Inducing Labor

HEY! It's FRIDAY, time for the weekend once again! This weekend is filled with furniture shopping, a graduation party, and bridal shower. FUN stuff!

Sunday we went to the zoo because it was $5 day. Usually it's $24 a person, crazy right? This creature below is an Alligator Turtle pressing itself up against the glass of his water home.

Thursday was our 38wk doctor appointment. They start doing internal exams now to see if I'm progressing towards labor. I haven't progressed much at all. Doc said I was "maybe" 50% effaced (thinned out) and 0cm dilated (completely closed). We were told if there is 0 progress by next week's appointment then we will start looking at inducing labor. This got me thinking. What are ways I can try and induce labor myself, without any medical interventions? I’m definitely not trying to get Sophia to make an appearance early…I mean I STILL have to move my life into a new house! I just love to read different ways people try to induce labor. I don’t think I believe in any of these because I feel like the baby will come when baby wants to come out. These are my findings after much internet searching.

-Sex. This was right out of the doctor’s mouth and what he believes to be the only one to actually work. Semen has Prostagladins, which play a tole in the natural initiation of labor.

-Castor Oil. Said to also have Prostagladins.

-Walking. I do enough walking as it is.

-Raspberry loose leaf tea.

-Pineapple. I think I've eaten a lot of pineapple throughout this pregnancy already, but I'll def get some on my next grocery store trip.

-Spicy food.

-Eggplant Parmigiana. Yes this recipe claims it has induced labor of about 300 pregnant women. http://www.scalinis.com/Bambino.htm

-Prune juice. Doesn't prune juice make you do to the bathroom?!

-Eating macaroni and cheese with A1 sauce. I have no idea...

-Nipple stimulation.

-Walking up and down stairs.

-Sitting on an exercise ball and bouncing (gently)

I'll let you know if I try any of these methods and we will see if there is any progress by next Thursday.

Weekly Report

How far along? 38 Weeks.. 13 days left until due date!!!!

Total weight gain/loss:? I'm stuck between 28-30 lbs. I lost 2 lbs from last week which puts me back at 28lbs. I REALLY don't know how. The past 2 weeks my appetite has been out.of.control. I eat A LOT! :) Mostly "healthy" foods but still some junk foods, ie: cookies, brownies, ice cream, potato chips.

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: Ehhh, it's been OK. Not really any major complaints. My hips start hurting in the middle of the night from sleeping on my side. I have to switch from my right and left quite a few days throughout the night. Plus getting up about 2 times to pee. But hey...I'm still getting enough sleep.

Best moment this week: Going to our new home and seeing it completely empty and ready to move in. It made the interior designer in me go crazy with ideas. We are currently STILL waiting on the appraisal to be approved by the lender. We SHOULD close by Monday...please please please.

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: Cravings have been everywhere this week. On Monday I was craving Ramen Noodles. haha So, of course I went to the store and bought some. Did you know they were only $0.99 for a 6-pack?! CRAZAY! But, there are still 5 packs left and they no longer sound good. Anyone want some Ramen noodles? ;) Some other random cravings this week: Tuna salad with jalapenos, Greek salad, potato chips dipped in sour cream.

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: Cuddle time with the hubby when I go to sleep. I'm too hot and I surround myself with 4 pillows trying to get comfortable.

What I am looking forward to: Next week's doc appointment!

Weekly Wisdom: Who in their right mind watches Soap Operas? When I'm home during the day they usually come on the TV at 1:00 after the Today shows. I have to change the channel immediately, because just the background noise of them is cheesy.

Sophia's growing: The last bits of vernix caseosa (the white goo keeping her skin moist) and lanugo (downy hair) are slowly shedding into my amniotic fluid. Her head is about the same circumference as her abdomen, and her head could be covered in an inch or so of hair.

Bump in the road

HEY!

This week my fitness routine hit a bump in the road. My dog, Rome, chewed up my Nike+ sensor on my shoe. Such a downer because I use it for my walks to make sure I get in so many miles/time per week. Before I had the Nike+ I used an iPhone app but it's just not the same. I LOVE the Nike+ and will have to get a new one ASAP. You can see the little booger in the background of the pic.

Even though I was sad about the sensor, I still got in my 5 walks this week. It's so freeeeaking hot outside, I have to take my walks around 9-10am before it gets too hot. But even at that time I come back drenched in sweat. I drink about a gallon of water everyday to keep hydrated. That's the key!

I wonder if people look at me funny with my big belly walking 2 dogs in this heat. :) Oh well. FYI: I do wear a shirt when I go on my walks, I just had to take it off once I got back inside because it was too hot and felt like it was strangling me. I told you I don't like to wear clothes...right?

Weekly Report

How far along? 37 Weeks..19 days left until due date!!!!

Total weight gain/loss:? I can't.stop.eating. I've officially hit 30 lbs. :o

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: I wake up about 2 times per night to either pee or change positions. Angelo has had a harder time sleeping than I have. Maybe it's time for a new & bigger bed! :)

Best moment this week: Found out our house loan was approved. Now a couple more details (like the appraisal) need to be ironed out and we should be go-to-go! I also bought my baby monitor this week! Funny how simple baby things like that make me excited. :)

Movement: Yep, all up in my right rib.

Food cravings: On Wednesday I was craving a Milkshake...that's about it.

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: I just want beer or glass of wine....haha pathetic I know.

What I am looking forward to: MOVING! Fingers crossed that by the next time I post I will be moving!

Weekly Wisdom: I've learned a big lesson in patience this week. “He that can have Patience, can have what he will” Once I started to have patience with the house situation and a few other things, they just started to fall into place.

Sophia's growing: I am full-term (yay!) and Sophia is gaining about 1/2 ounce a day and getting her first sticky poop (called meconium) ready. (yuck) She's also brushing up on skills for the outside world: blinking, sucking, inhaling, exhaling, and gripping (she's getting strong!). Wow, she is about the size of a freaking watermelon now!!

Simple things become complicated

Putting on underwear, pants, shorts, etc. takes some good balance! Actually putting on any clothing is a challenge. I just don’t like wearing clothes these days.

To switch the clothes from the washer to the dryer, I have to turn to the side and lean over into the washer without squishing my belly. A nice sideways lean J

While getting catch in the rain may never be “simple”, trying to run without slipping in my wet flip flops while hold my purse and umbrella was quite the task.

To pick up ANYTHING off the floor I need to take a deep breath before attempting to bend over and another deep breathe when I get back up. OR I can do a squat/lunge without having to bend over at the waist. OR I just stare at the object for a few minutes and wait for someone else to pick it up. :p

Getting out of bed after laying down all night requires a “roll” movement. Then, once I stand up, my feet feel like they’re about to burst. Weird feeling all around.

Weekly Report

How far along? 36 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:? A total of 28 lbs! Yikes (I'm hoping to stay under the 35 lb limit) I can really tell I've gained weight in my legs these past couple of weeks. My appetite is in full swing :-/

Maternity clothes? I'm deleting this question. I have bought 2 maternity shirts, 1 maternity dress, and 1 pair of maternity jeans this whole pregnancy. I have yet to wear the 2 maternity shirts because they make me feel like I'm wearing a tent. I refuse to buy any more maternity clothes at this point with only 3 more weeks to go. Screw you maternity clothes..you suck! :)

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: It's been good! No complaints this past week.

Best moment this week: I took a breastfeeding class on Tuesday which was really interesting and informative! I treated myself to a Chic-fila milkshake on the way home :)

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: Hmm nothing really...I think I could of eaten an entire bag of CapeCod Cheddar & Sour Cream chips the other day though.

Gender: Girl

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: Cracking my back...

What I am looking forward to: Getting Sophia's room put together!!! It's absolutely KILLING me that I cannot do this yet because of the house situation.

Weekly Wisdom: I TRULY enjoy and cherish every moment I get to spend with just my husband these days. I know there is only a few more weeks until our lives are drastically changed and there will be 3 of us instead of just the 2 of us. Snuggling on the couch watching movies with my hubs is a favorite of mine these days <3

Sophia's growing: Her skin is getting smooth and soft, her gums are rigid, her liver and kidneys are in working order, and her circulation and immune system are basically good to go. Her lungs are the only organs that still need to fully mature, but every day she gets a little closer to breathing on her own.

Time is flying!

This week has been uneventful, as probably will the next couple weeks until Sophia makes her arrival. Without having a job to report to in the mornings, I feel like I'm on summer break from college, which has actually been really nice! Everyone needs a break sometimes, right? The weeks have been going by really fast! I kind of lose track of the week and before I know it, it's the weekend!!! The other day Angelo came home from work and asked what I had been doing all day. My response: "Well I flossed my teeth." hahaha I actually do get a lot of house work done most of the time and been working on cleaning out our office turned junk room. I really wish I could be packing everything up to move but unfortunately that has been moved back. We have a new deadline so if it doesn't happen within the next week or so then we're going to scrap the whole thing, stay in our house that we live in now, and then begin looking again at the beginning of next year. We basically told them if it doesn't happen by a certain date then we quit. There's no way I will be able to start moving a week before my due date...aint happening. Well, I REALLY hope not!

I was supposed to be going to Ohio this week for my cousin's wedding. The doctor said flying was fine until I'm 36 weeks. Well, Monday I'll be 36 weeks and flying gives me anxiety so I decided to stay in Florida. :( I really wish I could of gone because I haven't been to see my family in Ohio in years! And I really wanted to bring Angelo. But oh well...Florida is always fun right? Speaking of Florida...aren't we considered the Sunshine State? There's been maybe 3 minutes of sunshine the past few days.

Weekly Report

How far along? 35 Weeks...33 more days to go, Whoop whoop!

Total weight gain/loss:? This is an every other week question. TBD on Wednesday

Maternity clothes? Nope...lol Maybe i'll bust out the maternity shirts this weekend.

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: This week has been back n forth. The dogs have really disturbed my sleep this week. It's been raining a lot so they haven't had much outside time. This means they are extra hyper at night.... :-/

Best moment this week: I had lunch with my daddio which is always a pleasure. Father-daughter time <3

Movement: Yep

Food cravings: I'm back to my gummy craving!!! I want gummy bears, fruit snacks, gummy worms, etc. all.the.time.

Gender: Girlfriend

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: A nice cold beer :)

What I am looking forward to: I'm buying my breast-pump this week! haha

Weekly Wisdom: "If you see a friend without a smile; give him one of yours." Proverb.

Sophia's growing: From now on, Sophia's growth is mostly in the plumping up department -- though she won't get much longer, she'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. (She's about 15 percent right now and will be about 30 percent by full-term.) Her hearing is totally developed (tip: baby responds best to higher pitches).

1st week on my new job

So this week has been interesting. I haven't gone without having a job since I was 15 years old. And now, I have no job to report to every morning at 6:30am. It's been really weird. I've gotten myself into some sort of routine. I still wake up early out of habit, usually around 7:30am, eat breakfast and watch a little bit of the Today show. Then I take the doggies on our daily walks. That's pretty much it! The rest of the days are filled with random errands, chores, meeting up with friends, etc. The worst part of this week has been signing an extension on our house agreement. Closing day was supposed to be on June 30th, which has come and gone. The extension we signed stated July29th as the absolute last day or the contract is off. They said we could get an answer as early as tomorrow, but basically it's just a big waiting game right now. NO LIKELY. It's getting frustrating just because I thought this time off of work was going to be spent packing up our house and moving.

On a happier note, this weekend is July 4th celebration! Not only is it a celebration for FREEDOM but it's my husby's birthday! We're going to spend a day at the beach (weather permitting...it's been really crappy & gloomy outside) and then have a birthday bbq with fireworks at a friend's house on Monday. Good times with friends & family. :)

Weekly Report

How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:? Gained 3 lbs since my last doc appt

Maternity clothes? None this week

Stretch marks? No change

Sleep: The only time I'm comfortable is when I'm laying on my side in bed.

Best moment this week: Hearing Sophia's strong heart beat on Wednesday and getting to snuggle with my puppies all week.

Movement: Yes, esp at night time.

Food cravings: This week I've really been into Ginger Ale. And I've had about 4 pieces of cake since Wednesday. :/

Gender: A little princess

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Flat like a pancake.

What I miss: I miss my conversations with my coworkers and just being able to MOVE!

What I am looking forward to: This weekend!

Weekly Wisdom: A cake should not be left in the same house as a pregnant lady.

Milestones: Today is July 1st! I can officially say "I'm due next month!"