I want to remember the last few days before Grace arrived. I stopped working on Tuesday, March 6th. The next few days were filled with doctor and dentist appointments, lunch dates, and errand running. I got a little scrapbooking in and modge podged some wooden letters for Atticus’ new room. My to-do list was pretty much complete.
As far as the pregnancy itself, I don’t know if I’ve said on this blog that Vic and I had decided we wanted to do a VBAC, vaginal birth after cesarean, delivery. Many doctors do not allow this and will only schedule c-sections once you have had a c-section. However, assuming the VBAC is successful, it really is the lowest risk way to deliver and the most healthy for my body and the baby. Fortunately, my doctor allows this as a possibility assuming there are no other factors that would prohibit a natural birth. So, during my entire pregnancy, I had been hoping things would go well. Compared to Atticus’ pregnancy when my doctor was concerned with pre-eclampsia, this one has been great. My blood pressure had never been high; I never had to re-take glucose tests or protein tests; the baby was not growing so big that I needed extra ultrasounds; I never had any other symptoms that would lead to any concerns. So, for the last few weeks, once I became full-term at 37, I kept hoping that I would go into labor by myself. If so, we could attempt the VBAC. If not in labor by 40 weeks, then they would schedule a c-section to be done, as their protocol is to not go past 40 weeks.
So, at my 39 week appointment on Thursday, March 7th, I was really hoping for news that I was starting to dilate and that it looked like the baby could come any day. Unfortunately, I was effaced to 60-70%, but only dilated to a 1.5 and the baby was not really coming down far yet. So, my doctor decided to go ahead and schedule a c-section and was not sure that I would go into labor on my own before that time. My c-section was scheduled for March 14, 2013 at 7am. I was disheartened and while not wanting to give up, I was nervous because I had not noticed any signs of contractions or feeling differently.
Also – and this is more for my own memory, but the last 2-3 weeks, I was getting miserable. My stomach would be SOOO hard and tight by the day’s end; my bladder hurt from the baby sitting on it; my back would hurt when I lifted Atticus; I was just worn out. By the last few days, I was really to the point of wondering how it was possible for me to still be pregnant. I just knew this baby had to be extra big, although my doctor was thinking he or she would probably be around 7 ½ lbs as of 37 weeks. Vic had really taken over most care for Atticus that included lifting him (bathtime, putting him in his high chair, changing him, etc.)
Also, I had this desire to go into labor on my own so much. I wanted to feel contractions (although I still planned on an epidural at the hospital) and to have my water break on its own and to know what it was like to push and see my baby come out and hold him or her immediately. I felt like that was natural and what my body needed and because it was the least risk, assuming all went well, I really wanted to go through a VBAC. Plus, because we want 3-4 kids, I also know that your body can only take so many c-sections. So, with all of those things in mind, I went to bed on Monday night, just like normal. …
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