Our thanksgiving baby has finally arrived!

As early as 9 am of tuesday, my obgyn called me at home to confirm whether I would go for induction this week or not.  Its so hard to make a decision overnight and with that, I asked her if she could give me more time to think about it and promised to call her that same day.  Yea, promises are made to be broken, I called her the next morning not to confirm my induction but to let her know I’ve got bloody show since last night.  “Bloody show,” a pink- or brown-tinged stringy mucus discharge, is a sign that my cervix is dilating and/or effacing. This is a definite signal that Im well on my way toward labor and delivery.  I had minimal contractions that night and as hours passes, its subsiding as well as the spotting. 

As soon as she heard me on the other line of the phone, my obgyn told me to go straight to the hospital as if I saw it running on some movies.  Reluctantly, I asked her if I could still stay at home while waiting for more contractions and the water to break since the hospital might not accept me coz Im not yet on labor.  Im just asking her for again, more options.  You see, Im thinking of some possibilities to stay at home longer while I wait for hubs from office and to pick up my daughter from school.  I also think she’s gearing toward induction when I could wait to naturally go into labor.  Unfortunately, she misunderstood me.  The next thing you’ll about to hear would make you raise your brow.

“Whats your problem Carmela?” my doctor asked me.  I was astound for a moment and explained to her that Ive got nothing against her, that Im just asking her for some options.  She told me that Im asking her things that she couldn’t answer and predict.  For doctors point of view, she had experiences about these kind of things.  Im not expecting her to give me right answers, but the way she answers me is way below my expectancy.  I still have some respect to this kind of people and yet, she answers me in a rude, natural unmannered and unaffected way.  Im going to be on pain for another couple of hours or day or so and yet Im affected on the way she’s dealing with me.  This is not the first time I encountered her rude character, first was the time she was asking for downpayment and installments on my co-payment as part of their regulations to render service with their patients, a procedure we rarely find.  Second time was not giving us another chance for an ultrasound to check again the gender of the baby but later changes her mind and gave us another reason to see our lil angel inside.  The third one was choosing the hospital, she sounded like pushing us to pick the other one instead of the one we picked.  Although she don’t push us to make a decision, the mere fact that she kept on asking the same question as to where Im going to have the baby sounded like she wanted me to change my mind.  Then the deliberation on Monday, then this and now she’d asked me what is my problem.  I have nothing against her nor badmouth about her nomore, you’ll be the judge.

As for me, I cried with my hubs over the phone and told him what had just happened.  Made a few calls to look for another obgyn but its too late.  Nobody would accept me coz Im about to give birth and Im considered high risked for them.  What shall I do?  cooperate with my obgyn since my life and my baby’s life is at her hand too.  This is what I get from choosing a doctor of the same race on another land.  I am very disappointed.  ?But hey, Im about to give birth so I have to set aside my anger and see what she could offer me as what my bro also once told me. 

I gained one pound since last week.  Today, my obgyn checked again my cervix if I was already dilating.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t.  Since Im on full term and ready to go anytime, she asked me again if I would like to go for induction of labor this week.  Me and my husband had talked about this and we already set a date, that is on the 25th–my mom-in-law’s bdate.  Learning that its saturday, my obgyn told me its not possible.  How come I asked of course but she told nothing except that she don’t usually deliver baby on Saturday!  I could only choose between 23rd or 24th.  I asked for several times an acceptable reason why we couldn’t do it on the 25th but I just ended nodding to her foolish behavior and explanations to top it off. 

On the first place, who would know when to go on labor, can she control someone to give birth on saturday?  Since its induction, she reiterated to me that hospital might hold me for pitocin whenever the hospital got too many patients who are ready than I am since its pre-elected understanding that Im going there for induction .  Apparently, that hospital is big and needless to say, they are known for their maternal services and I dont think it would never occur to them to set aside their pre-elected patients for trivial reason like that of my obgyn.  So to conclude my visit to my doctor, I told her that we would call her the next day to confirm whether we would go for induction or just wait for another week since it still okay to deliver her a week after the due date.  The risk of course is having a big baby and might go on caesarean section. 

Im not feeling good about my doctor, perhaps, we couldn’t agree more about the things that I expect from her.  We should be deliberately discussing our plans and consider my options.  I expect her to explain it to me very well.  I wouldn’t definitely recommend her to anyone nor I will consider another delivery of the baby with her.  She’s really getting on my nerves and Im starting to hate her.

I am experiencing nesting syndrome!  yeah, the kind of thing when women who are about to go into labor starts to clean, organize and decorate their home right before the delivery of the baby.  Im on full term now and anytime soon, the baby could come out!  Everything is pretty much ready and so am I.  Can’t wait!

As the medical assistant took my weight, I grasped for my breath and find out if I gained or not.  Thankfully, my weight still the same and my blood pressure being normal.  The doctor checked my cervix again, found it’s soft, not yet dilated at this time but the baby’s head already engaged and ready to go anytime soon.  Normally, second delivery of babies tend to be different from the first, labor would follow the contractions and cervix dilates fast.  But if for any reason my cervix already dilated next week, my doctor might asked me to go through induction of labor again.  This weekend, she’ll be out of town for conference and will be back on Monday.  Im thinking not to exhaust myself this weekend so I could have the baby next week just in time for thanksgiving.  I am still very excited to see my baby’s face and still praying for her good health. I know that my sleepless nights are getting nearer but one happy thought of having another baby fills my gladness.  I am thankful and overwhelmed with everything.  I’ll see my doctor next monday.

Before anything else, I would like to thank those who generously shared their favorite baby names with me.  I am hoping to get her name at least from that list.  There’s no final name yet at this moment although few more days are left on my calendar.  Again, thank you so much for everyone who visited and dropped in their suggestions.  I really appreciate your effort.

My baby has gone down in preparation for birth, it dropped right head down thus increasing the pressure in my pelvic area.  I haven’t felt any contractions yet at this moment.  

I began to slow down a little bit this week.  I am shopping the baby’s stuff right after my doctor’s visit to cut down the time of going outside and be close at home as possible.  I am in a week which is considered as full term although its not yet on the 40th.  I can deliver the baby anytime now so I have to be very careful as to where Im going.

Picking out baby names can be the most fun part of expecting a child.  I remember when I had my first baby that it came to a point that Im inventing a new name for her by taking rhyming syllables/part from my name and  hubs name.  Until we decided that it’ll be easier if we just take our first names initial and give the same to our lil angel.  Thus, her first name from her father which is D and second name or middle name from mine of course which is letter C. 

Lately, picking out baby names becomes the most frustrating part of my pregnancy.  It seems that I can’t figure it out!  It is supposedly fun coz its the first gift I’ll ever give to my new baby and is probably the most important decision before she arrives.  It should be something she’ll be proud of throughout her life right?!  The funny part is that my hubs already got one if its a baby boy.  Therefore, its like me having hard time in choosing for the girl’s name coz we split the responsibility of choosing names based on gender.  It seems to be more difficult than ever. 

I don’t particularly go after someone’s name I truly admire.  I like african names and love to interpret their meanings.  I wish it would be completely unique, a sort of label in order to distinguish her from the rest of other children, something that eventually would reflect its meaning to her attitude and personality.  I don’t go for popular names, I want it uncommon and would just simply stands out.  Pretty hard isn’t it?! 

Now Im gonna need your help, my friends and readers.  I want you to add input on this matter.  The initials of the name has to be D and C in any order.  We are looking for Girl’s name– unique, better if its african, one name is shorter than the other.  Of course, I cant commit to any of the names provided unless I really like it, if there’s a winner, I’ll announce it here and a token of appreciation will be sent on your mailbox.  Now choosing a name won’t be frustrating anymore! lol,  all the entries will be highly appreciated.  Goodluck!

My baby has moved downward in preparation for birth.  I also could feel the changes and it hurts when it moves downward.  The medical assistant and my doctor also took note that it dropped right and the fundal height showed it as well.  I gained two more pounds after a week.  My blood pressure is okay and the result for my Cervical Culture last week was negative.  My doctor checked my cervix this morning and she said that I’ll have an easy labor ahead.  Since this is my second child, my cervix won’t open not until I started laboring which is quite different from the first.  The good news is that my cervix is already soft, ready to give way on my next baby.   They already gave me a copy of my prenatal records to keep on my hospital bag, so anytime that I go labor, I have it handy.

I’ll see her again next week, Monday.  Im getting closer!  Nervous and Excited all at the same time! Please pray for me.  My next entry about baby names.

I began to see my doctor on a weekly basis.  She started monitoring me and my baby’s progress and watch for early signs of labor.  She may call for induced labor as she mentioned to me on my previous prenatal visit if continuing it more than my due date will pose a significant risk like having a bigger baby or the water broke and I do not start laboring within 24 to 48 hrs.  On my first pregnancy, I had induced labor for convenience and comfort.  As Ive mentioned before, she asked me to have induce labor coz she’ll be out of town for conference that week and most pregnant women of the same week as mine had given birth.  I remember I almost failed on the induction coz my cervix wont dilate fast, which means I might end up by emergency c-section.  Giving birth is risky and nerve racking.  C-section on the other hand, means longer hospital stays and longer recoveries, higher rates of complications too.  My induction before cause strong contractions that hyperstimulates the uterus, thus stressing me and the baby.  If I really have a choice, I dont wanna go through all that again.  Its traumatic!

This week, I find myself addicted to coffee, sodas and chocolates.  Thats the disadvantage of halloween.  Right after trick or treat, I’ll always have bag of snickers set aside for my sweet cravings and comfort.  Then somehow, I saw myself snicking out some from my daughters goodies, now where the weight watch has gone, I really dont know.  Anyway, coffee, sodas and chocolates are the big culprit of caffeine, which may lose calcium and impede our body’s ability to absorb iron, a nutrient important to pregnant women.  I hope I could stop this addiction soon! 

Early this morning, I went to my eleventh prenatal visit.  As usual, the day starts with few drops of urine sample, weight and blood pressure check.  My weight increased by two pounds which add up to my previous overall weight of 20 pounds since I started the pregnancy.  I might have another 8 pounder baby again like I had on my first or at least 7 which is still pretty big.  I wish it would stop gaining but what can I do, she is really big like her mom and dad, probably tall too.

My ob-gyn did a cervical culture at me this morning.  Its done by inserting an instrument inside the vagina and take sample of cells and mucus from the cervix to check for evidence of sexually transmitted diseases (such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, bacterial vaginosis, yeast, mycoplasma, etc.), its a standard procedure during this time for pregnant women before giving birth.  Then she felt the baby’s head down on the lower right side, which indicates a good and easy labor as she mentioned to me.  That also means that the baby is geared towards the right position and ready to come out anytime next month.  Im really praying and hoping this time it’ll be easier and effortless labor and delivery than the previous, a fantasy any woman would wander.  Next week, she’ll check on my cervix and see if its already started dilating.  She told me that anytime, I could give birth, she has a patient who gave birth at 38 weeks.  Thats barely a couple of weeks from now and she told me I could deliver it anytime between 36 and 38 until 40, and its all fine.  She won’t keep the baby after the due date or else I’ll end up having 10 pounder baby which means, if I won’t go into labor around those dates, I’ll end up again in an Induced labor which I really hate.   

Whatelse do I wish and expect after the delivery, here are things I really ponder these days, my wishful thinking:

• A healthy bouncing baby, girl or boy

• Reasonable weight gain that I can lose easily and sensibly

• Baby sleeping through the night the day I come home from the hospital, lol

• Friends and family assistance during the first few weeks at home, I wish my parents are here  

• Lactation/Feeding specialists when Im having hard time during the first few weeks of my breastfeeding and bottle feeding sessions, I know doulas are expensive but I wish I have one.

• The patience, love and guidance on how to properly take care, comfort and console my new born baby.

• To constantly remind me of realizing that time spend with my children should be of quality and that the love is the most important thing in my kids need.

• Stay happy and have peace of mind.