one week and counting

It's the home stretch folks and I am READY... this is my last week of work. I saved my vacation time to use all in July so that I could start mat leave a little early, in hopes of having a few weeks of relax time before baby comes. NOW... I'm hoping the baby decides to come sooner than later.

I. am. so. uncomfortable.

I know it may seem like I'm just being whiny because I'm getting big and it's getting hot and blah blah blah. But I was definitely not THIS uncomfortable, tired, etc. when I was preggers with Jane.

Sorry for being M.I.A last week - I hope to get more consistent once I'm off work. It's a little difficult sometimes to be 35 weeks pregnant, raising an energetic three year old, working full time, running a side-business and writing a daily blog... sometimes. :p

Had my docs appt last Thursday AM and it wasn't ideal. My platelets dropped again, from 112 to 106. So I was sent right away to get blood work done again to check my levels and also to check a bazillion other things to make sure my low platelets weren't due to something more concerning that just your standard gestational thromocytopenia. My doc seemed a little concerned so I joked "induce me now!"... to which her response surprised me... she said that might just be an option if my platelets continued to drop. WHAT?

OK. I will admit, the thought was very exciting to me and did make me happy... at first. Then, I realized, it would probably be less than ideal to be induced early and that it's probably not what's best for me or baby - unless, of course, the benefits outweigh the risks. I chatted with a few doc friends of mine and, apparently, they would induce me early (if my platelets kept dropping) to avoid potential complications. If my numbers drop below 80, they can't give me any anesthetics... which lets just face it. WOULD SUCK. Aside from the pain, I'm a fan of epis FOR ME because it made my first delivery less dramatic, stressful, exhausting, etc. on mommy (and baby for that matter)... If my numbers drop below 50, that's when there's a high risk to me and baby of more serious (bleeding) complications. So, they'd induce to avoid all that.

However, my doc called this AM (which was a relief as I was nervous I'd have to wait until my appt on Thursday to get the update) to let me know that my most recent tests showed my platelets were stabilized for now, at 109. SO, she's sending me to see anesthesia so that we can have a plan in place in case things go awry but I don't have to see hematology yet - who would be putting a plan together (drug wise) to try to get my numbers back up. SO, no drug intervention yet and hopefully I can butter the pain-killing docs into not being ridiculous and giving me the epi... otherwise, I've requested with my doc that I be allowed to bring two bottles of shiraz into the delivery room with me as I figure this will be more effective that (1) nothing (2) the useless gas crap.

On a brighter note (not), I think the baby is dropping. It's brighter in that, I can breathe a little better and crappier in that it feels like my lower belly is going to crack open. I literally couldn't walk from my car to a restaurant today at lunch because I was so crampy. Now my back is killing me and I have so much pressure stretching from my lower back to the underside of my belly. It's a dream. I ran into a friend today who is two weeks further along than me. She looked rested, awake, happy, comfortable, just perfectly pregnant. I was grumpy, uncomfortable, hunched over, zonkered and ready to die. Fantastic.

With all that said, I have a friend who was due last Thursday and is still pregnant... so, all my complaining aside, I'm glad I'm not there. Yet.

Come 37-38 weeks, it's operation get bun out of oven all over again and I'm willing to do anything to ensure I'm not late again. My POA includes sex every other night, as many aggressive membrane sweeps as I can convince my doc to give me, spicy food out the wazoo, taking up jogging, and if I have to play with my nipples 24/7, I'll do it. Just don't judge me when you run into me at the grocery store... :p

Alright, I'm roastin'... Will keep you updated on all my complaints, annoying symptoms and whinings as they occur. :p Your welcome.