The VBAC Blog

Under the advice of the midwife at my Ob/Gyn’s office, I’m taking Evening
Primrose Oil, which is the same thing they put on my cervix yesterday. I read online that you’re supposed to take 3 to 4 – 500 mg capsules after 38 weeks gestation. Glad I read the bottle that Richard bought because these capsules are 1300 mg each! Holy cow. Shudder to think what might have happened had I not read the bottle!

Anyway, I had some minor contractions after my exam yesterday. After I took one of the capsules, I had several contractions, back to back. Nothing too strong or even unbearable really. They just made me uncomfortable. They slowed down considerably after dinner.

I haven’t wanted to go out at all in the past few weeks because I’m so big and uncomfortable (not to mention the fact that I only have one outfit left that fits with the exception of my pajamas). For some reason, I was dying to go out to dinner last night. Richard, Ali (age 15), Max (age 4) and I all headed to Olive Garden. I was having pretty intense contractions the whole time we were there (hard to talk through them so I’d just shut up) and I couldn’t help but notice that Ali and Richard were just staring at me during each one, undoubtedly wondering if this was IT. I thought it was very humorous, but they did not. Seems everyone thinks I’m not going to tell them when labor begins so I won’t have to spend as much time in the hospital, which I’ll admit is a temptation!

Anyway, after one big one ended, Ali breathed a sigh of relief and turned her head back to her menu. I loudly grabbed the table with one hand and my belly with another and said, “Oh no! Here comes another one!”

Ali got so nervous she just about fell out of her chair. Richard knew I was kidding and we both had a good roar over the expression on Ali’s face. Poor Ali. Ha ha ha!!!

Later that night, I took another one at bedtime and had more strong contractions that woke me up. They stopped around 2:00 a.m. or so. I didn’t have anymore this morning until I sat down to work and took another capsule. Have been having steady contractions since then. It’s lunchtime now and they’re pretty strong and regular, but not really painful.

Evening Primrose Oil, according to many websites, doesn’t make you go into labor. It simply ripens your cervix. If these mild contractions are ripening my cervix, I’d have to say it’s working.

Some websites say midwives swear by it and most doctor’s don’t believe in it…but also tell women not to take it before 36 weeks gestation.

Now, if only the REAL THING would begin, I can get this kid out, hold him, play with him, and stop thinking about when it will BEGIN!!

Lots of people have asked me why I’m working this close to delivery. Gads, if I wasn’t working, I’d be driving myself NUTS wondering when the baby was coming, if he’s okay, and if everything will turn out just fine in the end. Work is MUCH better than that.

We had a sonogram this morning and a doc appt. this afternoon. The amniotic fluid index (AFI) is still around 22, which is the same as it was last Friday and is MUCH better than the 30 it was two weeks ago.

They measured various things and estimated the baby now weighs 9 lbs. 6 oz. However, everybody knows using a sonogram to estimate a baby’s size is far from an exact science. I’m hoping he weighs less than that! The bigger he is, the better my chances of a c-section. Ug!

After the sonogram, I sat up and had a HUGE contraction. It was so strong I couldn’t walk. I was very embarrassed because the technician, Richard, Ali and Max had to wait until I could walk. I felt kinda silly sitting there while everybody just waited… And, man oh man, did it HURT! It hurt so bad that I got a reminder of what labor’s like and I started having second thoughts about that.

That was the only contraction, though. We went to lunch and walked through a couple of stores while waiting for my doctor appointment. Once there, we met with the midwife and concluded there really isn’t much going on down there. I’d have to say that my body isn’t currently doing anything that would indicate I’m going into labor today or tomorrow or even in the next week.

I’m dilated to “almost 2 cm.” I think that means I’m still at 1 cm, but she didn’t want me to feel down. Ha. She put Evening Primrose Oil on my cervix to help it ripen. I think she may have stripped my membranes, too, but was afraid to ask (sounds violent, doesn’t it?). But, the baby’s head is still kinda cock-eyed in there and not really settled against my cervix so he seems quite content where he is.

Anyway, maybe something will happen, maybe it won’t. While we were waiting for the midwife to come in, I said to Richard, “Isn’t it going to suck if we’re sitting here next Tuesday and there’s still no baby in our arms?”

With tomorrow being a full moon, and a huge low pressure system hitting us today, and all the pineapple I ate for dinner last night, I had high hopes when I woke up with really strong and painful contractions at 2:30 this morning.

Unfortunately, they contractions petered out over the next hour and a half and I woke up this morning still pregnant. Darn.

Got a surprise phone call from the doctor’s office this morning. They wanted me to come in for a sonogram at 11:00 a.m. They wanted my AFI (amniotic fluid index) tested today so they could “make a plan” if need be.

The beauty of working from home is that we can drop everything and take care of those types of things. So, we turned off our computers and hit the road. The sonogram went smoothly. Mason’s head is still down, thank goodness. The AFI was down to 22 from 30, thank heaven!

I’m still not quite clear on what the rush was to get the reading today. Perhaps the midwife didn’t talk to the doctor until today about what was going on with me this week. Perhaps they wanted to know the AFI before the full moon this weekend in case I go into labor.

I don’t feel like labor is coming in the next day or two. Pretty quiet here in my belly. Bummer.

The children have again made specific requests about when I can NOT go into labor:

I can’t go into labor TODAY because Ali has two finals and Frank has his end-of-the-year school dance tonight.

I can’t go into labor TOMORROW because Zach’s girlfriend is graduating from high school and we are to attend her party afterwards.

I can’t go into labor on MONDAY because Ali has her last batch of finals and it’s the last day of school.

So, that leaves Sunday and then Tuesday on into next week. I’d like to aim for Sunday, but I bet Mason has other plans. Richard’s getting so nervous (they’re doing construction on the highway from here to Ellsworth) that he wants to take the RV down to an Ellsworth campground so we’ll be closer to the hospital when labor begins. That seems like a whole lotta trouble to me. I’d rather just wait and hope that labor starts in the middle of the night, when the construction isn’t going on. If it is during the daytime and we get stuck in traffic, I have no qualms at all about getting out of the van, doubling over in pain, and begging the construction workers to let us pass. In fact, I think I’d enjoy that! Would have to make sure Frank caught it on tape. Ha ha!

And, as I told Richard, it’s only 45 minutes away and I’ve never had a kid THAT quick before! I have to go now. I have to find some wood to knock on…

Been gettin’ lots of emails from people asking what’s happening. Well, aside from lots of contractions that haven’t been doing anything at all, there’s nothing going on. I think the baby dropped some more, but can’t really be sure. Seems like his butt and feet are a lot lower in my abdomen.

I’ve had a headache for two days. That sucks. I’m in a bit of a foul mood, probably from the headache. Tired and bored. Don’t feel like working or reading or cooking or doing anything at all, though working does help pass the time. Very impatient and uncomfortable. I want to hold and play with our baby!!!

I’ve sure got my eye on that full moon this weekend!

Anyway, that’s the non-update.

Hugs to all,
Ang