I wanted to let you know the latest scoops on Baby #3, since I know there are some of you wondering. Here’s how things stand:
- On Tuesday, we had our final ultrasound at the hospital, and our final appointment with Dr. S.
- Baby had a perfect biophysical profile once again, and her head is down (although the rest of her is kind of curled over like a comma, so her bum pokes my side as usual).
- We have been officially released back into the care of our midwives, and plan to deliver at the local hospital.
- Dr. S wished us all the best and asked us to visit with the baby if we could, which was very nice.
- I’m not going to miss those appointments, though. An hour’s drive each way, plus SO much waiting. I had a 15-minute ultrasound, and a total of about 10-15 minutes of conversation and checkup with the nurse and the OB, and yet was at the hospital from 9 until after 12. Sigh.
- On Thursday, I saw my midwife and we made a plan, which is a relief. I like plans – inasmuch as you can make one for the arrival of a (non-scheduled-C-section) baby.
- Some lovely stretch-and-sweeps scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday;
- Home-style labour-encouragement methods in the meantime;
- One more ultrasound, local this time, on Wednesday (if baby’s still in there);
- Induction gel for my stubborn cervix on Friday evening (if baby’s still in there);
- Pitocin (synthetic oxytocin to start contractions) at the hospital on Saturday morning, the due date… unless I go into labour on my own. Nobody is keen on me going post-date with a history of stillbirth.
- I’m really glad my midwife will be there, in any of those eventualities – and she’s really excited too. Having been the one to catch my beautiful, still Sebastian, she seems just as eager to see his healthy sister as we are.
- We’re actually hoping I’ll manage to go into labour on Thursday afternoon, since Sean is now into his official apprenticeship classwork, and really can’t afford to miss any shop days. 😛
- If not… my next hope will be to avoid the Pitocin. Been there, done that.
- In any case, the real point is… Baby will be here, in our arms, very soon! It’s the actual home stretch, at this point.
- CAN’T. WAIT. To meet her. Excited beyond words to see her face, snuggle her, nurse her… mother her.
- Can’t wait for E to meet her, too. He’s met three very young babies in the past week (7 weeks old, 4 weeks old, and 11 days old), one of whom was his cousin. He was fascinated by all of them, and really wanted to get close, hug them, be involved somehow. He keeps talking about how they’re “so, so, so cute!” I can imagine this will only be more intense with his own sister. (I might die of cuteness myself.)
- As much as E is looking forward to the arrival, it’s pretty clear he has some subconscious worries. The clingy, mommyish behaviour continues, as well as whininess that we’re doing our best to discourage. I’m trying to give him piles of love and snuggle time, even (or especially) when he’s really irritating. Since that de-escalates him best, I’m guessing he just needs the reassurance. And I already feel bad for how much things are going to change for him, very soon.
- As for my own anxiety factor – and Sean’s too… I’d say it’s receding. We know that if anything were to go wrong at this point, it would have nothing to do with Sebastian – and it’s no more likely for us than for any other family.
- While we wait out these last few days, I am trying to remember to enjoy the pregnancy, in case I don’t do this again. I sometimes forget to luxuriate, since being this big is awkward – heartburn is an issue – bending over is a project – stretch marks have surpassed my expectations – sleeping is not very comfortable – and me getting out of bed in the morning from our mattress-on-the-floor is like a round of slow-motion rhino-tipping in rewind.
- But I do love feeling her move. When I can just lie there and feel that, I’m happy.
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Aw, this is cool – you were not blogging before E was born so we don’t have your record of that lead-up… (though I did take videos of stuff we were doing in the month prior to illustrate pre-baby life! i should show him those.) So it’s nice to have this! The calm before the baby-storm…
I was just talking with K&L (just now!) about how soon the baby will be here, and how much has happened since E was born, and how different things will be this time, and yet how many things will be wow-i-remember-this repeats – tiny tiny baby, sleeping and nursing and diapering, no talking, no walking…and looooots of pictures. I try to picture her and i really can’t. I just get a girl version of E, who basically looks exactly the same. I can’t wait to see what she really looks like! And I am hoping for your genes to have come forth and make a mini-Di this time, to go with mini-hubbibi.
Woo hoo! Let the wild rumpus start!
Yeah, I’m hoping for those genes too… 🙂 Auntie Beth and I are picturing her with dark hair, for some reason…
Wishing you lots of love this week. Glad that baby and momma are doing great. I’m sure that E will be great brother. T dotes on his sister and is her protector. She loves him to pieces too. It’s great to watch the brother/sister relationship develop.
Thank you for this, Tania! I love to hear about brothers and sisters who love each other – that makes me think it’s going to be so much fun.
Thank you so much, for this post I was actually thinking all day today that I should touch base with Sean and make sure everything was going okay. As much as I loved emilys post it did make me wonder if she was posting because something had gone amiss and you could not. I think that you and Sean are so amazing and I’m not sure I would have had the. Courage to
Ale it through another pregnancy if I had been through all that you had with Sebastian. I can hardly hardly wait to hear news of your new babe, see photos and of course hold her! Sending you all love and blessings for a smooth and natural delivery. The next time Ev needs a cuddle give him one from me. Love you all.
Sorry to worry you, Amanda! And thank you for the blessings – I’ll take all the help I can get. 🙂 Lots of love and can’t wait to see you gush over the next fresh baby!
Don’t you be even one bit sorry. I am just an over zealous worry wart LOL!
And there will be gushing. Lots and lots of it! 🙂
I’m so excited for you, too! Can’t wait to meet the little girl!
Went to visit my new premie niece for the first time today (not sure if you’re aware of all the details…can read about it here: http://www.facebook.com/notes/mary-snow-wyga/update-on-the-status-of-my-sister-new-niece/10151160395192591). Really, really makes you grateful for so much. I look at my own baby and my worries are mainly when she’s finally going to adjust to daycare. My sister is dealing with a day to day concerns about survival. I just feel sooooo blessed that I was able to have my hippie home birth and snuggle with my new baby in my own bed a couple hours later.
That being said, I am so glad you’re taking this time to luxuriate! I still can’t fathom what you’ve been through with Sebastian and you truly deserve every happiness with this baby!!
Mary, please pass along my best wishes to your sister and her family. What a heartrending time for all of them… I remember when E was born, I thought about all those babies in the NICU and how I couldn’t even bear having my baby out of my arms, and how hard it must be to NOT cuddle your newborn all the time… and to be on tenterhooks about all her systems staying alive – wow.
Thanks for your good wishes too, and for the support all along. It really helps.
Di, it’s so good to read that much of your worry is past. I have been and will continue to hold the four of you in the Light as little Angry Birds transitions to this world.
Well, it took me four babies to get one with dark hair, and I’d had dark hair all my life! If you get a dark-haired baby on the second try from two parents who were white-blond babies, then the gene pool ain’t all it’s cracked up to be!
You know you’re on my mind all the time, and I’m hoping for it all to go just as you wish. You deserve it!
Actually, we did get one on the second try… though there’s no way to know if the dark hair would have stuck…
Thanks for the good wishes! <3