleep. I am even a little sad that this is the last real night with my baby still inside me. I know it sounds silly to be sad over something like that, but I can’t help it. Right now this baby is all mine, this time next week I will have to share. :)
Tomorrow will be a pretty eventful day despite the fact that my doctor said I should be resting. If you remember, I had originally planned to have pg belly shots taken in CT but had to cancel due to the photographer’s 104 degree fever. So, I rescheduled with a local photographer and guess when we are supposed to have the pictures done? Tomorrow at 12:00! Nothing like getting stuff done at the eleventh hour, right? Oh well, better late than never. I also had an interview tomorrow scheduled with a pediatrician - I guess now I will just have to hope that I like this practice since I will never get a chance to meet them before the delivery.
One thing that I can’t stop thinking about is the fact that it is so eerie the way life works. If you ever followed my Precon. Diary last year, you will remember that last May my grandmother died. We attended her funeral in Switzerland and then only a month or so later, I became pg. As corny as it may sound, I always believed that my grandmother had something to do with helping me get pg. It’s sort of like she got up to Heaven and put in a personal request with God. What’s even more bizarre is that tomorrow, the day I go to the hospital, is the same date as my grandmother’s birthday, I believe she would have been 89 years old. Though I seriously doubt it will happen, it would mean the world to me if I actually had this baby on her birthday, then I would know without an iota of a doubt that my grandmother was working some kind of magic up there. In that sense, it’s just like they say, one life comes in when another goes out, you know?
Before I go, I just want to say thanks to everyone for their support and prayers during this time, it has been wonderful being on this site and my pregnancy has been incredible, I really couldn’t have asked for much more. You probably won’t hear from me for awhile but I promise to update (or at least have Megan do it) as soon as there is any information worth posting.
All the best and wish me luck,
Corinne and little P. C. Chappelle or C.M. Chappelle
EDD 4-1-02 but true birthday only Grandma knows
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To Our Baby,
I cannot wait to meet you sweetie, I have dreamed of this moment all my life. I will miss you being in my body but your time has finally come and I prefer you be in my arms. Daddy and I have so many great hopes and dreams for you but all we truly want is for you to be healthy and happy. We can’t wait to see what you look like and who you really are. We love you more than anything, we never thought we would finally have you.
We love you so much already,
Mommy & Daddy
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