Baby Bean Update: 33 Weeks

Let's face it. I'm not that fabulous mom-to-be who is going to get up each morning and get dressed to run my one errand before cleaning the house, snap a photo of the cute dress I wore for 25 minutes, and write a post about it. Nope. I'm the mom-to-be (and current mom of a 3-year-old) that wears yoga pants and my husband's t-shirts most days because my toddler doesn't care as long as I get on the floor and play with her. I'm lucky if I can get up when we're done (I usually sit against the sofa for the back support and to have something as a crutch to help me up). I look forward to the weekends because I honestly feel like I have a reason to put in the effort to look cute. And for church this morning, I promise I looked a lot cuter than I do right now.

Right now, exhibit A: Same dress I wore to church, sans shoes, make-up, contacts, and jewelry. Add a dash of contractions and pelvic floor pain with excruciating back pain and this is what we have.

dress: Motherhood

So, we're 33 weeks and 1 day into this little game and one of the other pregnant ladies at church this morning said, "Looks like you had a growth spurt over the last week just like I did!" For the first time, I wasn't offended with someone commenting on my size. I feel like a flipping house. And my body feels like a house that's slowly being broken down.

At 33 weeks pregnant with Bean, I am exhausted, having new back pains (higher up in the rib area), tense, have balloon feet and cankles, want to drink 8 gallons of water a day, still can't eat enough watermelon (and now, cantaloupe), have gained a whopping 20 lbs (UGH... so upset about that), have wonderful blood pressure, am having contractions almost every day that scare me to death, can barely reach my toes to paint them, have a hard time sleeping, and still haven't painted the nursery. 

Bean and I also had a big scare on Friday (32 weeks, 6 days). It started Thursday night when I was having some contractions that were less uncomfortable and more painful that my usual Braxton Hicks. I took it really easy and even propped my feet up at bible study (those girls take care of me). When I got home, I was having quite a bit of pain and went straight to bed after drinking a huge hospital mug of water (30 oz). I woke up the next morning with really bad pain in my pelvis and my inner thighs. It all felt like bone pain... very strange. I took it easy Friday morning, but each time I got up to do something like fold laundry or do dishes, I started feeling the contractions, again. I finally decided to call my OB after 4 painful contractions in an hour. She ordered me to go to the hospital and check into Labor and Delivery triage. So, I packed a small bag for S and I, called my husband, and we all met at the hospital. I was crying the entire time I was trying to find a parking space because I was afraid I was in preterm labor. After 5 hours of observation, my midwife concluded that my contractions were coming, but they weren't strong and weren't causing me to dilate at all. We had an ultrasound and Bean looks good, her fluid is perfect, and guess what... She's not breech anymore. Maybe a lot of the pains I was having were due to her flipping around. 

Anyway, I'm supposed to take it easy, keep my feet propped up, and of course call if I have any other symptoms. I really have been doing just about nothing and once again, my house is getting into a state that I highly dislike. But for Bean's and my health, I really do have to just suck it up right now. If you read my VBAC vs. Repeat C-Section dilemma, it was made even more confusing after discussing the option with my midwife on Friday. And honestly, the more I read, the more stressed out I get. I watched "The Business of Being Born," as suggested by some moms I talk to in a facebook group. That was of no help, because hardly anyone (if anyone at all) in the documentary was having a VBAC. And the risks of both types of birth weigh equally in my mind. But the one thing I keep reading everywhere is that if the reason for cesarean in your previous pregnancy is still a factor, your chances of a successful VBAC are much lower. Well, I think failure to progress and not being able to deliver a 7 lb. 5 oz. baby are still factors. So, here's the big verdict that husband and I have come to agree on:

If I go into spontaneous labor before my scheduled c-section date, I will try for a VBAC. If I do not go into labor before my scheduled date, we'll continue with our prior plan for a repeat c-section.

Don't forget! The Bitty Bug Designs Giveaway over at My Ramblings ends TOMORROW. Get your entries in!!!