Pregnancy Update - Packed and Ready

So I decided to do my final update on the third trimester before I deliver.  I have been debating on when to do this post because every day I feel like I could go into labor that day... well I haven't gone into full fledged labor yet, so I figured I might as well go ahead and post while I feel up to it. 

Right now we are playing the waiting game... I am 38 weeks and 5 days today.  Who would've thought that I'd make it this far after going into preterm labor at 33 weeks?? Well my due date is on the 20th, but we have our next doctor's appointment on Tuesday.  I will be 39 weeks at that point and my doctor says that we can induce on either Wednesday or Thursday (hoping for Wednesday), if he's not here by then (hoping even more that he will come before my doctor's appointment).  I know a lot of you are going to say "no Amy, don't induce, it's horrible, you have long labor, you want to wait for him to come by himself, you will probably have to get  c-section if you induce, dot dot dot"... Well, I hate to say this, but it's my decision and I've already made up my mind... I have read so many negative things about getting induced, but I've heard lots of positives also.  If you've been pregnant before you may understand how I'm feeling right now... I am SOOO ready.  At my last appointment I was almost 3 cm dilated already so my doctor told me that if I were to be induced it should WORK pretty quickly since my body has already dilated to 3 by itself.  Who knows, I may be even more dilated by the time I go in to be induced.  I know a lot of people keep telling me "you say you're ready now, but you'll be wishing he were still in you when he comes"... Hopefully I'm not wrong but, I'm pretty sure that I would rather be tired and not getting any sleep from having a newborn, than tired and not getting any sleep because I'm in pain... but that's just me thinking here, I could be wrong.

Ok more of the update:
How I feel:
Well most of the third trimester I have been on bedrest, but felt pretty good! They say that the third trimester is usually as bad as the first, but it hasn't been too bad for me... other than preterm labor, everything else seemed to go pretty smooth.  That is, until the last couple of weeks... ugh! I am miserable!  I try not to complain TOO much, but I know Chance gets his earful of it.  The main thing is that my back has been KILLING me!  It hurts no matter what I do; stand, sit, lay down... it just plain hurts! Doctors say it's mostly because your hip bones are opening up to get ready for delivery.  Well, last Tuesday night my back hurt so bad that I was up every 30 minutes during the night walking around the room in the dark trying to get the pain to go away!  I was also getting really bad cramps in my stomach, which I would have thought were contractions, but they were lasting for like 5 to 10 minutes at a time (contractions are supposed to only be about a minute during active labor), then they would go away for about an hour and come back... I was MISERABLE! And poor Chance didn't get any sleep that night either because I was moaning and groaning, walking around, getting in and out of bed... I felt so bad for him!  The next day I went for a LONG walk and the pain eased up some, then started to come back, but it never got back to the pain I felt during the night.  I called my doctor just in case and they told me to come in.  My GREAT friend Martha came and picked me up and went to my appointment with me.  They hooked me up to the stress monitors to see if I was having contractions, and I was, but they weren't very strong contractions.  They had me hooked up for about 20 minutes and I had about 4 or 5 small contractions during that time (which I couldn't even feel).  They said the back pain was most likely labor pains.  They checked me and I hadn't dilated any more so they said I was good to go home.  Pregnancy is so confusing!

At this point in my pregnancy I am having continuous back pain; it hurts my stomach to bend down and tie my shoes or even try to put socks and shoes on; my hands, ankles, feet, legs, and pretty much everything gets swollen about 50 times a day; I get cramps in my lower abdomen (that apparently aren't contractions); I get shooting pains in my wahoo because the baby's head is so low and hitting my pelvis and nerves down there; and I feel like an emotional wreck (although I have kept my tears in and I've only cried maybe once during this trimester and it was just a little pout I promise!)!!!

Not trying to scare anyone who is pregnant or anything... but gosh this last part is uncomfortable!!!!


Body:
Well, my tummy just keeps getting bigger and bigger!!! I'm pretty sure that's the only thing that keeps changing other than the swelling. 

A few more pics:

34 1/2 weeks

36 weeks

37 weeks

I didn't take a picture for 38 weeks, but I will make sure to take one for 39 if I make it to Monday, and of course I'll take a picture on the day I go into labor (whether it's before Monday or after). 

Best moment:
hmm... this is a hard one... this may be a little weird, but hearing the doctors say they can feel his head was kind of a great moment... I knew that he was lodged head-down and ready to go at that point.  The doctors told me that because of how low he is, it is not likely that he will move out of position and become breached.  That was VERY EXCITING to hear.


Packed and Ready:

Well, I figured I would also let you guys know that we have been packed an ready pretty much since I went into preterm labor at 33 weeks... I have changed out a few things here and there or added some things that I hadn't thought of, but we have BEEN ready.

Caycen's diaper bag

I will give you the overview of what we packed for the hospital:

We made sure to pack his door hanger and a paint pen to write with (this will hang on the outside of the door at the hospital), his baby book to do his foot prints, some baby wipes, diapers, and a burp cloth.  I know that I may not use the wipes, diapers, or cloth, because they give you this stuff at the hospital, but I want it in there just in case.

CLOTHES- everyone loves baby clothes!!! Well we have an outfit for his first picture, an outfit for taking him home, and another one just because I might use it.  Of course we have some socks and a couple of little beanies (Chance's cousin actually made the green and blue one for us! Isn't she talented???).

And we have a receiving blanket and a little passy (which he might not use, but another just in case). 

 Now for what we packed:

In the big suitcase we have our clothes.  We packed Chance a couple of outfits, some comfy shorts and t-shirts to sleep in, and some underwear.  For myself there are some comfy t-shirts, tank tops, shorts, a going home outfit, nursing bras, underwear, and slippers. 





This is our toiletry bag... we packed travel sized shampoo and body wash, face wipes, nursing bra pads, nipple butter (haha), toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair ties and bobby pins, deodorant, phone charger, and anything else that may be needed to keep ourselves clean :)

We have the boppy pillow in the car already, which will be used for nursing. 

I may even bring one of my own pillows to sleep with.

And of course we have the camera packed so we can take TONS of pictures!!!!! I wonder who is going to be shooting these pics for me...  We will be bringing our camcorder also, but haven't decided if we will use it yet.

Well, I think that's about all we packed... hope I'm not forgetting anything!

I hope you enjoyed my pregnancy update and packing list... feel free to leave comments and advice! I'm hoping my next post will be my delivery story!!!

Love y'all!~Aimes