Early bird? Not this time!

These are contractions.

Our little man was rehearsing for his big entrance into the world this week.  I didn't realize it, but I have been having contractions for over a month now.  On Thursday, we went to the hospital because of some concerning symptoms, and when they hooked me up to the contraction monitors, they asked, "You're contracting every two minutes - did you know this?"  I did not, as I thought the mild aches and pains were nothing compared to others I have felt during the pregnancy, and I had not noticed any pattern whatsoever.  I thought the nurse was joking with me for a split second. 

The baby was perfectly healthy and didn't seem to mind the contractions at all - he just continued his usual pattern of moving a lot and taking cat naps.  The doctors gave me two doses of medicine to stop the contractions, and it seemed to slow them down a lot, so they discharged me.

Now that I am home and I know what contractions feel like, I can tell that I am having contractions occassionally, but it is easier to avoid the circumstances that trigger them: walking, going from seated to standing, high heat, standing on hard surfaces for a long time, etc.  I just have to listen to my body more and take evasive action if I feel one start.  It's no big deal to me and the doctors aren't concerned either, but it does slow me down a lot.  I'm not on mandatory bed rest, and the magical fetal fibronectin test showed that baby is firmly snuggled inside and not planning to make his entrance anytime in the next few weeks. 

These next weeks are very important for the baby's development, especially his major organs, his brain, and his chubby cheeks (these are the weeks when the baby plumps up with fat).  It is good to know he'll be able to do that hard work and still be cozy in my belly.

Date Change

Baby is due Oct. 21st

The more I learn about the childbirthing process, the less of a hurry I am in.  An induced labor comes with extra risks I am hoping to avoid, if at all possible.  Many doctors force inductions if you are 7 days late or more.  Up until now, I have been using the ultrasound due dates as my primary guess of when the baby is coming, however, the doctor has been using a later date.  I now think it wiser to use my doctor's date because it gives Baby Boy extra time to be "late" without requiring an induction.  If you would like more information about the risks of doctor intervention and inductions during labor, I highly recommend watching the documentary, "The Business of Being Born", but must caution that the documentary is not approriate for children or the workplace, as it shows some full-monty, reality-of-childbirth stuff.

So, I have changed my ticker above to reflect the doctor's later due date of October 21st.  For all the grandmothers keeping track with their countdown blocks - please make a note of it.  (wink)

Growth and progress!

These past few weeks have been spectacular. They have reminded me how much love there is in our lives and what a wonderful world we're bringing Baby Tebault into. I just celebrated my 32nd birthday, and it was a splendid time. I was surprised by a group of old and dear friends and my fantastic husband, who threw me a surprise dinner party at one of my favorite restaurants. I am so excited to surround Baby Tebault with such wonderful and caring people.

In other news, Baby Tebault has reached new proportions and has perfected the art of kicking Mama in the tummy. They are usually very gentle kicks and lovely reminders of his precious life. I thought I would mind more when I got to this point, but for now I'm savoring every little kick and don't mind the unpleasant side effects while I'm eating.

There is a lot of healthy developing going on, and plenty of signs that Baby Tebault is growing big and strong. There is also plenty of nesting going on, as Pete and I do our best to prepare for all the known and unknown aspects of parenthood. It does feel a little bit like building something in the dark - there's just so much we can't know right now about how it will all turn out and how ready we'll actually be for his arrival!

This weekend, we'll be building the baby's crib (thank you again, Grandpa and Grandma T) and hanging cute little boy clothes on cute little boy hangers (many thanks to the many very stylish folks who have contributed to Little Man Tebault's impressive wardrobe)!